June 2020 – Lift Up Your Eyes!

Trust in the Lord

I’m reminding myself of the truth of where to place my trust.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:5-7 NKJV

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.
Proverbs 28:26 NKJV

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV

³Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
⁴In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
Psalm 56:3-4 NKJV

The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
Proverbs 29:25 NKJV

How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Psalms 40:4 NASB

¹¹But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
¹²For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
Psalm 5:11-12 NKJV

⁷“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
⁸For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV

⁵My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
⁶He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
⁷In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

⁸Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
Psalm 62:5-8 NKJV

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
³The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge;
My Savior, You save me from violence.
⁴I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.”

³¹“As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”
2 Samuel 22:2-4, 31 NKJV

And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.
1 Chronicles 5:20 NKJV

³⁹But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
⁴⁰And the Lord shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
Because they trust in Him.
Psalm 37:39-40 NKJV

Jesus is coming very soon. Be ready!

⁴But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 NKJV

³²“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! ³⁴Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. ³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
Matthew 24:32-35 NKJV

³⁴“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. ³⁵For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:34-36 NKJV

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.

Did Moses Feel He Had Failed God?

Stephen gives us the truth about Moses, that he was good with words.

¹⁷“But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt ¹⁸till another king arose who did not know Joseph. ¹⁹This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. ²⁰At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. ²¹But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. ²²And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.”
Acts 7:17-22 NKJV

But when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and spoke with him, Moses gave excuse after excuse – including that he couldn’t speak well, until God got angry.

¹⁰Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

¹¹So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? ¹²Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

¹³But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

¹⁴So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. ¹⁵Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. ¹⁶So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. ¹⁷And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
Exodus 4:10-17 NKJV

Moses and Aaron went to Egypt, and Stephen in Acts was right. It wasn’t long before Moses spoke to Pharaoh himself; he didn’t need Aaron to speak for him.

⁸Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.”

⁹And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.”
Exodus 8:8-9 NKJV

I have to include the next bit. Pharaoh wanted one more night of sleeping with the frogs.

¹⁰So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. ¹¹And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”
Exodus 8:10-11 NKJV

Moses proved he was able to do what God called him to do. So why had he given excuse after excuse when God was speaking from the burning bush? I think Moses may have spent a lot of those 40 years in the wilderness regretting his mistakes in Egypt that had caused him to flee. He may have had hours and hours of thoughts like these:

There I was, in perfect position to someday set my brother Hebrews free, and I blew it. I murdered an Egyptian and had to flee Egypt. I blew it. God had me in place to do great things and I completely messed up. I’m a useless idiot.

I say this because I have made some big mistakes in the past and have wasted many hours of regret over them. Then with these negative thoughts near the top of my mind they spring up immediately if I start to think about trying something I think might be God’s will.

These Scriptures are essential for overcoming useless regret, and I’m still a work in progress.

¹²Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV

³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8 NKJV

²³The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
²⁴Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 NKJV

Jesus is coming very soon. Be ready!

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.

Four Excellent End-Times Messages

We are living in evil times.

I was blessed by these four sermons today. I’ve already watched one of them twice, and plan to listen to the other three again soon too. (I save time by listening to almost all YouTube videos speeded up. If you don’t know how see this post.)

The Danger Zone! 6-28-20 by Benjamin Faircloth

The importance of getting with God’s program.

Bible Prophecy Update – June 28th, 2020 by J.D. Farag

America’s rot has been going on a long, long time.

The Disappearance Of The Third Temple by Sandy Armstrong of Soldiers For Christ Community Church

Getting ready for the rapture.

Rock Harbor Church Prophecy Update Live Stream

Lessons and types from Exodus. Songs until about 13 minutes, the message begins at about 18 minutes.

Jesus is coming very soon. Be ready!

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.

The Lord’s Prayer in Old English

I’m not sure why, but I think this is cool. 🙂 It appears to be Luke’s version.

Fæder ūre, þū þe eart on heofonum;
Sīe þīn nama gehālgod,
tō becume þīn rīce,
gewurþe þīn willa,
on eorðan swā swā on heofonum.
Urne gedæghwamlican hlāf sele ūs tōdæg,
and forgif ūs ūre gyltas,
swā swā wē forgifaþ ūrum gyltendum,
and ne gelǣd þū ūs on costnunge,
ac ālȳs ūs of yfele, sōþlīce.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Fæder_ūre

For comparison.

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+11%3A2-4&version=NKJV

Jesus is coming very soon. Be ready!

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.

The Ultra-Rich – Understanding The News

There are many articles like this one about how the rich are getting richer while most others are getting poorer.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/18/orgy-wealth-continues-us-billionaires-grew-584-billion-richer-over-last-3-months

In my view, many/most/all of them have chosen to ignore this truth.

The rich and the poor have this in common,
The LORD is the maker of them all.
Proverbs 22:2 NKJV

I say “have chosen to ignore” because Paul did, more or less.

¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Romans 1:18-23 NKJV

They choose to not understand the purpose of wealth.

The righteous considers the cause of the poor,
But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.
Proverbs 29:7 NKJV

James writes about these people.

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! ²Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. ³Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. ⁴Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. ⁵You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. ⁶You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
James 5:1-6 NKJV

James continues with how we should respond.

⁷Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. ⁸You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
James 5:7-8 NKJV

See, the time is coming that their money will not do them any good.

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.
Proverbs 10:2 NKJV

They will throw their silver into the streets,
And their gold will be like refuse;
Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them
In the day of the wrath of the Lord;
They will not satisfy their souls,
Nor fill their stomachs,
Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.
Ezekiel 7:19 NKJV

¹²I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. ¹³And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. ¹⁴Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. ¹⁵And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Revelation 6:12-17 NKJV

I feel sorry for them and their short-term thinking. “You can’t take it with you” comes from the Bible.

⁶Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
¹⁷For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
¹⁸Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
¹⁹He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.
²⁰A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.
Psalm 49:16-20 NKJV

Forever and ever is a long, long, loooooong time to be wrong!

¹¹Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹²And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:11-15 NKJV

I hope they come to their senses before it is too late.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 NKJV

²⁴And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ²⁶and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
2 Timothy 2:24-26 NKJV

“For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”
Ezekiel 18:32 NKJV

Think long-term, think eternally. This life is temporary. Even this heaven and earth are temporary!

Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 17:24 NKJV

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. ¹¹Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ¹²looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ¹³Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:10-13 NKJV

Jesus is coming very soon. Be ready!

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.

Bible Translations and Intercourse, Pennsylvania

No one expecting to give an account of their lives to God would name a town in the USA Intercourse today. Per the Merriam-Webster definition it has sexual meaning. (I choose to not paste the definition.) But in Webster’s 1828 dictionary there was nothing sexual in its meaning.

intercourse

IN’TERCOURSE, n. [L. intercursus, intercurro; inter and curro, to run.] Literally, a running or passing between. Hence,

1) Communication; commerce; connection by reciprocal dealings between persons or nations, either in common affairs and civilities, in trade, or correspondence by letters. We have an intercourse with neighbors and friends in mutual visits and in social concerns; nations and individuals have intercourse with foreign nations or individuals by an interchange of commodities, by purchase and sale, by treaties, contracts, &c.

2) Silent communication or exchange.

This sweet intercourse

Of looks and smiles.

https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/Intercourse

It was perfectly reasonable for Cross Keys, Pennsylvania to change its name to Intercourse in 1814. From the wikipedia page:

… A final idea comes from the use of language during the early days of the Village. The word ‘intercourse’ was commonly used to describe the ‘fellowship’ and ‘social interaction and support’ shared in the community of faith, which was much a part of a rural village like this one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercourse,_Pennsylvania

The meaning of the word intercourse from the 1800’s to now shows how the English language has changed over time. In my lifetime the meanings of calculator and scan have changed, and when I’m writing software the word cookie brings to mind a browser local storage method, not something with chocolate chips.

Are older English translations of the Bible, such as the Geneva Bible, useful today? Yes, of course. But the primary issue I have had is with words whose modern meanings are different from what the meaning was when the translation was made. Consider the word conversation. Today it means an oral or electronic exchange. But in 1828 other meanings were higher precedence.

conversation

CONVERSATION, n.

1. General course of manners; behavior; deportment; especially as it respects morals.
Let your conversation be as becometh the gospel. Philippians 1.
Be ye holy in all manner of conversation. 1 Peter 1.
2. A keeping company; familiar intercourse; intimate fellowship or association; commerce in social life. Knowledge of men and manners is best acquired by conversation with the best company.
3. Intimate and familiar acquaintance; as a conversation with books, or other object.
4. Familiar discourse; general intercourse of sentiments; chat; unrestrained talk; opposed to a formal conference.
What I mentioned in conversation was not a new thought.
[This is now the most general use of the word.]

https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/conversation

Verses like these from the KJV can be difficult to understand if you don’t know that in 1611 the word conversation was what we today would call behavior, conduct, or way of life.

For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
Galatians 1:13 KJV

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Ephesians 4:22 KJV

Here are the verses in the NKJV.

For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
Galatians 1:13 NKJV

that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
Ephesians 4:22 NKJV

This is a verse I completely misunderstood in the KJV. I was a young Christian, but I thought it meant I could tell God what to do.

Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
Isaiah 45:11 KJV

This, I believe, is a much better translation for us modern-English readers.

This is what the LORD says— the Holy One of Israel and your Creator: “Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?”
Isaiah 45:11 NLT

I have spent several hours reading the Geneva Bible.

It’s not too bad after awhile of getting used to the old spelling: “And mens hearts shal faile them for feare, … And when these things begin to come to passe, then loke vp, and lift vp your heads: …”

I prefer a modern translation for my daily use, so I don’t have to continually look up words in Webster’s 1828 dictionary, and then try to remember them. 🙂

Jesus is coming very soon. Be ready!

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.

July 17, 2023. Updated links, as https://1828.mshaffer.com has an expired certificate.

Quoted Photos – Jeremiah, Lamentations and Ezekiel

Free to use and share!

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Jesus is coming soon. Be ready!

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.

God Wants You To Be Rich. Really, He Does!

These words of Jesus to the Laodicean church jumped out to me.

“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich;”
Revelation 3:18a NKJV

God really does want His people to be rich! It makes Him happy!

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Luke 12:32 NKJV

Let them shout for joy and be glad,
Who favor my righteous cause;
And let them say continually,
“Let the Lord be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
Psalm 35:27 NKJV

If you ponder the inverse of this parable you will conclude it is possible to be rich toward God.

¹⁶Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. ¹⁷And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ ¹⁸So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ ²⁰But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

²¹“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:16-21 NKJV

Note however that being rich in God’s eyes may or may not have anything to do with having lots of money while you’re here on this earth. The Laodicean church was wealthy in earthly money but were poor towards God!

¹⁴“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ¹⁹As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. ²⁰Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

²²“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”
Revelation 3:14-22 NKJV

On the other hand, the Smyrna church was poor in earthly money but wealthy in God’s eyes.

⁸“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: ⁹“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹¹“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’ ”
Revelation 2:8-11 NKJV

So how does one become rich towards God? This is an example of how beneficial it is to read daily the Proverb corresponding to the day of the month, because I was able to immediately turn to Proverbs 8. This chapter is about wisdom.

¹Does not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?

¹⁰Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
¹¹For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

¹⁷I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
¹⁸Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
²⁰I traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
²¹That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
Proverbs 8:1, 10-11, 17-21 NKJV

Therefore eternal wealth begins with wisdom. And where does wisdom start?

¹⁰“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”
Proverbs 9:10-12 NKJV

I have a bunch of posts on the topic: Fear of the Lord

There is excellent reason to want to be rich towards God — it keeps your heart where it needs to be! Jesus said to lay up treasures in heaven!

¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV

Jesus is coming very soon. Be ready!

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.

Understanding The News

Every day I continue to read the chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month because it always helps me. Sometimes I don’t see anything new; the day’s reading is just a refresher on wisdom I already know. Sometimes well-known verses speak to me in a new way, which indicates that perhaps I’m growing spiritually. And sometimes, like yesterday, passages give understanding of current events. These two verses stood out, and help explain the tragic stories in the news.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

¹⁵It is a joy for the just to do justice,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
Proverbs 21:10, 15 NKJV

The soul of the wicked desires evil, and he doesn’t care who he hurts. He has no regard for the other people God created. Sad, so sad.

It is a joy for the just to do justice, but not for the wicked. They love to do wickedness. It won’t end well for them, unless they repent. But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

Is there any doubt these are the last days?

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ²For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV

Those that have pleasure in wickedness God is sending strong delusion so they will believe the devil’s lies.

⁷For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. ⁹The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹²that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 NKJV

We are definitely seeing the last part of Romans chapter one playing out before our eyes.

¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

²⁴Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³²who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:18-32 NKJV

Hang on, though, things will change!

⁷Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
⁸Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together
⁹ before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.
Psalm 98:7-9 NKJV

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. ¹¹Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ¹²looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ¹³Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:10-13 NKJV

Jesus is coming very soon. Be ready!

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.

Noah’s Flood – Bone-Breaking Earthquakes

The seventh bowl judgment includes a great earthquake, “… such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.“

¹⁷Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” ¹⁸And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. ¹⁹Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. ²⁰Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Revelation 16:17-20 NKJV

I wonder if Noah and his family in the ark are considered to be “above” the earth, floating on the water, because the evidence is an earthquake at the time of the flood was so violent it probably would have broken bones of anyone standing on the ground when it occurred. Part of the evidence is a type of geologic formation called a seismite caused by sand being shaken during an earthquake. A large modern earthquake had a seismite of 11 inches. The earthquake at the time of the flood produced seismites 24 to 30 feet!

If the Revelation 16 earthquake is bigger than that … !!!

I have watched this video four times, and parts of it more than that.

In-depth Explanation of What Caused Noah’s Flood – Dr. Kurt Wise

Part of the reason I’ve watched it so often is I’m a science nerd and the material presented is very interesting. But more than that, I think, is renewing my mind from all the “millions and billions of years” lies I was taught in school. Every time I watch a good creation-science video I’m more sure of the Genesis creation account. God did create the universe in six literal 24-hour days, about 6000 years ago. Noah’s flood did happen, and Jesus is coming back soon and will reign on earth 1000 years. After that this whole creation goes bye-bye and a new heavens and earth are created.

¹¹Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹²And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

21 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. ²Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And 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. ⁴And 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.”
Revelation 20:11 – 21:4 NKJV

I would have given more links to Wikipedia articles, but they are very biased to the evolution-timescale deception. Here’s part of the article about one of the scientists Dr. Wise talks about in his presentation.

Baumgardner is a Christian who sometimes pursues pseudoscientific creationist research. He has, for example, created a computer simulation called Terra to model the Noachian flood.^[1][3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Baumgardner

Many choose to be willfully ignorant. Don’t be like them.

Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), ²that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ³knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” ⁵For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, ⁶by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁷But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2 Peter 3:1-7 NKJV

Jesus is coming very soon. Be ready!

Has the rapture happened?
   You can still be saved and go to heaven!
---
Are you following God's plan for your life?    
   You should.
     Your plan is not going to work. 
     It is a really, really bad plan. 
     Please come to Jesus to escape your plan! 

Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Jesus is coming.
   Are you ready to meet Him?
   Give your life to Jesus Christ.
   Time is running out.