Without This You May be Deceived!

When I was young I followed the religion of my parents. I never read the Bible or knew much about God at all. I was very dim to a lot of Biblical truths.

As I began to read the Bible, I would get upset at first because there were verses that seemed to contradict one another. I needed God’s wisdom, but eventually I realized that I needed His discernment, too.

So I sought God for both wisdom and discernment. Without discernment, you can easily be deceived. You need to know the truth.

Solomon was a king whose kingship was described in the Bible. He was a very wise man, but not fully capable of making wise decisions until God gave him this wisdom, along with very great discernment. God knew that without discernment, wisdom alone wouldn’t help Solomon make the wisest decisions.

“Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore.” (1 King 4:29)

Read about how King Solomon used both wisdom and discernment to learn the truth about the baby in the following scriptures:

“Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him. And one woman said, ‘O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. Then it happened, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no one was with us in the house, except the two of us in the house. And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne.’ Then the other woman said, ‘No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.’ And the first woman said, ‘No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.’ Thus they spoke before the king. And the king said, ‘The one says, “This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one”; and the other says, “No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.” ’ Then the king said, ‘Bring me a sword.’ So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, ‘Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.’ Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, ‘O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!’ But the other said, ‘Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.’ So the king answered and said, ‘Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.’ ”(1 Kings 3:16-27, NKJV)

In the following verse, we learn that all of Israel heard the King’s judgment and were in fear of him, as God had given him both the wisdom (and discernment) to administer justice in this case.

We should pray the following verse:

“Teach me good discernment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments.” (Psalm 199:66)

Do not be deceived! First discern the fear of the Lord!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity; guarding the paths of justice, and He Preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice, and equity, and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will guard you. Understanding will watch over you.” (Proverbs 2:3-11)

Copyright © 2018 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics

Do You Have Your "Oil" Ready?

It’s been awhile since I’ve written in this blog, but I’ve been very busy working on my books, among many other things. I need to get them finished and published, hopefully sooner than later!

The last time I wrote a blog post, I mentioned being ready because we really don’t know when Jesus Christ will come for us. He tells us in the Word of God (The Bible) that we will not know the actual time, but we will know the season. All the signs indicate we are in the season of His coming.

Although words written many years ago can’t possibly be up-to-date with the modern advances of today, things like lamps that require oil are written of in the Bible. These lamps are rarely, if ever, used anymore. Obviously, nowadays, we can simply flip a switch on to bring light to a room for electricity instead. However, what if there wasn’t any electricity? When we have hurricanes here, where I live, we often lose the power that generates our lights.

What would you need to see the path to meet Jesus? Will we have our flashlights and lanterns with batteries ready?

The Biblical description below describes a time when it will be dark outside:

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ‘At midnight they were roused by the shout, “Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!” All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.” (Matthew 25:1-13)

Do you have your “oil” ready? Do you have enough ready? Certainly, we’re most likely referring to batteries today, but do you have enough to light the path to meet the bridegroom, who is Jesus Christ, our Lord? This is not the only thing we need to be ready. We need to have clean hearts. We need to be pure, to the best of our ability, to meet the one who has saved us. Can we go, even if we have enough light, to meet the Lord with sin and not have ever accepted Him before? When the bridesmaids whose oil was running out finally arrived back to the place where the Lord was at, the door would not be reopened. Why? He told them he didn’t know them. They were not prepared. They must not have ever repented. Maybe they never truly believed. It seems obvious they never accepted Jesus into their heart. Some things were truly wrong with them. They were not ready. Jesus knows us when we are ready to meet Him.

If we’re ready, we will go to Heaven and enjoy the marriage feast. What a celebration it will be when we get there!

We are warned to be wise. If we’re not wise, we’re not ready, and it will be too late. There will be no do overs. The bridesmaids were warned, but some were foolish. They didn’t know the Lord or had not accepted Him into their heart. They were forever lost.

The scripture tells us that we must not only be ready, but we must keep watch! What are you doing to be prepared? Are you keeping an eye out for the Lord to come and take us with Him into Heaven? What do we need to do differently?

Just like the two hurricanes, two years in a row, wreaking havoc on many homes and lives here in Florida and other locations, we needed to be fully prepared. This year is predicted to be the third in a row with strong storms.

We need to be hurricane ready. We need to be prepared for the Lord even more. It won’t be like a hurricane where we have advanced warning. Instead, we will have no more warnings other than the signs of the times, which we can see already!

So, I live in anticipation. I get ready by doing several things. I make sure that I continue to forgive others immediately. I try to stay in relationship with the Lord daily. Yes, there are times I stray from reading my Bible, but I am making a very strong effort to continue this again daily, and I wish to do so for the rest of my life. It’s so much better when I do stay in The Word! We need to stay away from sin, and live in obedience to God. It is not always easy, but I’m careful to stay away from the traps of the enemy and stay close to the Lord and His path. Even when we don’t know what direction to go, I’m certain God will show us in His perfect timing. We’ll see the right path when we need to see it. In the meantime, we need to keep praying and keep asking Him for direction while we keep doing His will, His way. Try not to stray. We must be ready or it will be too late! This is way too important not to be ready for His coming to take us with Him. Wow! What a day that will be when we see Him and we get to see God face to face. Like the song, and the wonderful movie, too, “I Can Only Imagine.”

Please feel free to comment below and share what you are doing to be ready and to be wise for Jesus’ coming. Do you have your “oil” ready? Please consider signing up today on this blog as a follower, too. Thank you to those who have done so already.

We are all human, and we are not perfect, but the closer we get to seeing the Lord, the less time we have to be ready. Please get your life in order to meet your maker.

It’s your choice to enter into and enjoy eternal life with eternal joy and no pain and no more tears. Or it’s also your choice to live in eternal separation from God with eternal suffering. Please choose wisely.

In the Bible, in Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verse 11, we are given the truth that God has already planted eternity into our hearts. Why would you choose eternal suffering over eternal life with God (eternal joy)? Again, it is your choice!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “And they [the unrighteous] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46);

Copyright © 2018 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics

Ready or Not, Here I Come!

Most of us played hide and seek as young children. Several kids would hide, while another child would wait about 10 seconds before seeking to find the others. After the verbal countdown, the seeker would yell out: “Ready or not, here I come!”
 

As we prepared for the new year, we all counted down the last 10 seconds. We thought of how we'd approach this new year differently. Did we think of how we would prepare for the things to come that are yet unseen?

There are many things hidden in this world. An image of an evil skull appeared on the satellite view while Hurricane Matthew slammed into Haiti.

When this hurricane headed for the United States next, where I live, there were many states predicted to be in its path. Nearly the entire East Coast of Florida, along with Georgia and South Carolina were initially the states in the hurricane’s predicted path. Unexpectedly, it also hit North Carolina and did more damage there than anyone imagined.

Many people were caught unprepared. The storm came very late for hurricane season. No one expected it to come so late. Usually, the height of hurricane season comes at the end of August, but we were already in October.

New residents of Florida were unaware of how devastating hurricanes can become — even far inland. For some new to the area, what should you do? Should preparations be made several days in advance of the storm warnings? Should batteries be purchased? Actually, the popular batteries were already selling out everywhere! Should you buy bottled water? Actually, bottled water could only be found if you happened to catch a new shipment at the store. Those water bottles would never even have a chance to reach the shelves before customers would snatch them up from the stocker's supply cart!

Do you realize that Jesus Christ will return for His people without any warning? His timing will be unexpected! He will catch us all by surprise. Many will be left unprepared.

Jesus told us that He will come like a thief in the night. Do you expect a thief to come in at night or do you feel secure in your home or business? Do you ever consider that day could catch us unaware?

If you are in the path of a hurricane or a typhoon, you are given time to prepare. What do you have ready? Do you think that you have time to prepare when an earthquake hits? We all know that earthquakes normally come without any warning, and you will have no time to prepare.

Jesus Christ will come whether we are ready or not. So we should always be prepared! We have been given the warning signs of His return in advance. I believe they’re almost all here now.

God has given us time to prepare for His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ’s return. He gives us time to prepare our hearts for Him and His Son. He gives us time to repent and stop sinning. He gives us time to get our house (our inner self/our temple/our body, soul, mind, and spirit) in order for His return. We need forgiveness. We need to forgive others. We need to live clean, obedient, and holy lives. We need to live righteously. We need to believe, have faith, and trust. We need to have the fruit of the Spirit. We need to be Christ-like. We need Him to help us change and become sanctified! We can’t do it on our own.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

If we wait too long, then we will not be prepared when Jesus Christ returns for those who have been saved (those who have accepted God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ). It will be too late. It will be like the unexpected earthquake that you never knew was coming that day, but knew that it would come eventually. There will be no more time to do anything. It will be like the avalanche you couldn’t see coming. It will happen in an instant.

“You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” (Luke 12:40)

Many will be weeping after He comes. Others will be cursing. People will be in disbelief, but many will also know they missed the boat. Many will try to die, but it will be of no avail because it will no longer be possible!

“In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!” (Revelation 9:6)

The Bible tells it all. Read it! Believe it! Repent from your sins! Turn toward God. Accept Jesus Christ into your heart. Seek forgiveness. Believe in God from your heart. Receive the Holy Spirit and be saved.

“Oh Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.” (Psalm 86:5)

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Every New Year comes with New Year’s resolutions that we say we’re going to stick to this year. Many will start a new diet, go to the gym every day, be more committed to spending time with their spouse or their children, or find something else to start doing differently. This year, why don’t you commit yourself to Jesus Christ and be ready for His return? Why don’t you commit yourself to reading the Bible (the Word of God) and praying? Why don’t you commit yourself to being a true Christian? Why don’t you commit yourself to being ready all the time?

“You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” (Matthew 24:44)

He has given us the signs to show us that we need to prepare. We need to get down to business and quit playing childish games. It’s time to be mature. Grow up because I believe He is saying: “Ready or not, here I come!”

Will you be ready?

“The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!” (Luke 12:37)

“He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.”  (Luke 12:38)

I look forward to His return because I know that Heaven is my home.

“... We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.” (Philippians 3:20)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” (Matthew 24:43)

Sign up as a follower on this blog today! Thank you for your support by reading my writing, which I do freely for God!

Copyright © 2016 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics.

Who is the Christ?

Do you know Him? Will you be saved from the eternal separation of the Almighty God, our Creator? God awaits your belief in Him and wants you to repent (seek forgiveness of your sins), believe in His only begotten son Jesus Christ, and offer you salvation by receiving His free gift of eternal life through Christ.

The Jewish people did not recognize their Messiah. A zealous Jewish man, Saul, who was killing all the Christians, had an encounter with Jesus Christ. After Saul’s conversion to Christianity, his “preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.” (Acts 9:22)

Saul, whose name was changed to Paul was correct: Jesus, the Christ, was also indeed the Messiah.

In the dictionary (Merriam-Webster’s), Messiah means “the expected king and deliverer of the Jews.” However, the Messiah is not only the expected King and deliverer of the Jews. The Gentiles (all who are not Jews) are also grafted into the family of God after the Jew (see Romans 1:16).

God’s way of doing things is not always easily understood. The Bible tells us that “His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are Higher than our thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

The following scripture displays Jesus as the Christ, the Lord, and the Savior: “The angel said unto them [Mary and Joseph], Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

Jesus Christ was born a Jew. He came to offer salvation by sacrificing Himself through the forgiveness and redemption of our sins to re-establish the broken relationship that separated us from God.

When Jesus was only 12 years old, He began teaching the leading Jewish teachers of the day; they were astonished and began asking Him questions (see: Luke 2 and also read Luke 20).

During Jesus’ ministry, He questioned His disciples about who He was: “Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, ‘Who do men say that I am?’ So they answered, ‘John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, ‘You are the Christ.’ Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.” (Mark 8:27-30)

Peter was correct: Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.

The scriptures explain that the Jewish leaders (the Sadducees and the Pharisees – the two Jewish sects) were strict about the laws, but on the inside (their hearts) were not right with God.

Jesus Christ would suffer and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes. They never realized that He was the Messiah, the One whose arrival they were waiting on. He knew that His own people – the Jews – would have Him killed. He also knew that He would rise again 3 days later.

Please read chapter 53 in the book of Isaiah after you read this blog entry. This part of the Bible is in the Old Testament and describes Jesus Christ who was yet to be born. This is also described in the New Testament, which is the New Covenant that God made for His people (the Jews), and actually for everyone else, too. Many Jews (unless they have come to accept Jesus as their Messiah) do not believe in the New Testament. Now, more and more Jews are learning the truth, realizing that Christ is their Messiah.

“So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have – the ones God has chosen – but the hearts of the rest were hardened.” (Romans 11:8)

“Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted His own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy – just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree – some of the people of Israel – have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. ‘Well,’ you may say, ‘those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be granted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, He will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. I want you to understand this mystery, dear brother and sister, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, ‘The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and He will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.’ Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people He loves because He chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Romans 11:11-28)

The Jews are God's chosen people. Sometimes in the Bible, Israel describes the land and sometimes Israel refers to His people.

Jesus is and always will be King of the Jews and King of Kings. He was described in scripture as the One who was to come into the House of David, that is, the lineage of King David.

For everyone who is not a Jew, praise God: “Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against Him, God was merciful to you instead.” (Romans 11:30)

Originally, in the Bible, in the book of Acts, the first Christians were referred to as followers of "The Way." I would say they may also be referred to as “followers of Christ.” They didn't actually refer to them as Christians at that time, according to scripture. I believe that "the way" is simply quite important. Why? Because Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

I have an old Bible called “The Way.” I used to wonder why it had this title until I finally read the Bible and began to get to know the Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Father, God. I pray you will read the Bible and accept the free gift of salvation. As people are giving gifts to one another this Christmas season, God offers the best gift of all!

In order to be saved: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing you’re your mouth that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10, my emphasis in bold)

God also expects our obedience. The scriptures tell us that we show that we love God by obeying Him. Are you? I have met many people who call themselves Christians, but they don’t know God’s Word or know how to obey Him. I know many Christians who know the Bible and apply it, too. Praise God!

Do you know Him? Do you know Jesus, the Christ, the Jew, the Messiah, the Savior, the King of Kings? Have you read God’s Word? If you have read it, will you read it again?

Someday, and I believe this day will come very soon, there will be someone who comes into Jerusalem claiming to be God, but he will not be God! He will be the anti-christ who will fool the nations. You need to know the Christ so that you are not fooled. Then, when Jesus Christ comes back again, you will be ready.

Merry Christmas to you and your families and friends!

We are celebrating the birth of our Savior and if we are saved, we are celebrating our future eternal life. We have been given the best free gift of all time forever. Have you received His gift yet? It’s the gift of eternal life with Him!

Thank you, my Lord, and my God! We would be eternally separated and lost without you!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: One day, there will be 10 kings who “wage war” with the beast “against the Lamb [Jesus Christ], but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.” (Revelation 17:14)

“God promised this Good News long ago through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures. The Good News is about His Son. In His earthly life, He was born into King David’s family line, and He was shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1:2-4) 

  
Be sure to read the New Year blog post for 2017 coming next month in January!

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Copyright © 2016 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics