It's fun to find out who is reading my blog. I just see counts, not who, but I will mention things and there are certain people who perk right up and say "I know, I read that---"
And there are others, who you'd think MIGHT actually be interested.....who have no clue what I am writing.
It lends itself to being a bit more open about things.
As you know, I am extremely careful about names and places. I try to be vague when it comes to certain things that may reveal identities or specifics.
General things like cities or parks are fair game, or politicians. But I try to protect my own people.
I do not plan to reveal any specifics, but I do feel a greater sense of freedom about what I can write here. People that have had an impact on me in my life are truly fair game!
(I won't mention names!)
Sometimes there are negatives, and those shape our worlds more often than positives!
In any book there is a protagonist and an antagonist. Antagonists are interesting and necessary.
Cherie and I were discussing "Emma" by Jane Austen. Jane Fairfax is an interesting "antagonist." She is disliked openly by the heroine of the story, yet the reader feels that the author is definitely on her side.
It's a twist of literature that lends to the interest of the story.
Perhaps I can present "antagonists" in the same way---because I truly care about many "antagonists" in my life.
It's an interesting time to identify your antagonists. Politics is polarizing, and over the horrid Obama years I felt that people still interested themselves in ongoing friendships and relationships.
Trump became president and all the pretense came down. Leftists don't just hate Trump. They hate anyone who can see the good of what he is doing! The masks of civility came off.
People who once were interesting acquaintances, family, even friends are alien since the election.
It is a loss we will have to bear.
Perhaps it is a gift from the LORD, a way to cull the people of influence in life, those that don't or should not merit your interest or time.
WE are called to preach the gospel. That is a command to keep from Christ Himself. If people don't respond to that we are COMMANDED to leave. Shake the dust off your feet.
YES there is grief, yes, there is loss! Losing relationship is always painful, and should be! God knows this!
But there is also a command to go on, and follow the LORD.
Trump gave an interesting prophecy to evangelical leaders a week ago. It was supposed to be private, but someone recorded him. He warned the Christians that the attacks that have been so merciless on him will transfer to evangelical Christians if leftists regain any political power.
Fascinating. We are to prepare for persecution on a whole new level!
Persecution for believers is a given. We should expect it, and bring it to Christ. He understands and He will give the grace and strength to get through it.
We true believers hold the Rapture to be the Blessed HOPE that will whisk us away from such hardship, but the Rapture actually whisks us away to a marriage supper with Christ, the Bridegroom! It preserves us from the wrath of God that will fall on the earth before Christ and His bride return at the Second Coming to begin a 1,000-year reign on earth, where Christ Himself walks and rules.
It's in the Bible.
Simple, plain reading of the text will take you to this interpretation. One female pastor (I know, a travesty!) asked me "What's Plain reading?'
It's when YOU read the text and YOU see the words, and YOU get the message from the text. You are not filtering it through some theologian, some scholar, some powerful personality.
It's YOU reading it. Don't be so afraid to READ the BIBLE, and ask God to HELP YOU understand it.
Trust God! The Bible is His word, His message to you!
Read it Genesis to Revelation and receive a special blessing. I try to read it through every year, and GOD HAS BLESSED ME!
God directs each facet of my entire life! He convicts me of my sin, He helps me overcome. He provides for me lavishly, things I could never have even hoped for! He is a generous Provider!
He requires my obedience, and He blesses me. Salvation is just the beginning of His great blessing on my life. I have eternity to look forward to, but the blessings are happening right now! Praise GOD!
Do you think my life is easy? Do you think I have no trouble? I hope that after reading this blog for years now you have seen the trials and tribulations of my insignificant life. I'm insignificant on this earth, but not to my LORD and savior. He loves me.
He's preparing me to be with Him, and that is the single most significant thing in my life. Everything else is just "gravy."
So come with me. Don't look back! Look up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! Don't worry about the unbelievers and their politics, their trouble with the world! It doesn't matter!
Love them, serve them, be kind to them, but let them go! OH, have you shared Christ with them? Have they ever heard the plan of salvation? Do they show evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives?
The fellowship of true saints is a beautiful thing, and it unites souls all around the entire earth! It's amazing.
If you are reading this and you have not humbled yourself and repented before your Maker, please do. So much awaits you as His child.
Don't wait. Follow Christ today. He is the LORD GOD, Maker of Heaven and Earth! He is worthy of your adoration and your obedience. He is the reason for everything, and the only true reason for life.
Don't let Satan trick you out of eternal joy.
And there are others, who you'd think MIGHT actually be interested.....who have no clue what I am writing.
It lends itself to being a bit more open about things.
As you know, I am extremely careful about names and places. I try to be vague when it comes to certain things that may reveal identities or specifics.
General things like cities or parks are fair game, or politicians. But I try to protect my own people.
I do not plan to reveal any specifics, but I do feel a greater sense of freedom about what I can write here. People that have had an impact on me in my life are truly fair game!
(I won't mention names!)
Sometimes there are negatives, and those shape our worlds more often than positives!
In any book there is a protagonist and an antagonist. Antagonists are interesting and necessary.
Cherie and I were discussing "Emma" by Jane Austen. Jane Fairfax is an interesting "antagonist." She is disliked openly by the heroine of the story, yet the reader feels that the author is definitely on her side.
It's a twist of literature that lends to the interest of the story.
Perhaps I can present "antagonists" in the same way---because I truly care about many "antagonists" in my life.
It's an interesting time to identify your antagonists. Politics is polarizing, and over the horrid Obama years I felt that people still interested themselves in ongoing friendships and relationships.
Trump became president and all the pretense came down. Leftists don't just hate Trump. They hate anyone who can see the good of what he is doing! The masks of civility came off.
People who once were interesting acquaintances, family, even friends are alien since the election.
It is a loss we will have to bear.
Perhaps it is a gift from the LORD, a way to cull the people of influence in life, those that don't or should not merit your interest or time.
WE are called to preach the gospel. That is a command to keep from Christ Himself. If people don't respond to that we are COMMANDED to leave. Shake the dust off your feet.
YES there is grief, yes, there is loss! Losing relationship is always painful, and should be! God knows this!
But there is also a command to go on, and follow the LORD.
Trump gave an interesting prophecy to evangelical leaders a week ago. It was supposed to be private, but someone recorded him. He warned the Christians that the attacks that have been so merciless on him will transfer to evangelical Christians if leftists regain any political power.
Fascinating. We are to prepare for persecution on a whole new level!
Persecution for believers is a given. We should expect it, and bring it to Christ. He understands and He will give the grace and strength to get through it.
We true believers hold the Rapture to be the Blessed HOPE that will whisk us away from such hardship, but the Rapture actually whisks us away to a marriage supper with Christ, the Bridegroom! It preserves us from the wrath of God that will fall on the earth before Christ and His bride return at the Second Coming to begin a 1,000-year reign on earth, where Christ Himself walks and rules.
It's in the Bible.
Simple, plain reading of the text will take you to this interpretation. One female pastor (I know, a travesty!) asked me "What's Plain reading?'
It's when YOU read the text and YOU see the words, and YOU get the message from the text. You are not filtering it through some theologian, some scholar, some powerful personality.
It's YOU reading it. Don't be so afraid to READ the BIBLE, and ask God to HELP YOU understand it.
Trust God! The Bible is His word, His message to you!
Read it Genesis to Revelation and receive a special blessing. I try to read it through every year, and GOD HAS BLESSED ME!
God directs each facet of my entire life! He convicts me of my sin, He helps me overcome. He provides for me lavishly, things I could never have even hoped for! He is a generous Provider!
He requires my obedience, and He blesses me. Salvation is just the beginning of His great blessing on my life. I have eternity to look forward to, but the blessings are happening right now! Praise GOD!
Do you think my life is easy? Do you think I have no trouble? I hope that after reading this blog for years now you have seen the trials and tribulations of my insignificant life. I'm insignificant on this earth, but not to my LORD and savior. He loves me.
He's preparing me to be with Him, and that is the single most significant thing in my life. Everything else is just "gravy."
So come with me. Don't look back! Look up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! Don't worry about the unbelievers and their politics, their trouble with the world! It doesn't matter!
Love them, serve them, be kind to them, but let them go! OH, have you shared Christ with them? Have they ever heard the plan of salvation? Do they show evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives?
The fellowship of true saints is a beautiful thing, and it unites souls all around the entire earth! It's amazing.
If you are reading this and you have not humbled yourself and repented before your Maker, please do. So much awaits you as His child.
Don't wait. Follow Christ today. He is the LORD GOD, Maker of Heaven and Earth! He is worthy of your adoration and your obedience. He is the reason for everything, and the only true reason for life.
Don't let Satan trick you out of eternal joy.
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