Maranatha - Awaiting Christ's Return

1 Cor. 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Author: Kate Plourde Page 12 of 59

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 11

By

On January 29, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:24  Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.

My love of lighthouses goes back to when I was first saved in 1980. I look at a lighthouse as Christ shining His light on my heart and illuminating His word and love. I would find peace and solace whenever I went to Heceta Head Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon. The view is spectacular, no matter where you stood! When I was at the shoreline, there were those three beautiful and large rocks in the foreground. As I climbed the hill toward the lighthouse, the view below was beautiful. But the view from this angle (behind the lighthouse) takes my breath away. It is there I could imagine sailors trying to navigate their ship during a storm or through dense fog.

My friend, it is that thought that draws me to the Saviour! He is my lighthouse who navigates me through the storms of life. Little did I know then what I would go through in the future with my husband’s illnesses. I’m glad I didn’t know because I surely would have gotten discouraged. But at the time, the Lord gave me exactly what I needed, when I needed it. Today’s verse truly describes my heart’s journey through my Christian life: Jesus is my delight and my counselor.

Can this be any more exciting???!!! Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. All the laws, precepts, testimonies, etc. are fulfilled through Him. Is Jesus Christ your delight and your counselor? Are you easily sidetracked because of today’s political climate and evil world? Our world has changed, no doubt. What is evil is now called good and what is good is called evil. Christians have the wonderful blessing of possessing God’s very words and turning to those words for direction, counsel and peace.

Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Do you see that? Nothing from God’s word offends those who live by it. God’s Word points out our sins and leads us to repentance over them. We must take counsel in every book and chapter of the living word of God. Jesus’ Spirit breathed inspiration in its pages. The world doesn’t believe that the bible is real. Their cold hearts depend on man’s reasonings. But the Bible IS a living, breathing book and it illuminates God’s words in our hearts – at least for those who are seeking.

2 Peter 1:19-21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.

The child of God is able to discern what God wants us to learn because that child possesses the Spirit of God within him. The Spirit will teach us what Christ wants us to know.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Neh 9:20  Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
Mat 10:19-20  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.  (20)  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
Luk 12:12  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Therefore, Christian, is Jesus your delight and counselor? He should be! Let Him be your lighthouse! If you happen to be reading this searching for comfort and direction; if you are not a born-again Christian, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jesus in the Books of the Bible

By

On January 27, 2024

In Miscellaneous

Genesis – Creator & promised Redeemer

Exodus – the Passover Lamb

Leviticus – High Priest

Numbers – water in the desert

Deuteronomy – He becomes the curse for us

Joshua – Commander of the army of the Lord

Judges – delivers us from injustice

Ruth – our Kinsman-Redeemer

1 Samuel – all in one, He is the Prophet/Priest/King

2 Samuel – King of grace & love

1 Kings – a Ruler greater than Solomon

2 Kings – the powerful prophet

1 Chronicles – Son of David that is coming to rule

2 Chronicles – the King who reigns eternally

Ezra – Priest proclaiming freedom

Nehemiah – the One who restores what is broken down

Esther – Protector of his people

Job – Mediator between God and man

Psalms – our song in the morning and in the night

Proverbs – our wisdom

Ecclesiastes – our meaning for life

Song of Solomon – Author of faithful love

Isaiah – Suffering Servant

Jeremiah – the weeping Messiah

Lamentations – He assumes God’s wrath for us

Ezekiel – Son of Man

Daniel – the stranger in the fire with us

Hosea – faithful husband even when we run away

Joel – He is sending His Spirit to His people

Amos – delivers justice to the oppressed

Obadiah – Judge of those who do evil

Jonah – the greatest missionary

Micah – He casts our sin into the sea of forgetfulness

Nahum – proclaims future world peace we cannot even imagine

Habakkuk – crushes injustice

Zephaniah – the Warrior who saves

Haggai – restores our worship

Zechariah – prophesies a Messiah pierced for us

Malachi – sun of righteousness who brings healing

Matthew – the Messiah who is King

Mark – the Messiah who is a Servant

Luke – the Messiah who is a Deliverer

John – the Messiah who is a God in the flesh

Acts – the Spirit who dwells in His people

Romans – the righteousness of God

1 Corinthians – the power and love of God

2 Corinthians – He is the down payment of what’s to come

Galatians – He is our very life

Ephesians – the unity of our church

Philippians – the joy of our life

Colossians – holds the supreme position in all things

1 Thessalonians – our comfort in the last days

2 Thessalonians – our returning King

1 Timothy – Savior of the worst sinners

2 Timothy – leader of the leaders

Titus – foundation of truth

Philemon – our Mediator

Hebrews – our High Priest

James – He matures our faith

1 Peter – our hope in times of suffering

2 Peter – the One who guards us from false teaching

1 John – source of all fellowship

2 John – God in the flesh

3 John – source of all truth

Jude – protects us from stumbling

Revelation – King of Kings and Lord of Lords, The Alpha and the Omega, The Beginning and the End, and He is coming again and the One who makes all things new.

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 10

By

On January 24, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:18  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Today’s Psalm reveals that when God opens our eyes, we are able to not only behold God’s law but to understand God’s law. This is how we find Jesus, the Messiah: it’s through God’s Word!

It has been said that the eyes are the window to the soul. The Scriptures indicate as much in:

Mat 6:22-24  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.  (23)  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!  (24)  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

This world has been turned upside down with the woke agenda. The idea took off like wildfire and it cannot be quenched if good people don’t do what is right. There is only one truth, not “your truth and my truth”! If we do not have truth, how can we possibly maneuver in today’s warped thinking?

Reader, there is only one way to Heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. It takes the Holy Spirit of God to reveal this to us. When we are yearning for truth in the deepest parts of our heart, the Holy Spirit reveals to us that one true path, and that is Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The link below will guide you through verses that will lead you to salvation. There is no comfort to be had in a heart that doesn’t have Christ. Every human heart has a God-size hole in it that only He can fill. You will never be happy nor will you have peace. Only Jesus can give you peace! (John 14:27)

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 9

By

On January 22, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:16  I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Today’s world has gone upside down. What was right is now wrong, and vice versa. People have different truths. What is one supposed to believe? We know that God’s Word is truth. (John 17:17) Therefore, when we don’t know for sure, we must turn to God’s Word in order to find out what God says is true. Jesus said:

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Do you see Christ Jesus in today’s verse? He is the Word and He provides us with direction and clearly outlines His will for us in truth! Don’t look for answers in the world but in God’s Word. God never lies! (Numbers 23:19)

When I first was saved, all I could think about was Jesus! My thoughts revolved around Him and I was excited to talk about Him to anyone who would listen. Weren’t you that way? Are you still that way?

Rev. 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Jesus reminds us not to leave our first love in this verse. Have you left your first love? Do you spend time in God’s Word like you used to? Do you talk to others about Him? Do you continue to grow in His Word?

When we delight ourselves in Him, we won’t forget Him! We remember His Word and apply it to our lives. We turn to His Word each time we need answers. In summary today, delight yourself in Jesus! Amen?

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 8

By

On January 17, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:15  I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.


Respect is hard to find these days. Parents are not teaching their children to respect their elders. In fact, speaking out criticisms is far more prevalent than I’ve ever seen in my nearly 70 years of life! What is actually being taught to children is that it’s OK to belittle the older generation. Children see their parents doing it and, therefore, they do the same. Each generation gets more disrespectful, and so on and so forth.

So how exactly does one learn to respect? It starts with respecting God and His ways. When I read today’s verse, I see clearly that a spiritually healthy person will read the Bible and think on it. After thinking about what he/she has just read, applying what was learned becomes key.

The Messiah of the Old Testament is the same Messiah of the New Testament. Jesus Christ IS the Messiah and there is only one way to get to Heaven and that is through Him. (John 14:6) He is the central figure of all the Scriptures. His precepts and His ways are what we should follow. Applying Jesus to this verse today opens up the meaning of the verse.

Strong’s Concordance defines respect in this verse as:

נָבַט nâbaṭ, naw-bat’; a primitive root; to scan, i.e. look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care:—(cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see.

Now let’s apply the definition intended for respect to our verse. I will meditate on Jesus and look intently at and regard with pleasure on Him. Oh my, what a blessing! Is that what we do when we meditate on Him and what He has done for us? Do we look upon Him intently with pleasure, favor and care? What a blessing!

In today’s unsettled world, we can remain without fear because we are concentrating on what must be fulfilled before the Millennial Kingdom can arrive. We know it is God’s plan and the Messiah, Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, is coming. Prior to His 7-year wrath upon the entire earth, He will come get His Bride! The Rapture of the Church is the next prophetic event. When we meditate on this precept, we receive the blessed hope which gives us peace and comfort!

Tit 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 7

By

On January 15, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Good morning! Have you ever wondered if there was a self-help book that would keep you from making the wrong decisions? We especially need one in these days of deception. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that there would come a time when people would not want to listen to the preaching of the Word and would prefer to listen to someone with a positive message. (2 Timothy 4:3) There are plenty of “preachers” out there who have the Cheshire cat grin and are leading souls to everlasting burning … that’s right, for all eternity! That door to the lake of fire is permanently closed once a person goes there. There will be no relief in sight – no end whatsoever. People fail to think of the repercussions of their sins; but reader, there is coming a time when payment for those sins will have to be made.

The only self-help book out there that has a positive outcome is the Bible, friend. There is no other book that contains truth, everlasting life and peace. The Bible reveals who has the truth, who provides everlasting life and who gives peace; it is Jesus Christ, the Messiah! (John 14:6) He is the only one and the only way!

Furthermore, Jesus is the word of God (John 1:1), we can easily see Him in this verse:

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee!!!

So what is the self-help I’m speaking about? It is hiding Jesus and His word in your heart! Jesus’ blood provides forgiveness for our sins. As well, for this born again believer, by speaking God’s words when I am in the middle of temptation, the desire for that sin dissipates and then leaves. This gives me goosebumps! When Jesus’ Spirit comes into the very core of our hearts at salvation, we have the power and ability to say no to sin! Since Jesus is the word of God, we can hide His very words through memorizing or at least remembering the verses that keep us from sin! This is the only way to succeed as a Christian! Stay in the word of God – read your Bible and study! It’s worth re-emphasizing this previous verse:

Psa 119:9  BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Thank You, Lord, for the blessed Bible! It is our source of communication from You and with You!

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 6

By

On January 12, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:9  BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

As we live out our lives in these end times, we can see more and more evil in the world. What used to be thought as good is not bad, and vice versa. The world has turned upside down. But how does a person know what is right and what is wrong? God gave us all a conscience and we are born with the innate ability to know the difference. However, as we get older, the god of this world infiltrates that ability just as he did in the Garden of Eden.

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

“Hath God said,” is probably the devil’s favorite phrase! He causes man to doubt and to change his ways. He numbs the conscience so that there no longer is a conscience! So how does a person know what is right?

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to God’s Word. It’s fitting that Jesus Christ is known as the Word of God. (John 1:1-5) The answer to all of life’s questions actually lie in this verse. Man’s whole life is spent searching for the true meaning of life. Some don’t understand what they are searching for while others take the advice of friends. Mankind is always searching for what will me them happy.

Scripture instructs us on how to be happy. True happiness can only be found when we have Christ as our Saviour. There’s no other that can bring total joy and satisfaction. Christ’s saving blood covers our sin and His word allows us to learn and draw from Him. In these difficult times, draw close to His side through the Bible. Read and absorb and then reach out to others to share the Gospel.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The Psalmist knew hundreds of years ago just how to cleanse his way and that was through the Word of God! He knew that cleansing only came from God.

Psa 51:2  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

This cleansing occurs when one is born again! (John 3:3, John 3:7) When one’s spirit is born again, it’s a totally new life! (2 Corinthians 5:17) A thief no longer steals, a liar no longer lies; it is a change of one’s mind and a decision to no longer live in sin but live with Christ as the Captain of your ship. He directs and guides, like a rudder, through His Word.

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 5

By

On January 10, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Photography by Tori Leslie

Psa 119:9  BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

How these end-time events have grabbed hold of men’s hearts and turned them into evil hearts. The more the Bible has been removed from public places, and personal lives, the less people think about its contents. Its contents used to be considered so sacred that men swore oaths with their hand upon it. Why? Because it used to be considered holy and when an oath was taken with hand on the Bible, it was believed that man’s response to that oath would be truth! It is no longer. In one of our Lord, Jesus Christ’s prayers, He told the Father:

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

How can one follow a “book” in obedience without it containing truth? Would you base your life on a Star Wars novel? Of course not. Within the pages of the Bible, you have the very words of God. All of the Bible is truth and you can rely that you are not being misguided. In its pages you find direction and answers to every question in life.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Man’s whole life is spent searching for the true meaning of life. Some don’t understand what they are searching for while others take the advice of friends. Mankind is always searching for what will me them happy.

Scripture instructs us on how to be happy. True happiness can only be found when we have Christ as our Saviour. There’s no other that can bring total joy and satisfaction. Christ’s saving blood covers our sin and His word allows us to learn and draw from Him. In these difficult times, draw close to His side through the Bible. Read and absorb and then reach out to others to share the Gospel.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The Psalmist knew hundreds of years before how to cleanse his way and that was through the word of God! He knew that cleansing only came from God.

Psa 51:2  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

It is only through salvation can a person find peace in the midst of the tumultuous times to come. If you think things are bad now, wait until after the Rapture of the Church. Don’t be left behind! Settle where you are going to spend eternity right now. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 4

By

On January 9, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Photography by Bob Sabo

Psa 119:7  I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

I am deeply saddened during these end times because mankind has gone further away from God. The one thing that can bring peace during such turbulent times, is not sought after. Instead, drugs, alcohol, sex and any other imaginings are what people search for to fill the empty hole in their hearts. Only God can fill that empty hole and bring peace and joy.

One of the many names for Jesus Christ is the Word of God. (John 1:1, 1 John 5:7) It is His, God’s, words that are recorded in Scripture. Why would God want His words recorded? His words are not put together like any usual author. This Author inspired great men of God to pen every word that God’s Spirit breathed upon them. There is not even one contradiction in the 66 books. Sadly, only 11% of Americans read the Bible daily! How sad is that?😥😥😥

The quest for knowledge has brought the world further away from God rather than towards God. They seem to forget that a couple more of God’s names are Righteous and Judge. People forget that God will always Judge righteously because that is His nature. Not any one of us is exempt from that judgment because each one of us has sinned. (Psalm 14:3, Psalm 53:3, Romans 3:10)

The more we learn about Jesus Christ, the more we see His righteousness and how this same righteousness is what saved us from eternal separation from God. At death, we will step into one of two places to face eternity. One is in Heaven with God and the other is in a burning Lake of Fire with the devil and his angels.

God did not leave us empty-handed but left us His Righteous Word to find salvation. Our hearts should be filled with joy because of what Christ did for us. We are no longer the servants of the Old Testament but are now His friends!

John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Jesus has outlined in His words from the Father in the Bible and it contains everything we need to know to be saved and to live godly lives. How can we not praise Him? In these extremely uncertain times, we have the answers from God. We can find that peace which surpasses all understanding within the pages of God’s word!

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 3

By

On January 5, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:5  O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

This prayer, asking the Father to help us with keeping Jesus’ words alive in our hearts, is the root of this verse. The Word of God (John 1:1), Jesus, can keep us on the right path, my friend. In this end-time chaos and confusion, we can turn to God’s words written for us … especially in times like these! We need to show the world the peace which surpasses all understanding! (Philippians 4:7, Colossians 3:15) The world will wonder (and desire) to have what we have. Who wouldn’t want to have peace in the midst of chaos?

Look at today’s picture … the one thing born-again believers have that unbelievers do not have is a well-illuminated path! God’s Word provides us with a path! (Psalm 119:105)

Pro 4:18  But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

What a prayer – what a promise! Until the day that we are raptured or die, we are promised that the light of God’s Word will shine more and more. Thank You, Father, for providing Your children with the blessed light of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Today’s verse, Psalm 119:5, is a beautiful prayer asking the Father to direct us! Don’t you think that our Father in Heaven would love to hear every one of His children pray this prayer and actually mean it? What parent wouldn’t love to hear their child say, “Mom/Dad, I want every part of my day and every step that I take to be in line with what you have taught me!” Yes, indeed! This would melt any parent’s heart. How much more your Heavenly Father!

Jesus Christ has the words of life, my friend! Our relationship with the Father is as a parent with his child. Jesus’ work on the cross has given us the wonderful opportunity.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Jesus called His Father, Abba. We, having received the Spirit of adoption, can also cry out to His Father because He is our Father! When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He instructed them with: “Our Father which art in heaven,” (Matthew 6:9). Why did Jesus choose to use “Our Father”? Think about it! He could have said, “My Father”! I can run to the Father just as I did when I was a little girl and ran to my earthly father. Secondly, I can run to Jesus’ Father just as He did! What a comfort this is!

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Page 12 of 59

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén