Tag: jesus

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Nation Against Nation

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This weekend, in the news, every news media, together with users on YouTube®, Instagram®, Facebook®, and Tik Tok® there was unending reports of war that I am certain has caused fear in so many people. When I see all of the destruction from wars, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and famine, my heart aches for those who are suffering. I have seen many who feel this marks the time for Christ to return.

As we look at Matthew 24:7, Jesus said, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.” He was not speaking to His disciples in a parable, but rather as a father who speaks to his sons. He not only wanted them to know what signs to watch for; He wanted them to not be afraid. He was preparing them for the hard things.

In the Old Testament (especially in the prophetic books), we see the LORD preparing them and, in many instances, He is disciplining the Israelites, and you will see that throughout the Old Testament. However, for the purposes of the blog, I want to focus on how Matthew 24:7 is in alignment with the Old Testament.

“…and nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress.” (2 Chronicles 15:6)

The word, “crushed,” in Hebrew means, “beaten down to pieces.” While this verse is not intended to be prophetic or Messianic, taken alone it does speak prophetically. As we know, all of God’s Word is meant for instruction. Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 speaks from the beginning to the end. However, we must use discernment in applying what was specifically intended for Israel instead of ourselves.

This brings us to the next Old Testament verse. In Ezekiel 21:27, we know it is definitely prophetic and Messianic. You will see that the LORD, is telling Ezekiel that He will give the ruins of the nations to Jesus, “…I shall give it to Him.”

“‘A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I shall make it. This also will be no more, until He comes whose right it is; and I shall give it to Him.'” (Ezekiel 21:27)

Finally, we come to Haggai and another prophetic verse speaking to the end of times. Haggai and other Judean captives were sent back to Judah by King Cyrus II, to rebuild the temple. This is important to remember, when studying prophecy, because there is no Temple in Jerusalem today. The Jewish people are preparing to build the Third Temple; however, God has not allowed them to build. This Third Temple we will learn about in the future for now keep it in your mind.

“Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month saying, “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. ‘And I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.’ ‘On that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'” declares the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:20-23)

Everything we have learned thus far is meant to be an encouragement to you. If you are feeling anxious or afraid, cast that upon the Lord. He is able to carry that load for you and is willing. He wants you to understand and not be fearful. Allow the following verses to be an encouragement to you.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Lastly, I am always open to your questions and your comments. With that said, if you have not surrendered your life to Christ Jesus, now is the time.

“And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain— for He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU”; behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)

Soli Deo Gloria

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Wars and Rumor of Wars

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As Jesus is teaching His disciples regarding when His Second Coming will be, He mentions that there will be wars and rumors of wars. We have all seen evidence of that truth in our own lives.

As I pondered that one verse, I thought of my grandmother. She was born in 1906 and saw many things we have not experienced. She lost both of her parents, within three days of each other, during the Spanish Flu. She was only 12 years old and had two younger sisters. She went through WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. She died in 1981.

I am sure those days did spark fear, but my grandmother would have trusted Jesus and found her only Hope in Him.

How can we know whether this war or that war will rush in the End of the Age? I surmise we can’t know. Even Jesus Himself doesn’t know the hour or the day, as He said in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32.

Jesus did not commission us to figure out the day or time of His Second Coming and He said as much in Acts 1:6-8 “And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

What are we to do then until His return?

  1. We are not to fear that which we do not know or cannot change. Jesus told us not to be frightened. Throughout Scripture we are told not to fear. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
  2. Jesus did commission each one of us to share of His redemption to those who do not know Him. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”(Matthew 28:19-20)

Beloved, as we continue on in Matthew 24, rest in Him and trust Him. Do not allow satan to distract you or take you down the road of fear and trepidation. Go to Him in prayer and wait quietly on Him. “Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” (Psalms 27:14)

Soli Deo Gloria

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Holy Character, Holy God – Part 1

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I have often paused to reflect on God’s nature, attributes, and character. His characteristics are immutable…He never changes. There is no variance with God, which makes Him completely trustworthy in a topsy-turvy world filled with chaos.

I am not certain how you are coping in this world that seems to be on fire. It would be no surprise if you felt like God has turned His back and is completely unaware of the tribulation. However, I promise you that He is not unaware, and He has not turned His back, as that is not in His character or nature.

What does the Bible say about God’s character?

He is holy

How can we know that God is holy? Firstly, He tells us that He is.

“For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.” (Leviticus 11:44)

Furthermore, in I Samuel, Hannah declares that God is holy,

“There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2)

His holiness is also proclaimed by the heavenly hosts, as taught in Isaiah,

“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.” (Isaiah 6:1-4)

Last, but not the least, John, while exiled to Patmos, was given Revelation from God. John is shown that He is holy,

“And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” (Revelation 4:8)

It is important for us to understand that God is holy, and that we are called to be holy. Many times in the New Testament the apostles exhort us to be holy, as it does in this verse in 2 Corinthians,

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
(2 Corinthians 7:1)

This is a daily task. We must, each day, pursue holiness. It must be intentional, purposeful, and consistent. The Lord sets in our hearts, upon believing on Jesus, the will to follow Him in perfect holiness. I petition God each morning to guide me in holiness. I am not always successful, as I let the world’s chaos creep in from time-to-time. However, when I do lose sight, I repent. God is faithful to forgive me, and I pray that I will be faithful, as I move forward.

Do not lose heart, but dwell in the holiness of God. He is there and we are welcome to come boldly to His throne.

Soli Deo Gloria

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God, Grandparents, and Cherry Dumplings

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When I was a young girl, growing up in rural Virginia, I would spend a couple of weeks at my Mammaw and Pappaw’s house with my siblings during the summer. There were fields to explore, barns full of freshly mowed hay, and cows.

We played hard and worked hard whilst we were there. Mammaw and Pappaw would have us help picking vegetables in their massive garden. There was always an abundance of vegetables to bring in and put up. In addition to the garden, we would pick Cherries. I think we ate as many Cherries, as we picked. They would explode with sweetness and tartness in my mouth, and then the fun of finding out who could spit the pits the farthest. Mammaw would say, “If you keep eating so many Cherries, you’ll get a belly ache.” Did we heed her warning? No, and sure enough I’d end up with my belly aching.

After a day of bringing in String Beans, Corn, Squash, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Cherries came the task of snapping beans, shucking Corn, and pitting Cherries. We’d sit on the back porch, with bowls in our laps working to get it all done. Honestly, by the end, we were hot and tired.

Mammaw would shoo us off to the bathtub, while she started preparing supper for us all. I loved coming back downstairs to the aroma of the food she was cooking. There was a big pot of those beans we snapped, fried Squash, sliced Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Salmon patties, and yeast rolls. She would summon everyone to the supper table and Pappaw would sit at the head.

We’d bow our heads to thank God for the wonderful bounty set before us and His provision. Mammaw would pour us all a glass of Sweet Tea with Lemon, and then we all filled our plates. I remember so well sitting there with my feet (which couldn’t touch the floor) swinging, and all of us chattering about the day. Pappaw would laugh at our antics, and our older siblings tricking us younger girls into eating sour Persimmons.

As Mammaw would clear our emptied plates, we would detail our time jumping from the loft in the barn into the hay and how we didn’t have a care in the world. Just enjoying the simple life, as young Virginians being loved and cared for by those who peopled us.

Then Mammaw would surprise us all with a bowl of Cherry Dumplings that she had cooking on the back burner of the stove. The breeze blowing through the open windows cooled us a bit, while we would sink our heads and lift Spoonfuls of that sweetness Mammaw turned out with those hard picked Cherries.

As I look back on that time in my life, I am thankful for Mammaw and Pappaw. More importantly, I am thankful that a sovereign God placed us with those lovely people who infused the love of Christ into our lives. It permeated every task we did. It was experienced in Pappaw’s lap, as we giggled while he pretended to chew our ears off. Oh, how deeply appreciative I am of knowing that God loved us so deeply in every crook and cranny of that home.

How blessed I am to have had the abundance of God in a warm bowl of Cherry Dumplings. Oh, how deep is that love and how wonderful His goodness.


Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: The sun to rule by day, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And brought Israel out from their midst, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who smote great kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And slew mighty kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And Og, king of Bashan, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, Even a heritage to Israel His servant, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Who remembered us in our low estate, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And has rescued us from our adversaries, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; Who gives food to all flesh, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (Psalms 136:1-26)