Are we ready or still slumbering?

Are we getting close to the last days? The Bible repeatedly predicts the future and most of the prophecies in the Bible have already been fulfilled...

Romans 13:11 "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."

Mark 13:1 "As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"

The disciple was talking about the Jewish Temple which was still under construction for over 46 years...

Matthew 24:2 "Do you see all these things?" Jesus asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

I'm sure the disciples looked at Jesus with disbelief when He said that. They probably thought "no way"; so much effort, money and time has been put into it, how can it be destroyed? Well, look at what happened in New York on September 11, 2001.

We never thought that the Twin Towers will collapse within two hours. As unfortunate as it was, it did happen and not only the Twin Towers, but the attack destroyed at least two nearby buildings and damaged others. Also, about 3,000 people lost their lives and 6,300 people were injured and not to mention the emotional distress it caused to loved ones, rescue and recovery workers, the American people as well as the rest of the world. Yes, evil does exist in this world and our lives can turn around within seconds and change everything!

Mark 13:4-13 The disciples said to Jesus: "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the signs when all these things will be fulfilled?" And Jesus answering them, began to say: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying 'I am He,' and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be eartquakes in various places and there will be famines and troubles." These are the beginnings of sorrows. But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved".

Luke 21:32 "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."

2 Timothy 3:12 "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

John 15:18-20 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master. 'If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."

1 Thesselonians 5:2-3 "For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape".

Yeap - it will be business as usual because no one knows the day or the hour of this event, except for our Father in heaven. However, Jesus told us of these things so we can be prepared and not be surprised. These things will take place regardless, but again due to His amazing Grace, Jesus foretold us in order to prepare us.I can write a lot more on end times, but I will keep it short this time.

There will be more postings on this in the future as I enjoy reading books, articles, and watch documentaries on this subject. I truly believe God has given each of us certain talents, gifts and desires so we can contribute our share to society accordingly for His Kingdom and glory until He returns!

Zechariah 12:2-6 "Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. In that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, 'A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the LORD of hosts, their God.' In that day, I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem."

Luke 21:28 "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

God Bless,
Lucine

Castles in the sand...

Lately, everyone seems to be coming up with "new" schools claiming that their schools will have open-minded staff and that their way of teaching will be 'just & fair' to suit the needs of everyone, also that they will not be affiliated with any particular religion... (Just to mention a few: Oprah, Tom Cruise, and most recently Will Smith).

Well, they are getting further and further away from the "Truth"! The article in the "The Los Angeles Associate Press" about Will Smith's new school, dated Monday, June 30th, 2008, is what prompted me to write this.

Mr. and Mrs. Will Smith are claiming that the new school they are about to open is not going to teach scientology. However, the AP article states "The school will use instructional methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard called study technology".

Well, if you don't know who L. Ron Hubbard is, here is a brief biography from Wikipedia: "Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, (March 13, 1911 - January 24, 1986), was the founder of the Church of Scientology, as well as the author of Dianetics and the body of works comprising Scientology doctrine. He was also an author in numerous speculative fiction genres for the pulp magazines and, later in life, returned to science fiction.....".

So what is scientology? I'd say a religion! What is atheism? A religion! What is new age? A religion! So we can say that there are many different religions in this world. However, we have to be careful so we don't fall into deception and follow false religion. We need to stand firm on truth and solid rock. For me and my brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus is the only Truth and Solid Rock! We cannot be lukewarm (whatever goes) Christians. We need to claim Jesus boldly, not in arrogance, but with love, compassion and confidence! Jesus told us not to be ashamed of Him!

I understand that following a religion is a "personal choice" and we cannot force anyone to build a relationship with Jesus. But I also believe that in the end, when we come face to face with the one and only God Almighty, we will be held accountable for the choices we've made while living on this earth. So let's not build our castles in the sand where they will be destroyed, instead let's store up our treasures in heaven on solid rock (Jesus) where they are safe.

Matthew 6:19-24 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

2 Corinthians 6:16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."

Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."

Whatever is happining nowadays should not come as a surprise to true Christians, because the Bible prepares us that when the end is near, these sort of things will take place. Wide is the gate that leads to destruction and will attract the majority. False doctrines will promote self, whatever feels good to the flesh, whatever quinches the downs of emotions and feeds the inner cravings. We are living in a self-absorbed world. People are shortsighted and want instant gratification. It's not about God any more, it's all about "Me, Myself and I." But what we forget is that we don't belong to ourselves, we are accountable to God! God has equipped us to serve Him, not serve self! We see "self-promotion" everywhere; and Hollywood is a very good example of what I'm talking about!

Luke 9:23 Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

God Bless,
Lucine

Ephesians 6:12

Because we live in a fallen world, we will be going through some storms during our lifetime.

When I'm going through tough times, I find praying and reading scriptures comforts and lifts me up.

I had one of those "down" days yesterday. I woke up feeling miserable - I felt mentally and physically exhausted for no reason. I prayed to the Lord to give me strength for the day. Why was I feeling this way? Why was my endurance low? I had no answers.

Later that day when I shared my feelings with my daughter, she gave me a scripture to meditate on. I was very familiar with the scripture, but I was too busy to apply it to my situation. I was trying to justify and analyze why I was feeling that way. Sometimes as Christians, we take the scriptures for granted or become too involved with daily "stuff" that we forget to turn to them for guidance.

Eph 6:12 "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places".

The Apostle Paul tells us to put on our spiritual armour because our battle in this world is a "spiritual" one. A warfare that is against the trickery and power of the devil, as opposed to a human battle. Even though human beings will certainly play a role in this spiritual warfare, they are being used by these entities for the purposes of accomplishing evil.

Later on I received an encouraging a e-mail from my daughter with a video attachment to lift up my spirit. I just have to remind myself that when I feel doubtful, discouraged and down, all I have to do is read His Word and look around to see His presence through His beautiful and majestic creation.

So the point I am trying to make is that the Lord never said we will have a smooth ride - the storms will come whether we like it or not, but we don't have to go through it all alone because He is with us and He is our strength and shield! God promises us that sorrows may last for the night, but joy will come in the morning!

God said He will never leave us or forsake us. He said to go to Him when we feel weary and heavy laden. He says He is close to the brokenhearted. He holds us in the palm of His hand and comforts us. He gives us His peace that surpasses human understanding.

God is in control of all our situation. When we go to Him with our concerns, He will answer our prayers by using people, scriptures, books, billboards, and even videos to tell us that He still loves us!

God Bless,
Lucine

"Truth" exists regardless...

People often say "we don't believe in the Bible" or "the Bible is no more than a bunch of made up stories" or "Jesus was just a prophet, not the son of God", etc.

These same people who do not believe in the Bible, believe in the "air" that they breathe and the "gravity" that holds them to the ground even though they do not see and touch air or gravity!

So people are very selective as to what they want to believe or not - mainly to suit 'self'.

Romans 3:3 "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness?"

Whether we believe or not and have proof or not "Truth" does not change! The "Truth" remains regardless!

There is one God, in three persons (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit). God created the universe and everything within it to make it function flawlessly. God has also given us the free-will to choose our path - His way or the world's way.

Adam and Eve rebelled, and sin entered into our lives, therefore, we're all sinners!

Romans 3:23 "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

Penalty of sin is eternal darkness (separation from God), however God doesn't want us to perish. Therefore, He sent His one and only son Jesus to pay the full penalty for our sins in order to give us His "free" gift of salvation. However, accepting Jesus' free gift of salvation is a personal choice.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth."

Jesus wants us to reach out to people and share the "truth" with them. However, if they are not willing to listen and accept the free gift of salvation, then we need to move on because we can't force it on them and waste our precious time - we got to move on for His Kingdom's sake!

Matthew 7:6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."

Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death".

Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it".

Well, Jesus is that narrow gate; an unpopular gate nowadays... We need to be knowledgeable of the "truth" so we don't blindly follow false doctrines and end up at the broad gate.

Acts 17:11 "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what the Apostle Paul said was true".

God Bless,
Lucine

Claim Him without fear!

I wonder why when we are with certain people, we act in a certain way and our choice of terminology changes? We somehow shy away from using the name of "Jesus"? How would it feel if our own children were ashamed of us and did not want to publicly claim us? That would hurt!!!
If we believe in Jesus, we need to say His name fearlessly!

We don't have to shove it down people's throat, but we should claim Him - not in arrogance, but with confidence and love.

If we truly understood the magnitute of Jesus' sacrifice and grace for our salvation, sanctification, redemption and justification, we would praise Him at all times.

Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes - first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Lately, it has become the norm to tolerate every religion, but Christianity. Society thinks that Bible believing Christians are ignorant, arrogant, intolerant and even dangerous... We are constantly under attack and I believe it's all because we have been quiet for too long. I also believe it's because we are safe - after all, Jesus instructed us "to turn the other cheek". We don't go around blowing people up everytime they critisize our faith - yes we're safe to redicule and persecute. However, Jesus has overcome the world and we should not fear no matter what comes our way!

We have let a handful of people, (godless lawyers, judges, politicians...), force new laws upon us and slowly take away our rights as Christians. Now, we are paying the price for our long silence; thus no Bibles and prayers in schools, no displays of the cross or nativity scene in public places. We are reaping what we have sown!

We cannot sit back and observe; we need to get involved and re-claim our rights as Christians.

Thank God for people like Jay Alan Sekulow, Chief Counsel for American Center for Law & Justice. Jay and his staff are defending the Christians whenever they hear of an injustice. Here's the link for his website: http://www.aclj.org/ (please do not mistake ACLJ with ACLU!)

Why are we intimidated when it comes to our faith? Is it because we are afraid of what society might think or say or is it because we think we are not equipped and don't know enough about the Bible to defend our faith?

God has given each of us certain talents and gifts according to our capabilities. Although education is very good, we don't need to have a degree in theology, be a teacher, a minister or public speaker to claim "Jesus" as our Lord and Savior. God has created us and He knows our limits. He wants us to be salt and light to the world wherever we go (i.e. workplace, school, home, grocery store, restaurant, etc.). We each have different gifts and we can contribute to the Kingdom of God accordingly. God always magnifies Himself through the least among us. The Bible is full of examples on how God uses the weak for His purpose. Satan often wants us to believe we don't have what it takes to do God's will, but God's amazing grace is sufficient for us to do everything!

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But Jesus said to me states the apostle Paul: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong!

Luke 21:15 Jesus said, “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”

God will give us the knowledge of what to say and what to do at the right time and at the right place. We just need to stay obedient so we can hear His still voice.

God Bless,
Lucine

"Blessings arrive in unexpected packages..."

Read the powerful testimony of Tony Snow 1955 - 2008. He was a man of faith and integrity!

"Blessings arrive in unexpected packages, in my case, cancer.

Those of us with potentially fatal diseases - and there are millions in America today - find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God's will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence What It All Means, Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.

The first is that we shouldn't spend too much time trying to answer the why questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can't someone else get sick? We can't answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.

I don't know why I have cancer, and I don't much care. It is what it is - a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.

But despite this - or because of it - God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.

Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.

To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life - and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many non-believing hearts - an intuition that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live - fully, richly, exuberantly - no matter how their days may be numbered.

Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprise. We want lives of simple, predictable ease, smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see - but God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance and comprehension - and yet don't. By His love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise.

'You Have Been Called'

Picture yourself in a hospital bed. The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away. A doctor stands at your feet; a loved one holds your hand at the side. "It's cancer," the healer announces.

The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask him to serve as a cosmic Santa. "Dear God, make it all go away. Make everything simpler." But another voice whispers: "You have been called." Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter - and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our "normal time."

There's another kind of response, although usually short-lived - an inexplicable shudder of excitement, as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away everything trivial and tiny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions.

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing though the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes (Spain), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment.

There's nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue - for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do.

Finally, we can let love change everything. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of crucifixion, he grieved not for himself, but for us. He cried for Jerusalem before entering the holy city. From the Cross, he took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness, and begged for forgiveness on our behalf.

We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us, that we acquire purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God's love for others. Sickness gets us part way there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two people's worries and fears.

'Learning How to Live'

Most of us have watched friends as they drifted toward God's arms not with resignation, but with peace and hope. In so doing, they have taught us not how to die, but how to live. They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of love.

I sat by my best friend's bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was a humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. "I'm going to try to beat [this cancer]," he told me several months before he died. "But if I don't, I'll see you on the other side."

His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn’t promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity - filled with life and love we cannot comprehend - and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms.

Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don't matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?

When our faith flags, he throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer warriors in our midst. They change things, and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it.

It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know: Others have chosen, when talking to the Author of all creation - to lift us up, to speak of us!

This is love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminous and intense. We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God.

What is man that Thou art mindful of him? We don't know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us who believe, each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place - in the hollow of God's hand."

We will miss you Tony,

God Bless,
Lucine

Love never fails...

I just wanted to share with you a few key points from Dr. Robert Jeffress' book titled "Hell? Yes!" It's a great book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down...

As Christians, we need to remind ourselves each and every day how to please the Lord with what we say and what we do. Actions talk louder than words. However, we can only accomplish that through a "Christ-like" unconditional love.

If we bear the name "CHRISTians", then whatever we say or do needs to "reflect" the love of Christ and needs to bring glory to God. We need to get involved, we need to become good listeners and not just talkers who interrupt people to prove a point in arrogance, and to recognize what is important and what is not for the Kingdom of God. Wherever we are we can win people by what we say and what we do if we follow Jesus' teachings, otherwise we will turn people off.

Dr. Robert Jeffress in his book quotes what Gandhi had said "I might be persuaded to become a Christian... if I ever met one". That's so sad! We can do better than that!

So let our every thought and action be pure based on "Christ-like" love instead of judgment, criticism, arrogance and self-righteousness so that Christ is reflected through us.

Psalm 19:14 "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

God Bless,
Lucine

The Truth

Hosea 4:6 The Lord says: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."

It is very important for Christians to be on guard at all times and to be knowledgeable of the Bible! Oprah, who calls herself a "free-thinking-Christian" (by the way - what is a free thinking Christian?), quotes certain verses from the Bible to make her teaching sound legitimate and to convey her fans to follow. For Christians who know nothing or know very little about the Bible, then yes, Oprah's teaching may sound like the real thing, but it's not!

If we are not equipped with what the Bible says, we can easily fall for the false doctrines that are popping up everywhere these days. These are the exact same things Jesus warned us about for the latter days.

Oprah's teaching promotes "self" (i.e. "salvation comes from me", "I am the source of energy", "knowing who you are will set you free", "I am the light", and that Jesus is just a messenger, etc.). Oprah's teaching is based on the newly released book titled New Earth: “Awakening to Your Life's Purpose” by Eckhart Tolle. It is different than what the Bible teaches. God doesn't like arrogance, He wants us to be humble and be obedient to His Word!

Matthew 5:19 "Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Luke 9:23 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

John 14:6 "I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Luke 9:26 "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

As followers of Jesus, we need to do our part. We cannot continue to be just 'listeners', we need to be 'doers'. It has been a slow-fade for years, and now it is upon us, however, it is not too late; we can still make a difference by spreading the "truth"! Salvation comes only through Jesus. Those who look to other ways to find God will not succeed because they want to find God on their own terms.

I happen to mention "Oprah", but there are many other Christians out there who are coming up with new doctrines everyday that are not according to God's Word. As true followers of Christ, we need to be aware of these things so we don't get sucked into the devil's trap.

Galatians 4:16 "Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?"

God Bless,
Lucine

Give us this day our daily bread..

Give us this day our daily bread... what does "daily bread" mean? It is whatever we need for the day that comes from the Lord. We don't need to worry about tomorrow, what we are going to eat or what we are to wear. As long as we put our trust in the Lord, everything we need will be provided by Him.

God knows our needs before even we ask Him. All we need to do is to stay obedient to His Word; then His blessings will flow, (yes - including riches), abundantly and overflowing!

Proverbs 30:8-9

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, 'Who is the LORD?'

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonor the name of my God.

God Bless,
Lucine

The Lord is our Purifier

Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Author - Unknown

God Bless,
Lucine

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 (covenant)
The Lord is my Shepherd (protection)
I shall not want (supply)
He makes me lie down in green pastures (rest)
He guides me besides still waters (refreshment)
He restores my soul (peace / healing)
He guides me in paths of righteousness (directing)
for His name sake (purpose)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (testing)
I will fear no evil (sanctuary)
You are with me (faithfulness)
Your rod and staff, they comfort me (discipline)
You prepare a table before me, in front of my enemies (hope)
You anoint my head with oil (consecration)
my cup will overflow (abundance)
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life (blessings)
and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord (settlement)
Forever and ever (eternity)
Amen (affirmation)

God Bless,
Lucine

A city on a hill cannot be hidden

Don’t let your frustration with the evil of this world intimidate, discourage, wear you out or make you deny Jesus. Use your struggles as stepping stones to come up higher and to stir up your faith! Jesus said, "you are the light of the world - A city on a hill cannot be hidden".

As long as we're still living in this world, we will be faced with various battles. And unfortunately, those battles will become worse as we draw nearer to the second coming of our Lord. We should stay strong in the meantime and not lose heart. We need to pray all the time and ask God to strengthen and encourage us. As Christians, we always need to remind ourselves that our best rewards are stored up in heaven.

In Jesus days, salt was used to keep meat from going bad. When Jesus asks us to be salt and light, He is telling us not to get stagnant, not to be afraid and hide, not to be ashamed of Him, and most of all not to give up! It's difficult when we are living in a world where political correctness, fitting-in, and pleasing society has much more weight than our faith. No matter what our circumstances are here and now, we need to stand strong in our faith and never give up. We have to be His hand and feet and we need to be salt and light to the world that the world may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in Heaven. Remember that it's never about us, it's all about Him!

My pastor is often critized for his pep-talks... folks claim that he's always encouraging people and giving them false hope. I disagree! My pastor says it takes the same amount of energy to think negatively as it takes to think positively - so why not use that same energy toward 'positive thinking'? He is always encouraging us to stay up-beat, to stir up our faith, to stay hopeful, to live a life of integrity, to humble ourselves, to be joyful and thankful to God no matter what comes our way, to be forgiving instead of judging, to be kind to people, etc. Well, didn't Jesus encourage the crowd at the mountainside with a similar message? (see Matthew 5:1-48).

God bless,

Lucine

It's foolishness to the world...

Psalm 14:1 Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; no one does good!

When people hear us claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior or when we say Jesus is the only way to the Father, they see us as arrogrant, narrow-minded or radical. Some are so against Christians, they even take drastic measures to amend existing laws or demand to create new laws to take away our religious rights. Something about the name of "Jesus" somehow angers or intimidates people. It is easier and guiltless to live a selfish lifestyle pretending Jesus doesn't exist!

John 14:7 Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is.

This is the foundation of the Christian faith! Through the Son, we are forgiven and reconciled to the Father!

What people call "foolish plan of God" is far wiser than the wisest plan of the wisest of man. The world despises God's plan and yet it is through God's wise plan that we receive our salvation! It is from God alone that we have our life through Christ Jesus. Because we are all sinners and don't deserve the glory and merci of God. Without Jesus as our "bridge", we cannot cross over to the Father. Without Jesus, we would fall into eternal darkness. We have to stop living by perception and emotions because those are derivatives of our weak flesh. We need to start living by fact trusting in the Lord!

1 Timothy 2:3-6 "This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time."

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God".

1 Corinthians 1:31 "If anyone is going to boast, let him boast only of what the Lord has done".

Luke 9:23 Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

1 Corinthians 1:18-23 "I know very well how foolish it sounds to those who are lost, when they hear that Jesus died to save them. But we who are saved recognize this message as the very power of God. For God says "I will destroy all human plans of salvation no matter how wise they seem to be, and ignore the best ideas of men, even the most brillant of them". So what about these wise men, these scholoars, these brilliant debaters of this world's great affairs? God has made them all look foolish, and shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. For God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never find God through human brilliance, and then He stepped in and saved all those who believed His message, which the world calls foolish and silly. It seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven as proof that what is preached is true; and it is foolish to the Gentiles because they believe only what agrees with their philosophy and seems wise to them. So when we preach about Christ dying to save them, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense."

God Bless,
Lucine

Break Free Today

This Sunday, I was listening to Dr. Charles F. Stanley... The topic was: "The devestating effects of living in bondage to self-rejection. To learn how to break free today".

The message I got was "why do we worry about what other people think or say about us?"

It's not mind over matter, it's "truth" over error! We should not concern ourselves about what people say or think about us. What matters is what God says about us. God says "I will never leave you or forsake you". We mean so much to God that He didn't send a bunch of angels to save us, He came Himself and when He left, He said "Im going to go, but I will send you a helper who will dwell in you (the Holy Spirit). Therefore, if God puts so much value in us to send His one and only Son to save us, why do we waste our time and energy worrying about what people say or think about us?

The peace of God can dwell in us and overcome the challenges of this world, but it's our choice to accept His peace which is above and beyond our understanding. Or we can turn to the peace and comfort that this world provides which is based on feelings/emotions/materials/money and it's short-lived. True comfort, courage and peace only comes from our Lord Jesus Christ.

God Bless,
Lucine