IN LOVE OR IN LUST?

IN LOVE OR IN LUST

(Based in part on I Corinthians 13, the love chapter)

Love is patient, love is kind;

It does not envy or boast.

Lust can’t wait; to sin it is blind,

The devil himself is its host.

Love is never conceited or rude;

It doesn’t think of self only.

Lust is vain; its language is crude,

And it preys upon the lonely.

Love doesn’t keep a score of hurts--

Never a record of wrongs.

Lust keeps a record every time it scores,

And the list may be quite long.

Love never gloats when another sins;

It always delights in trust.

Lust sins, then shamelessly gloats;

Who can trust someone full of lust?

Love can face anyone or thing,

With faith, hope, and endurance.

Lust is weak, but consider its source;

Satan leaves no hope or assurance.

Love will last forever,

For rooted in God is true love.

Lust is fleeting and shallow,

And it comes from below, not above.

Becky Wall

beckyowall.blogspot.com

PASSIVE VIOLENCE

PASSIVE VIOLENCE

Malachi 2:16 - “'The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,'” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful."

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." That old saying couldn't be further from the truth. What we normally hear or read as passive aggression, I am going to call passive violence because that is the way Malachi 2 addresses it, though particularly as unfaithfulness. 

Passive violence, also known as passive aggression, is verbally hurting a person, embarrassing that person or humiliating them in some way. There are so many ways that words can hurt, and those words often hurt for a lifetime and shape a person's life in a negative way. The intent of the words makes a big difference. If the person is telling a joke or teasing at your expense, that's a form of violence or aggression that occurs without ever throwing a blow. Physical harm will usually heal within 10 days but often the words that come with teasing hurt deep and long.

I ask the aggressor "Is a response of laughter that lasts less than a minute worth hurting someone in a way that lasts a lifetime?" The one doing the teasing may be hurt just as long as the one being teased. The laughter is often followed by guilt if the person doing the teasing is smart enough and caring enough to realize they have done a lifetime of harm to another person.

Humiliating a person reduces that person's confidence and happiness and may rob the person's peace. That victim may be good at hiding emotional hurt, but may go home and cry his or her eyes out. The person usually never forgets the verbal abuser and how those verbal blows were thrown. The experience plays a role in shaping the lives of the victim but in a negative way. It's like a piece of pottery being lovingly shaped by parents, family and friends but then someone comes along and stabs the pottery with a fork or knife while it is drying so that when the owner comes to that soul's artwork, it is scarred permanently.

Similarly, when a person is cornered when he or she makes a mistake just so that person can be made fun of, that is passive violence. The hurt is there and the damage is done, but with words and not fists.

Other examples of passive violence are dirty tricks like tripping someone, causing a person to drop what the individual is holding, splattering a substance on that person, putting a bug in his or her drink, tying the person up, confining the unwilling person, pushing a victim in mud, abusing a person emotionally such as causing that person to question his or her worth or talent, insulting a person, treating a person like that person is beneath you, roll your eyes when you see a certain person, etc.

Does any of this sound familiar? Unfortunately passive violence, also known as passive aggression, has become part of our daily lives. One could say it falls into the norm. TV shows such as sitcoms build their scenes around passive aggression. Our kids grow up learning such behavior. Parents are surprised when they find out their child or children participated in passive aggressive behavior. Never think it is acceptable to hurt a person in any way, shape, or form.

The worst form of passive violence is to be unfaithful to a spouse. Malachi 2 warns of this kind of violence in Chapter 2, verses 15-16. "Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. 'The man who hates and divorces his wife,' says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'does violence to the one he should protect,' says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful."

--Becky Wall

PSALM 139: ALL OF MY BORN DAYS

ALL OF MY BORN DAYS

PSALM 139:13-18

You created my inmost being;

You knit me in my mother's womb.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

In your heart I have my own room.

When I was made in the secret place,

It was you who formed my frame.

I was woven in the depths of the earth;

For that, I praise your name.

Your eyes saw my unformed body,

Before one of my days came to be.

My days were written in your book;

You’ve always known about me.

Your thoughts are precious to me, O God!

Like the grains of sand by each sea.

How incredibly vast is the sum of them!

And yet you think of me.

Test me and know my thoughts;

Search me and know my heart.

See if I am offending you,

And may we never part.

Becky Wall

Genesis 49:25
...because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb.

Leviticus 18:21
“‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Deuteronomy 7:12-13
12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb...

Job 31:15
Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

Psalm 22:9
Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.

Psalm 22:10
From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Psalm 51:6
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Psalm 71:6
From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.

Proverbs 24:11
Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

Isaiah 44:2
This is what the Lord says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

Isaiah 44:24

“This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself...

Isaiah 49:1
Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.

Isaiah 49:5
And now the Lord says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength—

Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;

Luke 1:41
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 1:15
But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased...

beckyowall.blogspot.com

THE LAST DAYS

THE LAST DAYS

Matthew 24:3-51 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. (cont'd)

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (cont'd)

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. (cont'd)

23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time."

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather." (cont'd)

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky,

and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’" (cont'd)

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." 32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (cont'd)

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." (cont'd)

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 

43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (cont'd)

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Psalm 72:17 - May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun.

Psalm 89:29 -  I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.

Isaiah 65:20 - “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

Daniel 12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.

Daniel 12:4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

Daniel 12:9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end.

Joel 2:11 The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?

Borrowed from Pinterest

See also: https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-end-of-earth-and-beginning-of.html

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE

Don't miss out on what awaits us in Heaven

Who will go to heaven?
"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 12:1-3

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:36 Author's note: The key word is "believes." If you believe in him, you will love him, and if you love him, you will keep his commandments. Obedience is one of them.

Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:8

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. II John 1:6

13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’ 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ 38 Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ Acts 2:36b-39

9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. II Corinthians 5:8

What it takes to be saved:

• ...the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matt. 10:22),
• Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved...(Mark 16:16),
• I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved (John 10:9),
• ...everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21),
• there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12),
• If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9),
• Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13),
• ...hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord (I Corinthians 5:5),
• By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. (I Corinthians 15:2),
• it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:5),
• ...women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. (I Timothy 2:15),
• Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good. (Titus 3:1),
• He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5),
• And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” (I Peter 4:18). 
• But keep in mind: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

Why must we suffer so much grief through many trials here on earth?
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (I Peter 1:3-9)

Present Suffering and Future Glory
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:15-28

How do we get to heaven when we die?
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. Luke 16:22 (Elijah went by chariot and Enoch just disappeared into heaven, but they were special.)

Will heaven be worth all the suffering we experience on earth?
What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[
the things God has prepared for those who love him— I Corinthians 2:9

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

Will we be like Jesus in heaven? Will we be able to perform amazing feats?
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Phillipians 3:20-21

... we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. I John 3:2

... when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” John 20:19b. (Jesus was able to walk through a locked door or wall.)

Will we eat in heaven?
Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. Luke 24:39-43

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. John 21:12 (This was following the resurrection, ascension and temporary return of Jesus.)

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. Revelation 22:2

Will marriages take place in heaven?
Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Matthew 22:29-30

Do we become angels when we go to heaven?
Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! I Corinthians 6:3 (Note: The dead do not become angels but are like angels in that they neither marry nor are they given in marriage.)

Will there be animals in heaven?
The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. Isaiah 65:25 (I'm sure they won't be the only animals. The Bible is just showing that there will no longer be any reason to fear any of them. Note that the serpent is resigned to eating dust.)

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. Isaiah 11:6

Will we get a new name in heaven?
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. Rev. 2:17

I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Revelation 3:12

Will we remember our past on earth and be aware of the present?
See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind. (Isaiah 65:17)

What will the last days be like?
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. (II Peter 3:9-13)

What will heaven look like and be like?
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (the unrepentant, unchanged) One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia (600 feet) in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits (18"-20", depending on the time and purpose) thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth (a variety of zircon), and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 2:1-27).

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5 (KJV))

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb.”

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

“Amen!

Praise and glory

and wisdom and thanks and honor

and power and strength

be to our God for ever and ever.

Amen!” Revelation 7:9-11

--As researched and compiled by Becky Wall from both the King James and New International Versions of the Bible

beckyowall.blogspot.com

#descriptionofheaven #eternity #jeweledwalls #nonight #nosun #faceofJesus #12fruits #healingleaves #nomarriageinheaven #transformedbodies

THE END OF EARTH

THE END OF EARTH

Will the dead be able to communicate with their loved ones?
5 The living are conscious that they will die, but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all. Ecclesiastes 9:5 

His spirit goes out, he goes back to the ground, in that day his thoughts, all his thinking do perish. Psalm 146:4

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ Luke 15:22-26  Note: Angels carried the beggar to Abraham's side. The rich man died and was buried, then went to Hades. One cannot pass from Hades to Paradise or from hell to heaven.

The Last Days

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Joel 2:31

I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, Revelation 6:12

17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ Acts 2:17-21

1 Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming.
It is close at hand—
2 a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army comes,
such as never was in ancient times
nor ever will be in ages to come.
3 Before them fire devours,
behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
behind them, a desert waste—
nothing escapes them.
4 They have the appearance of horses;
they gallop along like cavalry.
5 With a noise like that of chariots
they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire consuming stubble,
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;
every face turns pale.
7 They charge like warriors;
they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,
not swerving from their course.
8 They do not jostle each other;
each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
without breaking ranks.
9 They rush upon the city;
they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;
like thieves they enter through the windows.
10 Before them the earth shakes,
the heavens tremble,
the sun and moon are darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
11 The Lord thunders
at the head of his army;
his forces are beyond number,
and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it? Joel 2:1-11

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. Revelation 21:1

What happens to those in graves?
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

(also used in the prior section) 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us." Luke 15:22-26  Note: Angels carried the beggar to Abraham's side. The rich man died and was buried, then went to Hades. One cannot pass from Hades to Paradise or from hell to heaven.

This is deep:

1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 

For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. I Thess. 4:14-17

What events or human failures will be revealed in the end days?

Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. II Thess. 2:3-12

1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. II Timothy 3:1-7

How will we react when Jesus arrives again?

For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Romans 14:10b-12 (NIV) 

10 ...for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:10b-12 (KJV)

The battle between good and evil is going on even now and it is important that we do our parts for good to win over evil. There is a final battle that evidently we will all see, but there is a battle in the heavens now. We just can't see it but we suffer the losses and the wins.

Read Daniel chapters 10-12 to learn more about the end times.

--As researched and compiled by Becky Wall from both the King James and New International Versions of the Bible.

See also: https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-last-days.html

DAD'S SOCKS

DAD'S SOCKS

We eight kids in my family were poor when we were very young but we didn't know it. We made do with what we had and were often creative with how we had fun. I remember Dad making a marble game out of wood, newspaper kites, a go kart that rarely ran, stilts and how he taught us to whip green persimmons off of the end of a very flexible, long stick. We climbed trees and swam in a creek that turned out to be sewer drainage. Mom refused to let us come in the house until she hosed us down when we returned home. There were little green snakes hanging off of every other branch around that creek. We also got in trouble for swimming in what my sister labeled "the skunk pond." It was where the pigs went to "bathe." When it froze over, we "ice skated" on the pond with just our shoes. I had a pair of shoes with taps so I could fly across that pond. We swung on "grape vines" over another creek. They weren't really grape vines but we called them that anyway.

The way we used Dad's work socks is what I think of most often. We used them as Christmas stockings, 8 of them, hanging them on the wall with a tack, making a hole in the wallpaper with each sock. We checked their contents Christmas morning after we opened presents. There was always an orange, walnuts, chocolate candy with nuts, colorful hard candy, lint-covered unwrapped candy and a few pieces of disgusting candy. 

We also used Dad's socks to play in the snow, mostly for making snowballs. I was in Jr. High before I became fashion conscious and would no longer wear Dad's socks as mittens. If I had no gloves, I did without, but I still made snowballs until my hands turned bright red and my fingers could no longer move. 

Living poor makes a person tough. I recommend it for all children but not so much the parents who, in the case of my parents, had to stress over every bill, clothing for eight kids, school supplies, gas for Dad to get to work, food, etc. Yet somehow we made it. Dad moved up in his job and the last two of the eight children do not remember being poor. We relied on the Lord through all those years and still do. Our socks are now new, our own, and can only be found on our feet, never our hands or the walls.

JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY

JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY

John the Baptist preached in the Desert,

"Repent, for heaven is near."

He baptized when people repented;

They came from all over to hear.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of Him as:

"The voice of one calling in the desert,

Prepare the way for the Lord,

With straight paths" was Isaiah's alert.

John's clothes were made of camel's hair;

By our standards he would have looked funny.

A leather belt was around his waist.

And his food was locusts and honey.

People came to him from Judea,

The Jordan area and Jerusalem.

There at the Jordan River they came,

To repent and be baptized by him.

.

John saw Pharisees and Sadducees coming,

Where people got their spiritual bath,

He yelled, "You brood of vipers!

Who warned you of the coming wrath?”

“Do not think you can say to yourselves,

'We have Abraham as our father.'

I tell you that out of stones,

God can raise children, so don't bother.”

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance,

For if a tree doesn’t bear good fruit,

It will be cut down and thrown in the fire;

The axe is already at the root.”

"I baptize with water for repentance,” said John,

“But one more powerful than I,

Whose sandals I am not fit to carry,

Will baptize with the Spirit and fire.”

“His winnowing fork is in his hand,

And He will clear His threshing floor.

He will gather His wheat into the barn,

And burn the chaff evermore."

Becky Wall

A NEW ATTITUDE

A NEW ATTITUDE

Attitude ... will make or break a company. . .a church. . .a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. . . we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude. . . I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” -- Charles Swindoll

There's a song that was popular some years ago called "A New Attitude." It's a secular song but the song's writer knows what it takes to have a better outlook on life. One line of it says:

… I'm feelin' good from my head to my shoes

Know where I'm goin' and I know what to do

I tidied up my point of view

I got a new attitude

The Bible contains some of the best mental and emotional therapy that will help you change your attitude and, in the process, build your character. 

Prov. 17:22 - A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Prov. 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

I Cor. 4:21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

Eph. 4:2-3 - Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

I Thess. 2:6-7 - We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.

I Pet. 3:3-4 - Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

Galations 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Let your speech be with grace, seasoned with salt.

Jesus's Sermon on the Mount found in the 5th chapter of Matthew, includes the Beatitudes. Beatitudes is a fitting name for that section of scripture because it identifies the attitudes we're to have and the blessings we will receive for displaying those attitudes -- for real and not fake. A few of the Beatitudes speak of the suffering some Christians endure for Christ's sake and the reward they will receive if they do.

THE BEATITUDES OR THE "BE ATTITUDES."

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Keeping a journal will help you stay on track of your journey to create a better attitude. You could title it "The Better Attitudes." Note your ups and downs. Identify your moods and why you feel the ways you named. Take into consideration that you're always more negative when you're overtired, not feeling well, or are stressed. It passes. Like the old saying goes "This too will pass," or "This day too will pass." I used to tell my daughter when she was upset at the end of the day, "Tomorrow will be a better day." The problems won't go away overnight but they're easier to deal with when you are rested and refueled. 

Everyone faces trials. They are part of life. We don't get to pick and choose which ones we want and don't want to experience. We have to take life as it comes, accepting what we cannot change and giving our burdens to the Lord to bear. Putting life in the proper perspective gives us a much better outlook for the day and for the future. 

People will want to hang around with you because your new attitude will make them feel better too. Smile often, even if you just have every other tooth. Smiling takes years off your age and takes precedence over your attire when meeting someone. You will deliver a positive impression and you might make them feel good from their head to their shoes.

Give it a try. It can't hurt, guaranteed. 

LUSTFUL AND PERVERSE THOUGHTS

LUSTFUL AND PERVERSE THOUGHTS

Job 31:
“I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look lustfully at a young woman.
2 For what is our lot from God above,
our heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not ruin for the wicked,
disaster for those who do wrong?
4 Does he not see my ways
and count my every step?

5 “If I have walked with falsehood
or my foot has hurried after deceit—
6 let God weigh me in honest scales
and he will know that I am blameless—
7 if my steps have turned from the path,
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands have been defiled,
8 then may others eat what I have sown,
and may my crops be uprooted.

9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind another man’s grain,
and may other men sleep with her.
11 For that would have been wicked,
a sin to be judged.
12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction;
it would have uprooted my harvest.

Psalm 101:3-4
I will not look with approval
on anything that is vile.
I hate what faithless people do;
I will have no part in it.
The perverse of heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

II Cor. 10:1-5
By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

I Thess. 4:3-5
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God…

I Thess. 4:7-8
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Prov. 2:12-15
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

Proverbs 4:24
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Ps. 101:4
The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

Prov. 3:32
For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.

Prov. 28:18
The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.

I Timothy 1:9-109 

We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine...

beckyowall.blogspot.com