Tag: Heaven

A Strong Defence

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Most people in the U.S. don’t remember the cold war between the U.S. and Russia during the 1950s & 60s. They don’t remember Khrushchev telling America that Russia would bury us. It was a time when both countries were building nuclear weapons at an unbelievable rate. Both countries were afraid to start a war that neither could win, yet were afraid that the other might.

Cities were busy building or designating places as fallout shelters. The government was encouraging the building of backyard fallout shelters, in case of a nuclear war. By the late 1950s, the Eisenhower administration was promoting DIY shelters, and publications like Good Housekeeping urged readers to build home shelters, with tens of thousands requesting government plans.  It was a time of an uneasy peace. 

However, most Americans went about their normal daily lives, ignoring all this. Yet, there was always an underlying fear that it could happen.

Being a Christian, we have a similar situation with the devil. We don’t know when the attack from Satan will come. We don’t know when he will strike us, our family, or our friends. The moment we became Christians, Satan declared war on us. Like the Cold War, it’s not a physical battle, but Satan and his demons are busy behind the scenes. It is a spiritual battle, and oftentimes we don’t even know we are being attacked. Satan doesn’t get blamed for most of his attacks; they are just considered part of life. The attacks are spiritual, but the results are almost always physical. Sickness, divorce, churches splitting, families feuding, etc. Oftentimes, it is simply keeping us so busy with things that we don’t have time for God. If he can get our attention focused on things or money rather than God, he is successful. Satan has had thousands of years to perfect his attacks. He is an expert at using people against people, even Christians against other Christians. We blame people when we should be blaming Satan. They are unknowingly being used by Satan.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

 While the U.S. and Russia used a strong military as a deterrent to war, we have an even stronger deterrent to the devil’s attacks, the Holy Spirit. The moment we accepted Christ as our redeemer, the Holy Spirit came into our lives. He lives within us. He communes with our spirit, our soul. We have a strong defense, if we use it. That doesn’t mean the devil won’t attack us. It does mean that with the Holy Spirit we are stronger than Satan’s attacks. 

The more we seek to do God’s will, the stronger the Spirit is within us. The Holy Spirit is God, the same as the Father and Son is. He is God within us. Seek His leading and guidance. Stay strong in the Spirit.

Books by Jerry, many of which you may read for free on Prime. All are priced low. Jerry’s books are a ministry not a business: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jerry-Blount/author/B06XK4GJT1

  1. Things You Probably Didn’t Learn in Church
  2. Basic Christianity: Living a Joy-Filled Life and Making a Difference
  3. The End Times: Signs and Prophecy
  4. Noah and the Great Flood: Proof and Effects
  5. Following Jesus and Fishing Along the Way: Stories of God’s Great Outdoors
  6. The Rapture: Coming Soon
  7. Delighting in the Lord: Enjoying a Close Walk with Jesus
  8. Evidence of God: Proof beyond Doubt  

Are YOU going to Heaven (knowing for sure)

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Everyone wants to go to heaven. The joy and peace that we will have when in heaven will be far greater than anything we can imagine. Being with family and friends who have gone before us and spending eternity with them. Living in a place of perfect love. 

But if we miss heaven — well, it’s not something we want to think about — an eternity in hell.

Thankfully, God has made it easy for us to go to heaven. He sent His Son to die on the cross and redeem our sins with His blood (John 3:16). Jesus paid the price for our sins and redeemed us from the death that we deserve. He made it possible to someday stand before God.

Life’s most important question should be, “Are you going to heaven when you die?” If Jesus returns tomorrow, will you be ready?

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A Roaring Lion

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Photo by Yiğit KARAALİOĞLU on Pexels.com

The Bible tells us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV).

I live in the middle of the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the northern border of the U.S. It is tens of thousands of acres of wilderness. We don’t have lions, as the Bible is speaking of, except for an occasional mountain lion. We do have bears and wolves. They are predators, and it is at night in the darkness that predators roam about, seeking something to devour. It is the same with Satan; he prowls in the darkness, seeking out those with whom he might destroy their relationship with Christ. 

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Do the saints in heaven know what is happening on Earth?

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I do not believe that people who are in heaven are looking down on us, seeing everything that is going on in our lives. Having said that, there are scriptures that show that those in heaven do know at least some of what is happening on earth.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

   The great cloud of witnesses that the writer of Hebrews is speaking of is the saints of God that have gone on before us and are in heaven now. Are they in heaven watching us and cheering us on?

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The Angel of the Lord

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Throughout the Old Testament you will see a reference to “the angel of the Lord”. Who is the angel of the Lord? The angel seems to be not only of the Lord, but the Lord himself. 

   The first time we read about the angel of the Lord is in Genesis 16:7-13. In verse 10, the angel tells Hagar that he will increase her descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count. Could an angel do that? In verse 11 He refers to himself as Lord, and in verse 13, Hagar refers to Him as God.

“You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me”

   In Genesis 22:11 we see the angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from killing his son. In verse 12 He refers to Himself as God.

“But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:11-12)

Then in verses 15, the angel of the Lord again speaks to Abraham.

“The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” (Genesis 22:15-17).

   When the angel of the Lord appears to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2-6), He leaves no doubt about who He is, with His many references to being God.

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

“When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” 

And Moses said, “Here I am.” 

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:2-6)

   We see the angel of the Lord again in Numbers 22:21-38, when He confronts Balaam and his donkey. Here He reproofs Balaam and instructs him. In verse 38 Balaam refers to the angel of the Lord as God.

   In Judges 13, the angel of the Lord tells Manoah and his wife that they will have a son, (Samson), and gives them instructions for raising him. Later Manoah said to his wife, “We are doomed to die….We have seen God.” 

   In John 6:46, Jesus says that: “No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God”. 

   So who is “the angel of the Lord”? Obviously, it was not the Father who came as the Angel of the Lord. If it were God and it was not the Father, then it must have been the Son, our Lord. The Angel of the Lord is no ordinary angel.

   What do we know about “the angel of the Lord”?

1. He is not an Angel.

2. He is not God the Father, because no man has seen the Father.

3. He is God, because the scriptures say He is.

4. He appears to be God, but separate from God (the Father) as Christ (the Son) and the Holy Spirit are.

5. He forgave sin, which only God can do.

   Is this Christ? Did Christ walk upon the earth centuries before He was born a baby in Bethlehem? Not all Bible scholars are willing to say it is the Lord, but it certainly could have been, He was with Father from the beginning.

J. M. Wilson writes that while identifying him with God the Son is most tempting, “..it must be remembered that at best these are only conjectures that touch on a great mystery……The appearances of the angel of the Lord…..culminated in the coming of the Savior, and are thus a foreshadowing of, and preparation for, the full revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Further than this it is not safe to go.”

   Most Bible scholars and students don’t hesitate to make that claim however. Calvin wrote:

“I am rather inclined however, to agree with the ancient writers, that in those passages wherein it is stated that the angel of the Lord appeared to Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, Christ was that angel.”

   C. F. Dickason stated that the angel of the Lord “According to all evidence……seems to be the preincarnate Son.”

  Billy Graham writes: “There are no grounds for questioning the very early and traditional Christian interpretation that in these cases there is a preincarnation manifestation of the second person of the Trinity.”

   We know that Christ was here from the beginning, (John 1:1-4), and we can assume that “the angel of the Lord” was most likely Jesus.

Books by Jerry, many of which you may read for free on Prime: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jerry-Blount/author/B06XK4GJT1

  1. Things You Probably Didn’t Learn in Church
  2. Basic Christianity: Living a Joy-Filled Life and Making a Difference
  3. The End Times: Signs and Prophecy
  4. Noah and the Great Flood: Proof and Effects
  5. Following Jesus and Fishing Along the Way: Stories of God’s Great Outdoors
  6. The Rapture: Coming Soon
  7. Delighting in the Lord: Enjoying a Close Walk with Jesus
  8. Evidence of God: Proof beyond Doubt  

Daniel’s Amazing Prophecy

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Daniel was truly a man of God. We first read about Daniel shortly after Judah was captured by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Daniel, along with other young men, was taken from Judah to Babylon to be trained for the king’s service. 

We are probably more familiar with the story of Daniel being thrown into the lion’s den, than we are of his prophecies, which predicted the future. Be that as it may, his predictions of the future are much more important to us. They were so accurate, that critics of the Bible claimed they had to be written after the fact. They claimed the book of Daniel was a book of history rather than prophecy. However, the discovery of ancient manuscripts, some dating back to 250 BC, have quieted those critics.

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Are YOU going to heaven?

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Everyone wants to go to heaven. The joy and peace that we will have when in heaven will be far greater than anything we can imagine. Being with family and friends who have gone before us and spending eternity with them. Living in a place of perfect love. 

But if we miss heaven — well, it’s not something we want to think about — an eternity in hell.

Thankfully, God has made it easy for us to go to heaven. He sent His Son to die on the cross and redeem our sins with His blood (John 3:16). Jesus paid the price for our sins and redeemed us from the death that we deserve. He made it possible to someday stand before God.

Life’s most important question should be, “Are you going to heaven when you die?” If Jesus returns tomorrow, will you be ready?

(more…)

Prayer – Our Lifeline to God Part 4

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Forgiveness and Prayer

The lack of forgiveness among Christians is, without doubt, the biggest reason that so many Christians are living a life of ineffectiveness. This is certainly true in their prayer lives.

D. L. Moody said: “I believe this (forgiveness) keeps more people from having power with God than any other thing; they are not willing to cultivate a spirit of forgiveness. If we allow the root of bitterness to spring up in our hearts against someone, our prayers will not be answered. It may not be an easy thing to live in sweet fellowship with all those with whom we come in contact, but that is why the grace of God is given to us.”

The “Lord’s Prayer” says that God will not forgive us if we don’t forgive others. This is the only part of the Lord’s prayer that Jesus explained.

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Prayer – Our Lifeline to God Part 2

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The Prayers of Jesus

As Christians, we want to pattern our lives after the life of Christ. We pray to be more like Him. We sing songs about being more like Him. There is nowhere where we should emulate Christ more than His prayer life.

Christ prayed to His Father for everything. Prayer preceded every great event in His life on earth. He prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21-22). He prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29). He prayed all night long before choosing the twelve disciples, whom He deemed apostles (Luke 6:12-16). And of course, He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, the night He was arrested before being crucified (Luke 22:39-44).

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Prayer – Our Lifeline to God Part I

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Prayerlessness

Is not praying a sin, or is it just a weakness? We have so many excuses for not praying. We are so busy, there just isn’t time, and then there are so many distractions in our lives, not to mention the interruptions that happen. We can come up with all kinds of reasons for neglecting fellowship with our Lord.

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