“THE TRUE ENVIRONMENTALIST”

Good Evening to All!

“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee;  and the fowls of the air; and they shall tell thee:  (8) Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee;  and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. (9)  Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?  (10)  In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.  
I read the “devotional” that went with this scripture passage and must say I was a bit disappointed.
While I agree that the news media regularly report how the earth’s resources are diminishing rapidly, I do not see the correlation of these scriptures and the subject of her devotional.
The writer said that she had visited friends and one had asked if animals went to heaven. 
It sounded to me as though the writer did not answer her question, but beat around the bush.  She said, “I reminded her man alone is made in the image and likeness of God, and also the recipients  of salvation.  She called it a pat answer, but to me it did not answer anything.  The answer also left her friend unsatisfied and I understand why.  She then continued to offer another verse of “comfort”  “There is no creature hidden from His sight”  (Hebrews 4:13).  According to the KJV it says, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:  but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
I have yet to figure out what that has to do with animals going to heaven. 
If we look at this realistically  and logically, God breathed His breath into mankind which provided us with a soul.  All other creatures were created, but not breathed into, therefore they do not have “souls”.  It is our souls which enter into the eternal heaven or hell, therefore anything not having a soul will not be entering either place. 
I don’t mean this to sound harsh to animal lovers.  I love animals, and I had a dog who was just like a member of my family.  I wish that I could say I would see her again when I get to heaven, but realistically I know this not to be possible. 
“For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth. . . all things have been created through Him and for Him”  (Colossians 1:16).  It’s important to remember that Christ created animals for our enjoyment.  Therefore, be grateful to the Lord. 
This being said, while truthful, I still cannot see what these scriptures have to do with animals entering heaven. 

 What might your opinions be?

Please forgive the "elementary style" of my blog post.  I have been having a lot of problems getting this post established.  I will not be able to post for a couple of weeks at my house, so I wanted to at least get this post out to you.  I pray you won't give up on me.  See you in a couple of weeks.  I have also been unable to retrieve any pictures for my post, so I hope the content will be enough to peak your interest. 

Have a wonderful night and May God Bless!

"HEAVEN! I CAN HARDLY WAIT!"

And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. (23) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (25) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. (26) And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. (27) And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:22-27 KJV

According to the NIV: I did not see a temple in the heavenly city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are it's temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, not will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, bot only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (NIV)

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river, stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5 NIV

Do you realize that New Jerusalem is going to be laid out in a perfect square, 1400 miles in length width and height? It is approximately half of the distance of the continental United States in length.

I know a lot of people have a "hang-up about the Book of Revelation. I've heard some say they "are scared of that book. I've heard others say it's too difficult to understand, and then I've heard people even say they don't want to know about the "end of the world".

To me, all of those reasons are sad. I personally look forward to hearing God tell me "well done thy good and faithful servant. When I read the above passages, it makes me hunger for that time even more. People have said to me, how can we be sure we'll go to heaven? I tell them to read their Bible like they were going to be given a test over it. Learn it, and live by it. If they do this they have nothing to worry about.

As far as not understanding Revelation, that is NO EXCUSE, because there are too many Contemporary Versions and now they even have the Books of the Bible for Dummies! While I would not suggest that this "Dummies" book take the place of reading your Bible, you can look at them side by side, just as I do my King James Version, the Message and NIV. Even though they are all versions of the Bible, I do have my preference, which is the King James, but I like the others to refer to when I'm studying or doing my blog posts.

When I read the book of Revelation, especially the above passages describing heaven, I can't imagine anyone not wanting to live for God and end up there.

While this was only a "glimpse" into our beautiful eternal home, if you will read starting at the 10th verse of Chapter 21, it goes into much greater details about it.
Good Night to All and May God bless!

"HEAVEN - A PLACE TO CALL HOME"

Good Evening to All!

(16)Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

(17)Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us fore an ensample.

(18) (For as many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell yo even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: (19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

(20) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:16-21 KJV)

(16) We must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.

(17) My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you.

(18) I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.

But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body. (Philippians 3:16-21 CEV -Contemporary English Version)

I like the way this verse worded it. It said we are citizens of heaven. It kind of makes me think of earth like a different state or country, but heaven as my home state. You know how you like to visit different places but it's always nice to get home? Well, I'm ready to go home. I'm homesick. I don't like the way this world is shaping up or should I say down, so I'm ready to go home. Kind of like visiting a country with "unsanitary water and living conditions. It's nice to get home to where you feel comfortable and not have to worry about getting sick from drinking water.

In this passage, Paul is wanting us to understand the importance of choosing the right priorities, for choosing Christ as the central focus in our lives. He weeps for the unbelievers, especially those who are proud of their wrongful actions. He doesn't envy people with wealth because he looks in a different place for his riches. His riches are storing up in heaven. He knows that this earth and all of it's enticements are going to pass away and the only riches that count are those which are eternal. Which do you cling to?

When I ponder this question, I keep coming back to an old song which has been my favorite for a long time. I wish I could figure out how to put music on here just every once in a while to help give emphasis to my subject, but as it stands this is the best I can do. I hope many of you know or have heard of this song.

It is titled "This World is Not My Home"

This world is not my home I'm just passing through
my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore

O Lord you know I have no friend like you
if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore

# They're all expecting me and that's one thing I know
my savior pardoned me and now I onward go
I know He'll take me through though I am weak and poor
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore

O Lord you know I have no friend like you
if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore

# Just up in Glory Land we'll live eternally
the Saints on every hand are shouting victory
their song of sweetest praise drifts back from Heaven's shore
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore

O Lord you know I have no friend like you
if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore

It tells us in the Bible that we are spiritual beings. therefore we are not suppose to think of this planet as our home. Our eternal home is suppose to be heaven. We are suppose to live IN the world, but not be OF the world.

This song definitely puts things into perspective for me and helps me realize just how unimportant in the large scheme of things our earthly possessions really are. All the money and toys in the world won't get you into heaven, nor will they be with those who choose to ignore the ways of God and "do their own thing" in the end.

I pray that this post will be one of those that make you sit back and ponder this question. Hopefully it will help you to "re-evaluate your priorities". Maybe take a second or even a third look inside yourself to figure out what is really important just just in this life, but in the life when we leave this world.

If you feel and eagerness and joy for a future with Christ in our resurrection, then it should be a main goal or focus to make choices to help us get there. If Heaven is the direction we want to be headed then our choices should reflect that. Not procrastinating and thinking "I'll change tomorrow". We are not promised tomorrow and it may be too late.

Another tidbit you might think about is, What are you teaching your children and grandchildren about eternal priorities? They learn by example. The age of my mother's old stand-by "do as I say do, NOT as I do, doesn't fly anymore. We need to be good examples for our children and grandchildren.

So I guess, if I were to place all my "cards on the table", I would say, "if you don't care where YOU are going to end up, remember your children and/or grandchildren are watching you.

It isn't an overnight process. Ask Him and He will help you know what needs to change in your priorities. Plus He will help you change them if you ask Him for His help. He won't come uninvited. Remember that. He is a gentleman. He's not a party crasher. He waits for an invitation.

Let's all get serious about our priorities for our eternal lives and our families as well. Let's keep our eyes on our true home and get closer to God.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!

"PRESSING ON TOWARD THE PRIZE"

Good Evening to All!

I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured an made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [ it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is call us upward.
(Philippians 3:13-14)

When I read my devotional today and saw the title, "Keep Pressing On", it reminded me of the old song "Onward Christian Soldiers". I know that has to do with we Christians marching into Spiritual Warfare, but I also put it into the context of us persevering against the hindrances and obstacles that Satan throws in our pathways to get us side tracked off our pathway to God's kingdom and the heavenly prize waiting for us.

Have you ever consciously thought about your relationship with God? I must admit, sometimes I’m ashamed of myself. I let myself get “content” with my level of depth with Him, yet I’m always trying to think of ways to be closer to my husband, and to make him happier. This is exactly the way we should be with God. We should NEVER be satisfied with what depth our relationship with Him is. It should get deeper and deeper all the time.

To do this though, we need to “bunker down” with our Bibles and prayer to get to know Him. I’m not saying we have to read our Bibles 24 hours a day ( if we read it enough though, it will be instilled in our hearts 24/7 and that’s a good thing). The Bible says to pray without ceasing. This doesn’t necessarily mean literally pray constantly, after all we must support our families. We can be in a “prayerful spirit” though. A prayerful and Christian attitude towards others, our jobs, our families, and friends. If you know someone having a hard time, help them if you can or at least send up prayers for them. All of these things will help you get to know God better, because when you do these things you are in the “mind of Christ”. The more you pray, read and get to know God the more you will want to know God, so you will pray and read more. It starts a cycle.

We have all fallen short of the glory of God. The key is to fall forward, toward God, not away from Him. I have seen people who were doing really well in their walk with Him, when they fall back into their “old ways” and do something contrary to their walk. Instead of showing God how much they love Him by asking Him for forgiveness, repenting and NOT DOING IT AGAIN, they get an attitude of failure and “unworthiness” , using that as an excuse not to go back to church. That is definitely the wrong attitude to take on. God knows we aren’t perfect, He knows we are going to fall, and He tells us if we ask for forgiveness and repent, He will cast our sins into the sea of forgetfulness and not remember them. BUT we have to ASK.

Now, the next item on the agenda is to forgive ourselves. We shouldn’t dwell on our past mistakes. We must keep moving forward. If we continue to dwell on our mistakes, this means that we haven't forgiven ourselves. I finally woke up to the fact that if I can't even forgive myself, how can I expect God to, yet He has mercy enough to do so, therefore if I don't forgive myself, it's like a slap in the face to Him.

We must keep our eyes on the heavenly prize which is spending an eternity in heaven with God. Again, this is done by remembering when we fall, to get up, dust ourselves off, ask God for forgiveness as well as any one we have wronged, and get back into God’s Word and into prayer. Keep your heart right and ready. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

I hope I have made some sense tonight, I feel like my brain has been all over the place. (More than Usual! LOL!)

Good Night to All and May God Bless!