“Getting passed over..” ~by marianne

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Life is full of disappointments.

Many times we work hard for something, and we do not get it.

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Examples:

We spend years getting the experience, building up references, and doing a good job. We go back to school, to increase our qualifications and credentials. Then we apply for a better job, and we are rejected. We watch others who appear to be less qualified take what we were hoping for. Why?

We put much effort into our marriage or family relationships. Then our spouse leaves us for someone else, and our children would rather be with their friends, than with us. Why?

We work to maintain our property and home. One day, we put it up for sale. We have no buyers, but the guy next door, with the sloppy yard, and less maintained home, sells his home for a big profit. Why him, and not us?

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One day, I was walking along, reflecting on how much I had been passed over for blessings in my life.

I felt sad, like I had missed out on a lot. There were many, many things denied to me, that I worked so hard for. I had gotten left behind too many times.

I asked God, why am I always being passed over for everything?

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A still small voice boomed back:

I…… passed over you!!!!!!!!

I got the point.

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When man passes over us, it is harm to us.

When God passes over us, we are protected and blessed.

Recall the Israelites in Egypt, on the night before they left.

They had to stay inside, and do special things, and not go outside.

Yet, they were the ones saved from the Angel of Death.

So, God will also allow us to be “passed over” for our protection, even when it looks like it is man doing it.

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When an opportunity seems missed, it might be that we are being saved from an “Egyptian bondage” of our own.

Getting better

Hi Archie

I have been sick for about 3 years….doctors did not put enough thought into me, but thankfully, God did.

God gave me the wisdom to help myself, when doctors just dismissed me as having nothing wrong.

I have had an adverse drug reaction that attacked my nervous system.   I solved this now by going to the right specialist,  and having the Rx changed to a different drug…also something milder.

I also had a kidney infection (past 6 months) that was either denied by doctors or they gave the wrong medicine……I thought I was going to loose my kidney……I solved this in 2 steps….I went to a friend’s lab and used their microscope to identify what was there….then I went home, and happened to find a left over Rx from a tooth infection in my daughters’ drawer that happen to match what I needed.    So God had already provided for me….I just had to go on a treasure hunt in my house to find it.

Trust God, not man

For the first time, I feel better. I told the Lord that if he wanted me to do anything useful, he would have to heal me.     Otherwise, I was going to be pretty limited. So since I am getting better, I guess he has something for me. Wonder what that is.?

Anyhow, I praise God for the little miracles he does in our lives….with patience, the answer will always come.

blessings
Marianne

Are you REALLY sorry?

Great guest post by marianne. Thank you!

Is an apology good enough for your sins?

True repentance and confession requires information, understanding, sorrow for sins, and acting upon that sorrow.

Most false conversions occur when people do not understand what is required for salvation, and are not instructed properly by the church, when they express interest.

They have no clue what sin really is, what harm and damage they have done, what sorrow for sins really is, and the pulpit message is only about the blessings of God.

Repentance becomes a vague regret of mistakes made in life, yet one is still drawn to the life they led.

The person feels apologetic, although they do not consider themselves a bad person, just someone who could use God’s help in their life to make it better on earth.

It does not take long for them to go back to what they were doing wrong, because they don’t see anything wrong to begin with.

An apology is not enough. A vague regret is not enough.

You have to be sincerely sorrowful, realize the evil in what you have done, and be convicted to never do it again.

You will make an effort to know what sin is, what behaviors are sin, and how to avoid them.

You will do a complete turn around in your life, give your heart to God, obey Him with all your heart, mind, and strength.

It will break your heart to disobey God now. You see the reality of sin as a horror to you, and do not even want to associate with those who live in it.

You will see every act of disobedience as crucifying Christ all over again. You will see your sins nailing Him back to the cross. Out of love, you cannot stand this thought. You could never do this to Him again. Your love for Jesus will rule your actions.

The Holy Spirit will guide you, not your flesh.

Not even negative circumstances, or the threat of death, will make you deny Christ as Savior and Lord, or motivate you to give up and go back to sin.

Self check:

Are you really saved? Be sure you have met these basic requirements. Make sure you have not been deceived into thinking you are saved, when you are not.

Be a true convert to Jesus, not a false one. Take the time to examine your life, and come up to God’s standards for holiness and commitment.

What Kind of “church” are you?

Guest post by Marianne

Jesus prophetically describes 7 kinds of Christians in the 7 churches in Revelation. Only one is promised relief from the trials that will overtake the world. Which type would really describe you and me?

For those who dreamily await the rapture, with sin in their lives, it might be good to review what Jesus said about them. Maybe many of us are too overconfident, and should re-evaluate our relationship with God.

The types of Christians:

Ephesians: (+) cannot bear evil, patient, work hard   (-) left their first love

Smyrnans: (+) works, tribulation of “10 days”, poverty of spirit, faithful (-) none, they will be martyred

*** This type either gets killed immediately, escaping most of the 3 ½ years, or they are already dead before the time of trouble actually starts, having been through their own tribulation.

Pergamosans : (+) works, do not deny Jesus name (-) idols, sexual immorality, Nicolaitans (elders rule the laity)

Thyatirans: (+) love, service, faith, patience, works (-) Jezebel spirit, false prophecy, sexual immorality, idols  ****This type is promised “great tribulation.” Are you a Jezebel?

Sardisians: (+) has name of Christian (-) spiritually dead.

Laodiceans: (+) nothing (-) neither hot nor cold, lukewarm, makes God vomit, rich, so do not need God, prosperity seekers.

Philadelphians: (+) open door, little strength, but persevere, obedient have not denied my name (-) little strength

*** “I will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Rev 3:10)   This is the real “Bride of Christ.” She is pure, without spot or blemish.

The Church joins Israel in the wilderness: For those who do not believe any part of the Church will go through the tribulation, look at Revelation 12.

I often wondered that the “woman” is mention twice, each time for 3 ½ years persecuted and escaping into the wilderness.  But there are actually 2 women, one coming forth from the other, and they are both experiencing the time of Jacobs’ trouble together.

Woman #1 - Israel is the woman with 12 stars, who gave birth to the Christ child, Jesus, Yeshua. The Church came after the child goes to heaven, so it did not give birth to Him. Israel is persecuted by Satan, and flees to the wilderness for 1260 days (3 ½ years – the time for Jacob’s trouble).

Woman #2 - Israel, but now has grown to include the church, who has the testimony of Jesus Christ (v. 17). The woman escapes to the wilderness for a time, times, and half a time. (the same 3 ½ years)

Both the fallen Christians and the Jews are in the wilderness together, to escape the wrath of the dragon, Satan. God is showing mercy to both groups, as they both carry His name, and call upon Him for help.

So which type are you – what does your conscience tell you?

In writing this, I was quick to identify with the Philadelphians, as being weak but faithful.  But then my conscience touched me.  Have there been times when I denied His name?  Were there times I did not admit I was a Christian? Have there been times when I was NOT faithful? Have I always been obedient? Have there been times when I put money or the cares of the world first, before God? Are there idols in my life that I do not admit to? Even my opinions can be idols. Am I as “alive” in devotion as I should be, or am I really spiritually dead at times?

Oh, God in heaven, please forgive me. I am not what you want yet. Please help me in my desire to please you. Make me acceptable unto you, before it is too late. I cannot do it on my own. Give me a humble and contrite spirit, oh God, my King.

 

Have you ever done anything really stupid?

Guest post by: Marianne

First there was Y2K.  I stocked up, waiting for the end of the world.  God told me not to worry, but I did not listen.  Then nothing happened, and I forgot about all the stuff in my storage shed.  About 5 years later, I went in and had to throw a lot of stuff out.

Then, I got an email back in October saying there was going to be another disaster,  so guess what i did.  I stocked up again, but this time it was my car that got stuffed.  I was waiting to get bombed by Russians or someone,  and I knew that when the tribulation started,  Jesus told his disciples to head for the hills.   So, I was going to do that too.  No clue where I was exactly going,  or how long I would be there.

Well, we have not been bombed yet.  My car is full of stuff. While most people go to their pantry to get a new item to open and use, I go to my car.

It is only a Toyota Corolla!

here is my inventory overview:

Fruit loops
Sugar – 10 bags
laundry detergent
eye liner
deodorant
canned meat
bar soap
shampoo
coffee supplies
mashed potatoes
toilet paper
pancake syrup
canned fruit
canned vegetables
apple sauce
oodles of noodles
baby powder
apple juice
drinking water
cat food
aluminum foil
underwear
sleep aid – I guess I have to sleep through the bombs
canned chinese
first aid stuff
tuna
chicken noodle soup
honey bunch cheerios
rice
paper towels.
toothpaste
tooth brushes

Well,  aren’t I silly?  It is a little strange.  I had to give a ride to some friends, and I had to move all the piles of food over, to give them a place to sit.  It is well organized, and a lot of it is boxed up.   My son wanted apple sauce to go with his pork chops, but I could not remember where the apple sauce was in the car, until I checked a while ago.  In box # 3!!!

Jesus told us to be prepared for his coming.  I bet he was not thinking of me when he said this.   

Did I go to some crazy extreme?    Yes…….

But would I go to such a crazy extreme to prepare for Him to come as well?

definitely!   

While the neighbors think I am nuts,  I am all too excited about the Lords’ return.  He told us to be ready.  He told us to have our lamps lit, and full of oil.  Well, I am ready.  You should see the back of my car!  I have oil lamp back there too! ( being Funny here)

Jesus told us that the kingdom of heaven is like  little children.  They just believe what they are told, and they get all excited about things,  and go to the extreme with childlike faith and enthusiasm.   That is how He wants us to be also.

We may not have to stuff our cars, but we should be very excited in our preparations for His return.    We should be on fire for Him, and not cold or lukewarm.

Quality Carpenter Needed

Guest post by: Marianne

Zechariah describes a prophetic vision of 4 horns and 4 carpenters. Each one would overcome the other in competition. Who is the last one we are waiting for, to complete the prophecy?

Zec 1:18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

Zec 1:19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What [be] these? And he answered me, These [are] the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

Zec 1:20 And the LORD showed me four carpenters.

Zec 1:21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, These [are] the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up [their] horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

In this prophecy, the horns represented the powers that would scatter Judah and Israel, and the carpenters would represent the next empire that would come, and defeat that power.

Horns are powers that scatter and destroy.

Carpenters are builders.

So each power would begin as a horn, and then fall under the next power, or horn.

The incoming power would be the carpenter that would cast out the previous horn.

So each incoming horn acts as a carpenter, a builder.

Throughout history, scholars have watched this prophecy be fulfilled, with one successive event after another. The pattern looked like this until 313 CE:

4 carpenters		Darius- Medo-Persians	Greece – Alexander the Great	Rome	?
4 horns	Babylon	Babylon	Darius- Medo-Persians	Greece – Alexander the Great	Rome

 

Then, it got a little crazy after that. Here is the whole history:

Foreign Empires that ruled in Israel
587 BCE	Babylonian	B
538-333 BCE	Persian	P
333-63 BCE	Greek ( Hellenistic)	G
63 BCE-313 CE	Roman	R
313-636	Byzantine	G
636-1099	Arab (Syrian)	B/P
1099-1291	Crusaders	R
1291-1516	Mamluk (Turk)	B/P
1516-1918	Ottoman (Turk)	B/P
1917-1948	British	R

For the past 1000 years, there appears to be a competition between the Babylonian/ Persian horn and the Roman horn.

Was Zechariah wrong, or just incomplete? The answer is neither.

Apparently, he was generalizing about the 4 powers that would struggle over the land of Israel, until God stopped the conflicts with the last carpenter.

If one visits Jerusalem, one will see the Greek, Roman, and Persian/Babylonian (Islamic) all influence there.

But the clue is in verse 21, about the last carpenter:

…..but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up [their] horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

Until there is a final casting out of all gentile horns who scatter Israel, the prophecy is not fulfilled yet.

Who would be the last carpenter to cast out all horns?

He cannot be a gentile. He must be Jewish.

It obviously cannot be one of the horns, because the last carpenter cannot be a destroyer, just a builder, and he would have re-gather Israel, not scatter it once again.

The empires mentioned above so far, are not qualified, since they have all scattered Israel.

So, Who is qualified to re-gather Israel into the land forever?

Who is qualified to conquer, cast out all scattering gentile horns, and then build something that will last forever?

Only the Lord God builds the ruined places:

Eze 36:36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined [places, and] plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken [it], and I will do [it].

Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

Amo 9:14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

Who will heaven use for this building and restoration?

Who is the Lord God’s carpenter that we are all familiar with?

Does it not tell us in scripture who will be this last builder?

Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?

 

Only Jesus can fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah and Amos. Only Jesus will be able to remove all horns of human power, and destruction, and scattering.

Only Jesus can bring unity to a hurting land, and suffering world.

Jesus is the last carpenter.

God has a way of speaking to us, if we only listen. I was driving home, and passed a small sign, posted to a tree. It said “Quality Carpenter Needed.” It immediately struck me, that there was only one carpenter I needed in my life.

This is where this post came from.

Listen, and he will speak to you.

Listen, and He will direct you.

Listen, and he will show you the way.

Trust him. He will remove the horns over your life, gather you back to Himself, and rebuild you.

When God Rejects Us

GUEST POST by: Marianne

We pray for legitimate help.   We wait, and there is nothing……..

Why?

Those who insist that every prayer is met with victory, if you pray hard enough, or tithe long enough, are wrong.

Jesus prayed to avoid the cross, but he died on it anyhow. The apostles were faithful in prayer, yet most were also crucified, as Jesus was, or put to death for their faith.

People get depressed when God does not seem to answer, or His answer is obviously “no.”

Sometimes God helps, sometimes He doesn’t. Why?

I have found that the longer I know the Lord, the less He helps me.

That does seem opposite of what I would expect.

But as I mature in faith, my faith is tested more. And I have to wait longer for anything, if I am to get it at all. God is present to help me grow in faith. If he answers too quickly, then my faith stays where it is at.

Many of us have legitimate situations. We are in serious difficulty: unemployed for years, out of money, terminal illness, etc.

We have to accept the reality of our situation.

If it is meant to be cured, then it will. If it goes on too long, we will die because of the situation.

Sometimes, we do not get another job in time, before we lose our house, and sometimes we do not survive cancer.

But this is the time to draw closer to God anyhow, because he may be all we have left. We need to also accept that it is not God rejecting our prayers for help.

God gives life and he takes it away. Our life is in His hands.

Maybe it is our time to go and be with Him.

Our heavenly reward will not be based on our success in life, or how well we got God to answer our prayers, or quickly overcoming an earthly problem.

It will be based on our faithfulness during a testing time, when God does not give us what we want.

It is the dark times when we are nothing, our life is nothing, and we have nothing, that we earn our crowns.

So when you see this happening to you, just look up to Him. He is watching you grow, and he knows the pain you are in.

He has allowed it, so that you will not only come to know Him and His sufferings, but also a greater weight of glory when you meet Him.

Do not give up. Be encouraged. God is not rejecting you.

You are closer to Him now, than you ever have been before. No matter how hard it is, just rest in Him.

What do you want me to do for you?

Guest post by: Marianne

Comments in blue injected later by Archie. 

Jesus is with his apostles. He is telling them about his upcoming suffering and death in Jerusalem. What James and John say next is unbelievable.

Here Jesus tells them about his upcoming death:

Mar 10:32 And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,

Mar 10:33 [Saying], Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:

 

Mar 10:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

This is very sad news. Even with the part about rising from the dead, most people would be grief stricken over predicted suffering and death. But James and John are in the “greedy for glory” mode. There are no words of comfort for their friend and Lord, Jesus. It is all about them, and what they want:

Archie: It is so easy for mankind to take their eyes off the Creator and place them on His creations.  You may remember from previous postings of my struggle with what Glory is all about.  I believe it boils down to Glory being the very essense of God.  It has become important to me to make note of God’s Glory with a capital “G” lest it get confused with my selfish glory with a lowercase “g”.

So if James and John had been “greedy for Glory”, that would have been awesome!   

Mar 10:35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we want that thou should do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

 

Mar 10:36 And he [Jesus] said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

 

Mar 10:37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

 

They see Jesus as someone who is there to do what they want, and give them all their desires for glory. Isn’t this a bit selfish?

There are appropriate, caring responses to messages about pain, suffering and death. This did not happen here.

This is how Jesus answers them. He is very patient. He is referring to the cup of suffering:

Archie: Thank you, God for your patience!

Mar 10:38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

 

Mar 10:39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

 

Mar 10:40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is prepared.

Here Jesus explains that glory is not his to give. This indicates it is the Father who grants this. But, Jesus is also indicating that there is no glory without the suffering he is about to go through.

The drinking of the cup represents the suffering, and the baptism represents the death.

Glory is not a cheap commodity. We are not given this without the ultimate price being paid – our lives. As some say, no pain, no gain.

The minimum requirements:

1. Suffering for our faith

2. Dying to the flesh or this could mean physical death as well.

Many believers want the joy and the glory, but they do not want the pain.

They want everything now. They are selfish and prideful, and want to be “little gods,” or as good as God, in the eyes of others. They want “power.”

Fleshly glory is ugly, and narcissic.

There is no reason to seek any glory on this earth. We are not here to satisfy ourselves with prideful ambitions. We are here to seek God only, and seek to love and serve Him, in mercy and humility.

Archie: Absolutely no reason to seek glory.  Absolutely ever reason to seek “G”lory.

We are here to give God all the glory…… not man, and not ourselves,

That is the point.

Archie: Thank you Marianne for allowing me to add commentary.  Hoping it was OK with you? 

 

 

Are you a goat, and don’t know it?

Guest post by Heaven Awaits – Marianne

When one hears of Christ separating the sheep from the goats on judgment day, we assume he is separating the believers from the unbelievers. But this is not so. Goats are those that call Him “Lord.” What is wrong?

The separation of the sheep and the goats. The sheep are accepted, but the goats are cast into everlasting fire.

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides [his] sheep from the goats:

Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Preceding this passage are 2 parables

1. Parable of the 10 virgins. Half are prepared with the right amount of oil (representing the holy spirit) and half are unprepared. Only the ones prepared are admitted to the wedding feast, and the other half were rejected. Being told “I know you not” by God is a VERY traumatic moment for the rejected ones.

Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

2. Parable of the talents. In this, Christ describes faithful servants being productive, and multiplying what was given them vs. an unprofitable, lazy servant who multiplied nothing at all. The lazy servant is punished.

Mat 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Back to the goats – what Christ tells them as he rejects them. Notice they call Him Lord. They are supposed to be saved people.

Mat 25:42 For I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me.

Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

To the sheep, Christ says:

Mat 25:35 For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink?

Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]?

Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.

A lesson to be learned from all this

Faith without works is dead. God has provided guidelines as to His will – how he wants us to behave toward Him and toward others.

Many people enjoy church. They accept salvation, and then sit back to enjoy themselves. They enjoy the fellowship, the music, the sermons, and the acceptance. They say they love God, but ignore the poor, the sick, the feeble, the ones in bondage. They have only fulfilled half of the 2 great commandments.

Unless one obeys both of the two greatest commandments, they are a “goat.”

If you love God, but have no mercy for your fellow man – enough to do something to help him – then you are an unprofitable servant, and a virgin without any oil.

What to do

This is Christmas time. It is a time to show the love of God to others. How many people will suffer this Christmas, because you showed no mercy on them?

This also could be the last Christmas on earth for many believers, if the rapture happens. Will they be rejected as goats, because they lacked compassion for others? Because they had no “oil?” Because the mercy seat in their heart was closed to others?

While you still have time, if you really love God, then PROVE it:

Feed the hungry

Clothe the naked

Give drink to the thirsty

Take in the stranger

Help the sick

Visit those in prison – a literal prison, or someone in bondage, who needs help

Countdown to the rapture

Either we act as sheep, or we act as goats. Our behavior needs to be changed by the Holy Spirit. We need the oil of compassion in our lives, to pour out over others. This is a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week effort. It is not confined to Christmas time.

Make your last days on earth count for something. You cannot convince the unbelieving world, or God, that you belong to Christ, unless you demonstrate His heart to others.

Remember, it was not songs, or worship, or prayers that hung on the cross for you. It was

MERCY !!!!

MERCY !!!!

MERCY !!!!

The mercy seat was open and the blood of Jesus was poured over it from the cross. Mercy is self-sacrificial LOVE – love of God for others.

Wake up your hearts if they are dead. Find the mercy inside, and pour it out on the world around you.

If you do, you will find Jesus in front of you, saying

You are my beloved sheep !!!!

You are my beloved Bride !!!!

Welcome, enter into my kingdom. !!!!

My good, and faithful servant. !!!!!!!!!