Depression: King David (part three)

David ( 2 Samuel 12)

Most of us have lost someone in our lives that we really loved, and when they were gone, some of us didn't want to face each new day with out them.

King David had not only wanted to not eat but he didn't want to get out of bed after his son had died. That son was born of the affair he had had with Bathsheba after David had had her husband killed in battle so that he could be with her.

God forgave him of his sin with Bathsheba, but he still had to pay the consequences for it. When the child became ill, David pleaded with God to not let him die.

After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. The elders of household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused and he would not eat any food with them. (verses 15-17)

David's son died on the seventh day and his attendants were afraid to even tell him because he wasn't listening to them while the child was still alive and if he found out he had died, David might do something desperate. But David figured it out without them telling him and so he asked them if the child had died.

It was only then, that David finally got up and and started living his life again. His attendants asked him why, now that his son was dead would he react this way. David had fasted and asked God to let the child live, but God chose to take him, and David knew that it would do no good for him to go on fasting for something that God had said "no" too.

His life had to go on and he chose to get cleaned up and go on with it. There seemed to be, by this scripture-that he himself did not contemplate taking his own life as some do when God does not take it from them when they cry out to him in their desperation, 


David struggled with much more then just this, and wrote about them in other scripture. . He was human, after all. But, what hits home the greatest to me, is that Jesus Christ was from the lineage of David. 



And God thought David's life, no matter what he faced-thought it was important enough to add it for us to learn from today. If you stop to think about all that entails, in the last 4 or 5 sentences that I have written, it is an amazing thing that God has provided this for us to learn from. 
Sometimes our own depression is rooted in sin. But by David's example, we know God is a forgiving God and he wants us to get ourselves up, dust ourselves off and go on with life until he calls us home. I know from experience that doing that isn't always easy. But I also know that it is possible. There is help for those that struggle. We just have to sometimes look for it and more then that keep praying and trusting in God to answer our cries for help. No matter how he chooses to answer us. 

October 31, 2019 Promise: For everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected, if it received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4:4

Thanks for visiting with me today Friends. May God bless you and yours!

Depression: Jonah (part two)

Jonah (Jonah 4)

Have you ever  been so depressed that you thought you would be better off dead? If so, you aren't alone. Many people from almost the beginning of time, have been in that dark place where they have cried out to God to take their lives. When he doesn't, many have tried to take their own. Many fail, but many succeed as we know.

Jonah was one that wished that God would let him die. He had been called to preach to the city of Nineveh because it was a wicked city. Jonah was not pleased with this at all. He had tried to run away and as we know, he ended up in the belly of a fish that had come along and swallowed him up. 

He was there for three days and three nights praying that for God to save him. and then  the fish vomited him out.

How depressing that would have been to first be swallowed by a fish and then be vomited out. But, Jonah knew that God was serious about his command to go and preach to the city of Nineveh. So he did as the Lord asked him to.

God had mercy on all that turned to him during Jonah's preaching. But this did not make Jonah happy either.And why was that?

Because they were wicked perhaps and he felt they did not deserve God's mercy. He would rather see them destroyed. 

 He in fact, got very mad..And he prayed:

"Now O Lord, take away my life. For it is better for me to die then to live." (verse 3)

Jonah was angry. And God had mercy on him anyway. And yet, after that, he was still angry. (verse 9) and wanted to die.

Sometimes we get angry with God. Sometimes our own mistakes and disobedience takes us to the place that we just want God to end it all. Maybe even those things that were out of our control can get us to that point.

What a tragedy especially for those that do end their lives. Not just for them but for their loved ones that are left behind.

Instead,  God has mercy on us when we turn to him. Those things do not have to define who we are or what he can do for us to bring us to where he wants us. I don't believe it is a sin to be depressed. at times.There are reasons for depression. But we should not turn away from God and be angry with him as Jonah had done. That would be the sin that we would need to confess.  Instead we need to look to him because he is where our help comes from.It may be through our church or bible study. It may be through our friends that will listen and pray for us. It may be through Christian doctors and mental health services. It is out there and God can get us to the place that we need to get past those dark places where satan wants to destroy us. Because friends, satan is the root of our despair and God wants deliver us of it. 

And that church that I mentioned yesterday that had taught we should always be happy? Instead, they could have better helped us if they would have taught us about the people in the bible that were depressed at times, and then gave us the other side. That God can and does have mercy on us when we truly turn to him.There are answers and sometimes we just have to look for them. Either for ourselves or for those that we know are suffering with it. 

October 29, 2019 Promise:Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of the heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows James 1:17

Thanks for coming by today Friends. God bless you and yours!. 

Is It Sin for Christians To Be Depressed? (part one)

Have you ever known anyone to be depressed? Have you ever been depressed? I mean really depressed, not just the blues that everyone gets from time to time. I mean downright, stay in my bed depressed. That kind. The kind that stifles your every activity so that you don't want to get up everyday. Maybe so deep is your depression that you don't even want to live another second.

Years ago, when I was going to a certain church, one that I have told you about in other posts-we were taught that because we had "the light" on that subject, we had to always be happy. Because after all, scripture says "The Joy of the Lord is my strength." (Psalm 28:7)  Right?

And there wasn't anyone that ever suffered depression in the bible. Right? Everyone we ever read about there, has always had a joyful attitude. Right?

Wrong, oh so wrong. You see, that church I mentioned above-they failed to preach specifically on some people that did struggle with it. And they also laid on the guilt to us as a congregation,  that found ourselves struggling with it in the church.

If you yourself are among us that have gone through or are now going through depression, I urge you to come back. Starting tomorrow I will be telling you some of the stories of God's people that had problems so great that they suffered with it. For if we believe God gave us his Word so we can learn from it, there had to be a reason why this subject is there for us to learn about as well. Otherwise, if he hadn't included it, it would never have been put there. I do not believe it to be a taboo subject that means we always have to be happy or else we are sinning.  And I think it is something that we can learn how to deal with it. Because there are ways.

In the meantime, I hope you had a wonderful weekend and may God bless you this week. Thanks for coming by.

October 28, 2019 Promise: As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. John 15:9

                             

Christians Can Laugh Too!

Hello Friends. The week is about over and has it ever been busy. For today, I thought that I would do something I haven't done in awhile and reprint a joke that I found on another Christians site. I hope you find it as funny as I have.

Top Ten Reasons Why God Created Eve

10. God worried that Adam would always be lost in the garden because men hate to ask for directions.

 9.God knew that Adam would one day need someone to hand him the TV remote.

 8. God knew that Adam would never buy a new fig leaf when his seat wore out and would therefore need Eve to get him one. 

7. God knew that Adam would never make a doctor's appointment for himself. 

6. God knew that Adam would never remember which night was garbage night. 

5. God knew that if the world was to be populated, men would never be able to handle child-bearing. 

4. "As Keeper of the Garden" Adam would never remember where he put his tools. 

3. The scripture account of creation indicates Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him caught him hiding in the garden. 

2 As the Bible says, "It is not good for man to be alone!"  

1. When God stepped back from him his creation of Adam, he said, I can do better then that!" 

(source:Joke of the Day - Beliefnet)

I ask you ladies, do you have a husband that has any of the qualites in this joke. Well, I for one am not commenting. lol. Anyway, I think that whoever came up with it, has it right on! 

October 24, 2019 Promise: The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love and rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Thanks for coming by today Friends. May God's richest blessings be on you today!

God, Move That Mountain!

Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Why couldn't we drive him out?" (the demon that was in the boy. see verse 17) He replied " Because, you have so little faith. Truly, I tell you, if you have faith as small of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible to you." Mathew 17:19-20

Say What?

Wouldn't you have loved to be a fly on the proverbial wall (or rock) during that teaching of Jesus to his disciples? What must have they been thinking especially when Jesus said that they could have the faith as small as a mustered seed to move a mountain?

When have you ever had the faith no matter its size, to move a mountain from here to there. Or anywhere?

I sure never have. 

On the way to Florida, we have gone through some pretty high mountains. I could not imagine trying to climb them, let alone trying to move them. But moving them is not what this passage is really about in so far as "literal mountains."

So what is it about?

It is about the mountains (problems) in  our own life, that seem to be overwhelming and impossible to get resolved is what it means. Believe me, there have been many of those mountains of all kinds through out my life. Once I got a hold of the fact that I need to rely on God, from then on, I watched him work them out, and even move them out of my way to a life that held so much more than what it had been through prior to that time. And it did just start with a tiny mustard seed amount to get started. 

I can't not honestly say I have gotten that perfected in my life, even so. Because I am human. And I make mistakes. And surely life still is not easy some 30+ years later. But, when in doubt, I do have the option to go back to that scripture and realize that just because I can't solve my problem, God can.

Hebrews 11:1 says: Faith is the substance hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

That means, that we have have what we ask for, even when we don't see it yet. 

If we believe and trust in God, he will do what we ask. Maybe not today or next week. But in his own time, and in his own way. And you know what? As he moves one mountain out of our way on that tiny seed of faith, it will grow for the next one, because it is God that moves it and not us.

But, we have to use it. Or our mountain will just sit there. Because, faith with out action on our part, is dead. James 2:17

Is it silly to tell the mountain you are facing to move out of your way? Absolutely not! Tell it to move and believe God will do that for you, never doubting and he will move it for you when the time is right. Trust him to do it because he will when we put these things into action. 

Not that we don't have to try to do what we can to take care of what ever we are facing. For example if our mountain is because we lost our job. We can't just sit back and wait for a job to come to us. We must go out and look for one. And in the mean time, trust in God to meet our prayer by  providing the job that he wants us to have while we tell our jobless situation to move out of our way, is the key to getting it. And then what ever your mountain happens to be, watch as God brings it to fruition. Because when he does, it can truly amaze you and more than that, you will have more faith for the next one. Believe me. I know.

October 23, 2019 Promise: The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God endures forever. Isiah 40:8

Thanks for visiting today Friends. Have a blessed day! 

Thinking Outside The Box About God

God    

Thought for the day. Who is God to you? What denomination is he? Is he Baptist, Methodist,Catholic, or Lutheran? Or is he any other denomination?

Some people think their church is the only "true religion."

Believe me, this mentality has in the past existed in my own family with members of the the family that felt that they had "the light," were apart of the "full gospel,"or were above anyone that did not believe exactly as they did.

                                       These beliefs are so far from the truth and inspired by none other then satan.

So what is the truth?

It is this: There can be Christians in any church that teaches the bible. And there are non-Christians in any church that teaches the bible as well. The difference is whether the denominations are teaching the Word of God and who has accepted Christ.

God is a big God. And he won't be put in a box. If we try to put him there, he is there but only in our own minds.

In Eastern Ohio, there is a city there that puts on outdoor theater productions of the life of Christ, during the summer months of every year.  Is it just put on by one denomination? Nope. It is a community effort with churches from different denominations that believe in God's Word. They work together to put this production on for all who come to see it.

We need to stop thinking we are the only ones going to heaven because of our church affiliation. Our eternal home does not depend on that at all. It depends on if we know and have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. And in the mean time, we need to accept people, no matter if they go to the same denomination as us or not. On judgement day, he is not going to care what church we went to.

Granted, we do have to be careful about the denominations that are not teaching Jesus Christ. Some are cults and we do need to.stay far away from those that would lead us away from him and his teachings. And as we know, there are plenty of those that are willing to snap us up into their membership to teach other messages that are not from God at all.

October 21, 2019 Promise: Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Mathew 11:29-30.

Thanks for visiting today friends. Times for me are quite busy these days. I am sorry for the times I am not here. But I will not give up and plan to be here as much as I possibly can. God bless you!

PAID IN FULL: OUR FINAL DESTINATION

Heaven Our Final Destination:

Yes, heaven is our final destination. But what about our journey in getting there? Do we just live a fly by night existence? One that requires no responsibility to learning and doing the things that God has called us to do?

We are called to do good works, (Ephesians 2:10) though no amount of good works will get us to that final place that Jesus has prepared for us.  Ephesians 2:8-9)

Do we feed the hungry because we think they are too lazy to work and feed themselves. Do we give them clothes because what they have on is tattered and worn? Can we even spare so much as a drink of water for them let alone a few dollars for a hot meal?

Or.....do we actually look for those that we can bless with our time, and resources.

Earlier this year, a man shared something with us, whom we didn't even know.. My husband and I had been out shopping that day. And on the way home, we had stopped at the local Dairy Queen in our neighborhood for a sandwich and some ice cream. I went to pay with my debit card, and their machine refused to take it. I didn't know why. I had just used it not long before and it had worked then. And I knew that the money was in my account. But it was declined. I went to our vehicle to get the cash-which was about twenty dollars total,  from my husband, and went back to pay for our order. The girl behind the counter said that it had already been paid by the man that was standing there. I looked around and there he was waiting for his own order. I was amazed. We had never had this happen to us before. And I tried giving him the money back but he refused to take it as he smiled at me. Our order had been stamped PAID even before I knew it was. And he wouldn't take anything back for it.

I don't know what religious background he had to this day and have never seen him again. But it was obvious to me that day, that no matter what it is, he was doing the works the bible says for us to do in this life, on his journey to his own final destination.

Will it get him to heaven? No. But hopefully, he is a born again Christian. Because if not, the fact that he was on the lookout for someone to bless, those acts will do him no good when his time is up on earth. And it will make all the difference to him at that time.

So while it is a wonderful thing when we meet someone's need, especially to those that are homeless, or to the struggling parent that is trying to keep her kids fed, or whatever the case may be, we must remember that the most important thing we can do for another is offering Jesus to them. 

Because even before we were born, even before we knew it or him-he had paid for our way to heaven. He had stamped our bill PAID IN Full. And no matter what we do or how much we give try to give it back, it is ours to keep. All we have to do is admit our sin and ask for forgiveness and accept him as our Lord and Savior. 

And at the same time, be looking out for those that may be in need.While we travel on our way to this place that Jesus has prepared for us. Our final destination. 

October 19, 2019 Promise: I will sing unto the Lord because he has dealt with me bountifully. Psalm13:6.

Thanks for coming by today Friends. God bless you today and through the weekend!

What Do We Know About The Angels Of The Bible?

Here are a few more interesting facts about angels that we might like to know:

God created thousands of angels: Hebrews 12:22

Angels ministered to Jesus in the wilderness after the devil tried to tempt him: Mathew 4:1-11

Angels never die: Luke 20:36

Angels rejoice when a sinner is saved: Luke 15:10

Angels are in heaven with all believers: Hebrews 12:22-23

Angels have emotions like joy (Job 38:7) and longing. (1 Peter 1:12

Angels can choose to obey or disobey God. Isaiah 14:12-14, Jude 1:6

Angels are subject to Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:22

So there we have it. Just a few more things that we know about the angels that God created. Thanks for coming by today Friends. I pray that you have a blessed day!

October 10, 2019 Promise: For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

What Do We Know About The Angels Of The Bible?

Have you ever prayed to an angel? If you have, you have done something that Jesus himself never did. When he prayed, he prayed to the Father. And when he was teaching his diciples how to pray, he told them to pray this: "Our Father who art in heaven...." which of course, is 'The Lord's Prayer.' in Mathew 6:9-13.

We deduce from that, that we should not be praying to angels. Nor should we worship them. These are things that go way back even, to the 10 commandments, with number one being:"Thou shall have no other gods before me." And so, if we worship and/or pray to angels, that is breaking that commandment.

Even the apostle John had faced this when God sent an angel to show what was to come, and when John's first reaction was to fall down and worship the angel, he said: "Don't do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets so worship God!" Revelation 22:9

Another scripture says this in 1 Timothy 2:5-"For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man being Christ Jesus.

When we pray, we go to God the Father through Christ Jesus. Never do we pray or even worship angels, for like us they were created by God so that they can do his bidding in whatever way he chooses.If we pray to angels, we are taking our eyes off what Jesus did for us and putting them somewhere else that we are not supposed to.

We can appreciate angels and what they do for us, however. But we must acknowledge that they are are not the ones that answers our prayers. God does that through them.

So, if you have ever prayed to an angel, you have done what Jesus had never done himself and these and other bible passages have warned us not to.

Are there other things we can learn about angels? Come back next time and we will have to find out. Until then, thanks for coming by and be blessed today!

October 16, 2019 Promise: My enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me. Psalm 56:9.

What Do We Know About The Angels Of The Bible?

Some say that we become angels when we die. But what is the truth here?

The answer is no, we do not. Angels were created before humans (Job 38:4-7) and were created for different reasons than humans were. Some of those reasons are as follows just to name a few:

They bring messages to God's people.Acts 10:21-22
They proclaim God's judgement to prophets on the earth: Zachariah 1:10-11
They fight the wars against demonic forces: Revelation 12:7-8
They worship God: Revelation 5:11-12
They minister to us: Hebrews 1:14

Do we really have guardian angels and if so, do we have more then one?

Yes, and most likely more than one.. Psalms 91:11-12 says: For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

Some believe they can pray to their angels. But is this biblical? Is it ok to do? Come back tomorrow for a look at that question. And thanks for coming today Friends. God bless you.


October 14, 2019 Promise: Those that live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

What Do We Know About Angels Of The Bible?

Hello Friends. I have decided not to go on with the posts on Ezekiel. Those prophecies that God gave him were to warn the people of the impending destruction of Jerusalem if they did not turn from their sin. And around 589 BC, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to it, destroying to the city and its temple.

That wasn't the only time they suffered an attack. Seventy years later, it would again be destroyed. Down through history, they have been attacked many times. And in modern times, as we know-tensions are still very high there.

If you would like to read more about them, I will give you some links you can follow, at the end of today's post.

But please make no mistake. The prophesies were not just for ancient Jerusalem. They are for us today as well. Maybe not in the same context, but one day Jesus will come back and if we have not turned to him for forgiveness of our sin, we too will reap the consequences of our disobedience.

For the next few days anyway I want to go back to the topic of angels. We have already discussed the angel of the Lord. So what other kinds of angels are there listed in the bible. I will try to find out some interesting facts about them and give you one or two each day.

Today's question are: 1) What gender are the angels in heaven? and 2) Do angels marry?

1) In the bible, angels are always referred to as male. The Greek word for "angel" in the New Testament is angelos which is a masculine noun.A feminine form for this word does not exist. Those angels mentioned in the bible have male names.

2) No. Mathew 22:30 For in the Resurrection they neither marry or are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven. 

So there you have a bit of information about angels of the bible. Other questions I want to explore in the nest few days are: Do humans become angels when they die? Do we actually have a guardain angel? Why did God create them? And more. so please. come back next time for some more interesting things that we can find out about them.

Thanks so much for your visit today. God bless you!

Follow these sites for more info on the destruction of Jerusalem: Ezekiel Chapter 4 Explained and
How many times has Jerusalem been destroyed? | GotQuestions.org

October 12, 2019 Promise: For he will give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot on a stone. Psalm 91:11-12

Ezekiel's Vision Chapter 3

In Ezekiel 3, God commands him in his vision to "eat the scroll." Or in other words, to receive his word.This was a way of God communicating with Ezekiel, as his word does with us via the bible. Before Ezekiel could go to the Israelites to give them God's message to them, he had to know it. And because they had already turned from worshipping the true God, to false gods, the message God wanted Ezekiel to give them, would one day bring them destruction, if they did not repent. God knew that they would not listen, but he had to give them warning of what was to come.Again Ezekiel was told by God not to be afraid of them.

 Ezekiel 3:14  So the spirit lifted me up and took me away and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.

God's Spirit was on Ezekiel even though he knew that his people, God's chosen people would reject what he had to say,  and even though it was from the Lord. And so he goes there, to where they were living. And he waited seven days before he started preaching to them. But he was very much distressed because of the way they were living and knew they would reject what he had to say.

Ezekiel was to warn the people and if he did not, their blood would be on his hands. But if they are warned and do not repent of their sins, it is on them. Ezekiel is not responsible for what they do, once he has warned them. Even if a righteous person has turned from God, will die in his sin and what ever righteousness he had previously done, God will not remember. (verse 20) It was imperative that Ezekiel warn the righteous person to not turn away,  as they could be in danger of judgement if they turned to sin.

God tells him to go and Ezekiel does, where he again sees the glory of the Lord. (verse 23) and again he falls with his face to the ground. But God's Spirit again lifts him up. God tells him to go home. He is only to speak to those that God sends to him and when the Lord tells him to speak. (verse 34)

And this was what this chapter is about. Simply put, God is sending Ezekiel home to warn the people that impending judgement will come to Israel if they do not repent. He will speak to them, whomever God sends and only the words that God wants him to speak. He is to also warn the righteous to not stray from God.

A warning for us today even. Because there are many that are in the ministry that would lead us away from the truth if we are not careful. We are to be diligent in following only those that are truly from God. Our own impending danger would come at the end of our lives if we have rejected Jesus Christ.

And so what comes next in this vision that Ezekiel had? We will look at that next time. In the meantime, if you would like more information about what I have included here, please visit 
Ezekiel Chapter 3 Explained because there is more to this chapter then what I have provided.


October 10, 2019 Promise: For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Thanks for coming, have a good day, and be blessed!

Ezekiel's Vision Chapter 2

We are switching gears for now from learning about the angels that God created, to the vision that Ezekiel saw and what God had to say to him, the latter of which follows.

Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell face down and I heard one speaking. Ezekiel 1:28

He said to me, "Son of man,  stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet and said to me. He said, "Son of man I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people that I am sending you to are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This what the Sovereign Lord says,' and whether they listen or fail to listen-they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you."  Then I looked and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll , which was in a scroll before me. On both sides were written words of lament and woe. Ezekiel 2:1-10

Ezekiel has just seen a vision so glorious that he fell to his face on the ground. But then God tells him to stand to his feet and it is only when God says to do this is when a person can stand to his feet in the presence of him. The Spirit that we saw in the living creatures is now in him and it brings to him understanding and by his  power he is commissioning Ezekiel to a special service for him. The message God was sending was to a rebellious people.that were hardhearted.but when they saw what was coming through this vision that Ezekiel had, they would know without a doubt that he was a prophet from God. Whether the people listened or didn't listen, they couldn't say that they didn't know or hadn't heard what God was trying to tell them. But Ezekiel was not to fear what they might say or do because God would protect him.God wanted him to "eat his word" or to have it so ingrained in him that it became a part of him in taking the message to them. The hand of God had appeared to him with a scroll which was God's word just as we have the bible today. And the words on it were the mourning that would go on when his people did not heed the message that God had sent them.

 This is in essence what this chapter meant.  And it is about the same thing that God is still trying to get across to his people-you and me and the world, yet today.All too many people reject his message. They have become hard- hearted, rebellious and many are even unbelievers. Yet, his message is one of hope for those of us that will receive it. And in the end whether during their lives at death on earth, or for those that are here when Jesus comes back, they will also know that the message of God is not a fable. It is real and sadly, it will be too late for them.

What came next in the vision that God had given Ezekiel? Come back next time for a look into chapter 3 of Ezekiel..

October 9, 2019 Promise: For the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.2 Timothy 4:17

Hello Friends. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will be back tomorrow! God bless!

What Do We Know About Angels?

...and before the throne there was as it were as a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne on each side of the throne are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: The first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings are full of eyes all around and within and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

Sounds a bit like Ezekiel vision that we read yesterday, doesn't it. Only it isn't. (Revelation 4:6-9) This one was a vision that John had hundreds of years later and after Christ had been born, grew  up and was crucified.

These four creatures may not be exactly the same beings that were in Ezekiel's vision but were very similar.

These creatures are purported to not be just God's imagination to create for the visions of Ezekiel and John. No, they are real beings and their purpose in heaven is to worship the Lamb of God-Jesus Christ.

But were they angels?

Some websites I have looked at say they are. However, I could not find where it might say that exactly. And as I have said before, I am not a bible scholar at all, and there are many things that I am learning as I do these posts.

What I do believe is that they are special beings that as stated above, were created to worship Jesus. And they interact also with the 24 elders in some of the verses in Revelation, starting in verse 10 of chapter 4.

The next question is: What did God say to Ezekiel when he saw the vision he had?

That will be what I will discuss nest time. However, starting tomorrow, I am going to be off line for at least the weekend. I plan on being back here by Monday or Tuesday. So until then, stay blessed! Jesus loves you!

October 4, 2019 Promise: I love the Lord, for he heard my voice: he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him for as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2

What Do We Know About Angels

He saw four living creatures that appeared to have a human form. But they each had four faces and four wings. They had straight legs, feet like a calf and human hands under their four wings.Each of them had a human face but on the right side, each had a face of a lion, and on the right side each had a face of an ox. Not only that, but each also had the face of an eagle.Each had two wings spreading out and upwards that also touched the creature on either side of it. And each had two wings that covered their bodies. Their appearance was like burning fires of coal. When they moved, they walked straight ahead, not turning at all. Fire and lightening flashed back and forth among them. They would go wherever the spirit would go
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Then he saw a wheel on ground beside each of the four creatures. The wheels sparkled  like topaz and all looked alike. They appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As the creatures moved the wheels would go in any one of four directions that the creatures faced. But the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. Their rims were full of eyes all around them.

When the creatures moved, the wheels moved and when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still. Like wise, when the creatures rose off the ground, so did the wheels rise off the ground. Where ever the spirit went, the wheels went as well because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like a vault. Under the vault, their wings were stretched out with the other two wings covering their body. When they moved Ezekiel could hear the sound of them, like "the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army." When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

As they stood with their lowered wings, a voice from above the vault came. And above the vault, what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli and above the throne was the figure like that of a man. From his waste up, he looked like glowing metal as fire and from there down looked like fire. A brilliant light surrounded him like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. That was how radiant he was.

This was the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When he saw it, he fell down and heard it speaking.



What is this? Something out of a Steven Spielberg movie?


No, what you have just read is the vision that Ezekiel the Old Testament priest had in his day.  (see Ezekiel 1:1-28)  I for one, think that when God created these beings,  that he has sure got anything George Lucas, Steven Spielberg or anyone else in the movie industry, beat. While these creatures may seem over the top, or far-fetched to some people that don't believe the bible or think it is just fairy tales...well that vision does seem like that.


However, we have said before that God can do anything, present himself in an form, at any time he chooses. It doesn't matter what you and I think. It is what he says he is. And he is THE I AM. (Exodus 3:13-15) And who are we to say different?

But who or what are these four living creatures? Are they really angels that some websites say they are? They don't sound like anything we know about angels. At least to me, they don't.

What did God say to Ezekiel when he fell to the ground because of the glory of the Lord that he had seen?

Moreover, what does this vision mean? Was it meant for back in bible times? Is it a prophesy for today that was told back then?

Come back next time when we can hopefully learn more about this vision and the questions that would explain what it all means.

October 3, 2019 Promise: But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength. 2 Timothy 4:17

Thanks for coming by today Friends. May God bless your day!

What Do We Really Know About Angels?

Another type of angel that God created are called the seraphim. They appear only in Isaiah 6.1-3 and again in 6:6.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne: and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: two wings covered their faces, two wings covered their feet and with two they were flying. And they were calling out to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory."

What they actually looked like other then what scripture says about them, is anyone's guess except for those that may have seen them in visions as this account in Isaiah tells us. It is what God created them to do, that is most important. 

And that was to worship him. 

One thing that is interesting about these angels, apart from their reason for being, is in verse 4:

At the sound of their voices the door posts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 

These angels voices were not just fluttering about, quietly calling out that God is holy, and the earth is filled with his glory.

No, they were loudly and maybe even screaming it out in whatever kind of heavenly voice that God had given them. Proclaiming his holiness so that the doorposts of heaven shook! That had to be very loud for all of heaven to hear. 

Isaiah was terrified at seeing all of this in his vision, Because he knew he had just seen God.

"Woe to me!" I cried, "I am ruined! For I am a man with unclean lips, and I live among people with unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!" (verse 5)

He knew he was a sinner and because of seeing the Lord, he was probably in deep trouble. But, he was not without hope at all. 

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the alter. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."  (verses 6-7)

It was then that Isiah began his prophetic ministry. God needed to send someone and he had said, "Send me!" He would be foretelling the birth of Jesus Christ hundreds of years before Jesus was to come.

Before he could do that though, God showed him a picture of heaven. And Isaiah realized that in his own self that he was sinful and had no right seeing what he had seen.. The seraphim that had been giving God worship and praise stepped in to do the will of God by pressing the coal to his lips and absolving it. Christ had not come yet. There had to be other ways to deal with the sinfulness of human nature. And this was how it was done for Isaish, so that he could go on to do the work of the Lord. What does it take for you and I to be deemed holy enough to enter God's kingdom? Nothing? Everything? 

We don't deserve it. There is nothing in ourselves that  we can to do deserve it. We however, can obtain salvation only by admitting that we have sinned, that Jesus is Lord, and ask him to come into our hearts and lives and forgive us. That will reserve our place in heaven so that one day we will be able to worship and praise God with all the angels that he created and everyone that has gone before us, whose sin he has forgiven.

October 2, 2019 Promise: It is written: What no eye has seen, what has no ear heard, and what no human  mind has conceived, the things that God has prepared for those that love him." I Corinthians 2:9

Angels, heaven, those things that we only see in pictures or the movies. Man on earth has no understanding of what they are really like until we who love him, get there. Then we will know God and his creations in full glory.  

Thanks for coming by today Friends. God be with you and yours today and everyday!

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