FACE TO FACE WORSHIP WITH THE LIVING GOD!

We have a God who does not want to be represented by any man made image, and yet we can see His image in all His creation.  Not one item in the tabernacle reflected his actual image, yet His Spirit dwelt inside it. And Jesus is the image of the invisible God, and we are made in God's image. Adonai dwells inside us, and yet we are not God. By God’s Spirit we truly live. If a person does not have God’s Spirit they will not live eternally nor are they alive spiritually. Our faces shine the glory of God. God wants us to seek Him with all our hearts. 

There’s only one way to receive God the Holy Spirit inside of you. You must admit you have a problem... you are lost with a sinful nature and eternally and spiritually dead without Jesus. You must believe that Jesus lived a perfect sinless life, died on the cross, and rose from the grave all for you to be forgiven of your personal sins. You must repent and turn away from your sinful choices and follow Jesus with all your heart, soul, body and mind,  trusting that his shed blood and his works alone are what save you and justify you before God the Father. You must believe that you are not a good person, meaning that nothing you do that is good is good enough to save you. Perfection is required and you trust in Jesus’ perfection and resurrection as your own.   And finally you must confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord of All and believe in your heart that God the Father raised him from the dead. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit inside of you as Jesus promised, and you will be Born Again.... a New Creation! Sincerely seek Jesus tonight, or today if it is today, and talk to him with your spirit. Read your Bible like it is your sustenance of food and water and let the truth of the Bible’s words wash away all your ways of understanding and the ways the world has influenced you. Be changed by the renewing of your mind! Seek Jesus in your prayer life with all sincerity and the lights will turn on! 

““You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:4-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.””

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:18-23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. For I must die in this land; I must not go over the Jordan. But you shall go over and take possession of that good land. Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭4:15-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of. Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him. Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day, know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.””

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭4:32-40‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:15-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.””

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:16-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36:27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name, who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭63:12-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭6:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:18-21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:9-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭16:12-15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:18-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭32:28-30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:18-22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.”

‭‭3 John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34:35‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it. Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth. Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it. Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?’”

‭‭Job‬ ‭4:12-21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭22:26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭8:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭11:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭31:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭34:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭51:9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭80:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭80:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“A wicked man puts on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to his ways.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21:29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭6:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6:25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:1-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

RAPTURE INFERENCES

 Rapture Inferences

“When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭5:21-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation....

For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground."...And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭7:1, 4, 7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city." But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away."”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭19:15-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent...."

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left....

And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen." So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14:13-14, 21-22, 24-27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭19:4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭2:21-22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭2:11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!”

‭‭Job‬ ‭19:25-27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:20-21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:2-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming..Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect....Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:42, 44, 46‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left."”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭17:26-35‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:51‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."”...“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:51-53‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:2-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4:16-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:3-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”

‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭4:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7:9-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:7-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

DEVOTION - ONLY HIS DEATH - By Mike Wells

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. 

—I PETER 3:18

I begin every morning the same way, “Thank You, Jesus, that You became my separation from God, and therefore I can never be separated from Him.” It is a beautiful revelation.

His mercies are new every morning! Every single morning! Christ was my separation and that settles it all. I have often heard it taught that it should have been me hanging on the cross and not Jesus, but here is the problem. Let us assume it was me hanging on the cross for my own sins; how can a sinner bear his own sin? Had it been me and not Him, nothing would have happened to elevate my sins.

Thousands were crucified for their sins; Jesus had a thief on both sides. One was invited into paradise by Jesus, but not because the thief suffered for his own sins. The thief ’s death on a cross did nothing to redeem him, but rather it was his recognition of Christ that redeemed him. My point is that if Christ had not taken my sins on the cross, then going to the cross myself would have accomplished nothing. In this regard it was a substitution, for if I refuse the substitution, I might die on a cross but I could never be a sacrifice for my sins; I would have a just death for my sins.

What Jesus did was wonderful. Being sinless and blameless, He was actually able to take my sin out of me, have it placed on Him, and then become a substitution that redeemed me and set me free. His was the only death that could have accomplished such a feat, and He did it for all men. This is not religious dogma but faith in the Son of God who has loved me and was delivered up for me.

Today we say, “Thank You that because of the cross, that because You were my separation from God, that because You took my sins upon yourself, I have no obstacle between God and me. I will be heard today, helped today, shown compassion today, and You will treat me as David, a man after Your heart that will do all of Your will. All because of You, Jesus!” Amen, what a confidence.

PSALM 18- DEVOTION

What was David’s first encounter of faith with God that built his faith to be unshakable?

Where does his confidence come from that allows him to face his enemies and defeat them and rely on God to defeat them for him, and never take the credit?

God is David’s Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, God, Shelter, Shield, Power, Stronghold. 

David calls on God and He saves him! 

David was terrified, distressed and he cried out because his enemies were too strong for him, and God heard him from His Temple

God moved in the cloak of thick darkness under his feet. His hiding place... thick clouds dark with water. 

Gods voice is equated to thunder, hailstones and fiery coals breaking through the dark clouds. 

God took pleasure in David because he did not leave and distance himself from his God which is described as evil. 

How often do I leave and distance myself from the Lord... My God? 

David expresses his devotion to God: vs 21-23“For I have kept the ways of Adonai, I have not done evil by leaving my God; for all his ruling were before me, I did not distance his regulations from me. I was pure hearted with him and kept myself from sin.”

And God responded to this devotion by repaying David for his uprightness, according to the purity of David’s hands in God’s view. 

We learn that God shows himself merciful to those who are merciful. He shows himself sincere to the person who is sincere; pure to those who are pure; and to those who are crooked God shows himself cunning. God saves those who are afflicted; and to those who are haughty God will humble. 

When we respond to Jesus as Lord of Lords and All in All He fulfills us and completes us. His righteousness and purity and devotion and mercy and goodness becomes ours. We all know that in and of ourselves we are none of those things. When we trust in Jesus this same God who David looks to and trusts in for safety refuge salvation etc., responds to us and protects and provides and shelters us. He saves us from the snare of death because of sin. 

Whatever sin is in your life today turn from it and stop it because you love Jesus. That’s the reason... because you love Him, His Son and His Holy Spirit Then cry out to God to light your lamp. 

Lord light up our darkness today and everyday. Be our power and might to get through the battle and to be filled with your Spirit to overcome. 

THE THEOCRACY OF JESUS IS CLOSER THEN EVER

I’m waiting for Jesus’ Theocratic Kingdom and praying and voting it in. Most things on this world’s government ballots do not reflect the purity of what God’s Kingdom will involve.  We’re about to see major changes in this world that are challenging, but are steps toward His Theocracy. Jesus will rule completely and perfectly with justice and righteousness and goodness. That might be hard to believe because  none of us have experienced a perfect government system in any way.  There is a 7 year period that occurs prior to Jesus returning to begin his 1,000 year reign on this very earth. That 7 years involves achieving a number of objectives, one of which is God destroying the NWO which includes a one world religious, money and political system ruled by the Anti- Christ. After the fake peace treaty, that Israel will buy into, Anti Christ will dominate this planet for 7 years. All of this was prophesied by the Prophet Daniel and it’s throughout the scriptures. Seven years is not a long time, and we may be on the cusp of this period beginning. It is also called the Day of the Lord, or the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, or Tribulation.  But it’s all for the purpose of helping Israel see that their true Messiah is Yeshua HaMachiach.... Jesus Christ. It’s amazing that we are so close!

Theocracy is a form of government in which a deity of some type is recognized as the supreme ruling authority, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries that manage the day-to-day affairs of the government.

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭14:9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭22:28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7:13-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The government that God established in Israel was a theocracy: God was their real King and His law governed them, even though others ruled under Him

“Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of David his father. And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.”

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭29:23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus will begin His Theocracy on this earth starting with the nation of Israel and specifically in Jerusalem. He will turn the hearts of the Jews to himself by removing the blindness that has been on their eyes, and by fiercely protecting them from the hostile nations. He will subdue the nations in his power and his authority.  Jesus will eventually rule and govern all the nations of this world from Jerusalem under his established order

“The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: “Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. On that day, declares the Lord, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the Lord of hosts, their God.’ “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem. “And the Lord will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord, going before them. And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭12:1-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings; the city shall be rebuilt on its mound, and the palace shall stand where it used to be.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭30:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭1:26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭45:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:6-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭32:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭2:1-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭110:1-7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:26-27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭11:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

People think that this earth is currently governed by many different human kings and governments, but actually it is all controlled and influenced by Satan. Jesus will soon overthrow Satan and destroy him and will establish his righteous kingdom in this earth

“Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2:35‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2:44‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord.”

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:8-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.””

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭11:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:15-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.”

‭‭Haggai‬ ‭2:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:25-29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!””

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭46:9-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭2:2-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.”

‭‭Micah‬ ‭4:1-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It will be amazing to watch Jesus Theocracy and Kingdom unfold exactly as scripture has proclaimed

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:9-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

GET RIGHT WITH JESUS ASAP

It is super important to get right with Jesus ASAP....now. That means trust Him and Him alone for your salvation. Repent and turn from your sins.  Jesus is the one who died and rose from the grave for you. For there to be forgiveness for sins, blood must be shed because the life is in the blood. Your eternal life is in the blood of Jesus. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus alone. You must trust in Jesus’ works not your own. Your religion will not save you. Your good works will not save you. Your own understanding will not save you. But trusting in Jesus and following him will. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the grave you will be saved. It’s a real love relationship propelled by His Holy Spirit. 

MY GRANDMOTHER GLORIA PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY

We live and pass through this life, and then find ourselves in a spiritual state of life or death for all eternity. After we die in this body we either find ourselves in heaven with Jesus or in complete eternal separation from the God of Creation in that place called hell. That's just the reality. This life is hard and extremely important. This time we have on this earth is just a tiny blip of time within eternity. It's a transaction for faith or unbelief, a choice for Jesus or Self! The Bible says that few people choose the transaction of faith and eternal life in Jesus because he is the narrow road, he is the only gate. But there is only one way to get there, and that is through confessing and trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through His life, death, and resurrection. People are looking for eternal life in all the wrong places, and not through the way God the Father has provided.

For my Grandmother, this life was very hard. She had an inner fight that most of us could not understand or relate to, and she carried hard things inside and that manifested in her choices, and we wrestled with her in love. She also confessed Jesus as her Lord and Savior, and lived out her faith in unique ways. Through the inner struggles she found a way to express her worship to Jesus by playing the piano and organ at church, by serving her young family with beautiful meals and appreciation of fine things and appearance, loving her grandchildren and children as best she knew how, by not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus and passing down faith in him to her kin....she knew Jesus wouldn't turn her away, and she endured and persevered and had a peace that underlined all of the good and bad of her life experiences. That peace was Jesus' peace. Jesus took care of her through it all. He did all the work for her to get to heaven and her confession and trust in Jesus is known by him. We fall face down in surrender knowing that the blood of Jesus is poured out over her. Gloria is with Jesus now, and she can finally rest. Jesus you knew her life and struggle and you carried her through. Thank you that she did have faith in you as her Savior. Please receive her into all your Glory and Love and Compassion. I pray her tears of joy and gratitude would bless you as you embrace her within your loving arms that she has longed for all her life. Thank you for loving her and saving her in you alone. We worship you for your love is faithful!

Everyone can relate to inner struggles that are lonely and extremely difficult to find victory over. Some things are very traumatic and impact us for our entire lives, and the battle can last for the lifetime we have in this world. The ups and downs, the success and failure, the resentment and then the forgiveness, the hate and the love, the shame and guilt and the grace and mercy......it all can make us restless and tired, and makes us search for the love and relief we long for in the wrong places. Sometimes we can give up on what we know to be true  (that doesn't mean Jesus does!) We then find ourselves in a state of mind and being that can be without hope and faith, but deep down in our spirits we know that the Spirit of Jesus does not lose faith and always hopes, and always loves. There is his Spirit inside of us that longs for healing, righteousness, reconciliation, relief, unity, friendship, kindness, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. This fight between our flesh and His Spirit is why we need one another. We need to carry one another through the battles of the flesh with His unconditional Spirit of love. When one is weak, another can be strong and help. Even if it is only through prayer, that help can come to those in need! COVID has separated people from their elders for months. Those months of solitude, loneliness, suffering ultimately plays a toll on our most fragile seniors who are mom's, dad's, grandparents, great grandparents, brothers, sisters, friends.... and they can give up and feel hopeless in it all. And many have passed away because of these circumstances. Through it all, we know that prayers are being lifted up to Jesus for him to be present with them in their senior living communities, and hospices. We trust that he is present. 

Right now, I pray that Jesus would be with every single senior who is lonely, and feeling hopeless, because they have not seen their family for months. I pray that Jesus would strengthen their hearts and water the seeds of faith that have been planted throughout their life. I pray that the faith that pleases God would spring up in their souls for Jesus alone. I pray Jesus, that the spirit your Father has given them would cry out to you. Jesus, you are faithful and able to do more then we could ever ask or imagine. There is no one like you Oh Lord Most High! And if these elderly die may they pass away into eternity confessing you as Lord and Savior, because they desire you above all else.

Grandma Gloria, I will miss you here, but know that very soon we will be with you for all eternity in Christ. This album by Caleb Andrews called “Betrothal” is dedicated to you.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nzOiSSSXcmuUp0WPvFkZqlY2EOK1r8PRc