Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: KJV

I am sure that the good work God began in you will continue until he completes it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again. ERV

pictures thanks to policelink.monster.com

picture thanks to kingjamesbibleonline.org

Thomas Duncan dies...

This from CNN .. link to complete story here - Ebola patient dies

Thomas Duncan dies:

Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, died Wednesday, 10 days after he was admitted to Dallas' Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. His family wonders whether the outcome would have been different if doctors had admitted Duncan to a hospital on September 25, the first time he showed up with a fever and stomach pain.

Duncan's family has criticized the care he received. The Dallas hospital that treated him says staff members did everything they could.

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Some further thoughts of life and death to consider.....

We are moving from the temporary to the permanent - to the Eternal place.
In dying we leave our temporary bodies.
Death is not pleasant, but we must view it as a doorway to our eternal destination.
It changes our attitude - where we are going.
Our goal in life is not dying but we must remember that in dying we get our upgrade.
Verse 2 from our text -  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven

Getting older and dying is not pleasant but we see death as a doorway to heaven.
We are focused on our destination - not so much on the journey.

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Some time ago  we had a guest speaker in our church. Name is Allen Kehler. He spoke on 2 Corinthians 4:18 - 5:10.


Here is a summary of his sermon.


 Pastor Kehler started his sermon by showing a picture of a Coffee Crisp bar on the large screen. Then he proceeded to show us a real Coffee Crisp bar, he unwrapped it and took a bite. Coffee Crisp bars are really delicious and at this point everyone in the congregation is wishing he or she were eating one too! This all played perfectly into his sermon.



We Live By Faith - Not By Sight

Why go for the picture when you can have the real!!

The Coffee Crisp bar was real, why would anyone go for the picture when you can have the real thing?
We become blinded by what we see, when we can have the real.

What are we living for?
Often we are blinded by what we see and fail to get the real! We need to live for the real - the eternal
Verse 18 from our text -  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

We see that the unseen is actually the real - while what we see is actually temporary.

In your daily life you choose to travel from point A to point B.
You need to follow directions and may use your GPS.
*GPS uses satellite
*the satellite sees me
* and knows where I am going

In our lives we also need direction as we live by faith.
Sin makes us directionally challenged.
*God is our Guide
* He gives us a new starting point through the cross and providing the Holy Spirit to reside in us
* Our destination is Heaven - God guides us to our new destination!

You can be sure that with the Lord - YOU WILL ARRIVE!

Too often we allow things around us to block us from seeing our eternal destination!
Verse 16 from chapter 4 -  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

We are moving from the temporary to the permanent - to the Eternal place.
In dying we leave our temporary bodies.
Death is not pleasant, but we must view it as a doorway to our eternal destination.
It changes our attitude - where we are going.
Our goal in life is not dying but we must remember that in dying we get our upgrade.
Verse 2 from our text -  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven

Getting older and dying is not pleasant but we see death as a doorway to heaven.
We are focused on our destination - not so much on the journey.

The Holy Spirit has been given to us.
To live is Christ - to die is gain!

Many preachers today preach the health and wealth gospel. It is a false message. It is not based on faith.
In this life we are burdened and we are groaning - we look forward to the permanent. We have the Holy Spirit living within us. We walk by faith not by sight.

God has not abandoned us!
Verse 5 from our text -  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 

This is eternal. The Holy Spirit is deposited in out hearts.
We walk by faith.
We want the real - not just a picture.
We live by faith - not by sight!

Verses 8-9   We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

We long for Jesus to come and get us!

Verse 10 -  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

We have an appointment with our Savior. Keep focused to live for Him and He will reward you!

We know the most meaningful words will be " WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!"

Stand up and be counted as a Christian in your school.

Forgive people who hurt you.

Pray and read your Bible.


No matter how it looks on the outside - We live by faith!

Psalm 13:3 - Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Daniel 12:2 -And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt

Ebola Spreading

photo thanks to CNN

Ebola in the USA link to story ....   Dallas Ebola Patient in Critical Condition








Draw Near to Our Heavenly Father

Psalm 101:6  Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
I have titled this post "Draw Near to Our Heavenly Father ".  I have written some posts here on my blog about my earthly father and I would encourage you to read them in the archives.
Our Heavenly Father is the perfect Father. Some of us have had earthly fathers who reflect some of the character traits of our Heavenly Father while others who read this may never have known a father who loves. Our Heavenly Father loves and cares for you and all that is true of His love for me in my life is available to you also.
The love of our Heavenly Father is a love that allows circumstances into our lives that are going to build our character and give us the opportunity to become more like Jesus. This kind of love is not always pleasant and includes the love of discipline.
God is my Father. He is my Father because I have become His child through salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. As my Father, He is my Protector. His watchful eye is upon me to guard me against the evil intentions of those who would hurt me. His watching eyes see what is happening to me.
Proverbs 5: 21  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.
My Father loves me and will not give me unhealthy or useless things when I beg for them - simply because Father knows best. He has a goal in mind for me and since I do want that which He has planned for me, I choose to line up my desires and wishes with that which He decides is best for me.
I trust my Father. He wants only what is best for me. When He says "Don't do that" - it is for my own good and to keep me from getting hurt.
He disciplines me. I want that discipline because even though I may not like it, I do want to be in right relationship with my Father so I want to learn to live to please Him. He disciplines those who mistreat me - just because I am His child. When and if I am mistreated by other people, my Father sees it, He knows what is happening at all times because He has His eye on me.
He comforts me. My cares are His cares. When something bothers or troubles me, I can tell my Father. He is always available to me, listening to me when I talk with Him and responds to my questions.
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
He provides for me. He is my Father. I can depend on Him to supply every need in my life. He sees my needs and provides for me.
My Father is always with me. He has promised to never ever leave me so I am never alone and not afraid.
Hebrews 13 - for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
It's not about me - It's about bringing glory to His Name.  I am available to my Father - I want to be useful to Him - work in His kingdom and bring glory to Him. I hope and pray that through my life, my Father will further His plans for others in this world.
In His Will, For His Glory, To be used by Him is my prayer. Nothing happens by chance. The Lord God Almighty is my Heavenly Father.

You ask - How can I have this Heavenly Father in my own life? There is only just one way and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus died on the cross to save us and to bring us into relationship with God the Father. While we are living in sin, we cannot be in relationship with the Heavenly Father simply because He is Holy and cannot tolerate sin in His presence. But He provided the way for us  when He sent His only begotten Son - the Lord Jesus Christ to earth. Jesus came as a baby born in Bethlehem, showed us how to live and then died on the cross for our redemption. He  died on the cross. was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. He ascended into Heaven to the right Hand of the Father but the Holy Spirit is available to us to live within us.  Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved today.
John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.