Again - On Guard

It bears repeating...

I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
2nd Peter 3:17-18 NLT

There is always someone, somewhere, who is somehow trying to ensure that the Name of Jesus will not be heard. That being said, I want to go on record and to be held accountable that the Promise for Today will never be a political statement as the world sees politics, but it WILL always be about the Word of God and taking a stand for what is holy and righteous, in spite of public opinion, and that in and of itself, may cause it to appear politically inclined. When events take place that challenge or defy Scripture, or even reinforce the prophetic, I pray God will show us His Word for that time. If I have to worry about who is going to be offended by what I write, you can best believe the only One I will worry about offending is Christ.

And so...be on guard.

I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.

I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
2nd Peter 3:5-18 New Living Translation

Prayer:

Father,
           Keep us alert, ever mindful of You and what You want. Father, we choose to become less, so that You become MORE in our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Don't Say You Weren't Warned

   "Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies—no one will miss it. Unready people all over the world, outsiders to the splendor and power, will raise a huge lament as they watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven. At that same moment, he'll dispatch his angels with a trumpet-blast summons, pulling in God's chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.

   "Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you'll know he's at the door. Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out.
   "But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.
Matt 24:30-36 The Message

I remember several years ago, they started forecasting a winter storm to hit Texas and issued dire warnings - Wrap your pipes. Cover your plants. Make provision for your livestock!

We found it hard to believe with temperatures in the low to mid-60s for a week leading up to the forecast; sun shining, clear skies, no precipitation... almost balmy. However, all weather station indications were that there would be an arctic blast, possibly mixed with freezing rain and snow showers. People weren't buying it. The odds were against it. It had already snowed twice in the previous two years...for a total of three times in the last 5, when it normally only snows once every 15-20 years in our part of the country. When I got up that particular morning, it was 52 degrees. There was a beautiful sunrise. Definitely no indication or sign of any winter storm... but I hate cold, so I wanted to be prepared. After all, they warned us it was coming.

And right before I left for work, it started to rain. By the time I pulled into the office parking lot, only 15 minutes later, the temperature had already dropped 13 degrees. The wind whipped in from the north with gusts up to 20mph. By lunchtime, it was miserably cold. Thank God, it did not snow... I was surprised by the number of people who weren't prepared - they didn't wear or even bring a coat - because they did not believe the warning, although it was quite clear and had also been reinforced by our company's chief operations officer.

Sad to say, it's going to be like that when Jesus returns to take us home... only with eternally, damning ramifications. Scripture warns us what it will be like prior to His return. Are you ready for it? Have you prepared? What will you wear? Will you be wearing indifference to the warnings given in Scripture or be ready, wrapped in His robe of righteousness? Because He IS coming... Don't say I didn't warn you.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for giving us everything we need in order to survive the climate changes, both physically and spiritually. Cause Your Word to be alive in us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

A Hard Read

Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?”

Matthew 24:3-51 NLT

4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.

23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

26 “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.

29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days,

the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

32 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.

37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.

42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Prayer:

Father, 

           We praise You for Your Truth. We thank You for giving us the advance warning. Help us to see and understand what You are saying to us. Help us to rightly divide Your Word, according to Scripture. Give us divine appointments to lead others to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

I Knew It

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 
1st Peter 1:6 NLT

Yes, that IS where I finished yesterday's Promise... but it seemed like a "heads up" alert when I first became conscious this morning. Plus, I woke up with strains from Zach Williams' Old Church Choir, 'There ain't nothin' gonna steal my joy...' Then a quick, two-phrase email sent this morning from a friend and former Bible study leader, his last phrase was "keep pressing on in His joy..." Sometimes, it's like listening to the radio - you can be tuned in, but not really listening. But all three within minutes of awakening lent a whole new meaning to "out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, shall everything be established" 😊 I knew I was being warned and fortified for the day and sure enough, within moments, it began. An onslaught diabolically designed to steal my joy. 

The truth is, I have had 10 straight days of diabolically designed, and I haven't been winning as much as I'd like, but this morning, thankfully, I was tuned in AND paying attention. I am pleased to report that when the opportunity came to be ugly, by the overwhelming Grace of God, I was able to count it all joy because He had created a right spirit within me. By His grace and all for His glory! 

Prayer:

Father,
         Thank You for preparing me and equipping me for the day's battle. Thank You for making it a day of sweet surprises, full of Your overwhelming Grace. I pray again as I prayed this morning, please put Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth... In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

To See Clearly+

satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

2nd Corinthians 4:4 NLT

All of us - at one time or another - have been blinded by the sun or a camera flash or have gotten something in our eyes that temporarily caused us to not be able to see. Soap or conditioner or suntan oil - something that made it so our eyes were not able to focus or clearly see what was in front of our face. Something that should NOT be there. 

We know it. There are warnings all over the containers - "Do not use near eyes" - and then they print what to do if we DO get it in our eyes. Why? For the reason that they know many of us will not use the necessary precaution, or we will become complacent and forget to use caution because we've done it hundreds of times before. The remedy is nearly always the same: "wash thoroughly with water; see a physician" or "cover eyes and seek proper attention."

I was reminded this week that satan's tricks are just like that. He'll appear as an angel of light (see 2nd Corinthians 11:14) and so try to dazzle us with things that appeal to our worldly desires, or the oil from his snake oil sales routine as he tries to sell us a false bill of goods will splash onto us and get in our eyes and we can be temporarily blinded. Why? Because we have ignored the warnings, or we have become complacent about using the proper precaution. However, the remedy is nearly always the same - wash thoroughly with water  - the water of the Word - (see Psalm 51:2) and see the Great Physician. Or cover our eyes - stop looking at the world and what it has to offer - and seek proper attention. And when we do, God allows us to recognize the wiles of the enemy for exactly what they are...once we see clearly.

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for washing our eyes so we can see...even if You have to use tears to do it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen