Coming With The Clouds!

"Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall gaze upon Him and beat their breasts and mourn and lament over Him.  Even so. Amen."  Revelation 1:7 Amplified New Testament

I often find myself gazing at the sky in awe and wonder of how magnificent clouds are.  My husband and I were walking the other day and the sky was particularly clear.  The majestic cloud formations were so beautiful against the backdrop of the clean blue sky.  We both were in awe of the beauty that God has provided to us.  If you look at the clouds with an imaginative eye, you will see shapes and designs made by God Himself.  Have you ever thought about what is beyond the clouds that our natural eye cannot see?  The wonders of Heaven are there, just waiting be be enjoyed by the saints at the end of their life.

The scripture above says that Christ is coming with the clouds.  No, whether or not your heart is right with God and you have repented of your sins, you will not miss this event.  It says that every eye will see Him, even those who persecuted Him.  All the tribes of the earth (all mankind) will gaze upon Him.  Those who are not ready will beat their breasts and mourn and lament.  But can you imagine what a wonderful homecoming it will be for those who are faithful and have had their sins forgiven?  What a wonderful time of rejoicing!  Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?  Have you asked Him to forgive your sins?  You can be ready and when you stop and look at the clouds, you will have the assurance that you are looking at the gateway to your new eternal home.

He Has Risen!

"Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain others with them.  And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.  And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen . . ." Luke 24:1-6 KJV

The men in shining garments are interpreted to be angels.  The appearance of these angels was so dazzling that it blinded their eyes, causing them to look downward.  That's how the glory of God affects mere mortals.  We cannot look directly at His divine presence with our earthly eyes.  His magnificence cannot be comprehended.

The stone of sin that has held us captive has been rolled away by the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  He arose to eternal life.  He has given each of us this gift of eternal life by this death and resurrection if we only accept Him into our hearts as our Lord and Savior and worship Him.  He is standing by with His nail pierced hands outstretched offering His peace to you.  Your reward will be eternal life to spend eternity with Him in the Heaven that is prepared for the believers.  What glory He wants to bestow upon you.  Reach out and take this gift.

It is Finished

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar He said, It is finished and He bowed His Head, and gave up the ghost." John 19:30 KJV

We were privileged to attend the service at Crossroads in Cincinnati, Ohio last evening (Good Friday) entitled "an easter experience".  What a wonderful evening!  The senior pastor and some of the musicians traveled to the city of Jerusalem to the spot where Jesus spent his last days on earth during the Passover celebration and through His crucifixion. Through video and live music production, we were carried back those many years to Christ's experiences as He gave His life for our sins.

Everyone was given a small box upon entering the theatre that contained dirt of the earth, a rock symbolizing the heavy load we are carrying in our hearts, a crude nail representing the nails that were driven into the hands of Jesus and a communion kit with the bread symbolizing Christ's body and grape juice (wine) symbolizing Christ's blood that he shed for us on the cross.

There were approximately 3000 people in attendance in this one of several productions throughout the Easter season.  It was very touching when that congregation partook of communion all at the same time.

To quote from the Crossroads program:
"The Easter story begins with a group of friends around a supper table.  They don't know it, but it's the last time they'll break bread and drink wine together.  Before the night is over, their friend Jesus will be betrayed by one of their own in a garden called Gethsemane, arrested and put on trial in front of a conflicted governor named Pilate.  At Pilate's house, Jesus is ridiculed, beaten and tortured.  Soldiers gambled for His things, and finally, Jesus is sentenced to death.
On a mountaintop called "Skull," Jesus is nailed to a cross.  He dies.  And His friends from supper the night before cry out, weep, hide and carry His body to a tomb not far away.  They trust His body will be safe.  But Jesus was never known for being safe.  Two days later, His body is gone.  But He's not missing and He wasn't stolen.  Jesus came back to life.  He is alive.
Today, walk with us through the Old City of Jerusalem and visit these real places where Jesus ate, wept, died and came back to life."

This experience impacted our family as well as I am sure it did for each of the people in attendance.  We felt anew the magnificent gift of eternal life bestowed upon each of us by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  All we have to do is receive this gift into our very own lives and commit to serving Him.

Lord, Remember Me

"Then he said to Jesus, Lord remember me when You come into Your kingly glory!  And He answered him, Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."  Luke 23: 42,43 Amplified New Testament

It is not through any good work that we have done or ever will do that we can earn our place into Heaven to live eternally with Christ Jesus, our Lord.  This thief asked to be remembered by Jesus when he was on the brink of death, hanging on a cross beside Jesus.  He had not spent his life working for the cause of Christ.  In fact, this was one of the last requests that the thief made before he drew his last breath.  ¥ou can never earn God's love and favor.  The price would be too much for anyone to pay.  Christ freely gave His life on the cross to atone for the sins of all mankind.  All man has to do is confess his sins and proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord of his life.  Take a lesson from the thief on the cross; there is nothing you can do to make Christ love you any less or there is nothing you can do to make Him love you any more.  Don't wait until you are ready to die before you repent of your sins.  You may be taken so suddenly that you won't have a chance to repent of your sins.  What better time than this Easter season to accept Jesus into your heart and make the crucifixion real in your life?

Morning

"My voice shall You hear in the morning O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto You, and will look up"  Psalm 5:3 KJV

Mornings are so special to me.  The new day, full of promise, is just beginning.  All is quiet and the hustle and bustle of the day has not yet begun.  Mornings are a perfect time to visit with God and ask His will and guidance for the day.  Soon the sounds of the day will crowd in, making it more difficult to hear God's soft sweet voice.  The telephone, texts, tweets, children, co-workers all are demanding our attention.  Take time in the stillness to ask God's blessing on your day.  Ask Him to send someone your way that needs a word of kindness or a soft hand on their shoulder.  We do not meet people by accident.  We are all a part of God's divine plan.  Pray that you will take advantage of every opportunity He gives us along the way.  May you be blessed today.

The Five Purposes of a Purpose-Driven Life

You were made to live a purpose-driven life!  The five purposes of your life are:

1. WORSHIP:  You were planned for God's pleasure!  After all, there is only one thing to say:  Have reverence for God, and obey His commands, because this is all that we were created for.  Ecclesiastes 12:13 TEV
2. FELLOWSHIP:  You were formed for a family!  It was a happy day for Him when he gave us our new lives, through the truth of His word, and we became, as it were, the first children in His new family.  James 1:18 LB
3. DISCIPLESHIP:  You were created to become like Christ!  God knew what He was doing from the very beginning.  He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son.  The Son stands first in the line of humanity restored.  We see the original and intended shape of our lives in Him.  Romans 8:29 The Message
4. MINISTRY:  You were shaped for serving God!  We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10 NIV
5. EVANGELISM:  You were made for a mission!  Jesus said, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

*Daily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life