Mind Above – Lift Up Your Eyes!

Mind Above – For Sure, REAL Life is About to Begin!

¹⁶So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV

I’m “recycling” a November 2023 post because it’s so true. Every day I have this expectation that very soon I am going to be free of sin and pain, and will be starting the process of becoming all God created me to be – a process that will take forever to complete but will be filled with joy and peace all the way to the end! 😊

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalms 16:11 ESV

Very soon that trumpet is going to blow!

¹⁶For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 ESV

⁵⁰I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
⁵⁵“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:50-58 ESV

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
John 17:3 ESV

¹³But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

¹⁴Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
2 Peter 3:13-14 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I 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 the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

⁵And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:1-5 ESV

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ²through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. ⁴They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Revelation 22:1-5 ESV

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20 NLT

There, I cheered myself up! 😊

Mind above!

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV

Jesus is coming very, 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.

Updated from Mind Above – *REAL* Life is About to Begin!

Mind Above – “A Million Years From Now”

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalms 16:11 ESV

I try to imagine what my life will be like a million years from now. These are some Scriptures that have provided inspiration.

Eternal life is knowing God

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, ²since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
John 17:1-3 ESV

(The Holy Spirit will be in me.)

¹⁵“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:15-17 ESV

³No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. ⁴They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Revelation 22:3-5 ESV

I will have no memory of sin or being a sinner

“For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.”
Isaiah 65:17 ESV

Peace, love, joy, and pleasures indescribable now

⁹But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

¹⁰these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 ESV

⁷How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
⁸They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
⁹For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.
Psalms 36:7-9 ESV

³I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Revelation 21:3-4 NLT

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalms 16:11 ESV

A unique relationship with God

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”
Revelation 2:17 ESV

Music

²Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
³Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
Psalms 33:2-3 NKJV

( Mind Above – Music in Heaven )

High Technology

( Speculation About Technology on the New Earth )

My purpose fulfilled

The last line of Ps 1:3 doesn’t seem true in my life now – many failures!

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

³He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalms 1:1-3 ESV

God has an eternal view.

¹³These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. ³⁶Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— ³⁸of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:13-16, 35-40 ESV

Therefore in eternity God will fulfill His purpose for me! 😊

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
⁸The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Psalms 138:7-8 ESV

( The Lord Will Fulfill His Purpose For Me! )

Mind above!

Jesus is coming very, 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.

Updated from “A Million Years From Now”

Mind Above – Meditate on Heavenly Treasures to Make Sure Your Heart is in the Right Place

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 ESV

After waking up this morning I spent quite a bit of time thinking about the Matthew 6 passage above. “What treasures do I have in heaven? Is my heart really in the right place?“

It was a good exercise. I agree with Paul, that stuff in this life is trash compared to being known by Jesus.

⁷But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:7-11 ESV

The definition of eternal life is knowing God.

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
John 17:3 ESV

Therefore all believers have this treasure waiting in heaven. 😊

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, ²that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, ³in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:1-3 ESV

Ask God to show you some of your treasures in heaven.

⁶Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. ⁷But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. ⁸None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

¹⁰these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

¹⁴The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ¹⁶“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:6-16 ESV

Keep on asking!

⁷“Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8 AMP

Mind above!

Jesus is coming very, 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.

Mind Above – Think About Your Rewards

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Matthew 25:23 KJV

Like it or not, God is going to reward you, me, and everyone else.

²⁴Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”
Matthew 16:24-27 NKJV

¹²“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
Revelation 22:12-13 NKJV

⁷Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:7-10 NKJV

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Daniel 12:2 NKJV

For those who reject God’s free gift of salvation the reward is horrible – eternal death!

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

Believers in Jesus will have their lives reviewed and rewarded.

⁹Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NKJV

⁹For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. ¹⁰According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
1 Corinthians 3:9-15 NKJV

Jesus and Moses Thought About Rewards

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

²⁴By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
Hebrews 11:24-26 NKJV

Living a Godly Life Gains Rewards

If one wants to live Godly, persecution is guaranteed.

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
2 Timothy 3:12 NKJV

But Jesus said to rejoice when this happens. You’re building up great reward!

¹⁰“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.¹²Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven,for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV

The crown of life is a great reward!

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 ESV

Thinking About Rewards Keeps The Heart In The Right Place

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

The Father is a Rewarder

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

The Father Sees In Secret & Rewards Openly

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ²Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ³But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
Matthew 6:1-4 NKJV

⁵“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ⁶But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
Matthew 6:5-6 NKJV

¹⁶“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
Matthew 6:16-18 NKJV

Defer Rewards to Eternity if Necessary

All these died in faith [guided and sustained by it], without receiving the [tangible fulfillment of God’s] promises, only having seen (anticipated) them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.Now those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. And if they had been thinking of that country from which they departed [as their true home], they would have had [a continuing] opportunity to return. But the truth is that they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. For that reason God is not ashamed [of them or] to be called their God [even to be surnamed their God–the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]; for He has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:13-16 AMP

Watching For The Rapture Gains a Crown

⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV

It Makes The Father Happy To Give Us The Kingdom

³²“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:32-34 NKJV

How Brightly Will You Shine?

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls is wise.
Proverbs 11:30 NKJV

Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.
Daniel 12:3 NKJV

Every Good Action is Rewarded

⁴⁰“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. ⁴¹He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴²And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
Matthew 10:40-42 NKJV

The Book of Remembrance

¹⁶Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.

¹⁷“They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
¹⁸Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.
Malachi 3:16-18 NKJV

Mind above – Think about your rewards!

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4 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.

Repost of Mind Above – Think About Your Rewards

It’s True – The Desire of the Righteous Will Be Granted — Mind Above!

What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
Proverbs 10:24 ESV

Reading The Chapter of Proverbs of the Day today, the 2nd part of Proverbs 10:24 stood out. My Godly desires will be granted! Therefore this post builds on yesterday’s post,
God Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart – Mind Above!

I watched a couple piano videos today and smiled on the inside as I thought, “Soon!” (See the music reference below. 😊)

I have noticed that setting my mind on things above does help me eagerly wait for Jesus!

²⁷And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, ²⁸so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV

⁷Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
1 Corinthians 1:7-8 NLT

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
Galatians 5:5 ESV

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Romans 8:23 ESV

Yesterday’s post is below. 😊

Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:4 ESV

Meditate on Psalms 37:4 until you smile. In eternal life to come, none of us who make it to heaven will have wicked, sinful desires. 5,000 years from now, what desires will God have put in your heart, then helped you accomplish? For me, among many other things, I will have become skillful on many musical instruments. 🥰

Thank you Father for putting Your desires for me in my heart, then for helping me accomplish them! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Ask God to show you eternal things to come.

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Keep on asking!

Mind above!

Jesus is coming very, 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.

God Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart – Mind Above!

Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:4 ESV

Thank you Father for putting Your desires for me in my heart, then for helping me accomplish them! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Ask God to show you eternal things to come.

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Keep on asking!

Mind above!

Jesus is coming very, 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.

I’m Going Skiing! – Mind Above – Bucket-less ‘Bucket List’

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 ESV

A couple days ago I wrote about activities in heaven in
Mind Above – An Unending ‘Bucket List’ With No Bucket To Kick

To spark your thinking, here are two things I’m 99.997% sure I’ll be enjoying in heaven: Water skiing and downhill snow skiing. I went cross-country skiing once, but I have never been water or downhill snow skiing. I had opportunities but never did either. For example I was invited to water ski a few days before leaving for college but I declined the invitation. I decided to not risk possible injury, which could have messed up my NROTC scholarship.

Yes, I’m looking forward to learning to ski in heaven. What activities are you looking forward to doing? What desires will God grant you? Think about it!

The post of a couple days ago is below. Stats show few people click links. 😮 😉

What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
Proverbs 10:24 ESV

Many Bible passages I understood as applying to this life only I now understand as applying to life in heaven too. Yesterday Proverbs 10:24 jumped out to me that way – In heaven God will grant all my desires. It’s like a ‘Bucket List’ with no bucket to kick because I’ll never die! Just pleasures forever!

Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:4 ESV

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalms 16:11 ESV

I suppose it is parts of the Hall of Faith chapter in Hebrews that changed my perspective. The Bible isn’t just for now, it’s also for forever. Many in the Hall of Faith didn’t have such great lives on the earth.

³⁵Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. ³⁶Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— ³⁸of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

So think about God granting all you desire. We will be free from our sinful natures, so we won’t desire anything God would disapprove of. Ask God to show you eternal things to come. What are the first 100 things on your ‘Bucketless Bucket List’? 😊

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Keep on asking!

Mind above!

Jesus is coming very, 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.

Mind Above – An Unending ‘Bucket List’ With No Bucket To Kick

What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
Proverbs 10:24 ESV

Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:4 ESV

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalms 16:11 ESV

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Keep on asking!

Mind above!

Jesus is coming very, 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.

Mind Above – Groaning For Heaven Is Good!

For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
2 Corinthians 5:4 ESV

1st and 2nd Corinthians have been my least-favorite of all Paul’s letters. The believers in Corinth had a lot of problems, and it seemed to me a lot of what Paul wrote didn’t apply to me. But I’m on my 2nd reading of Paul’s epistles this year, and this time I’m getting a lot out of the letters to the Corinthians. I spent time meditating on this passage last night.

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. ⁴For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 ESV

The main thing that stood out is that God is pleased that I’m longing and groaning to enter eternal life. I’m a citizen of heaven and I don’t belong to or in this sinful world.

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Philippians 3:20-21 ESV

Last February 18th Romans 8:23 stood out in a similar way.

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Romans 8:23 ESV

To groan inwardly as I wait eagerly to see Jesus face to face is natural and expected. In fact, if I’m not groaning, eagerly waiting for my new, sinless body, I have a spiritual problem. I’m more focused on this life than the life to come, and both Jesus and Paul warn that’s not a good place to be.

¹⁷Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. ²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Philippians 3:17-21 ESV

The solution is to control one’s thoughts.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:2 ESV

⁵For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:5-8 ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8 ESV

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
ESV

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
NLT

Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.
Phillips

The Bible is full of good things to think about concerning eternal life to come. One of the biggest things for me is to be finally rid of my sinful nature!

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6 ESV

¹¹Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹²waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:11-13 ESV

⁵⁰I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:50-53 ESV

Try to imagine what life will be like with no more tears, death, mourning, crying or pain!

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I 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 the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

⁵And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:1-5 ESV

Think for awhile about Eden, the garden of God, and stones of fire. What will they be like?

¹¹Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: ¹²“Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,
    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
¹³You were in Eden, the garden of God;
    every precious stone was your covering,
sardius, topaz, and diamond,
    beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;
    and crafted in gold were your settings
    and your engravings.
On the day that you were created
    they were prepared.
¹⁴You were an anointed guardian cherub.
    I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;
    in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.”
Ezekiel 28:11-14 ESV

A river of delights, and the fountain of life??

⁷How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
⁸They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
⁹For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.
Psalms 36:7-9 ESV

Fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore??

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalms 16:11 ESV

Yes, there is much written in the Bible about eternal life. Renew the mind by meditating on these things. Mind above!

Jesus is coming very, 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.

Updated from Mind Above – We Should Be Inwardly Groaning!

Responding to Evil Times

“The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”
Psalms 11:3 NLT

The first three verses of Psalms 11 seem a little bleak.

In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,
    “Flee like a bird to your mountain,
²for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
    they have fitted their arrow to the string
    to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
³if the foundations are destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”
Psalms 11:1-3 ESV

The rest of the Psalm answers – God will set things right!

⁴The Lord is in his holy temple;
    the Lord‘s throne is in heaven;
    his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
⁵The Lord tests the righteous,
    but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
⁶Let him rain coals on the wicked;
    fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
⁷For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
    the upright shall behold his face.
Psalms 11:4-7 ESV

How then should believers act in these wicked times before the end? Here are a few thoughts with Scriptures.

It is good to hate the wickedness, injustice and evil

¹²“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
¹³The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.”
Proverbs 8:12-13 ESV

Groaning over wickedness is good

³Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. ⁴And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”
Ezekiel 9:3-4 ESV

Don’t fret

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
²For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.

⁷Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

⁸Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

¹⁰In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
¹¹But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

²⁰But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

²⁷Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
²⁸For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.

³⁹The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
⁴⁰The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

Psalms 37:1-2, 7-11, 20, 27-29, 39-40 ESV

Wait

⁷Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

³⁴Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

Psalms 37:7, 34 ESV

Watch

“And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
Mark 13:37 NKJV

¹³Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. ¹⁴Let all that you do be done in love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

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

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

“Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”
Mark 13:33 NKJV

Pray

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
1 Peter 4:7 NKJV

⁹“In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.
¹²And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
¹³And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

¹⁴“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:9-15 NKJV

Know that evil is temporary for those known by Jesus

¹¹Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹²waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:11-13 ESV

Get ready to laugh

⁵But God will break you down forever;
    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
⁶The righteous shall see and fear,
    and shall laugh at him, saying,
⁷“See the man who would not make
    God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches
    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”
Psalms 52:5-7 ESV

Think about eternity

Jesus is coming very, 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.