NCarolinian

I see things right now as if I am looking into or onto a distorted, reflective surface, but there will come a day and time when I will see all things clearly. My knowledge of things is partial at best right now, but one day it will be complete, just as God knows every single thing about me. (Pritchard Paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13:12 ) Spiritually, I do feel like I am in a fog sometimes. Still, in other instances I feel totally blind. This world of darkness wants to keep you here - in the catacombs of despair, loneliness, stress, non-belief and the list goes on and on.  "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.  We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.  This makes it clear that our great ...

In speaking about signs in the latter days or end times before Christ's return for His church, Matthew 24:8 records Jesus saying, " All these are the beginning of birth pains." Then in Luke 21:28 Christ is noted as similarly declaring - "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Both of these verses refer to a time of Convergence of the signs mentioned for the End Times. The fact that the prophetic signs are associated with "birth-pains" or contractions means frequency and intensity of the signs must be accounted for as one studies eschatology. However, not only are the prophetically aware seeing the signs frequent and intense - they are all starting to converge in space and time during our lifetime. I am a Pre-Tribulationalist. I believe Christ is coming to snatch away His church from the wrath to come. In that flow - the closer I see the world is to The Tribulation Period, t...

Over the course of my life, I have been taught many valuable lessons from my parents. With that knowledge, I can't tell you how many times those lessons have helped me. The real gotcha for me is  I have always wanted my parents around at every instance where a lesson I learned from them is passed now with flying colors. At that moment of success I have  occasionally said, "I wish mom and dad were here." - or - "I wish mom and dad could have heard/seen that."  This desire for my parents to witness that successful moment is more of a reward and thank you back to them. It is not a boastful spirit but one that in essence says - "I did it the way you taught me and it worked, thank you."  Mom and dad cannot be there for every one of those moments, but of all the people in and out of this world not to grant any privacy - God is the perfect one. Yes, His presence is omni-present - everywhere at once. However, I believe God is a little more intimate than t...

I heard many great messages this weekend, but what I want to share one that has been reaffirmed. To the older generation of Christians - be encouraged, know and receive - God is not through with you and not through using you. I realize "older" can mean a different age or stage in life to different people. So, for this writing, let us assume old is conservatively 75 years of age (life expectancy in 2012 being 78 in the U.S.A.). On a personal level, just because you come to the latter of your days does not mean God lacks lessons to teach you. He is still molding, shaping, and forming you just like He is with other Christians from other generations. I understand that as we age, our bodies will limit us in how we might serve the Lord, but that should not relegate us to The Rocking-chair.  Ah, the rocking chair. It is a wonderful device for rest and relaxation, I know, I have used one. In fact, I am all in favor of periodically stopping and smelling the roses, while sitting ...

I read a saying that speaks truth - "What you allow is what will continue." Of course "what you allow" can be changed, but even after it is changed, that new thing is what will continue - so choose  "what you allow"  wisely . Revelation 22:11 says, "Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” The context of this verse is the soon coming of Christ the King.  To me this verse says - just as the tares/weeds (evil) of this world grow next to the wheat (good/believers) in the world, they both must be allowed or "let" to continue in their ways until Christ Jesus returns. The good news is that the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit that lives within the believer of Christ has held back and will continue to hold back the full force of evil until the appointed time. "For the secret power o...

Want to know the purpose and meaning to life? What you believe about the afterlife will resolve that question. What happens after death determines the purpose of life.   In Other Words - before we get to the point of death and beyond, we need to have lived our life with the personal convictions of what is on the other side of The Veil .  Our existence is incredibly fragile and swift. Death is but a breath away. Any saying, song or rhyme that promises tomorrow is a lie. Some have taken this flawed philosophy and wasted their lives away with the eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die plan to life . While each is not bad in and of themselves (eating, drinking and being merry), if they are done exclusively as a lifestyle – that life has no merit, no influence, no purpose, no meaning. Although humanity has not had many to come back from death, it was the individual's renewed commitment to make a difference after experiencing the other side that has made me and ...

I imagine many view the events with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to be an intense prayer time, the manifestation of His betrayal, and one last compassionate miracle given (healing of the servant's ear) - save the resurrection. When I follow Jesus into the Garden of Gethsemane in the Scriptures I see Jesus' submission, power, revelation, and ultimate control. The actions of Jesus in the Garden were and still are His clear message -  "No one takes it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:18) Jesus said to Pilate -  “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above." (John 19:11)  This statement was proven true just hours before in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judas led a  "detachment of soldiers" (John 18:3) , which equated to 600 armed Roman soldiers and the temple police, to arrest J...

There are some things we can't change, like the day of the week, the time of day, the short-term weather, the color of our skin, our birth family, or everybody over to our perspective. As Gandalf said in The  Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring  -    "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”   The wonderful addition is God helps us out with this decision. "Given" implies a Giver . David said to God Almighty, The Giver of time itself -   "all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16) James adds a qualifying remark about anything we receive in life, when he said, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."   (James 1:17) So, we have an Ordainer of Days who has nothing but good and perfect gifts that He desires to distribute. How do we make good on the ...

Mark 14:44-45 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead [him] away safely. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. From a study in Rick Renner's book Sparkling Gems From the Greek (pages 216-218), I will share with you quotes and condensed information of what it means to authorize God in your life. Rick mentions how the word Master in our main passage of study is the original Greek word didaskalos , meaning teacher . The Hebrew equivalent is Rabbi - "a teacher who is honored and respected because of his understanding of and ability to explain the Scriptures." (Renner, p.217) So, Judas greets Jesus in the Garden, at the head of a small army, with the title/code words "Teacher, teacher" and a kiss. In light of titles Mr. Renner mentions something incredibly interesting - "...there isn't a single occu...

If Father God had not thought you worthy of His Son's sacrifice, Jesus would not have been sent. Jesus paid it all, including the payment for betrayal. After careful observation of the Scripture and other Biblical scholars, Judas' relationship with Christ was flawed from "Go!"  So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. - John 18:3 According to a study by Rick Renner, the original Greek for the "detachment of soldiers" ("band of men" in other translations) is spira . This word describes a fully dressed, fully fit, fully capable group of 300 to 600 armed Roman soldiers that were lead alongside "some officials" . These "officials ", in the Greek, huperetas , translates to temple police officers. Plus, the torches and lanterns spoken of here are the kind that were meant to illuminate a large ar...