Merciful Monday: Alpha & Omega

⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” ⁶ And He said to me, “It is done!^[c] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. ⁷ He who overcomes shall inherit all things,^[d] and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving,^[e] abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

-Revelation 21: 5-8

¹² “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” ¹⁴ Blessed are those who do His commandments,^[v] that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ But^[w] outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

-Revelation 22:12-15

There are so many varying interpretations of the Book of Revelation. Some believe that it was written by John the Baptist, others John the Apostle of Jesus, and even others another John—John of Patmos. Some believe that the events listed within the book depict broad historical events, others believe it mirrors the fall of the Roman empire, some say it depicts future events, and even others say that it does not describe any particular event(s), just the constant spiritual struggle between good and evil.

Despite these varying interpretations, there is one fact within Revelation that is blatantly obvious upon finishing the book (as we did today), and that fact relates to the phrase “Alpha and Omega.” This phrase is mentioned multiple times within the book. You may recall the following scriptures: Revelation 1:8, 1:11 (not in all translations), 21:6 & 22:13.The same exact phrase is mentioned in each instance, so I think it is safe to say that there was a purpose for the repetition. What was this purpose? What does it mean?

The word Alpha comes from the ancient Greek for “first” or “one,” while Omega in ancient Greek means “last” or “end.” Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last, and this phrase is mentioned only at the beginning (chapter 1) and end (chapters 21 & 22) of Revelation. God not only started all things, but he will finish all things. That is like saying that God is everything from A to Z. He is:

• Alpha
• The Beginning
• The Cornerstone of the church
• Our Deliverer
• The Ending
• The First
• The Giver of salvation
• Our Healer
• Infinite
• Jesus
• The King of all nations
• The Last
• The Manuscript for life
• Not Dead
• Omega; Omnipotent (all-powerful), omnipresent (all-present), & omniscient (all-knowing)
• Perfect
• Our Salvation
• Truth
• Unhindered
• Victorious & Valiant
• Worthy of praise
• eXpolsive
• Zealous

God is all of these things and more! “To him belongs eternal praise” (Psalm 111:10). If we trust on him and fully believe that he is EVERYTHING we will not only see his glory revealed here on earth, but we will “inherit all things,” drink freely “of the fountain of the water of life,” “have the right to the tree of life,” and “enter through the gates into the city (Heaven).”

Merciful Mondays: Jael

^“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:31

Salvation Sunday: Life Or Death?

This is a life or death situation. This is a common phrase that is used by people for when they are making decisions. But sometimes they are not really a life or death situation. But sometimes our decisions can affect our life in a matter of life or death. We have to be careful of what we choose to do in life. Our choices can make our future a life status or death. 

In revelations, we see where Satan comes out of his cage and comes to earth to prepare his troops for the ultimate battle. But guess what, He loses!!! And he is sent into the lake of fire and brimstone. Now, all of the dead peoples are sent to heaven. And then those that are on earth are sent to heaven. And all these people are on line waiting to see if they got into heaven. They are all waiting to see if their name was written in the the Lamb's Book of Life. So this right here is a life or death situation. If your name is in the lamb's book of life, then you live eternally with Christ in paradise. However, if it's not there, then you're sent to fire and brimstone. 

The other thing is that there are people who have no idea or don't have people who can show them who Christ is. Their future is more towards the death side. But, the thing is that it's our job as Christians to show the world who Christ is. Through us, they have a chance to be able to have eternal life. So what are you gonna choose? Eternal life or eternal death? I know I want to have my name written in that Book of Life so I could be in paradise for eternity. 

Stay blessed!! 
Salvation Sunday: Steven Gable

2 Chronicles 6:41 "Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness."

Saturday Sacrifice: Ready or not, Here he Comes

Happy Saturday Sacrifice everyone!!=)

When I saw these verses in today’s reading,

“Hallelujah!      
    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

I immediately thought of this video I saw on YouTube.

 

 

 

I hope you ENJOY it and are BLESSED by it.

Stay in God’s Peace, not in pieces =)

Saturday Sacrifice: Hannah

Friday Fellowship: Whoever the Opponent, We Always Win

Whoever the Opponent, We Always Win

Revelation 18:18

 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory

I’m reminded from this scripture, my constant request to see an angel. I heard stories of them and would love to see one. I have seen some evil spirits.

    I was up early one morning praying and reading the bible because I couldn’t seem to sleep. I was taught by elders in my church, that whenever you wake up with energy at early times in the morning, it is God. So I been taught that when this happens to read the bible and pray because God wants to spend time with you.

               

 Finally after a few hours of reading, I became tired and I shut the lights off to rest a short while before preparing for work.   I was lying down in my bed, with the lights off and both my arms crossed over my chest.

Minutes later by dream, vision, I don’t know, I saw two completely dark figures in the form of men. Both completely dark figures were standing on my bed side, constraining my arms on my chest. Boldly and defiantly I began shouting “Get off me in JESUS NAME!!” After, ten seconds of shouting “JESUS!” my arms were freed and I raised my hands in the air.

Then I awoke or snapped out because my arms were still across my chest when seconds ago I had them raised. Wondering what all just happened (I was a lil shook), I asked God. He revealed to me they were the spirits of pride and fear. Pride was restraining my prayer, praise and worship in church because I cared so much about my image. I didn’t want to be seen in a certain way. This pride caused a fear in me, especially when I was amongst my peers. Fear of being judged by peers, fear of appearing too radical or crazy and fearing of appearing to be a broken person.

Through the name of Jesus, there in nothing seen or unseen that can restrain us. Whenever fear tries to return and shut my praise down, it’s the name of Jesus I call on that allows victory. Whatever we face or trouble us, use that power, and call on his name. Your Victory Is Certain!

           

Phillipians 2:10

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Luke 10:17

And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name

Luke 10:19

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Thirsty Thursday: One Nation Under God...

 Part of todays reading in Isaiah was talking about a rebellious nation. The people of Israel lost their way and were sinning against God. While reading I couldn’t help but think of the United States and its current situation.

“4 Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.”

The United States of America, one of the greatest nations in the world is currently going through trying times. Greed and corruption such as federal judges being impeached on chargers of bribery and perjury is nothing new but shows no signs of slowing down. Tons of people are living in poverty; unemployment rate is high, until last night we had a government shut down. A major city such as Detroit filed for bankruptcy, financial crisis, market issues, senseless violent crimes, school shootings, marathon bombings, hurricanes in the north east, tornados devastating the Midwest, river flooding in Colorado, the list of things go on and on. And as things get worse we seem to distance ourselves further and further from the answer to our problems; GOD.

"...and to the republic for which it stands, ONE NATION UNDER GOD....". The country, which once was proud to say “In God We Trust”, has turned their backs on God. Nearly one fifth of adults claim to have no religious affiliation. According to the latest US religious census Islam is the fastest growing religion in the US. In certain places student led prayers after athletic events have been banned. The separation of church and state continues to grow larger and larger. 

As the country drifts away from the Lord and things get worse all hope is not lost. Luckily the Lord our God is a loving forgiving God. “16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed…18…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good tings of the land. 20 but if you resist and rebel you will be devoured by the sword.”

Our wrongdoings can be forgiven. We must be willing and obedient.  As individuals we must choose to not live a sinful life, choose to do the will of God and live righteously. Collectively our efforts as children of God will be impactful and help turn things around. Do not get caught up in the ways of “the world”. Do not conform but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…

Stay Thirsty My Friends

Thirsty Thursdays

Warrior Wednesdays: Plagues in the End Times

One of the most interesting and perhaps sad facts about the last days is the attitude of people toward God. Despite everything that is going on the book of Revelation states that people will not repent of their sins. Revelations chapter 16 describes seven plagues that will happen and the reaction of the people to these plagues.

 “And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.”

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”

“And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail: for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”

The consistent trend with the above plagues shows that people recognize that God exists and that he has the power over the plagues, however they will refuse to give him glory for who he is and repent for their sins. These reactions depict the irrational minds that people will have. The most logical response to God’s wrath would be to ask for forgiveness and mercy. When I was a child and about to a whoopin (spanking) I would beg my mom for forgiveness and tell her how sorry I was. Sometimes I would not get the whoopin or it would be severely less because I was remorseful. If a child knows the correct response to deal with someone’s wrath it is truly sad that those people in the last days will not repent.

Stay Blessed and Continue Warring for Christ!

Warrior Wednesday: Brittney

TRANSFORMING TUESDAY: Whenever I Called Out Your Name You Were There...Thank You!

Do you ever realize how many chances God gives us to get right back into his good grace? I'm sure you know someone who has been playing with fire their whole life, but for some reason or another refuses to give their life to God. I will never understand individuals who believe they have "forever" to get right with God. I can never comprehend their feelings of invincibility because as humans we are only but so strong. However, the grace and mercy of God finds a way to intervene just when we feel like we're at the end of the ropes.

I know someone who is always always always in trouble with everybody and everything. They know of God because of the people around them but they never established a personal relationship with God for themselves. It seems like they have escaped everything under the sun--they continuously dodge death bullets. And when they are at their lowest or feel like the walls of the law are closing in on them, that is when they call on the name of Jesus. So what happens next??? God does what he always does and provides them with the grace and mercy to make it through tomorrow. Why??? Honestly I can't say I know why but I can say that God's unconditional love is like no other. It allows him to look past our flaws, our betrayal, our deception, our anger and blanket us with his protection. Thank you Lord for giving us sooooooo many new chances at life.

Today's reading in Psalms 107 talks about God showing up whenever we need him. 

In The Desert:
When there were people who felt like they were lost in the desert, they knew who to call on. They cried out the name of Jesus and there he was. He put them on the straight and narrow path, and he delivered them out of the desert and into a city to  dwell in. Most of the time we know what we're doing when we get ourselves into a "desert-like" state. There is hardly any life in the desert. The temperatures are at each extremes of the spectrum -- extremely hot during the day and extremely cold at night. And then the only access to any type of water is through the subsurface. Have you ever placed yourself in a desert-like state? A state where you needed a renewal of strength, energy, food source, and you needed some protection? I sure have! But what do you do??? For me, I called on the name of Jesus and he gave me my one-hundredth chance at life and he delivered me from the desert. God will always be there, all you have to do is call on him. His love is steadfast.

Sitting In The Darkness:
I'm sure we have all encountered some type of darkness in our lives. There is nothing positive about the dark, except that God will be that light at the end of the tunnel. Darkness is death, it is depression, it is rebellion, it is self-hate, it is destruction, it is not of God, it is the weakness of our flesh. I remember when I went through a dark phase in my life because I was so unsure about my future. That confusion caused me to develop an "I don't care" attitude. I was mean, I was nasty, I was numb. While in darkness I felt like I was in bondage--I was fighting against my own flesh. The whole time my spirit knew what was right but my flesh was trying to overpower that. Just when I felt like I had had enough and there was nowhere else to turn, God had given me my two-hundredth chance at life. When I called on the name of Jesus he shattered my chains of bondage and guided me towards the light. This was something my family or friends couldn't do, it was something that only God could do through me submitting myself to him. When we call he answers because his love is so steadfast.

Even In Sin:
Sin is what separates us from eternal life. As humans we will all sin, but we must repent and make those sins right. Luckily God is so forgiving that all we have to do is ask him for forgiveness (be sincere) and he will give it to us. Sin can place us in the desert, it can place us in the darkness and both places are not where we want to be. Sin causes us to suffer pain that we wouldn't always have to suffer. If we were just obedient sooooo many things could be avoided. Sin isn't determinative, sin is a choice. Collectively we have to make better choices. Even in the midst of us sinning God always comes through. He delivers us from the sin, the thoughts of sin, and the pains of sin. All we have to do is call on his name and he shows up. It's because of his steadfast love.

Prayer:
Lord we humbly come before you to thank you for your grace

and mercy that you have bestowed upon our lives. We also thank you for the countless chances that you have given us although we have deserved none of them. When we are hungry you feed us, when we are naked you clothe us, when we are thirsty you quench our thirst, when we are in the darkness or in the desert you deliver us. Thank you for your steadfast love because without it we are nothing. You are awesome beyond measure and we ask that you lead us away from temptation and keep us in your good grace. Thank you for yesterday, today, and we're looking forward to tomorrow -- another day to praise your holy name. Amen.

Lisa McClendon - You Are Holy

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO TRANSFORM YOUR TUESDAY :)
TRANSFORMING TUESDAY: JAMERA

Merciful Monday: What Happens in the End?

Matthew 25:4 says, “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear,” while 2 Peter 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.” The Bible repeatedly tells us that this world is not our home; our time here on earth will eventually end. And as dismal as this topic is, the question I’m sure we all want to know the answer to, is how does this happen??

Revelation gives us an understanding of some of these End of the World happenings. While I am no expert, nor do I claim to be (I’m just a regular Bible reader like you trying to make sense of it all), I can see from Revelation 14 that after the rapture (where Christ comes again to earth whisk away his believers), those who are left on earth will have a choice to make—either to take the Mark of the Beast or choose to serve God. Verses 9-13 say:

⁹ Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand ¹⁰ must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. ¹¹ The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.” ¹² This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. ¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!

  

What is the Mark of the Beast?

No one is sure of what it will look like but the Bible says it will be a mark on the right hand or forehead that all will be required to take after the rapture. The mark is either the name of the beast or the number 666 which is a representation of his name.

What does it do?

• It is used to buy and sell everything
• It establishes a person as a servant of the Beast (Satan)
• It provides security from persecution and ridicule
• It angers God
• It leads to eternal torment of the soul by fire and burning sulfur, with no option of relief (Hell)

What is choosing to serve the Lord?

In this time, serving the Lord will be the most unpopular decision. It is making a conscious decision to serve God and live by His commandments even after His spirit has left the Earth.

What does choosing to serve the Lord do?

• It establishes one as a servant of God, and thus an enemy of Satan and those that have taken the mark
• It results in great persecution by the enemy
• It most likely ends in death as a result of religious persecution
• It leads to eternal life and rest with Jesus Christ in Heaven

While taking the Mark of the Beast sounds as if it may be beneficial, it leads to an eternity in Hell, and while choosing to serve God seems to be detrimental, it leads to an eternity with God. Remember that this will only become a hard decision for those that are left on earth AFTER the trumpet sounds and God’s people are taken up to Heaven, so we have to do what we need to do BEFORE that trumpet sounds. Allow God, to drive your will right now! Live righteously and by His word while you can so that you never have to decide between pledging your allegiance to God or to the Beast. Now, we all know what lies ahead should we miss the rapture. As for me, I’ve already made up my mind that NOTHING can separate me from Christ!

Prayer: Dear God, I thank you for your mercy and grace that have given us the opportunity to serve you today, and for the promise that we have of a chance to serve you eternally in Heaven. I also want to thank you for giving us your word, allowing us to grow in biblical knowledge, and revealing your plans to end this earth so that we know what we need to do. I pray for the future of our souls. I pray that we ALL will take up your invitation to serve you while we have a chance. I pray that we realize that the living for you is not a game, that worship is not a hobby, and that Heaven and Hell are not fiction. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Merciful Mondays: Jael

^“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:31

Salvation Sunday: For Such a Time as This

I think that the story of Esther is another story of bravery, courage and being unashamed of who you are. In this chapter, we see Haman which puts out a decree to  kill all Jews. That is crazy. This guy wanted to take out a race of people just because of who they worshipped. The crazy thing is that there will come a time where people will persecute Christians because of their belief of Christ!! If we look at Revelations, we see that this beast comes up and starts blaspheming against God and His people. We see that this beast goes against Christians and all the crazy things that are going to happen during this time. Taking the mark of the beast on the forehead or on the wrist. And this mark will allow people to survive and get food. It's crazy and one day it's gonna happen to this world. But we have to be unashamed and have that trying faith where we trust in God through it all. We shouldn't give up or take the easy road like the Israelites did in the wilderness. We gotta keep pressing and work through it and stay Jesus strong!! 

So, with Esther, she had to make the decision of going the kings court and risk dying and do the right thing. Or don't do anything and risk seeing all of her people be killed off. And the thing that got me was her uncle said maybe you were brought into the kingdom for such a time as this. Have you been in a situation where you don't see how you got that position? Is there a job that you were blessed and you have no idea how you got the hookup? Did you see and realize that God was the hookup? Do you think that you're there just to provide for yourself and make money? I don't think so. God puts us in positions so that He can use us to help us. Maybe God put you at a certain company for such a time as this. Maybe you're there to save someones life who has been contemplating suicide. Or maybe you're at a school to bring people to Christ. You never know what God has for you and that is why you have to trust God and stay tuned with Him so He can direct you.God is awesome like that and will connect you with people so you can continue to work and do what He called you to do. 

Don't be ashamed of who you are. Don't be ashamed of what God has called you to do. God has brought you to a spot for such a time as this. Seek God and find out what is the reason. If God has called you to do something and you don't see how it's gonna work out. You don't see how you'll get through it. Exercise that faith and be confident in God that He will come through and will reveal His plan. I know that God can and that He will!!

Stay blessed!!
Salvation Sunday: Steven Gable

 2 Chronicles 6:41 "Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness."

GUEST BLOGGER FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER: Healing and Faith

Have you ever been weak physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually? I know that even in the past week I have experienced some challenges in some of these areas to some degree.

I am a 6^th grade Social Studies teacher and I deal with children on a daily basis from 7:15 to 5. Needless to say, by the end of the day, I am mentally exhausted and emotionally drained. 

Everyday, two other teachers and I meet at 6:45 and pray. We pray for the students, their families, our leadership, and that God will have his way.

Faith-

A Time of Consecration

(Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Acts 3:19-21 ESV).

Day 49

So a little over 49 days ago, I decided to go on a 60 day consecration. Why? Because I felt stuck. I felt spiritually trapped and frustrated.  I felt complacent in my spiritual walk and I was tired of it.  I couldn’t find a way to grow closer to the Lord or move deeper in worship and prayer and I knew where I had one wrong.

Let’s take exercising for an example. Have you ever been at a place where you were doing great—going places in your workout, seeing improvement in your body, experiencing growth in your endurance—and then for whatever reason you stop? Maybe you got busy or distracted. Or maybe you just didn’t feel like doing your workout for those two days that then easily spiraled into a careless two months?  Sooner or later, frustration sets in when you realize how much transformation would have taken place, if you had only continued to be faithful and committed to the process.

So like I said, I got fed up.  My prayers became little more consistent and aggressive; my worship a tad bit more violent. I asked the Lord, “what do I need to do to get closer to you? What do I need to let go? Who do I need to let go?” I was desperate to do whatever it took to get God’s attention. I started to reflect on my life and search for any signs of distractions that could have possibly taken my attention or focus.  After having some difficult conversations with myself and others, I declared the start of my consecration and rededication to the Lord. (Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. -John 12:25 ESV).

I’ll tell you something—it was the hardest decision, but by far, the best one I could’ve made.  So for the past 49 days, I have been in a state of intentional discomfort. I intentionally deny myself so that my flesh may die  (And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.- Luke 9:23). The Lord has been doing a work in me and through me, and I can’t wait to see what the last 11 days will bring.  I will continually take joy in the process :)

So I implore you. The Lord is calling  all of us  a little higher—a little deeper. Let this time be a time of consecration in your own life! If you do what you always did, you will get what you always got. Challenge yourself!  There are people around us who we are called too. Their deliverance is pending.  Jesus is coming back sooner than we know and we must be ready. Our families, friends, and the body of Christ must be ready. Be the change you want to see! The race is not given to the swift nor to the strong, but to the one who endures. (referenced in Ecclesiastes 9:11).

Here - Kari Jobe - Where I Find You

GUEST BLOGGER FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER: JAMIA