by David Brenneman
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:12-13.
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9.
I was barely awake this morning when that passage from Revelation popped into my head.
Life's been exceedingly different and difficult since we moved here in ways that we really didn't forsee.
In many good ways and many complex ways. Peaceful times and times where we found ourselves crying out to God because we really were lost in those moments.
Yesterday I found myself praying simply for Jesus to help me keep the helmet of salvation on my head. To keep that on and the breastplate of righteousness in place. Which brought me to praying for the whole armor of God.
It's likely to do with writing these posts but my mind comes under assault a lot. Distractions I have no end to distractions.
Setting my mind on the things that are above and not on the things that are of this world can be very difficult and challenging.
When you go out into the world keep in mind that our time can always be opportune. We are here for His purpose in this moment of time and then that's it. Those in Christ have a definitive purpose in the plans of God for mankind. It's never about getting salvation then to go do your own thing.
We read "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 and "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.
We are among the most tempted of people in any generation since the days that lead up to the Great Flood as recorded in the book of Genesis.
We have this infection called AI that now is everywhere enough to rip whatever is real and make it a lie that's so realistic that you cannot tell truth from fiction. We have it de-aging video's of people and it's as real as something recorded right now.
This isn't some slam on all artificial intelligence programs. Some actually have been around for years and were beneficial. Cutting through mounds of data in research because of diseases. Saving people in the battlefield. There are good uses for it. We put up with the interruptions caused by it in all social media apps. AI is why you're forced to waste time that could have been better spent trying to read up on who or what interests you.
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells." 2 Peter 3:10-13.
Do you pray for the hastening of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? I certainly do. The passage from Revelation isn't hard to remember to pray. "Even so come quickly Lord Jesus".
We all who are alive at His coming will be in the middle of doing something. Would you be ashamed of whatever that might be that you'll be in the middle of?
Think about that really long and hard.
Many people die in the midst of some really awkward or stupid circumstances. Believers awaken again to be in the presence of Jesus. The unbelieving wake up in immediate pain in Hell. All probably remember their last moments on Earth.
"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all." Colossians 3:3-11.
Things to really think about in your today my Dear Reader.
A battlefield is only complicated to those who don't understand what is going on. Jesus knows every single detail of every single person on that battlefield.
With all this I have to wrap it up by way of reminder.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints," Ephesians 6:12-18.
What manner of person are you in the eyes of Him with whom you have to do?
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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