Tag: heaven

Heeding Warnings

On By CarmenLeave a comment

We have just entered hurricane season which starts in June and typically ends in November. Reports are already out that this year will be an exceptional year for hurricanes with a good chance for La Niña to add to the severity of storms.

Do you remember Hurricane Ian and the devastation it wreaked on Ft. Myers Beach two years ago? It was incomprehensible to many that there would be so much devastation. To this day, they are still recovering from this violent storm. Many chose to stay and ride out the storm. Some of these people did not survive because the water surge was so high.

Why didn’t they heed the warnings to evacuate?

I remember there were warnings of at least a 12-ft surge from the gulf waters. Many who stayed and survived said that they would most definitely evacuate for the next hurricane if advised to do so.

The only way to avoid such devastation is to heed the warnings and prepare according to the experts’ advice.

The same is true for our spiritual lives. We have a Master Expert who has created us, our earthly home, the galaxies, and heaven. God has created all things. (See Genesis 1)

God our Father, our Redeemer Jesus Christ, and our Counselor, the Holy Spirit, created us to have fellowship with Him because He loves us and wants us to have an abundant life on this earth and one day return to Him. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John writes that there will come a time when we will have no more pain and no more sorrows, if we belong to God.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 
Revelation 21:1-4

As much as I cherish my life in the here and now, I know that as seasons change, so will my life. I know that as I get older, my life will be different, although I am not sure how. I know that there will be disappointments and hardships, perhaps physical pain or illness that I will have to endure.

This life is not perfect, but it can be abundant. Currently, I am enjoying an abundant season of life and I thank God for this, because I have been through seasons of hardship and uncertainty.

We are told by God that He has a better life for us with Him in the future, whether He takes us to be with Him in heaven before the second coming of Christ or we are raptured up to heaven—that is, if we belong to Him.

If you are concerned, uncertain, or you just don’t agree, let me go a little further. Let’s read what God told the apostle John to write down in the next few verses.

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” 
Revelation 21:5-8

It’s wonderful to know that God will forgive our sins when we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior (the fountain of the water of life) and when we repent of our sin. To repent means to change directions, in other words, to turn away from our sin. There is not one of us alive today that hasn’t sinned, so we all need God’s grace and forgiveness and it is given to us for free.

God is always truthful and straightforward with His message. Let’s look at the last of these verses. He starts with “But” or on the other hand, for all the sinners who don’t repent and choose to continue in their sin and refuse to believe His truth and heed His warnings, these will be cast in to the lake of fire and burn for eternity. Yes, hell is real and God describes it as fiery hot and painful. In other words, these unbelievers will go into eternal torment.

I will not try to expound God’s simple truth. I know that some of you understand and believe this truth. My concern is for those who do not. My sincere goal is not to insult you, but to share with you God’s warnings. Maybe you have never heard this before, maybe you don’t believe it. Maybe you feel that God has abandoned you and allowed too much difficulty in your life. As I shared previously, my life has had its share of difficulties and pain—everyone’s has. Don’t let your troubles shade your view of God. If you turn to Him and trust Him, He will show Himself mightily to you.

The Bible is His written word, full of promises and examples of others who overcame difficulties and sin. He also gives us examples of those who chose not to follow Him and their consequences.

God loves you just as you are and He is waiting for you to turn to Him. He wants nothing more than to have a relationship with you.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 
2 Peter 3:9

I pray that you will reconsider God’s warnings written throughout His word.

As I close, I want to share one more appeal with you. Lee Strobel, a self-professed atheist, set out to prove that there is no God. He started reading the Bible to prove it false. The more he read, the more he began to believe in God and His word. He wrote a book, The Case for Christ, and a few years later a movie was made about his search for truth. I would invite you to at least read this book and maybe even watch the movie before you determine to continue in your unbelief.

Don’t be like those who lost their lives in the hurricanes because they would not heed the warnings. After death, there is no opportunity to change our minds or the mind of God. Make a decision for Jesus Christ today and freely receive the Water of Life—now and for eternity.

The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel

Book:   https://www.amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Investigation/dp/0310350034

I started listening to Christian music years ago on my long drives to and from work. I would always feel so wonderful as if God were there in the car with me encouraging me to continue in my walk with Him.

Below I have included a special song. I hope you will be blessed and feel God’s presence today as you too continue your journey with Him.

“The Father’s House” – Cory Asbury

Money – Blessing or Curse?

On By CarmenLeave a comment

I’ll start by writing that that there is nothing wrong with being wealthy because God does give wealth to people. A great example of God’s benevolence is to King Solomon. He told King Solomon to ask Him for whatever he wanted. Because he asked for wisdom to govern His people, God told him he would not only give him wisdom, but He would also make him the wealthiest king ever. See 2 Chronicles 1 for the full story. God is indeed generous.

Many of us are not wealthy; some are middle class, some are poor. We are what we are because of God’s will and also because of our own choices. Wherever we are, the apostle Paul tells us in the book of Philippians that we should be content with our current circumstances. 

Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 
Philippians 4:11-12

I write from experience that our current circumstances will not always be our future. By this I mean if you are barely making ends meet today, it doesn’t mean that your tomorrow will necessarily be the same. I remember a time when I was single and had only $5 in my checking account. I was waiting for an overdue check from the company that I worked for and I was in a state of panic. My bills were paid for the month, including rent, but it was too close for comfort. I did not always manage my money wisely in the past, but by this time I had become conservative in most areas of my spending. I had been tithing my money for God’s work and had the habit of saving money, so I knew that God would not let me down. I continued to do without many material things that others seemed to be able to afford for a few years, but I learned valuable lessons and was a better person for it. That was eighteen years ago and I can honestly say that God has brought me a long way. My husband and I consider ourselves blessed by God in all that He has given us, even though we are not rich and we still have a mortgage.

When we prioritize God, we see Him work on our behalf. It may not be right away, but He will help us improve our financial situation if we continue to be faithful. If you find this hard to believe, He tells us to test Him.


"From the days of your fathers you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the Lord of armies. "But you say, 'How shall we return?' "Would anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' "In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the entire nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this," says the Lord of armies, "if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruit of your ground; nor will the vine in the field prove fruitless to you," says the Lord of armies. 
Malachi 3:7-11

Although this was written by God’s prophet Malachi to Israel in ancient times, it still holds true for us today. If we prioritize God in our earnings, He will not only pour out blessings, He will keep what we do have in good shape. Most of us no longer grow our own crops, but we do have jobs and we have things that can break down. We have unexpected emergencies that require us to spend money. This is what God means by rebuking the devourer and not allowing him to destroy the fruit of our ground. In other words, He will keep your old car running as you prioritize Him. He will provide what you need to make it during those emergency situations. I for one can say this is true, because I have seen God do this very thing in my life. God provides for His children in ways that we cannot imagine.

All of those extra material things that we think we have to have or need can wait. It’s not that God doesn’t want us to have nice things, He wants our devotion to be to Him first. Then He will provide for us in His time and in His way. You may have heard the saying, “show me your checkbook and I’ll show you your priorities.” What or whom do we prioritize? If it’s not God, then we will miss out.

Let’s look at another verse concerning worldly riches.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for  yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 
Matthew 6:19-21

For those of us who like “nice things,” this verse should help put things into perspective. Instead of spending all our money on the things that we like and want, God is saying to prioritize some of the money we bring home—for His kingdom. These treasures in heaven can’t be destroyed, but our material things here on earth wear out after a while.

How can we store up treasures in heaven?

First and foremost, we can share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others who may not know Him. This only costs us our time to learn how and to share Christ’s saving work on the cross. If you are not sure how to share the gift of Jesus Christ with others, I have included a link below for Dr. D. James Kennedy’s book, Evangelism Explosion, to get you started. Years go my church in Miami offered this course, so I took it and it taught me scripture verses to explain Jesus’s work of salvation and gave me field experience speaking to others about the Gospel. It was certainly worth the investment even when I had to make the time to attend and spend a small amount in course materials.

Second, we can give our tithe weekly or monthly to our local church and/or an organization that seeks to help those who need Jesus and who may be poor, hungry, persecuted, and affected by wars or natural disasters. Many of these organizations not only help alleviate suffering, they also share the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, we could give directly to others that we know are hurting and have limited resources. We can even take someone to lunch who is down and out to let them know that they are loved and valuable. We can also volunteer our time and talents which can positively impact someone who needs a mentor or friendship. 

Our lives are but a vapor and how we steward what God gives to us is what matters. I hope that when I get to heaven, God will say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” I know that when I am there, I won’t be thinking about money or the material things that I possessed here on earth. How about you?

May God bless you abundantly as you seek His will for your life.

Evangelism Explosion – Dr. D. James Kennedy

https://a.co/d/bmi9wLD”

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

What Does It Mean to Be a Child of God?

On By CarmenLeave a comment

A Child of God Has Eternal Salvation

First, to be a child of God, we must surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, the Savior of all mankind. In His word, Jesus says that He is the only way to God. When we know Jesus, we also know the Father.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

John 14:6-7

In perhaps the most well-known or memorized verse in Scripture, we are again told that we belong to God if we believe in Christ. 

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Let’s also look at what the verses following John 3:16 say about being surrendered to Jesus Christ.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:17-18

A Child of God Is Granted Forgiveness of Sins 

Once we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we are His! It does not matter what we have done in this life, our sins are forgiven when we repent. Yes, we start over with a blank slate. As far as the east is from the west, our sins are remembered by God no more.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:11-13

I am sure that you have noticed the word “fear” in the above scripture verse. It may cause you concern, but no need to worry. Merriam-Webster has a fitting definition regarding fear of God: Profound reverence and awe especially toward God. If we belong to God, we need not be terrified of Him.

A Child of God Has a Relationship with the Father

God wants a relationship with us and He created us for this very reason. This relationship is unlike any other that we have or have ever had before. It is a relationship with our Creator whom we can depend on and who will never betray us. If we want to have a relationship with Him, we must have a complete surrender of the heart, meaning we walk with Him in obedience. We can tell Him anything. He already knows. He knew from the beginning of time everything about us. And He loves us just as we are. But, He does not want us to stay the way we are; rather He wants us to be more like His Son, Jesus. So, how do we achieve becoming more like Jesus? We remain (abide) in Him—we obey Him. Let’s look at what Jesus says about this.

“Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them in to the fire; and they are burned.”

John 15:4-6

One way that we remain in Christ is to ask Him for wisdom, which we are told to seek. We also get wisdom from reading His word and we are instructed to meditate on it daily. The more we read the Bible, the more we understand. If we continue to read it throughout our lifetime, we will find new treasures each time we read it. We can read God’s word many times over for the rest of our lives and never run out of new revelations. As we read and meditate upon God’s word, the Bible, we should do what it says to do—apply these instructions to our lives. This applying of instruction is abiding in Christ, living according to His will. It is not always easy because Satan will try to deceive us and twist God’s word. As I mentioned in a previous post, “Relationship with God-Part 2,” this is why it is crucial to fellowship with other Christ followers—to help us in our daily walk with God. We need others to help us understand God’s word, pray with and for us, and walk with us through our struggles.

A Child of God Receives Divine Protection

Once we become a child of God, we receive His protection. If you are a parent, you naturally protect your children. You teach your children obedience and when they step out of line, you give them consequences to help them learn that their wrong actions are not good for them. You want the best for them and you will go to any length to protect your child. This is the same for God, except that God is all powerful and thwarts the evil intended by Satan to destroy us. When we walk in God’s precepts, we are divinely protected. 

The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time and forever.

Psalm 121:7-8

There are times when we are blindsighted by circumstances in life that we never saw coming; or even times when we do see trouble on the horizon and we don’t know what to do. God’s children have hope and know that He will intervene and protect us. Today, there are circumstances we see that are a threat to our way of life and even our existence. What would we do if we had no hope? It’s sad to write this, but many people today live life without God and therefore have no hope.

A Child of God Receives Provision

Our very existence depends upon God. We can’t breathe without the oxygen that God has placed into the atmosphere. We can’t eat without the food God has provided for us. We can’t drink without the water that God sends from the heavens. We may acknowledge these facts and understand that all these good things come from God, but do we believe this about everything else? What about our family? mortgage or rent? work? education? transportation? clothes? rest and relaxation? God provides all our needs and even some of our desires as well. In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples to not worry.

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow, they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:25-34

Can we agree that God provided for us when we were babies and He is still providing for us today? If so, we can be certain that He will provide for us tomorrow. Our part is to trust Him, no matter how uncomfortable our circumstances may become, for He is with us always.

A Child of God Receives Blessings

The greatest blessing that we could ever receive as a child of God is eternity in Heaven with our Savior Jesus Christ. There will be no evil in heaven; nor will there be tears, worries, or failure. Further, scripture tells us that we, His children, can not fathom what God wants to give us—not only in Heaven, but in the here and now, on this earth.

Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the human heart, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.

1 Corinthians 2:9 

There are so many blessings that God gives us just because He loves us. I know many of you have received special blessings that God has given just to you that you cherish and I would like to hear about them.

I will share a few of my blessings from God that I thank Him for lately:

My husband, my parents who are still living in their eighties, my golden retriever Bella, the ability to work from home—and one that I never even thought to ask for—wild blueberries growing in my back yard. When we purchased our home in South Carolina three years ago, one summer day a few months after we moved in, we discovered that we had lots of blackberries in our backyard. I had a true déjà vu moment! It took me back to my childhood in Louisiana where I picked blackberries with my sweet grandmother. I remember the fun we had picking them and then later making a quickie pie with them. All I could think was wow—what an unexpected blessing! It was like a warm, cozy moment that transported me back to my childhood.

As I close, I am reminded of the great sacrifice Jesus made for me. I am a child of God; I am no longer a slave to past sins or failures.

It is my sincere prayer that anyone who reads this blog today and has not yet surrendered their life to Christ Jesus will do so today and become an heir to the throne of Heaven. 

I hope you enjoy the special song below that I have included for your listening pleasure.

“No Longer Slaves” – Jonathan David and Melissa Helser

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.