Daily Signs of Hope

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Tag: Jesus (Page 7 of 8)

So What is so Good About the Heavenly Kingdom?

August 6, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Watered the plants, cleaned up the dishes after dinner, put some beverages in the outside fridge, straightened up my side of the closet, and I thought I was done for the evening. I sat down here to start my post when my wife shouted from the den, “Did you take out the garbage?” No rest for the wicked. šŸ™‚

Life has been pretty hard for me because of the Pandemic. I have underlying issues and I am basically in lock down. My wife and I go on drives to nowhere, and we enjoy that. I go for walks often. Other than that I stare at the walls

I have watched more movies in the last few months than I have in my whole lifetime.

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I got to thinking recently, (it gave me a headache) why do we cling to a God who has total power over us? What do we get out of that?

Four things came to my mind:

  1. The Kingdom is priceless.
  2. There is a price to be in the Kingdom.
  3. There is a purpose of the Kingdom.
  4. There is the peace of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom is priceless

All the silver and Gold we can pile up is even close to the Kingdom. There will be golden streets, angels singing, meeting our families, and we will have a new body.

There is a Price to pay

Here is where we lose many people. They do not want to obey anyone. You can see that in our day and age right now. Mass rioting, arson, people shot, people beaten up, and heavy destruction of the businesses.

These people will face God some day and they will beg Him for mercy and He will say, “I know you not!”

However, we, as Christians, are ready to meet God. We are made righteous in God’s eyes, because we accepted Jesus into out hearts.

The purpose of the Kingdom

We will all see that the purpose of the Kingdom is for us to have a heavenly home to go to. Jesus said, I have built a mansion for you. There are many rooms there. We will be living in style with Jesus.

The Peace of the Kingdom

This is the one I really look forward to. No more pain. No more death. No more cancer, No more heart disease. The peace will overcome us through the Angels singing to us. It will be hard to comprehend, but I think we can get used to it. šŸ™‚

Some short thoughts:

You can’t change Jesus to fit your personal needs.

When we get to Heaven, the weak will be made strong.

We can not hide from God. He knows every hair on our head.

In today’s world…God will lead us through the fires.

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How about you? Are you sympathetic, towards the rioters? Do you run from God because you think He is controlling you?

I hope you are not this person. Pray for God’s forgiveness, and mercy, and He will hold you in His arms and protect you.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

God Never Calls us to do Something easy

July 29, 2020 / / 0 Comments

We are certainly in tough times in our country. The Pandemic virus is growing fast. There is mass rioting throughout our country. People are out of work because of the Pandemic. Children can not go back to school to learn.

I was told the other day that this is a huge sign of the end times.

It may be, but what do we do if it is?

We need to have FAITH!

1 Faith is always true.

2. Faith always goes forward.

3. When God speaks to us we have enough faith to say yes.

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God is in the business of doing the impossible. It sure makes you wonder why he is allowing so much chaos. Remember…God is in charge.

The world was shocked when President Trump won the presidential election. Shouldn’t have happened? GOD IS IN CHARGE!

He is watching over us. The next question is… Why is He allowing so much tragedy to happen? This is a tough question. However, God gave us choices. He allowed us to make our own decisions, and then face Him later. That is why dictators exist. That is why there is sex trafficking. That is why there are wars. That is hard for us to have to face, but it is reality with god.

All the rioters, seem to think what they are doing and is noble. They think they are heroes. God will be speaking to each of them later.

How about you? Are you walking the narrow path, or the wide path to destruction? God knows and you know. He knows every hair on your head. There is no place to hide from Him.

Now, I have made God sound like a mean, awful person. Know that He loves you very much. He made you in His own image. He wants the best for you.

BUT, we have to abide by His rules, not ours. There is a wonderful manual to guide you on how to act and how to be. It is called the Bible. If you read and live by it, you are in God loving graces.

So, God never calls us to do anything easy. A friend once told me,”Life is tough and then you die.” Pretty sad. That was many years ago that he told me that, but it still sticks with me today.

Don’t be allowing the dark side to overcome you. Look to the light, which is Jesus Christ our Lord. He died so that you have a chance for eternal life. I say you have a chance, because you have to accept him as your personal savior to receive that gift.

Life IS tough, but be strong and know that God is with you during your storms.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…Never, ever, give up!

How Many Times Should We Forgive Someone?

July 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I have been watching the movement of Representative John Lewis from his hometown to the Capitol Rotunda, to be put on display.

This man was a furious warrior fighting for the black community. He marched with Martin Luther King. He was beaten many times, and was arrested 40 times for his support for the black community.

No man, since Martin Luther King, has done more for civil rights in our country.

He spent over 16 years in Congress.

Was he a Democrat or a Republican? DOESN’T MATTER!

He fought for what was right.

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We need to find more leaders like him. Dedicated to helping others and fighting for what is right.

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I am switching to some negative things to bring up another point.

Portland, Oregon has had 60 straight days of rioting. There are many fires, many beatings, many arrests, and many people hurt badly. Many of those hurt are police officers, trying to keep the peace.

The Federal Government has come to help. We will see how that works out.

There is widespread rioting in many other big cities. Interesting in that all of those cities are run by Democrats.

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So, should we forgive those who are rioting? If so, how many times should we forgive?

Jesus told a parable about forgiving. It started when Peter asked him how many times should he forgive? Seven times? (That was four more times than the Jewish acceptable number.)

Jesus rebuked him and said, “No! 70×7!” That is 490 times. (Matthew 18: 21-34.)

Some things to remember:

  1. As longs as there are issues, there is an opportunity for forgiveness.
  2. Our God is a forgiving God. (How many times have you asked Him to forgive you?)
  3. Forgiving others is a must to be a part of God’s Kingdom.
  4. We must mirror God’s love and forgiveness.

Some other thoughts:

  1. God has help mend any hearts that are broken.
  2. My sin was great, but God’s love was greater.
  3. For God so loved the world that He sent his only son, so that we may have eternal life.
  4. Pray for our leaders in the nation, and in your home state, to make decisions that are for the good of the people, and not themselves.

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Think on these things, and be at peace knowing that God is watching over you and protects you.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forskaen.

You are never unloved.

And above all, never, ever, give up!

Finding Encouragement in Discouraging Times

July 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

We have had a rough road to ride on for the last several months. The COVID-19 virus is causing havoc on our country. It seems to be getting worse then getting better.

The rioting, burning of businesses, shootings, beatings, that are going on in our big cities is not only frightening, but very sad.

It seems the all these cities are run by democrats. Don’t know if that means something.

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Encouragement for the discouraged.

The Pastor of my church had a message on this. The title was From Brokenness to Blessings.

He said he understands all of us who are fearful, and frustrated. We have battles every day, and to have this be on top of it all is hard, at best.

What are his answers?

  1. God guarantees victory. Pretty simplistic right? However, we often forget that. We forget that God is in charge and He won’t give us more that we can handle.
  2. The best is yet to come. Hard to see that right now, but I bet we look back at this a few years from now and feel we are so blessed at that moment.

Do not go into hiding.

We do not need to hide in our basements. We need to be out there helping those who are overcome with fear, and depression. This is the perfect time to show our love for them.

We have the love of God in our hearts. We need to let others know how that feels.

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How do we hold on?

How are you doing? Are you having trouble getting up every morning because the world is crazy right now? Do you dread turning on the TV, because there is so much negativity? Are you struggling because the virus is closing down your work?

You certainly are not alone.

I feel your pain.

I am in total lock down. Haven’t been in retail store in four months. No restaurants. Only drive up, and take out. Can’t see my children. I text them and call them a lot.

Why am I in lock down? I am afraid I have three underlying problems with my health. If I was to get the virus, I am gone.

Am I crying and frustrated? At times I am close, but I am suppose to be the father figure, and show strength and perseverance.

Again, God is with you. Jesus is with you. They are just a prayer away.

Lean on them for your strength. They are you fortress. They are your protectors.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

If You Found Proof that There was a Heaven How Would you Change?

July 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

How do we really know there is a Heaven? We read and hear about it all the time.

I have read the now famous book by Don Piper Called, 90 Minutes in Heaven. I have two copies in my library. One is signed by the author who wrote the book for Don, Cecil Murphy. I met him at a writer’s Conference. He was a really nice guy, and enjoyed talking to me. I was curious as to why he will help with a book like this. I wondered if it changed his a own life.

He answered both of my questions with, Because I totally believe there is a Heaven and we needed to get the word out.

If you haven’t read this book I encourage you to get it. It is a real eye opener.

Pastor Don Piper was on the way home from a conference. He was hit by a semi truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. However, a pastor friend was there praying for him even though they kept telling him it was too late.

The Pastor had been praying for 90 minutes when, Don came back to life. He was overjoyed and excited which amazed the EMT’s. He was excited That he saw Heaven while he was “Dead.”

Don’s life was hurtful, at best, during his recovery, but he kept telling people what he had seen. The rest of the story is found in his book.

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I saw a movie last night that was inspirational. It is call, Heaven is Real.

It is about a little boy who had a ruptured appendix and had to have emergency surgery.

His parents were told that he may not make it. The father, who is a Pastor, went to the hospital chapel and appealed to God to help. He shouted, Are you going to take my little boy away from me?

The mother was out of control in the waiting room. She too thought they were going to lose their son.

Then the doctor came in and said had he made it and to please come to be by his side. The relieved parents ran to their son and hugged him and held him close.

While he was recuperating he started telling he parents he was in Heaven. They decided he was just a little child of seven, and could be making this up.

However, as time went by he told them about things he couldn’t have ever known about. He talked about seeing his sister. He mom said that your sister is alive. He said, “No my other sister. “ The wife had a miscarriage before the little boy was even born. He even told them it was a girl, and the parents didn’t know what sex the child was. They asked him what was her name, and he said,”You never named her because she wasn’t born.”

Then the boy told his dad that he had seen Grandpa The dad said he died before you were born. The dad ran to get a picture of his father and showed it to the boy, and asked if that was who he saw. The boy said no, because he didn’t have glasses.

The father went up into the attic to find some old family pictures and found one of his dad when he was young. He took it bad to his son, and asked Is this who you saw? The boy said “YES!” People aren’t old in Heaven daddy. They all look young.

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These two events makes it very clear to me there is a Heaven.

Do you need proof? Are you skeptical? I can understand that. If you believe there is no Heaven, then you life has an end and you will rot in a grave. (I am so sorry that I am so abrupt here, but that would be the truth if you are right.)

The answers are in the Bible. Heaven is described. It is mention many times by Jesus. The Lord’s Prayer has it in it.

Some people fear this is a heaven. Others fear there is not a heaven.

Where are you? Do you fit into one of these groups, or are you like me and know for sure there is a Heaven and know you have eternal life, because of Jesus dying on the cross and coming back to life? Just like what happened in these two stories.

Take an inventory of where you are and take the right path.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

We Need to Spread Love, Not Hate

July 3, 2020 / / 0 Comments

How can we exist will all the turmoil going on around us? The Pandemic is growing fast again, with even other strands coming with it that are much more contagious.

We still have huge unrest in our country. Rioting, arson, tearing down statues, killings, Looting, and terror.

Where do we go for help? What can we do to overcome this?

We have a ugly new problem raising in our country. It is the “Karen’s,” that are causing it. They verbally attack black people with hateful words and even have pointed guns at them.

They have no concept of love. They only know hate.

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What the world needs now is love, sweet love! Where do they get it?

Well… it is simple to figure out of you are a Christian. We are suppose to be the poster child’s for love, right? Unfortunately that is not completely true. There are people right in my home church who seem to love to degrade others.

I am very saddened by this. I can not understand how someone can hate so much. They must hate themselves.

What we need to do is put God first in our lives. We need to try to live a life like Jesus. He never sinned. He never was mean to anyone. He loved everyone.

Speaking of posters child’s. We should be a poster child that shows love to everyone. What a difference that would make in our world today.

If you are struggling with thinking about wrong things, take an inventory of your life, and see where it is coming from. Push the negatives out of your mind and feel it with love and understanding.

Love is not just a four letter word. It is the word that changes the world.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

The Sky is Falling-Chicken Little

June 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This blogger has been reeling from all that is going on around me. The Pandemic is getting worse; There is still protests, and our country is severely divided.

It is hard, at best, to be cheerful, and excited. It takes every bone in my body to face each day.

I think I have scars from all of this. I actually hurt. (I know, that’s old age)

Then I thought of Jesus. He had scars all over His body, from thorns, whippings, a spear in his side, and spikes through His hands and feet.

However, the greatest pain He was going through was our sins.

There is one big difference. He will never lose His scars. They are scars of victory. The victory of eternal life for you and me.

When I think of that, my “poor me,” attempt is out the window. No one wants to come to a pity party.

What I need is to buck up and face my storms. When I am a afraid and discouraged, I need to remember that God is always with me. Where there is fear, God brings courage.

Have the fear dying from the virus? Well, to be honest, we should fear from dying and not knowing God.

God will lead us through the fires we face.

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How are you doing.?Do you not turn on the TV, because it is mostly bad news? Do you wish you could stay in bed all day?

We certainly hear you. Never let the dark side tell you the world is coming to and end. The sky is not falling like Chicken Little said.

Just be courageous, and stead fast in all of this turmoil.

GOD IS IN CHARGE!

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!

Are You Content at This Horrific Time?

June 5, 2020 / / 0 Comments

How many of you feel content? Do you feel you have everything you need? Does the end of the money come before the end of the month?

I am guessing most of you would be saying NO!

Behind in car payments. Children sick. Parents in assisted living. Rioting throughout our country. The Pendemic taking many lives.

With all this going on we seem to be trained not to be satisfied.

When is more enough?

Let’s check with Jesus to see what He thinks. In one sentence He said: ” We need to be content.”

I could end this post right here, but I am sure you need some more answers.

We need to concentrate on loving what we have.

God gives us another thought: “We have all that we need.”

Bottom line is: We need to have a gratitude attitude.

I have been watching closely what is going on in the world. A pandemic, rioting, and chaos.

It is very easy to get very discouraged right now. What is going to happen? Will my family be safe? Should I stay hunkered down?

The answer to the last question for me is yes. I have to stay hunkered down. I have several underlying problems and I wouldn’t make it if I got the virus. However, my wife and I go on walks every day. In all problems there is a silver lining. We never had time to walk together before.

As for the rioting, looting, and arson. I am very upset, because the majority of the protesters are good people just wanting to use their free speech rights. However, There are some very serious anarchist, attacking the businesses, the police, and other protesters. That have no thought of mourning the death of anyone. They just want to disrupt. I am told they are paid to come in and cause havic.

We need to be strong and pray for God’s intervention here. He is in charge.

I know, It doesn’t seem right that He is allowing all this to happen. Why would He? It is because He gives man the freedom to choose. We are not robots. We do our own thinking and cause our own actions.

Stay the course, and stay close to God. We will overcome these storms together.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Don’t Pass Your Fears Onto Others

June 1, 2020 / / 0 Comments

There have been very trying times in our country lately. There is the Pandemic that is causing havoc. Now there is rioting all over this country.

There is widespread panic and people are full of fear.

One of the most important things we can do is to not pass our fears onto others. Yes, we do have fear, but please do not let it spread.

There are many things that are hurting people. Think of the high school students who can’t do their sports that they love. I certainly understand that. There is also no graduation ceremony. This will be the year they will want to forget.

As Christians, we must remember that God is always there. Jesus is always there.

We don’t need to find proof that they exist. We know about faith through God’s Word and His promises.

Yes, real faith doesn’t have all the facts. There all those who don’t believe just because they don’t have all the facts. True faith takes us beyond the facts.

What does all of this have to do with riots and the Pandemic? Both of these are major storms in our lives.

These storms may be more than we can handle, and God says to turn all your worries over to Him.

Let’s make this clear…. God didn’t cause the virus, or the riots. He doesn’t want any of His people to be hurt.

Things to think about during these tough times:

What do you think God is saying during this Pandemic, and rioting?

What do your think God is doing during this time?

What can YOU do to find rest during this time. ?

Be strong for not only you, but your family. Spreading fear is like putting gasoline on a fire.

I need to remind myself, and you, that all this pain and suffering is not going to waste. God in charge and He will figure everything out for us.

He is standing in the fire with us.

I guess the overwhelming question is….What is it going to be like after the Pandemic.? What is it going to be like after the rioting stops. Only God knows, and we need to trust Him and allow Him to take action for us.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

God wants Peace for Your heart

December 18, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Peace, Be Still!

ā€œThen He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ā€œPeace, be still!ā€ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.ā€ -Mark 4:39

Godā€™s desire for your life is that you would have an overflowing abundance of peace! In fact, one of the names Jesus is referred to in scripture is the ā€˜Prince of Peace.ā€™ And as we know, when someone is referred to as a King or Prince, itā€™s because they carry a mantle of authority in that area. Jesus literally carries the authority of abiding and everlasting peace with God.

Peace with God is not to be confused with peace with this worldā€” because the two are contrary to one another. If you choose peace with the world the outcome is internal chaos. And if you choose peace with God you will have internal peace, but the world will hate you.

The reason Jesus went to the cross was to restore peace between God and man. As the Prince of Peace, Jesus is the access point for us to receive peace. Jesus is waiting for us to come and receive His peace as a free gift. But we canā€™t receive His gift without surrendering our old ways of thinking and living. We must put off the old if we want to put on the new. When we yield to him, then we receive. Once we surrender our hearts to the Prince of Peace we can expect a great calm to come over our lives from the inside out!

Here are 5 Reasons God wants His peace to rule in your heart today:

1)You are a new Creationā€” 2 Corinthians 5:17 says you are a new Creation, the old has passed away and all things have become new. Your new creation identity in Christ is the root of all things becoming brand new in your life. Jesus stripped the power of sin from your life by dying on the cross, and now you are given a new inheritance of life instead of the old inheritance of death. Apart from life in Christ death  remains. As you continue to grow into Jesus, by experiencing His presence and understanding who you are in Him, your life will overflow with peace!

2)You can only give away what you have receivedā€” This point might sound obvious, but itā€™s so true and canā€™t be overstated! We simply canā€™t give away something that we donā€™t have. We canā€™t lead someone into a land that weā€™ve never been to! If we are going to be people who lead others in peace we have to first enter into that peace.

3)Peace is a Fruit of the Spiritā€” Galatians 5 teaches us the one of the core fruit of the Spirit is ā€œPeace!ā€ If you have been struggling to find peace, I hope this produces a spring of excitement in your heart. Peace isnā€™t something you need to try and achieve, itā€™s simply an outcome of growing closer to Jesus. Abiding in Christ is where every fruit of the Spirit comes from. All we need to do is abide!

4)Peacemakers reveal Jesus to Non-believersā€” In Matthew 5:9 Jesus says ā€œBlessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.ā€ Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and He showed us what the life of Sonship looked like in its purest form. In this scripture he clearly defines the role of a child of God as a peacemaker. The more we discover our identity as Godā€™s sons and daughters, the more we will invite others into a relationship of Peace with God.

5)Peace is a sign of Hopeā€”
There are probably many things that could be added to this list, but the final point I want to make is this; Peace is a sign of Hope! Whenever we as Christians share about the hope we have in Christ people are looking for evidence of that hope in your life.The evidence works just like a sign because it points the source. God always has been and always will be a God of signs and wonders. A transformed life that has been overwhelmed by Godā€™s peace is one of those signs!

God is working powerfully and abundantly through believers in every nation, to reveal who Jesus is to the world. We are part of Godā€™s story!

“You are loved more than you know, and God’s plan for you is bigger than your biggest dream!ā€


Praise God!

Taylor Wilkins
FCA (503)754-3783

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!ā€

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