Saturday, October 13, 2018

OCTOBER 13 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#30-10 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:02)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

OCTOBER 13  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-10  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)

Daily Prayer to JESUS    
Jesus, thank You for answering our prayers and I thank the Holy Spirit for putting my concerns before God for I know that I had been going through a period in my prayer life that I was fully aware of the danger of praying for an answer that would reflect my selfish desires so I prayed that the Holy Spirit would pray the Father for me so that the answer would be in His Perfect Time and His Perfect Will for my life. I know that I am a sinner and as such my prayers are from a “worldly” perspective and I am impatient and want things “my way” and I want them “now” — but God wants only “good things” for me and His Ways are not what I could possibly imagine and truly His Ways are BEST! Hopefully, I am now understanding a little better about my prayer life as this time I turned my need over to the Holy Spirit and I had one desire — not my will but Thine be done — and then in His Perfect Timing He has answered my prayer in a Way that far exceeds any answer that I could have imagined!!! Thank You Jesus!!!   AMEN


THE JESUS QUESTIONS

OCTOBER 13  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-10  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)      Jesus gave His disciples a list of signs when they had asked Him “what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) and then Jesus introduced a term that the modern church debates, but both sides agree that the Tribulation will occur because Jesus Himself used the term when He told His disciples: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9) Jesus completed His “List of Signs” and announced “…then the end will come.”  (Matthew 24:14) It was at this point that Jesus referred to the prophet Daniel and added a very specific detail to identifying the “Tribulation” when Jesus stated: “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place…” (Matthew 24 :15) Jesus was describing what the ‘abomination of desolation,’  looks like from Daniel’s question that Daniel had asked during his vision of the “little horn” that had overtaken the “Glorious Land” and his power had grown “up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground and trampled them. [The little horn] even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down {?the destruction of the Millennial Temple?}. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground… [And Daniel asked in his vision] ‘How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?” (Daniel 8:9-13)  Therefore Jesus is describing a future event of the “end time” when a non-believer will stand in the place of God and defile God’s Holy Sanctuary and the desolation of the Holy Place will be from “abominations”, hence the term “abomination of desolation” which will be recognized when the world sees someone claiming to be the “Prince of the host” and he will be standing in God’s Holy Place in the land of Judea offering “abominations” instead of “acceptable” daily sacrifices to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Jesus makes it clear that the “abomination of desolation” is not to be taken lightly  for after warning those that are in Judea to flee, Jesus then connects the “abomination of desolation” to the “Great Tribulation” as Jesus states: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21) Jesus has been very clear and has given great detail on “all these things” that will happen leading up to and in the “end time” and so if we refuse to “see all these things” then it will not be God’s fault because He has given us every chance to remove the scales from our spiritual eyes in order that we can answer “Yes” when we finally hear with our hearts when Jesus asks each one, “Do you not see all these things which “the Son of God” has so plainly shown us in God’s Holy Scripture!!!???!!!

Friday, October 12, 2018

OCTOBER 12 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#30-09 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:02)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

OCTOBER 12  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-09  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)

Daily Prayer to JESUS    
Jesus, You are my God, Lord, and Savior. Teach my soul to “be still and know that You ARE God”! Lord, I plead daily for Your Mercy for daily I fall short in my walk and in my service to You but continually I turn and I know You are the Great and Faithful I AM. Your Promises are true and Your Grace is everlasting. YOU ARE THE ONLY SHELTER for all the storms of life and only through belief and faith in Your Resurrection is there any Hope for mankind. I praise You and the Father and the Holy Spirit — Blessed Trinity!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

OCTOBER 12  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-09  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)      Jesus has asked another of His Masterful Questions that not only Teach God’s Truth for the “circumstance” to which it was originally spoken but His Questions are “universal” in their application — His Lessons are God’s Truth and as such are ONE and the same and both therefore ARE EVERLASTING! Jesus has been a Living Testimony to the Grace, Mercy, and Power of God and the Holy Trinity and now His disciples are about to see the culmination of the Prophecy concerning the Messiah. Soon Jesus will take His Place on the Cross at Calvary and complete God’s Plan of Salvation that was determined even before the dawn of Creation! God has spoken through His Prophets and has led His Chosen People to the Promised Land by other Prophets like Moses and Joshua and now Jesus is going to both “Fulfill past Prophecy” and in this section introduced by this Divinely Inspired Question, “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:2) Jesus, as the Son of God is giving a Divine Prophecy of the Future of God’s Chosen People which after His Death, Burial, and Resurrection will be extended to “whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but will have life everlasting” (John 3:16) Jesus has just given His disciples a list of signs that “are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8) and with these “signs” Jesus has warned all “believers” that the greatest danger in the future will be to avoid being “deceived” — for many will come and deny that Jesus IS the Messiah and will put forth a “false gospel” which will lead men away from God and back to the “doctrines of men” which is the pathway to destruction of the body and the soul — souls that are “deceived” will deny Christ and reject God and be doomed to eternal torment in hell!!! The prophet Daniel in the 6th Century B.C. had prophesied the rise and fall of four great kingdoms of the earth from a dream that proved God is in control of the world and it is God that controls the rise and fall of nations and kingdoms. Scofield wrote of Daniel, “Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy “weeks” (‘sevens’) (vv. 24-27 [Daniel 9]) provides the chronological frame for Messianic prediction from Daniel to the establishment of the kingdom on earth and also a key to its interpretation…The entire prophecy is concerned primarily with Daniel’s “people” (Israel) and their “holy city” (Jerusalem) … Two princes are mentioned; the first is named the “Messiah the Prince” (Daniel 9:25); the second is described as “the prince who is to come” (Daniel 9:26), a reference to the little horn of ch. 7:8, whose “people” destroy the rebuilt Jerusalem after the cutting off of the Messianic Prince. (Daniel 9:26)” (Taken from the Centennial edition of the Scofield Study Bible, The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright* 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. released by the Oxford University Press, New York, 2009) So Daniel had given the Messianic prophecy of the First and Second Coming of the Messiah and Jesus is now sitting in front of His disciples 600 years after Daniel wrote his prophecy and is both fulfilling the “First Coming of the Messiah” and is giving signs of His Second Coming. Jesus continues to describe how Daniels prophecy will play out as Jesus tells His disciples: “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing  in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:16-17) By Jesus quoting Daniel to His disciples He was making it clear that He was fulfilling the prophecy of the "First Coming” and now the disciples can more clearly understand or “see all these things” including the destruction of the great temple of Solomon and the end of the age. One cannot read Holy Scripture without “seeing all these things” that are first revealed to the most powerful but Godless man on the earth in Daniel’s time through a prophet of God and then read about the fulfillment of prophecy in God’s Perfect Timing as nations rise and fall on God’s Schedule! We live at one of those “special times” in history that our generation is witnessing the fulfillment of those prophecies, some of which were written over 3000 years ago and we should be able to appreciate that the Holy Scriptures document both the writing and the fulfilling of God's Plan as we watch ancient prophecies being fulfilled in our daily world headlines! Surely this JESUS Question is as appropriate today as it was when Jesus first spoke it, “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:2)

Thursday, October 11, 2018

OCTOBER 11 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#30-08 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:02)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

OCTOBER 11  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-08  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)

Daily Prayer to JESUS    
Jesus, King of kings, Lord of lords, Prince of Peace, You Alone are Worthy! I lift up my praises to Your Glory and Honor of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Lord, it is beyond our mortal understanding why the Divine Creator would create us in Your Image, endow us with Free Will knowing that we all would abuse our Right to Choose, but in spite of our disobedience that You would still provide for our Salvation that we might regain fellowship with You. Your Ways are indeed higher than our ways and Your Thoughts higher than our thoughts as the Heavens are infinitely higher than the earth! Lord, You have provided for all our needs, physical and spiritual and all our praise is due to You. My prayer is naught for me for I have been blessed beyond degree, but I pray only to be a blessing to those You place in my path. May I be a True Witness of Your Infinite Mercy and Grace!   AMEN


THE JESUS QUESTIONS

OCTOBER 11  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-08  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)      Jesus and the Holy Spirit proved by applying this Jesus Question JQ#30 to America’s historic 2016 national election that the Holy Bible IS God’s Holy Word “and that from childhood [we as a nation] have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make [our nation] wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the [nation] may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17  Surely if we as a nation want to make the world a better place we need to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work”!!! The Holy Scriptures also records God’s intent when He originally freed His chosen nation from their bondage and slavery and led them to the Promised Land as God Himself declared, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity…” (Jeremiah 29:11-14a)  These Scriptures speak to me and say that we as a nation have been enslaved to the “doctrines of power seekers” and  if we want “true freedom” and to make the world a better place with a hope and a future for everyone that we must continue to call upon the Lord! It is through God alone that we will achieve “world peace” and that “goodness” will prevail over “evil”!  Can you not see that the world is moving away from God and that the governments of the world are being gathered into a “One World Government” and this “Global [Godless] State” has as its foundation the “doctrines of men” who have distanced themselves from the commands of God via the new age with the doctrine of “separation of church and state” {{think about this: How can you have a New Age if there is not an “End Time” of the Old Age}}!?!?!?!? Why would we want to separate ourselves from our Creator and our Heavenly Father who has great plans and good thoughts for His Creation???  This point would be a good place to ask again, Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:2) and to take special note that Jesus is warning us, “Take heed that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:4) This point in time, especially as we see the world showing so many signs of the “end times”, that we should revisit the Words of Jesus as He pronounced “signs”  of the “end of the age” for surely we see in today’s headlines that “…nations [are] against nations, and kingdom against kingdom. And there [are] famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places…” (Matthew 24:7) Surely we are witnessing a time in our world like never before where “lawlessness abounds” and “the love of many has grown cold” (Matthew 24:12) as we read about all the mass murders which have never happened before and also the cold-blooded killing of the police that have the motto “To Serve and Protect” us, the general public!?!?! The world news is a perfect argument that the Holy Scriptures are “Prophetic” for only the blind can not see the daily headlines as the fulfillment of “Prophecy” and that as a nation there is only one “SAFE PLACE” in the world and that is to turn to the ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD WHO has “good thoughts toward us” and has the POWER to TRULY PROTECT AND PROVIDE and keep His Promise that “…he who endures to the end shall be saved…” !!! (Matthew 24:13) ——— again the Holy Spirit pleads for us as a nation to open our eyes and answer honestly, “Can you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:2) !?!?!?!?!?

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

OCTOBER 10 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#30-07 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:02)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

OCTOBER 10  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-07  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)

Daily Prayer to JESUS    
Jesus, Praise be to God from whom ALL BLESSINGS FLOW — Let us always remember that our “inalienable rights” are never guaranteed by any document or decree of mankind from “any culture or government”“inalienable rights” are bestowed by the Creator, and no government nor edict of man can amend those “inalienable rights” — but only by the Grace and Mercy of the Creator can they be restored to a nation, and that restoration will only be accomplished through a Repentant and contrite National Spirit that yearns to return to God the Creator and His “inalienable rights — i.e., rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws”!!!  Lord Jesus, You have shown Yourself Mighty to Your Remnant Body of Christians — Now embolden us with the Holy Spirit that Your Church can now be a Mighty Source of Healing for our Spiritual Blindness and bring America back to Your LIGHT. Forgive us of our collective sin of letting the “doctrines and traditions” of a corrupt political system establish our national morality! Lord Jesus, lead us back to Your Moral Standard in which “all men are created equal” and we will once again Trust in God to make AMERICA a “Chosen Nation” and that we will be known not as “hypocrites” but as a True Christian Nation once again and a LIGHT to the world!!!   AMEN


THE JESUS QUESTIONS
OCTOBER 10  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-07  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)      Jesus asked this Question over 2000 years ago and yesterday the Holy Spirit revealed how to apply the Truth of God to America’s recent “historic” national election for a new President and this blog from the Holy Spirit’s guiding is asking America to look at “all these things” that has happened to America as the body of elected officials have established a set of “new political doctrines” that has been taking AMERICA away from God and removing His Spirit from our heritage upon which this once great nation was founded! It appears that many Americans indeed could see that if we continued on that free-fall from God and His Moral Standard that we would have “Progressively” disintegrated into oblivion as a nation. Today the Spirit’s leading is reminding us that there will not be any “True Change” in our nation unless we do more than pay “lip service” to the “TRUTH OF GOD” but return as a nation to the Source of TRUE POWER ——— the SUPREME POWER of GOD ALMIGHTY that has established the “inalienable rights” that guarantees TRUE LIBERTY AND EQUALITY FOR ALL MEN — regardless of race, gender, or national identity. God IS the CREATOR and there is only ONE TRUTH, HIS TRUTH and only if we speak the TRUTH IN LOVE will it be known.

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Natural rights are those that are not dependent on the laws or customs of any particular culture or government, and therefore universal and inalienable (i.e., rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws). The concept of natural law is closely related to the concept of natural rights.
Natural and legal rights - Wikipedia
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I quote from Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest” a paragraph from his commentary on NOVEMBER 9 “Sacred Service” that summarizes our path back to what made America Great in the first place, and I quote: “When we preach the historical facts of the life and death of our Lord as they are conveyed in the New Testament, our words are made sacred. God uses these words, on the basis of His redemption, to create something in those who listen which otherwise could never have been created…We must make sure that [as a nation] we are living in such harmony with God that as we proclaim His truth He can create in [the world] those things which He alone can do.”   We will never be a “Great Nation” without returning to the True Source of Greatness — it worked for the “founding fathers” and since God’s Power has not diminished even slightly it will work for America if we return to God’s Great Leadership — once again the world will see America as the Promised Land! Can you NOT SEE that this is a time for America to roll up our sleeves and get busy restoring our nation to God and let Him make us a “Great Nation” once again!!!

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

OCTOBER 09 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#30-06 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:02)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

OCTOBER 09  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-06  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)

Daily Prayer to JESUS    
Jesus, Praise Your Holy Name, for that Name is above all names! The Name of Jesus is Holy and Worthy of Praise for the Great Love demonstrated by the One that was born of flesh to live the Perfect Sinless Life yet Sacrificed Himself for our sin and the One Eternal Creator God that gave a sinful world His Only Begotten Son as a Gift of Grace ——— Grace is God’s Out-pouring of His Great Love for the world that He Loved So! Jesus, You were spotless and without blemish in Your walk “in-the-flesh” to free the world from sin and even though our transgressions and iniquities are many, God has provided for the Remission of Sins through our Repentance and belief in the Sacrifice of Jesus, the  Son and the Lamb of God! O Glorious Love, to die for our sins, O Lord, I BELIEVE and I yield my sin to You, for it is no longer my sin but Your sin that You bore on the cross for me! Let me therefore through the Righteousness that You have imparted to me worship You with all Honor and Praise and to serve You in Spirit and Truth!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS
OCTOBER 09  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-06  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)      Jesus had just told His disciples about the forthcoming destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and we should understand in our modern world that if God was going to destroy the Grandest temple every built to house the Presence of God in His Holy City Jerusalem because the nation of Israel no longer followed God and His Commands but had fallen into “hypocrisy” then what do you think is the penalty of any nation that is guilty of that deadly cancer of “hypocrisy” among its leaders?  Any nation that has been blessed by the Presence of God but then embraces the rejection of God and His Commands will surely be subject to the same judgement and penalty imposed on God’s chosen nation!?! Indeed Jesus had pronounced “Judgement” on all those that no longer follow God and His Commandments but choose as a nation to follow “the doctrines and traditions of men (our ‘elected’ officials)” — men that have abused and defiled the responsibility of the offices they held that had originally been instituted at the command of God making everyone who accepted the office to be responsible to God!  It was at this point of my reading that the Holy Spirit brought to my mind the fact that our elected officials have always been “sworn into office” and it is not a coincidence that the “swearing into office” has always involved putting their hand on the Holy Bible nor that the American court systems have always had those giving “testimonies” put their hand on the HOLY BIBLE and swear “to tell the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH, and NOTHING BUT THT TRUTH, SO HELP ME GOD!The Holy Spirit then asked me, “Why would God punish His “chosen” nation Israel and destroy the temple in His Holy City Jerusalem because the nation had rejected His Standards and had begun following the “doctrines of men” and then not punish America that had “sworn so many oaths to God” but have now rejected God and His Standards and replaced the Ten Commandments with “Roe vs Wade”, embraced so many abominations against God, and have made ‘legal’ those things that were at one time in our nation an ‘affront’ to God?”?!?!?! There is no way we can enter into any “election” for future leaders of America without admitting the existence of the Living God and our national abandonment of His Standards that was so prevalent in the founding of America and was the Godly-Moral Standard of everything this nation did as it rose to being the greatest nation and power in the world! God is not dead — nor has He lost any of His Supreme Power and Authority — nor will He withhold His Judgement from a nation that continues to reject Him! He would not do it for Israel and He will not do it for America — there is no nation nor any people that are exempt from their responsibility to acknowledge their Creator that has blessed them and made them a great nation and a blessed people — America was not made great because we rejected God like we are doing in this generation,  nor can America escape the “judgement of God” and the TRUTH of GOD that unless we turn back to God and return to His Standards that we  as a former “Christian” nation will certainly “reap what we have sown”! The question that Jesus asked His disciples when He “departed from the temple” and then announced its “total destruction” applies each Election Day in America as we look back on our heritage as a “Christian Nation” based on the Moral Standards set forth by God in His Holy Bible and how can we “not see” that God is still in control and will punish any nation that has previously embraced His Blessings and Bountiful Provisions but is now so full of “hypocrisy” that God the Creator and Great Provider is not allowed in public office — God has given us so many examples for us to observe and now the Voice of Jesus, the Son of God asks a once God-fearing nation:


 +++  “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:2)  +++ 

Monday, October 8, 2018

OCTOBER 08 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#30-05 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:02)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

OCTOBER 08  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-05  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)

Daily Prayer to JESUS    
Jesus, all days are Your days for all Eternity is Yours and all that is in it, but Lord Jesus this day my Spirit is leading my soul to give this day as a “Special” day to worship You in a “Special” way! Lord Jesus, I do not want to think of the world but of what You are and Your Glory for You Lord Jesus are Worthy! Lord, neither the world nor my worldly life in the flesh would have even the smallest meaning without You and the Love of God being poured out on us in such a blessed way. Lord, I trust in You to lead me by the Holy Spirit to do the kingdom work You would have me to do so Lord, let me on this day especially think only thoughts of You and Your Glory that I might truly worship You in Spirit and in Truth!   AMEN


THE JESUS QUESTIONS

OCTOBER 08  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-05  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)      Jesus was asked by His disciples to give them a “sign” of “[His] coming [again]”  and “of the end of the age” which was probably prompted by Jesus announcing as they left Jerusalem heading to the Mount of Olives that “not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down” indicating that the Great Temple built by Solomon was going to be totally destroyed! (Matthew 24:1-3) By this time His disciples had been with Him almost 3 years and had seen Jesus perform miracle after miracle, heal the lame and the blind, cast out demons, resurrect the dead, and not once had Jesus declared anything but the glory of His Father in heaven! So the disciples knew by now that Jesus had come to do the will of God and to return the nation to worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who had led them out of bondage in Egypt and had by His Mighty Hand delivered them to the “Promised Land”, so if Jesus said the temple would be destroyed, they knew full well the temple and all its grandeur would be destroyed!  The nation of Israel had built their existence around this temple of God built by Solomon in Jerusalem and now that Jesus was telling them that God is going to remove His Presence and the temple will be destroyed that the disciples were thinking that surely this was the end of an age! Jesus has repeatedly told them that He would be betrayed in Jerusalem and that He would die there but Jesus always added that even though He would die, that on the 3rd Day He would be “resurrected” and perhaps this was what the disciples were asking in terms of “Your coming [again?]” — Jesus has been telling His disciples all along that the “Judgement” was coming — at this time Jesus is still alive and therefore everything He is telling them about the future is “prophetic” so the disciples are now trying to get a handle on His leaving and what to do without a temple made of stone? Jesus begins His Olivet Discourse with a warning that others will come saying, “I am the Christ” and "deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5) then Jesus starts making a list of “signs” of the “end of the age” and His “Coming Again”. The list of “signs” started with (1) others coming claiming they are the Christ, and then Jesus continued, (2) “there will be wars and rumors of wars” and Jesus added “See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass…” (3) “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (4) “there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places” and again Jesus added, All these [things] will be the beginning of sorrows.” (5) “they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” (6) “many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another” (7) “many false prophets will rise up and deceive many”  (8) “lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold”, but before Jesus announces the last sign He gives them this encouragement: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” then Jesus concludes the signs with (9) “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and THEN the END will come.” (Matthew 24:4-14) I cannot read this list without thinking about the state the world is in right now which makes me believe that any day now the last person to be added to the kingdom before the “Tribulation” begins will be preached “this gospel of the kingdom” and then the END WILL BEGIN! Everything on this list of signs has happened in the past generation and surely the END could happen with THIS GENERATION — I know its a good time to stop and listen to the ONE who gives HOPE and promises that all who “endures to the end shall be saved” — or you can listen to those preaching death and hate — it’s your “Choice”!?!?!

Sunday, October 7, 2018

OCTOBER 07 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#30-04 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:02)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

OCTOBER 07  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-04  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)

Daily Prayer to JESUS    
Jesus, Lord of lords, Savior, Redeemer, the Good Shepherd, King of kings, praise be to the One that came in the Name of the LORD and became the Sacrificial Lamb of God. The Only Begotten of the Father that became flesh and dwelt among us not as a conquering king but as an innocent Babe who grew up as we grow up, who was tempted by the world as we are tempted yet Jesus did not yield to temptation but was obedient to the Father even unto death on the cross to complete the Plan of Salvation. Lord Jesus we know You LIVE today for You are still changing lives and resurrecting those dead in their sin to a New Life in Christ — we praise Your Holy Names and bow before You with a Repentant Heart seeking both Your Mercy and Your Grace. Lord, I anxiously await the appointed day when I stand face-to-face with the One that gave His Life for mine. Even so, Come LORD Jesus!!!     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

OCTOBER 07  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#30-04  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#30 “Do you not see all these things?”  (Matthew 24:02)      Jesus starts His Olivet Discourse on the Mount of Olives after He and His disciples had left Jerusalem just after Jesus had pronounced the “Seven Woes” against the scribes and Pharisees because their “hypocrisy” had become a deadly cancer which had infected the whole nation of Israel! Jesus entered the City on Palm Sunday and demonstrated His Messiahship after His Triumphal Entry when He went straight to the temple and restored it to a house of prayer as it was intended by God where Jesus began immediately healing the lame and the blind that came to Him in the temple. But now several days later, “Jesus went out and departed from the temple” (Matthew 24:1) and when the disciples stopped and looked back at the temple buildings that were among the greatest structures in the world, Jesus asked them, “Do you not see all these things?” (Matthew 24:2) then Jesus told them that the grand temple and all its buildings would be utterly destroyed and “not one stone shall be left here upon another…” which was a complete shock to His disciples for the nation’s identity was this grand temple in Jerusalem! As they left the city I am sure the disciples were silent and were contemplating their lives without a temple in the City of David! Once they arrived at the Mount of Olives they approached Jesus and began to question Him about His comment for they knew that Jesus “spoke” and things happened just like He said they would — and there were NO EXCEPTIONS! (Matthew 24:1-2) His disciples asked Jesus, “Tell us, when will these things be?…” which started Jesus on His Olivet Discourse in which He started with a warning, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying. ‘I am the Christ’, and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:3a-5) Jesus then started answering the other questions asked privately by His disciples, “…And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3b) Just by looking at the disciples questions we can assume that Jesus has been talking to them about two very specific events that will happen in the “future”: (1) Jesus is going to “Come again” for the disciples are sitting talking to Jesus and asking “What will be the sign of Your coming…” and (2) Jesus has talked about the “end of the age” for the disciples used that very phase when asking for “signs” to know also when the “end of the age” was coming? Just the fact that the disciples are asking these two questions about the “future” is a Lesson we often miss, the Truth of God is that He has a Plan and that God always tells us what is required of us — then God “provides” whatever tools and information that are necessary for us to complete the task or instructions He has given us! The disciples could not have come to the knowledge that Jesus is “coming again” or that the “age is coming to an end” without getting that information from God! This is information that God revealed through the Holy Spirit to the disciples like when Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” and the Holy Spirit revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Son of God: “Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” and Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15-17) So now that Jesus has told them the temple would be destroyed, the disciples were certain that Israel’s golden age was drawing to an end. Jesus had already mentioned several times that in Jerusalem that He (the Messiah) would be “betrayed into the hands of men and killed” (Matthew 17:22) so if His death as the Messiah was imminent then His “coming again” as the Christ would certainly be a miracle performed by God the Father Himself for His Son Jesus Christ!!! This is something that each of us should keep foremost in our daily lives and our daily thoughts: (1) Jesus IS Christ, the SON of the LIVING GOD and (2) Jesus came once and died for our sins and Jesus IS “Coming Again” and (3) we should all “Take heed that no one deceives [us]” Remember, “The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand.’” (Isaiah 14:24) and “So shall My WORD be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) Remember the words of Jesus at the beginning of His Lessons, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)