A Site You've GOT to visit....

There is a website available that is well worth checking out.

End Times Roundtable (ETRT)

There is a wealth of information on end times, disaster preparation, gardening, homeschooling...pretty much any topic that might affect a Christian's daily life.

I would like to humbly invite each and every one of you to come on over, get yourself registered, and join in the fellowship. Be sure to give me a shout while you're there!

Just A Clay Pot (Stuart)

To Love Or Not

"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing."
2 Tim. 4:6-8

In this passage, we see that Paul is thoughtfully viewing his coming execution. He knows that he has done what has been required of him. And it is his expectation that there is a crown of reward awaiting him when he is judged by our Saviour, Jesus Christ. This is the Crown of Righteousness. It is the namesake of this blog.

So, have you noticed the separation of the two types of saved Christians that this crown provides. As Paul states, the crown is not just for him (Paul), but "all them also that love His appearing." So, we can determine that one group of Christians will be those that love the return of Jesus. The second group will be those that don't love His return. But, you may ask, how can a Christian NOT love the return of the King?

That is easy to answer, but I shall remind my viewers of a couple of facts first, which will add support to my answer.

First, we must realize that there is no such thing as a person deciding to accept Jesus as their Saviour by their own free will. It can't happen. Before we are brought to Jesus, we are creatures of the flesh 100%. Remember, in Genesis 2:17, God said,

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

Now, Adam and Eve both ate the fruit of the tree. But, they didn't die on that day.

Or, did they?

Their bodies (flesh) didn't, but their spiritual side most certainly did. And, without a spiritual side to them, each generation that followed was born with a soul and a flesh, but no spiritual aspect. We know that Jesus confirmed this when teaching Nicodemus:

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
John 3:5

When we are given faith by God, we are able to accept Jesus as God's Son, and as our Saviour. God gives us the ability to repent, as this gift of grace through faith is able to rebirth a new spirit in us.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Eph. 2:8-9

So, why did I go through all of this? To make you realize that a Christian, after he/she is reborn spiritually, also gains the ability to choose. Whereas we, prior to salvation, had only one choice presented to our soul (that of the flesh), we now have the choice of following the desires of the flesh or the desires of our spirit. And therein lies the problem.

Some Christians will be following the lead of the Holy Spirit. Their hearts will be forever walking towards the Lord. This doesn't mean that there won't be times when we stumble, fall, sit...sometimes even turn and walk off in the wrong way! But, when we strive to seek the Kingdom of God, all our failures will be left behind and we will love the thought of Jesus coming to take us from this place.

Other Christians will be focused on the things of this earth. Be it desires to see children grow up, the comfort of worldly goods, the dreams of long life...the list is really endless. But, they all amount to one simple throught: they don't want the world-game to end yet. These people are still saved, they are just as much Christian as the first group. They just don't want to leave this situation. And these people will be shocked when they are called to meet the Lord in the air. They will be, if only for an short instant, disappointed that it is time to get out of the pool, so to speak.

Every Christian should take note: This life is but a blink of God's eye. It is nothing when compared to the length, width and depth of eternity. Let it go! Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, let go of the things of this earth. Long for the return of Jesus. Remember...

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Mat. 6:33

The Crown of Righteousness is there, yours for the taking!

Grace and Peace....

Criminal On The Cross

To get things going again, I'm going to post the lyrics of another great song that delivers an important message. So, from Acappella, here's the song....

"Criminal On The Cross"

Well, it was many years ago in the time of the Bible that they took Him up to Calvary.
They could have let Him go, but instead they chose Barabus just to set another criminal free.
When they crucified the ever loving, caring Master with compassion flowing from His eyes
Well, He said to a thief who was begging Him for mercy that, "Today, you'll live in paradise."

And I'm saved like the criminal on the cross.
Praise God! I'm saved, no more to suffer loss.
Well, He said I'd live in Paradise and He's taken care of the cost.
Hallelujah! I'm saved like the criminal on the cross.

Well, on the Judgement Day when all the people gather 'round Him and they wait to hear what He will declare.
There will never ever be more intense anticipation that has ever happened anywhere.
When they call my name to defend my reputation there is only one thing I can say
"I'm a wretch I'm a worm, I'm a no good sinner." But, He said, "I'll save you anyway."

Oh, and I'm saved like the criminal on the cross.
Praise God! I'm saved, no more to suffer loss.
Well, He said I'd live in Paradise and He's taken care of the cost.
Hallelujah! I'm saved like the criminal on the cross.

Well, I'm saved, I'm saved, through Jesus I am saved.
Well, I'm saved, I'm saved, His mercy showed the way.
Well, I'm saved, I'm saved, no more for me to say.
Well, I'm saved, I'm saved in Paradise today.

Well, it was many years ago in the time of the Bible that they took Him up to Calvary.
They could have let Him go, but instead they chose Barabus just to set another criminal free.
When they crucified the ever loving, caring Master with compassion flowing from His eyes
Well, He said to a thief who was begging Him for mercy that, "Today, you'll live in paradise."

Oh, and I'm saved like the criminal on the cross.
Praise God! I'm saved, no more to suffer loss.
Well, He said I'd live in Paradise and He's taken care of the cost.
Hallelujah! I'm saved like the criminal on the cross.

I'm saved like the criminal on the cross.
Praise God! I'm saved, no more to suffer loss.
Well, He said I'd live in Paradise and He's taken care of the cost.
Hallelujah! I'm saved like the criminal on the cross.

I'm saved like the criminal on the cross.

"With one voice, they cried out, 'Away with this man! Release Barabus to us!'"
Luke 23:18
"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' The he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'"
Luke 23:39-43

Are you being called into the adoption into God's family? Is the Holy Spirit leading you to consider the awesome gift that Jesus gave us? Surrender to the calling unto Jesus Christ. After all, this might be the day that you are called from this earth....

Grace and Peace....

The Beagle Has Landed (or, the move has been made....)

Greetings!

We have completed our move from Louisiana to Oklahoma.

I could never express our sincere thanks to God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ for the blessings we've experienced during this rather trying time. The Holy Spirit was with us, and comforted us at all times.

Here's a few of the "little" things that popped up along the way:

We had the exact amount of money to make the move and get settled in.

The electrical system failed in the RV (our new home) at the exact moment that all of us were looking for a reason to stop at a hotel. The system took about five minutes the next morning to troubleshoot and fix.

The RV's brakes started to fail about twenty miles from the final destination. They functioned right up to the last parking, where they quit entirely.

My mom (the reason for the family's move) was flirting with death due to complications with COPD. I had to take her to the emergency room at a local hospital the next day after our arrival. Her health has, with all the glory given to our gracious Heavenly Father and our Beloved Savior, made a complete turnaround.

And many, MANY other things that just can't be attributed to anything other than a loving Father.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for making the sacrifice that allowed us to become members of the royal family of God Almighty!

One verse kept coming to mind as we made the trip:

"The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower."
Psalm 18:2

Sometimes it is good to be put in a position of stress and trial. It's during those times that we can clearly see just how much God (Father, Son and Spirit) loves His children, how much He protects us, how much He provides for us all. His will is perfect, and He is never going to leave us in a position of trials without being there to hold us up and support our efforts.

Grace and Peace....

A Loving Father Provides....

"And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
"For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
"But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Luke 12:29-31

A quick update as our family starts the downhill run on packing and moving.

Part of our plans on moving involved getting a cheap (really, REALLY cheap) RV to live in. We were counting on the money from my wife's severance pay to buy this vehicle.

Well, we didn't get nearly as much as we were expecting. All we could do was turn it over to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We knew that God would not let us flounder. Even though it goes against every fiber of our natural, fleshy side, we knew that if we followed God's leading, He would direct us in all of our paths.

And, He did!

One circumstance after another fell into place, leading us to an RV that would be affordable. It's old, and has seen better years, but it should get us where we are going. It has room for all we need to carry, and it will provide a bed, a bathroom and a place to sit.

Praise God Almighty and His Most Holy Son, Jesus Christ!

So, to all my brothers and sisters in Jesus out there--be bold, and lean on Jesus. The world won't understand, but you'll come to acknowledge that God is just as true to His promises today as ever!

Grace and Peace....

Psalm 13 - The Prayer Of The Present-Day Christian

"[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] How long wilt Thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?
"How long shall I take counsel in my soul, [having] sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
"Consider [and] hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the [sleep of] death;
"Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; [and] those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
"But I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.
"I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me."
Psalm 13:1-6

There are times when every modern Christian wonders just how much more must be endured until the return of our King, Jesus Christ. It takes no effort to find countless stories in the news that show how evil is rampent in the world. Killing, stealing, destroying...over and over and over.

And in many cases, you will find that Christians are the target of these evil deeds. Torture, execution, defilement...again, satan knows few bounds today.

What is a Christian to do? Simple--we are to rejoyce! The mercy of God Almighty towards us through His Son, Jesus, is without limit. We can celebrate the fact that we have been granted salvation. We can shout our shouts of thanksgiving, for we have been given adoption into the royal family of God. We can sing with a glad heart, for He provides for us in all ways. Uncertain times do not bring uncertainty to a Christian. We know our hope, our faith and our future.

We shall join our Lord Jesus in life without end, resurrected into an eternity of love and fulfillment as we grow forever in the knowledge of our God.

So, be of a strong heart, my brothers and sisters. Jesus will never lose a single person that He has been given. We are sealed with a seal that is unremovable. We have a promise that can never be broken.

Soon, so very soon, the evil of this world will know that Jesus Christ is the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords.

Grace and Peace....

If The Stock Market Has You Worried....

I found this posted on a forum, and thought that it was most appropriate for the recent events in the financial news.

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God's Provision for Israel in the Wilderness

After they left Egypt, Moses and the Children of Israel were in the desert for 40 years, but what was God going to do with them? They had to be fed, and feeding 2 or 3 million people requires a lot of food (and water).

According to the Quartermaster General of the US Army, it is reported that Moses would have needed 1500 tons of food each day!

Do you know that to bring that much food each day, two freight trains, each a mile long, would be required! Besides, you must remember, they were out in the desert, so they would need firewood to cook the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long, just for one day. And just think, they were 40 years in transit (that's more than 14,500 days - half a life time)! (Oh, and by the way, trains and freight cars were not invented for another 4000 years!!!)

And, oh yes! They would need water. If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes, it would take 11,000,000 (yes 11 million) gallons each day, and a freight train with tank cars, 1800 miles long, just to bring the water to them! (Boy, they must have been a stinky lot - 100+ degree heat, no water to wash, no swimming pools, no bathrooms....no deodorants...).

Then another thing! They were to get across the Red Sea at night (in one night). Now, if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long, and would require 35 days and nights to get through. So, there had to be space in the Red Sea 3 miles wide, so that they could walk 5000 abreast, in order to all cross over in one night.

But then, there is another problem. Each time they camped at the end of the day, a campground two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles ... think of it! This space was just for nightly camping. Do you think Moses figured all this out before he left Egypt? I think not! You see, Moses believed God. God took care of these things for him supernaturally...

Now, do you think God has any problems taking care of all your needs?

As Paul reminds us....

"And my God shall supply ALL your need according to HIS riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Phil. 4:19

God is our source - not our jobs, pensions, investments, inheritances...

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We can see God putting all the pieces into position. Each day brings more and more things being made ready. We shall not have to wait much longer to be in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace....