The Bell Tolls

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is a novel written about the Spanish Civil War.  What if the bell of heaven rang for you today?  What if your number was up today?  Where would you spend eternity?  The usual answers would be...I go to church...I have been going to church since I was a baby...one woman told me she was born a Methodist!  Some others will believe the lie that just being a good person will get you through the pearly gates, like the Pharisees thought.  I know there would be a ton of answers to this question, but what is the real answer?

There is a war going on right now for your soul!  If we could see this war all around us, we would fall down at the feet of Jesus and repent, thirsting for salvation.  We would also understand  that we were born into sin and we need the Savior.  This is truth!  It would be a scary thing if the bell tolled for us today and our souls would be found trusting in these lies about eternity.  Romans 3:12 says, "All have turned aside: together they have become worthless.  No one does good.  No, not one".  ESV

"Dear Father in Heaven...help us to see, in faith, the war that is raging around us and in the heavenlies for mankind.  Help us to consider the bell that will someday toll for each one of us.  Let us consider the truth inside God's Word and say Amen to it.  In the everlasting name of Jesus Christ I do pray".  Amen.

  

LYN

God tells us in Mark 12:28-31 that "we are to love our neighbor as ourselves".  How do we love ourselves?  We are very patient with our shortcomings.  We make sure we are fed and in this country maybe too much attention is paid to that one!  We make sure that we are clothed.  We make sure that we have medicine.  We are kind to ourselves. 

We give generously to the starving across the world and that is good, but what about the person next door to us?  Do we speak a word about Jesus to those who are starving for salvation?  Why are we afraid to tell them about our Savior?  There are many excuses, but what can we do about it?  Do we have to be on a mountain top to tell someone about Jesus?  We love ourselves and forget about the soul of our neighbor?  May God help us to overcome such a thing inside of us!

When the opportunity arises, speak to that person.  They can only think you are peculiar, which God says in His word we are supposed to be anyhow!  Your spiritual life may not be up to snuff, but go ahead and feel like a hypocrite...only speak to them who are perishing!

"Father in Heaven...forgive us for the times we have walked by and missed the opportunity you gave us to share your salvation that only the suffering on the Cross could  provide.  Give us a boldness through the Holy Spirit to rescue the perishing in the name of Jesus Christ".  Amen.

Small Things

Atoms are the smallest things in the world.  Inside the atom there are electrons, protons, and neutrons.  How marvelous is God's creation!  Are there any small things in your life?  We could think of a kind word or deed done in the name of Christ.  The enemy comes to us and says, "You are not much to the Kingdom of God".  Sometimes we sink in our spirit and agree with that old devil!  Are we not to do great and mighty things for the Lord?

In Zechariah 410 it says, "For who has despised the day of small things"?  The mission of Satan is to dismay thereby defeat us!  Is there anything more precious than a word 'fitly' spoken to someone to lift their burden?  No, and to some degree this is a gift.  Let us pray for that gift!  In such a day as this when our fight against the powers of darkness are so great, we need those who can lift us up with a golden word to rid the dismay.

"Dear Father in heaven...see us in our times of defeat.  Let us be that someone who can lift Spirits with that word 'fitly' spoken in the name of Christ.  Give us tongues of flaming fire, tongues that will refresh the child of God!  In the precious name of Christ we ask".  Amen.



Special

In 1987 a family came to me seeking childcare for their children.  I agreed to care for two girls and one little boy, five years old.  The step-father held a great resentment toward the children.  The biological father lived in Oklahoma and one day the oldest girl wanted me to call him because it had been such a long time since she had talked with her Dad.  My heart went out to her so after finding the number I called and he was delighted to hear from her!  A short conversation and then she hung up;  she was in tears because she loved him.  She was also happy that she had at last got to talk with her Dad.

It was a special week for me and for them.   I remember the little boy telling me out of the blue that he had never been special to anyone.  This broke my heart and I told him how special he was to God who created him.  I pray that God did something with that moment.

We are special to the God who created us!  In Revelation 4:11 it says that "we were created for His pleasure".  I thank God that He is my biological Father...He knit me together in my mothers womb...Psalm 139...Satan was my step-father until I was twenty-nine years old!  Thank you dear Heavenly Father that my name is written in the Lamb's book of life...I am special.

French Hat

During WWII a good friend of mine, who passed away years ago, lived in France to be near her husband.  Georgia was in her late seventies when I met her and she was filled with stories of her life in France and the war.  She was a soul in dire straights.  What do I mean?  We can be someone who loves the Lord in a crowd, but when we are alone at night the dark shadows of doubt can torment us. 

Georgia told me that she did not know if she was saved and she wanted to know how she could know if she indeed had salvation.  In I John 5:13 we see that John was encouraging those who had believed in Jesus that they were saved.  Satan is the author of doubt.  If you embrace Jesus Christ as Savior of your soul and love His Word, you are indeed saved from your sin and an eternal hell created for the devil. 

After recently going through a tornado, some things were saved and one of those was a little black hat that Georgia gave to me that she had purchased in France.  The hat will always remind me that I know I am in Christ and He has forgiven my sins.  Saved!

How Old?

It never ceases to amaze me that most people think the Church is the building.  I talked to a woman today who informed me that they had celebrated the 175th anniversary of their church!  Just think of that, her Church is only 175 years old.  My Church is over two millenniums old.  The Church is the Body of Christ, it is not built with brick and mortar, but it is founded on the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God....He is the Christ!

This revelation can only come from the Heavenly Father, Matthew 16:17...Jesus answered (Peter) and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah (Peter), for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven".  Praise God!  Thank you dear Father that you were revealed unto me!  Thank you for saving my soul!

"Dear Father in Heaven...You are amazing and one day the whole living and dead existing will bow their knee to You!  Thank you for Jesus and the Cross FOREVER! Amen.

Cutting Thoughts

I went to the funeral of a relative today.  It was held in a Church.  The last funeral I attended was in 1984, my mother's.  What happens when you are in a place where the presence of God is absent?  It is soul chilling and you find yourself wanting to run away, seeking to escape the world who believes that they are on their way to heaven.

It is not for me to judge any one's salvation, but when the fellowship in the Spirit is not there, something is deadly wrong!  I wanted to weep in my Spirit for the sadness of people bound for hell.  The stench was choking the air in the room.  The sadness was deep and cutting into my thoughts.  It was not my place to preach and yet in my spirit I fell to my knees wanting to escape all of the hypocrisy!  Stay close Lord Jesus.

"Heavenly Father...save those who can be saved in the name of Christ!  Forgive me for joining in on the conversations of the lost.  Forgive me for grieving the Holy Spirit.  The person was dead and no one thought on eternity.  Did he go to hell?  Help me Lord to get my focus back on You and let the dead bury the dead.  Amen.