http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrOotpSKOX0

LOVE that -- to us it's so linear, we do this, then this, then that. But to God, it's all "present", an eternal "now". I've often thought about God forever knowing the price for sin and our sins against Him -- He will also forever know who is in eternal torment -- and since we are each made unique in the likeness of God, I think He will forever mourn their loss. :'(

But He is so loving, He wipes our tears away. That chokes me up sometimes.

~~Becka

This has always concerned me. Yes, we as believers get to go to heaven, enjoy eternity and have every tear dried. Some think this means He will graciously take every bad memory and sadness from us also. But I often think, what about Him? He doesn't ever ever ever get to forget. Like you said, Dusty, He sees the death of His Son as if it is happening in the present, as He will always "remember" the fall of man, the result of sin and the consequences upon mankind and upon God's only Son. When does He get HIS rest? I think that shows us what an amazing God we serve, and how He took the punishment of sin upon Himslef. Is part of that punishment never getting to forget? Hmmmmmm. I wonder.

But I also have to think that He also will get to "remember in the present" the joyous resurrection of His Son after His death. He will be there at the salvation and rebirth of every one of His children. And He will be in every moment of joy and praise for all eternity!

I just love pondering how deep and amazing our God is! Thanks, Dusty!

Many believers use this portion to do math to discern the portions of time in relation to the 7000 year cycle of the Earth with God. And thats good. I would like to propose another idea about it. We all know that God is Ominiscient (is all knowing) And He's Omnipresent (is everywhere). I have another word.....He's Omnichronic! (Is everywhen).

To God the past, present, and future...are all in his awareness all the time. Hence to Him the Creation of the fist speck of matter is just as current an event as the the very end of time should He decide there be one. Because He is the Creator of time itself. He is beyond its constraints and limitations.

The great beauty of this is that as a being that experiences the past, present, and future at the same time all the time. He is constantly aware of what actions at any given point in time will have exactly what effect on any other point in time.

Therefore....everysingle event that has or will take place....is the very best route for the end results Hes seeking. It may seem like sin was a bad thing. Yet He knew that it was necessary for a better end to let it be so. And in all things....He is creating a greater end that WILL NOT fail...as He already lives there...and knows how we all got there...by His very Hands.....

And the final peice of such a preposterous idea as Omnichronic.....How can the death of Christ be SO big as to redeem so many? In addition to what we already know.....The Death of The Messiah is something all three of the Godhead experience the same way. When we have been in Heaven a octillion years....to God the Death Yeshua and the redemption of man will be as fresh as if it was happening right now! Cause to Him...Its always been right now. Always is...always was.

Consider this posibility when considering verses about predestination and time with The Lord.

I dont know if this is absolute truth. I know in my heart I believe its true. The Scriptures suggest this or even something more profound.

Love Dusty

 <iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aDeVwU5QyaY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It is very painful every time He chips away at us, but He is like a sculptor with a block of marble, He can see the beautiful creation beneath the layers of stone, but He needs the excess stone chipped away before we can be polished into the image of Yeshua.

This is why Paul tells us to "Rejoice always" in 1 Thess 5:16. In verse 18, he says, "For it's the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thess 5:16-18 is likely in my top 5 favorite Bible verses of all time. It's the roadmap to life, really.

We are weary, tired, in pain, hungering, hurting, and stumbling... But it's ALL working for the good to those who love the Lord. How? What is this "good" the Bible talks about?

Conforming you into the image of Yeshua! And if God's got the image of His Son in mind when you're standing in the furnace, that's when you can rejoice, because when you come out the other side, when God is finished sculpting, you have Yeshua carved all over you. :)

~~Becka

I can also tell you this with certainty; Jesus IS coming soon. He told us what to look for and watch for and they are ALL happening. He is NOT a liar. We may not have the strength left to go much further, but He does; ask Him for His strength.
Something else, I don't know how you feel closest to Jesus, but I do through worship music. It is VERY healing for me. Try that. Just draw close to the Lord, and He will surely draw close to you.

You are in my thoughts and prayers. (((hugs))) for you!

Nicole xo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIjobdArtiA

I felt lead to post one of my favorite songs that uplifts me when I'm feeling down and the road has gotten hard. One of my favorite parts of the lyrics is this because whether it's here or Heaven, God will keep His promises to us:

I'm pressed but not crushed, persecuted not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. I am blessed beyond the curse for His promise will endure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqjivEw7gzE

God Bless and Love,
FW

Discouragement is such a silent enemy...it sneaks up on us in the midst of all sorts of circumstances, even when living is easy (that doesn't happen very often to believers).  It's not like you can pull yourself up by your bootstraps and just march right back into battle.  Discouragement saps your strength...spiritual, physical, mental...any strength that helps us keep moving forward.  Perhaps you have a spiritual attack from the enemy...I think he senses when good things are about to happen to us as well as bad things.  Not to say he knows the future, but he has been around long enough to know a human's weak spots and other tell-tale signs.

When I feel blue, or just want to feel the Lord's presense, I put on worship music.  It seems to help me open up my heart to Him, and then when I start to talk with Him and tell Him what's on my mind, I feel the weight of whatever start to lift.  It ministers joy to me...and the beauty of that is that I don't have to pull myself up 'by my bootstraps' but just rest in Him.

I pray you find blessed peace today and the joy of the Holy Spirit. 

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

xo

And I agree with TN Dove, those blessing could be fulfilled in Heaven!
Take heart, He is VERY near!

Soon...

Nicole xo

our Lord, the Word, powerfully alive, offers His Spirit as nourishment for our souls . .  He said it,  . .   we can run to Him, and be fed as He promised ~

~ our eyes may not see Him ~~ yet, for now,  with the Hope of Glory excercised in hearts 'abandoned' to Him at His feet He calls 'the better thing' . . .  ~~  til the day we do gaze on Him ~~ sanctification includes that we taste the Word ~~ and trust all His promises ~~~

. . . "There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.". . . Luke 10:42

Talk about run on sentences....

But when you want to know what we are to do, this huge sentence is a huge answer. Key phrase, looking for the blessed hope. Future and hope, all wrapped up in Him. And while life isn't all a garden of delights, at least we are not lights in the garden as in ceasar's days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PJPOGk8GUM

Nehemiah 8:10: Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Our joy comes from Christ, not His Rapture. If you are short on joy in your life, come before Him and enjoy Him for Who He is, not when He's coming.

Satan is having a FIELD day with Christians who are struggling right now. He's putting doubts in their heads, anger in their hearts, and restlessness in their souls.

But Christ Himself said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." ~~Matthew 11:28

We are not resting in Him.

The Rapture, indeed, is our Blessed Hope, but the Rapture is not where joy is found. The Kingdom of God is not where joy is found. Heaven is not where joy is found. JOY is in CHRIST. We have joy because we have Him. We find joy in Heaven and the Kingdom and the Rapture because of Christ, not the place nor the event.

If our joy is empty and we have none, then we must begin to PRAY SCRIPTURE and ask God:

"Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you." ~~Psalm 86:4

We have not because we ask not (James 4:2). If we ask, the door will be opened (Matt. 7:7).

Reconnect with Christ for His Own sake, not for any other reason--because He is God, that is more than enough. Ask for the joy of the Holy Spirit and His peace that passeth all understanding. He will give it to you.

Christ said in Revelation 3:10: "Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth."

Pray for patient endurance. It's hard, it won't be a cake walk, and if you're anything like me, you'll have to ask for peace every single day. But the joyful, thankful, humble life before God is when we find our joy in Him alone, and nowhere else.

~~Becka

I liked what TN Dove said, that some of those blessings could be fulfilled in heaven. Some of the blessings are for here, and some are not fulfilled until we get to heaven. This is not our home. I think the Lord gives us these promises to remind us that we are going to a better place and that the trials that we go through here is temporary.

Robbie is right. We are created to worship and enjoy Him. What helps me is to try and take my eyes off myself and my daily struggles and focus on Him and on ministering to others. We are only here for a short time. Our bodies are just a shell that we are going to exchange one day for a glorified one. What the Lord looks at is our hearts and our character.

Be encouraged, Joseph, I believe our time here is short. One day the Lord will wipe away our tears, and the pain we have gone through in this life will pale in comparison to the joy we will have in heaven. Hang in there, little brother! It won't be long now. [[Hugs]]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf3RUu2dZBI&feature=related

I also have been confirmed some promises to come to my life yet deep down i have have confirmations on rapture more like urgency of the rapture soon. OR is this where we quote peter when he says with God 1 day is like 1000years and a 1000years is like a day...
please help me understand...i'm so unsettled with this thing of blessings upon your life yet ww3 is just about to erupt and so on..
what's going on.....

http://www.jvim.com/devotions/?MONTH=09&DAY=10#

GOD IS OMNIPRESENT

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? (Psalm 139:7).

God is everywhere.

A celebrity attended the services of an old minister in a small church. The aged preacher spoke with his accustomed earnestness and seemed unshaken by the presence of the visitor. At the close of the service, some members of the congregation said, "Pastor, we had a distinguished visitor today, but you did not seem embarrassed." Their wise pastor replied: "I have been preaching in the presence of Almighty God for forty years, and do you think, with Him as one of my constant Hearers, any man can embarrass me by his presence?"

The ability of God to be everywhere is hard for us to grasp. Our minds struggle with such infinite information. Yet it is true. A number of Bible verses confirm it. Solomon wrote: But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded (1 Kings 8:27). The psalmist declared: Nevertheless I am continually with thee; thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever (Psalm 73:23-26).

Though it is beyond our understanding, we can claim the promise of His presence. He will never leave us nor forsake us (see Hebrews 13:6). And so the child of God is never alone.

                               Our Bibical Godhead    

            From Rapture Ready        --        by Joseph Chambers

The God of Christianity is awesome because He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent.  He is Sovereign in all these attributes.  There is none that can approach His Holiness except the holy.  In His Omnipotence , He is unlimited in all of His powers, and there is nothing beyond His fullness.  In His Omniscience, He is without limits in knowledge, He know every thought  and every nuance of wisdom in the universe.  In His Omnipresence,  there is no reach in His great world that extends beyond Himself.  His presence is capable of touching every sphere of His entire Heavens and creation.

This greatness is known in the beauty of His Godhead.  He exists in three persons, each fully possessing the perfection of their individuality.  Yet, each individual is a perfect part of the whole; so that we do not have three gods but one.  This perfect unity is greater than our human reach can extend but will be understood when we awake in our future glory.  It is a unity that sin robs from us but will be restored in our resurrection.  The perfect oneness of the Trinity cannot be enlarged or reduced.  To try and limit this truth is darkly harmful to the worshippers.  One God in three persons fills the Holy Scriptures.

The Father is the Omnipotence of the Godhead.  All unlimited power extends from the the person named the Heavenly Father.  He is Omnipotent to the point that He calls things that are not into existence .  His words instantly become reality.  He cannot speak or think without the substance of His mind becoming the full result of what He thought.  The universe is the creation of every great idea He has conceived. 

The Son of God is the Omniscience of the Godhead.  As the Omniscient , He is the Word, both written and manifested.  Every Word of the Holy Bible is as much Himself as is His own person.  He lives in the Scripture in such a manner that to read and devour the Word is to progressively know Him .   You cannot possess the Word of God in your soul without possessing Him.  The Word of God is only a dead letter until you let this Word possess you into the regions of your whole life.  In possessing you , His authority masters you.  It is life eternal and transcending.

God and Christ's Holy Spirit is the Omnipresence of the Godhead.  The Father is on His throne and His Son is at His right hand, but the Holy Spirit extends all they are into every realm of the Universe.  Even nature is a material expression of the reach of the Spirit of life.  There is no fact of life apart from God.  The person of the Holy Spirit is seen as seven Lamps of Fire because the duty of His office is to fill all the reach of God to all the fullness of existence.  The darkest sinner owes their very existence to the life  of God, which is manifested in the person of the Holy Spirit.  The smallest creature in the world is a product of that life that flows by the Spirit.

The Father makes our "God in three persons" perfect in Omnipotence.  Our Savior, Jesus Christ , makes our God complete in knowledge and Omniscience.  The Holy Spirit makes our God Omnipresent so that there is not a place where they are not present.  The perfecton of the Godhead gives the devil an endless headache.  Satan is so determined to be God that he is soon to produce an unholy trinity (Revelation Chapter 12, 13).  It will be his last hoorah, because he is only a created being that rebelled and lied to himself.  His time is almost over and his last action will soon be finished.

What a Creator we are invited to worship and experience!  Unless we surrender and receive the greater life of the Spiritual realm , our physical life is extremely short and quickly passing.  The name of the unwilling and resisting will be soon forgotten.  The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.  (Proverbs 10:7)

The Creator has a plan for you, but He made His plan your choice.  If you resist that plan , the end is eternal judgement and the Lake of Fire.  He does not send you there, you send yourself,  "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise , as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward , not willing that any perish, but that all should come to repentance ." (2 Peter 3:9)  This great Heavenly Father sent His Son to redeem you from Adam's fall into sin.  You are invited to bow before Him and give up the life you think you own, but that life has only been loaned to you.  Your life has wonderful potential because He put His life in you, but that life is in your spirit hid behind the cloak of self.  Only when self is relinquished can His life appear.  It's serious business and His Holy Spirit is calling you to the love of God in Christ.  His Blood was offered to cleanse you from the guilt of sin and self and to restore you to the rightful King that made you for Himself.  Simply surrender to Him and He will reveal Himself.  The Holy Bible is where you find all that He is waiting to give you, which is His gift of eternal life.  Remember, your surrender must be complete before He can take control.

                                          Joseph R. Chambers

                                          jrc@pawcreek.org