Tag: bible

On Earth As It Is In Heaven

by Ms. Rita's Minute

On this National Day of Prayer, I’m reminded of an event in the Bible in Luke 11:1-4/KJV where the Lord responded to his disciples when they asked him to teach them to pray as John had taught his disciples. The Lord gave them a simple prayer that encompasses everything we need today. He started by telling them that when they prayed they were to say:

Our Father which art in heaven,
We can now pray to the Father in the place He resides, which the Bible tells us is Heaven, though Jesus also lives in us.
“Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high…” (Psalm 113:5/KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Hallowed be thy name.
The Lord’s name is holy, consecrated; set apart
“Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow you,” (Leviticus 22:32/KJV)

Thy kingdom come.
The Lord introduces His kingdom to his disciples as well as the blessings that come with it.
“And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” (Luke 10:9/KJV)

Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
The Lord desires His will to be done where we live as where He lives. This can happen by renewing our minds via the Bible, thereby forgoing the ways of the world, which results in change.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2/KJV)

Give us day by day our daily bread.
As our heavenly Father, God can be trusted to supply all of our needs. He created the earth and everything in it. He is omnipotent; all-powerful. This is easy for Him.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19/KJV)

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us.

God is merciful and gracious to forgive our sins, but He does require that we forgive others when we’ve been offended.
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15/KJV)

And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
We can rely on God to order our steps and deliver us from every form of evil.
“And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18/KJV)
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13/KJV)

Many other factual words of encouragement can be given to uphold these verses in the Lord’s teaching on prayer. However, I’ve only provided a few in my minutes of sharing with you. Nevertheless, I’d like us to remember the following words when our needs or the needs of others come to mind:

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1 John 5:14-15/KJV)
“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Luke 11:9/KJV)
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:24/KJV)
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11/KJV)

This New Commandment is Deep

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Today I wanted to start my prayer time by reading aloud from the Bible’s book of Psalms as a prayer of my own. I arrived at one of David’s prayers and could not continue because it sounded so much like a curse against his enemies. Nevertheless, I understood his emotions having read all he had experienced from his adversaries in life. However, now we live in a new era after Jesus’ death and resurrection. We have been given a new commandment; a new edict, order, or rule: “Love one another.” (John 13:34) Moreover, this also includes loving our enemies as is taught by Jesus in Luke 6:27.

Interestingly, Jesus indicates it’s no big deal to love those who love us, and for most, if not all of us, even this is a difficult task. Yet the real demonstration of God’s love is loving our enemies (Luke 6:32-34). After all, this is what God does regularly showing His mercy and grace to everyone, though society sometimes represents this action as weak and wimpy behavior.

It’s actually scary to me sometimes, the thought of loving someone who may verbally or even physically abuse me. Yet God has ways unlike our ways and knows what is beneficial and wise for us in our responses to evil. We live to please Him. The Bible says to do good to them and lend to them without expecting anything in return. We are told to be kind and merciful to them (Luke 6:35-36). He tells us to bless and not to curse them and to pray for those who mistreat us.  He even tells us if someone slaps us on one cheek, to turn to them the other also, and If someone takes our coat, to not withhold our shirt from them (Luke 6:28-29). Now mastering these incredible feats really gets our Father’s attention and we will be rewarded by Him.

Nevertheless, I’m convinced that it is impossible to consistently love everyone without the help of the Holy Spirit. He’s the only person who can infuse us with the power to truly love someone who hates, hurts, and harasses us. Yet He doesn’t require us to repay them with like behavior. He is God and knows every unique fiber of their being and doing. So it is only God’s right and authority to handle them accordingly. Thankfully, God is love (1 John 4:8)!

May God give us the strength and courage to love everyone, including our enemies. Despite what society, and even some of our own brothers and sisters, teach us about self-preservation, we are commanded by God to live and respond differently–biblically. As a parent with children or a teacher with students, we may not always enjoy some methods of loving when we aren’t hearing or receiving exactly what we want at the time. Nevertheless, love in its many expressions, is an amazing blessing.

A Christian’s journey is a life of submission to a king and kingdom unlike any we’ve ever known. One that is not worldly, but where love is the chief commandment for living a holy and righteous life. In it, our aim is to do no wrong to a neighbor, even if he’s an enemy. By this we glorify the Father, acting like our Dad.

To me, in some ways, it just makes life easier; love them all! No need to pick and choose who gets the love. Though costly, God repays. Our enemies’ evil issues are not ours to transform. We can only say and do what God says. However, we leave it to God to change hearts in His highest sovereignty and wisdom, while we continue in prayer and obedience as an authentic follower of Christ. As we fellowship with our Father who is love, may we mature in expressing His kind of love to others.

Dealing with Adversaries

by Ms. Rita's Minute

I believe it’s quite amazing how we’re told in the New Testament of the Bible to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us; to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who mistreat us. (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28). Yet, we are given some interesting instructions relating to dealing with the trouble we may incur from our adversaries, which may be encouraging to know. These promises give us hope and confidence that our God takes good care of us during difficult relational issues.

I’m offering the following three reminders that point us toward the right thinking regarding our state of mind and behavior when encountering problems with people whose hearts are set firmly against us.

Our attitude regarding vengeance:
Romans 12:19-21, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Our trust concerning defense:
Psalm 44:6-7, “I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory, but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.”

Our help in times of trouble:
Psalm 41:1-3, “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them–they are counted among the blessed in the land–he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.”

There are many additional scriptures relating to believers and God’s instructions on vengeance, defense, and trouble. It will help us to do biblical research on those three words to encourage faith in the Lord’s wisdom in dealing with our adversaries.

Staying Faithful in Focus

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Whether we’re male or female, we can learn a great deal from the life of Solomon in 1 Kings 1:28-11:43 of the Bible. He was the son of King David and Bathsheba and was the wisest and wealthiest king in the world. Nevertheless, this wisdom did not stop him from making some very poor decisions that caused some unfortunate circumstances in history, something we all can do. It is possible to gain godly wisdom but err in exercising it in our lives. We’ve been given the freedom to choose to focus on godly priorities or those carnal desires of our own that pale in comparison.

As King David was about to pass away, his instructions to Solomon were to act like a man and observe and walk in obedience to whatever God required, according to the Law of Moses. He said that in doing so, the Lord would prosper him wherever he went in all that he did. It would also mean that the Lord’s promises to David would be kept if his descendants watched how they lived and walked wholeheartedly and faithfully before God. Then, David would never fail to have a successor on Israel’s throne.

The Bible says that Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions of his father, King David, except he offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places. David had also married the daughter of Pharaoh (King of Egypt) through an alliance with the king, taking her to the City of David, until he finished building the temple and his palace. The people were still sacrificing at the high places because a temple had not yet been built for the Lord.

God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask Him for whatever he wanted. Solomon replied that he wanted a discerning heart to govern His people and to distinguish between right and wrong. The Lord was pleased with that request and told him that He would give him a wise and discerning heart as well as what he hadn’t asked for–wealth and honor. Further, if he walked in obedience to God and kept His decrees and commands, He would give him a long life.

Later, Solomon succeeded in building the Lord’s temple as well as his palace and is known as one to whom God gave wisdom and great insight, “greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. …From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.” (1 Kings 4:30-34) Yet, how in the world did such a great man of wisdom and prominence, end up doing such a dishonorable thing, by marrying many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter, against God’s instructions?

God had told the Israelites that they weren’t to intermarry with the foreigners (not because of their skin color) but because they would turn their hearts after their gods. Yet the Bible says, “… Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines and his wives led him astray.” (1 Kings 11:2-3) Can you imagine relating to one thousand women on that level? How is that humanly possible? I imagined, viewing the following photo, that this amount of women would be a drop in the bucket compared to Solomon’s household. Mind-boggling.

It’s interesting but sad to read what Solomon did in appeasing his wives that made God “angry”, though He had appeared to Solomon twice, and also forbade him from following other gods. As a result, the kingdom would be torn from him and given to one of his subordinates. However, for his father’s sake, he wouldn’t do this in Solomon’s lifetime but would tear it out of the hand of his son, though still allowing his son one tribe. I love how merciful, yet just God is.

I believe these events show us the power of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. These things come from the world and not from God. These are the things we as humans, still on earth, struggle with and have to kill. It gives more insight into the importance of Romans 8:12-13, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Thank God for His Holy Spirit, whereby we can live according to God’s will for our lives. We who live under God’s new covenant have now received this grace and ability not to live after our own lusts. Yet we will always have a choice in the decisions we make; the option to do what’s right or wrong. God will not take that privilege away from us.

So we must keep our laser-like focus on the priorities God gives to us for our lives–those people He’s placed in our lives to love; the places we are to live and worship; and the ministries for which he’s provided our gifts. Thankfully, God lavishly provides access directly to Him through prayer, as well as His Bible, and gifts to the church via apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healing, helping, guidance, and different kinds of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:28).

A Healthy Difference

by Ms. Rita's Minute

What does it mean to be different? What does it mean to be set apart? Being different is described as being dissimilar, distinct, unlike, or separate. As God’s holy people, His set-apart ones, we carry the spiritual presence of our Father wherever we go. Though every word and action may not have reached the full level of perfection, there is a noticeable difference between ourselves, patterning our lives based on God’s standards, versus the world’s or society’s trends and human methods or desires of thinking. As we recognize humans are flawed in many aspects, we remain as such in our thinking, without the influence of our Creator who is all-knowing, everywhere, and all-powerful.

Thankfully, God has provided statutes, commandments, declarations, and attitudes based on heavenly principles that far differ from those of this world’s system. For example, God tells us in Matthew 5: 43-45, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ‘ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Yet the world encourages us to hit back if we are hit. Also, God tells us in Luke 6:38 to “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Nevertheless, the world elevates getting money–more and more–even if you have to step on others to do so.

If we live within a system that functions differently from God’s kingdom, we can expect to be ridiculed, mocked, misunderstood, and even slandered or bullied, much like the children who appear to be weird or odd compared to their classmates. Yet interestingly, if we find the world and those who love it, adore us, we might need to self-reflect to see if we’ve actually become just like them.

Jesus already told us in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. …” He also told us in John 15:20, ” ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” Hence, we are faced with the choice of faith in the Way, Jesus Christ of the Bible, or human logic, philosophy, and reason. This entails God’s way of faith–believing without seeing, over human understanding–God’s Kingdom over our worldly culture.

We as believers have found in Jesus a new and better way of living differently based on life in the spirit, versus life based solely on our own wants and needs. For this, we need God’s Holy Spirit active within us, alive and active in our everyday lives, His word, the Bible, strong in our thinking and doing.

1 Corinthians 2:13-16 shows us how amazing it is to think like Christ. “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,  for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

As a result, we are different in what we believe, say, and do. With gratefulness, we have the freedom or right in this country to share our beliefs and to invite whoever we may to experience our way of worship and love. We are free to share the promises, gifts, and warnings the Lord has provided us for living the godly and abundant life the Lord has given us, remembering, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” ( John 10:10) Hence, he works with us to take part in this endeavor, by sharing with others.

So we aren’t afraid to be different or uncommon, unusual or rare. It is with us as it was with Jesus when He walked the earth. At least that is how we aim for it to be. “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (1 John 2:5-6) “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17)

We recognize it is not by our own power or strength, but by God’s Spirit, that we can live life healthy and holy before Him. Moreover, God, in His Bible, makes it crystal clear, what is right and what is wrong. No method of changing or deleting it will matter. He has clearly instructed us on how to behave and how not to behave and left us with gifts to the Church to edify and instruct us on living this different life. “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Thankfully, God sanctifies and works with us to accomplish what He’s created us to do in life. To sanctify means to consecrate, set apart, and declare holy. In this, we are made different. The world as a result will see us as different and hopefully want to join us–a very good thing!

Who’s Your Husband?

by Ms. Rita's Minute

There is much that has been said about the definition and role of a husband in a marriage. A woman’s husband is her lover, leader, provider, protector, and companion. Her role as a woman is to respect and submit to her husband in love. Not to mention, biblically, we are to submit to one another. Ephesians 5:21 tells us that we should submit ourselves to one another in reverence to Christ, right before verse 22 which tells wives to submit themselves to their own husbands. Therefore, it would be most wise for a woman to know the man she plans to marry possesses these qualities before she marries him. Though there is only a certain level of familiarity a Christian woman can have with a man to whom she isn’t married, there are signs that reveal these characteristics in his behavior during their friendship.

Moreover, God has provided the union of a man and woman to be fruitful and multiply humans on the earth. Yet some women and men have chosen not to marry or found themselves without a spouse for various reasons. When this is the case, we can place our faith in all those promises that God has given us regarding His commitment to take good care of us as a husband would. He gives us those responsibilities that are ours and His in having a successful marital relationship. The Bible is full of God’s wisdom on maintaining successful relationships whether between a man and woman, the Father and His own children, a worker and supervisor, relatives, or neighbors.

The Lord references a love and marital relationship with Him in the following verses:

Isaiah 54:5/ESV
For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.

Hosea 2:19/ESV
And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.

Hosea 2:16/ESV
“And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’

Revelation 2:4-5/ESV
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

1 Corinthians 11:2/ESV
For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

I find these scriptures to be amazingly special in how He has redeemed us and made us worthy to be called His own spouse. To see one’s self as a wife to the creator of the universe is beyond pleasing to my imagination. It causes me to question if I really know what this means. This union with God is a truth stated in His scriptures to be taken seriously, but takes some consistent study and prayer to really understand and get it settled in one’s heart.

Should one desire to prepare for marriage, what better head start than to cultivate one’s marriage with God? Learning to show Him the love, honor, and respect He deserves, which also entails doing that toward others can sometimes feel like a lifelong journey to master, but by God’s grace, we can do it!

These things can’t be accomplished without gaining sufficient knowledge and familiarity with the Lord and His ways, as with anyone we might desire to marry. What do they value, or believe? What do they love or hate? How do they feel about us and how do they relate to us? What can we do to show love and respect toward them? All of these things take time and patience to garner.

Nevertheless, while seeing my Lord as my husband is a beautiful thing, I feel I relate more to being a princess or queen in my Father’s kingdom, a daughter of the Most High God, learning and growing in the victory He’s provided me; staying close to my Dad, knowing He’ll protect and provide for me forever.

So, if you have no earthly husband, understand that as a believer redeemed by the blood of Christ, you have a husband whose name is God among so many other names. In carrying out His role as Father, He is also a husband to us and we can depend upon Him to fulfill His role excellently in that manner. Further, Ephesians 2:6 tells us “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Hence, let’s be joyful in not only knowing the King but also seeing ourselves as married to Him.

Eradicating the Thieves of Joy

by Ms. Rita's Minute


Throughout life, many opportunities will be presented to steal the joy the Lord has provided. It may be something simple that is uniquely or commonly irritating. Or it may be a larger, jarring circumstance that may cause frustration, worry, and fear. These things seek to take the comfort, delight, and confidence we have in the Lord and replace them with doubt, anxiety, and discouragement.

I love Isaiah 41:13: “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” What great comfort we have in this verse, remembering according to Galatians 3:29, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” So, with confidence, we can put faith in these words to apply to us as well as Israel.


Joy comes in reading what God reveals about himself and our relationship with him as his children. This is why we must make time to familiarize ourselves with the truth of the scriptures to strengthen our faith. We need to know the God whom we can rely on and what He’s promised us. Do the scriptures not tell us that He is our provider, avenger, refuge, strength, help, fortress, healer, counselor, etc.? All of these things and more should bring us great joy in facing any circumstance or just living our day-to-day lives. We should never forget that the Creator of the universe is always with us and promises to never leave nor forsake us.

Jude 1 reminds us that the Lord is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy! Further, Romans 12:12 tells us to “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”


It will be a great advantage for us to schedule some time each day to engage with the Lord through the reading of His word and prayer realizing that according to Acts 2:28, He has made known to us the paths of life; and will fill us with joy in His presence.

So, let us not allow anything or anyone to steal the fruit of joy God has provided us through His Holy Spirit. We are greatly blessed!

How To Live Well

by Ms. Rita's Minute

As we’re coming upon a new spring season, I’ve considered a few scriptures that I believe the Lord downloaded to me regarding living well:

Agree in Prayer with a Prayer Partner

 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” ~Matthew 18:19/NIV

The Bible tells us that God hears the prayers of the righteous. However, the Lord himself makes known the power in a prayer of agreement in this verse.  Whenever possible, take some time to pray in agreement with someone else about your desires or concerns, remembering Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two are better than one…”.  

Steer Clear of Covetousness

It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. ~Proverbs 16:19/ESV

It’s quite evident throughout scripture that God is generous and often blesses his people with abundance. However, when faced with the option of wealth with arrogance versus having little with contrite contentment, go with the latter.

Guard Your Journey

The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. ~Proverbs 16:17/NIV

In the Bible, the Lord has shown us the path we should follow.  We should be alert to the directions He gives us for our individual lives and see them as important guideposts toward fulfilling our destiny for Him.  The protection or security of our lives is influenced by how we safeguard our ways. It is healthy to assess from time to time where we are in our walk with Christ and make adjustments according to the wisdom and knowledge we’re given by his word and Holy Spirit.

Avoid Evil Influences and Behavior

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. ~Ephesians 5:1-7/NIV

This passage is pretty explicit about the type of behavior we should shun–works that aren’t congruent with a Christ follower.  Walking in love is God’s way. Moreover, in Romans 13:10 we see that “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Embrace the Grace God Has Given Us to Live a Holy Life

So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. ~Romans 6:11-14/NLT

It is an awesome privilege that God has given us to be able to live free from the control of sin in our lives.  Though it may at times seem like an impossible task, scripture speaks differently.  We have power over our actions, and the option to choose good over evil. We are no longer considered slaves to sin but are free to live the godly life that God expects from us. It’s called grace.  He’s given it to us to live for His glory.  We are now loose, able, and at liberty to exercise God’s righteousness in our behavior, versus letting sin control how we live.

Resist the Urge to Shrink Back

…“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”  But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. ~Hebrews 10:38-39/NIV

As believers we live by faith which means we are confident of those things we hope for, those things we are unable to tangibly see.  We trust God’s work and word in our lives and we don’t recoil or retract from what we know to be truth.  Apparently, to do so could bring about tragic consequences.  So we remain vigilant in our faith as it is crucial.

I Finally Met a King

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Think of the greatest king who ever lived. I’d say he is Jesus who still lives–King of all kings. However, I imagine the mightiest earthly king, apart from Jesus, having the largest army with well-stocked weapons to be used as necessary. In addition, I envision a palace full of all kinds of wealth and decor that would make one gasp for breath at its luxury.

(Image: Wikipedia – King Cyrus)

I imagine he’d have thousands of subjects and horses so tall, confident, and gorgeous to behold. In addition, I visualize he’d have the very best of tailored attire and jewelry made of the finest metals and stones I’ve never personally seen. Yet Jesus remains greater than any earthly king. He is the chief of royalty, King Yeshua!

(Image: Sergeant Rupert Frere, Royal Logistic Corps, 2016)

Moreover, when I think of the reality of Jesus and his authority as King of all Kings, my heart faints with repentance as I know I have not truly honored him as the awesome true king that He is with the reverence He deserves. Jesus is not just a friend, buddy, acquaintance, homey, or man upstairs. He has been given all power and authority and has a name above all names–Jesus!

Understanding who the King of Kings, the Son of God, is and His connection to the Father who created all things, with the Holy Spirit of greatest power, makes me shudder at the thought of His greatness. Can we even truly comprehend it?

In His dwelling place are riches beyond our imagination. Surely this current earth pales in comparison. Imagine the greatest beauty He’s already created on Earth and throughout the universe. Yet He will create new heavens and a new earth and the old will pass away. Isaiah 65:17 says, “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Further, scripture shows us in Revelation 21:1 where the Apostle John said, “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

(Image: NASA via PICKYL)

Thankfully, His kingdom is now at hand and we also pray, as Jesus instructed, that His kingdom come and will be done on earth, just like it is in heaven. Do we really know what that means? To see the earth manifest Jesus’ kingdom in this way would be amazing, to say the least. The greatest blessing we could receive would be His kingdom on this earth, everyone doing and being as He desires. as he rules and reigns supreme as Lord.

A really neat thing is that we, the body of Christ, His family, as those who truly love him are heirs to his kingdom. Romans 8:17 tells us that “if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in His sufferings so that we may also share in His glory. But just how did he suffer? Being lied to, rejected, mocked, betrayed, tempted, not believed, defamed, beaten, made to carry a heavy cross, and dying on that cross.

(Image: Guard the Doors/DeviantArt)

Our suffering may not be to the extent of some of these things, yet we must all take up our own crosses and follow Jesus. It certainly does not mean we will be accepted and praised by society for doing so. Yet He promises never to leave nor forsake us and we’re encouraged that greater is He that is in us than He who is in the world.

We’re Separating

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Unity is a beautiful thing. However, sometimes separating isn’t so bad. Sometimes it’s necessary. I’m referencing 2 Corinthians 6:14-18/NIV where the Apostle Paul is preaching regarding God’s will on separation. He first tells us not to be yoked together with unbelievers. The Greek word for yoked is Zugas which means to be burdened or in bondage. When you yoke yourself with someone or a thing, you are attaching, connecting, or closely linking with them.

Image: anna/Flickr

Unbelievers are those who have no relationship with Christ and don’t believe as God determines belief. They haven’t repented, submitted their lives to the Lord, nor been baptized. Also, they are often those who have professed faith in Christ by words only while living totally contrary to its definition.

Paul characterized this wrongly yoked relationship with the following contrasts:

Righteousness vs Wickedness

Light vs Darkness

Christ vs Belial

Believer vs Unbeliever

Temple of God vs Idols

Image: aboodi vesakaran/Pexels

Paul reminds us that we are the temple of God. So, as believers, we can now trust what God has said that He will live with us, walk among us, and be our God and we His people. But the Lord tells us to come out and be separate, not to touch any unclean thing and He’ll receive us. Therefore, we can expect God to be a Father to us and we’ll be His sons and daughters.

Further, in 2 Corinthians 7/NIV, Paul tells us to purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, “perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” Hence, since we love and respect our Father, we honor Him by living holy and separate from the sinful life that grieves Him.

Image: Hagerty Ryan, USFWS/Pixnio

This doesn’t mean we don’t pray for and show love toward those who don’t believe, but we aren’t to yoke ourselves to them. This can be seen in the Bible’s commands that believers only marry believers. There should only be bonding and connection in this manner to believers. He gives us these commands for a reason. They aren’t to be a means of haughtiness or conceit, but of protection as the bible clearly tells us “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” (Galatians 5:9/NIV)

video: BYJUSClass910/Youtube

There’s no mistaking the awesome privilege of God’s grace and mercy toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. However, there is clearly still work to be done where we recognize what contaminates, defiles, or corrupts our bodies and spirits and cleanse ourselves of those things as shown in 2 Corinthians 7/NIV. We should not be mistaken on this, as some might have us to be, because God expects this of us. If He didn’t, He would not have expressed it in His word.

Revelation 18:4/NIV tells us, “Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “‘Come out of her, my people,’  so that you will not share in her sins so that you will not receive any of her plagues; … .” This is another instance of God requiring separation.

Image: Chris Clark/Pexels

We are wise to assess ourselves and where we are in Christ, as we’re reminded in Revelation 22:12/NIV, ““Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done…, ” and Revelation 22:14-15/NIV, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” We want to live eternally with Christ and don’t want the consequences of being disobedient to His commands.

Moreover, we should not be surprised about the popularity of ungodly living. God has warned us ahead of time, that according to Matthew 7:13-14, we are to  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Image: Adam/Flickr

In any event, we all have been given the right to choose whose way we will follow: our own, another wayward man’s, or God’s. Nevertheless, a sobering thought is Revelation 22:11, “Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

While remaining alert to how we yoke ourselves in relationships, whether marriage, career, dating, business, etc., may we choose to remember these words of our Lord, ” I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one will take your crown.” (Revelation 3:11/NIV)

Image: Antony Trivet/Pexels