DUSTY CLAY POTS For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” —Genesis 3:19 “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him” (Jeremiah 18:4). “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” (Romans 9:21). Wow! We are but dust and to dust we will return. And yet the Lord God Almighty shapes us into the vessel He desires. We are His handiwork— like “earthen pots, the work of…

2017 IS UPON US! And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. — Genesis 3:15 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.” — Malachi 4:5-6 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! — Revelation 22:20 The…

DIAMOND HARD They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. —Zechariah 7:12 Hard hearts will not hear the Word of God. They are like the hard-hearted person in Matthew 13:4, 13 that “hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.” Diamond-hard is so very hard. Examples of softest to hardest (1=softest, 10=hardest): 1- Talc 2- Gypsum 3-…

CHRISTMAS— THE BEGINNING OF THE END “It is finished!” —Revelation 16:17 Jesus existed from eternity past with His Father (John 1:1; John 17:1-5). Then at Christmas we celebrate Jesus’ coming to earth as a baby— “Immanuel– God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He lived on this planet for 33 years as “the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (I Peter 1:19). Then He “died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3-4). Over a period of 40 days after His resurrection He appeared to many (Acts 1:3; I Corinthians 15:5-8) and then “he was…

PERSEVERE! This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. —Revelation 14:12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGt0bAAg09c Yes, Jesus told us there would be tribulation in this world (John 16:33). It is a fallen world. We are in spiritual warfare. As the world hated Jesus so it is also bound to hate us for His Name’s sake— “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me (Matthew 24:9). Satan also hates God’s people (I Peter 5:8). So don’t be surprised by it. As followers of Jesus we are to…

TRUST THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue his foes into the darkness of night. Why are you scheming against the Lord? He will destroy you with one blow; he won’t need to strike twice! —Nahum 1:7-9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dR0H0tAYT8 Are your thoughts like these? — “I trust in you for salvation, O Lord!” (Genesis 49:18); “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” (Psalm 9:10); “The helpless put their…

BE WELL DRILLERS OF THE HEART! The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. —Proverbs 20:5 Discipleship! It is deep water that many do not want to wade into, unfortunately. Those who have never been discipled probably have never been encouraged to consider the depths of purpose-counsel- plan the Lord has placed in their hearts. Their heart is an untapped aquifer waiting for someone to draw it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1zssqmQSIM How about you? Have you ever been discipled? Have you ever allowed a fellow follower of Jesus who is a few steps ahead of you to encourage you, to draw…

WAR They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. —Micah 4:3 What a joy this will be when nations do not have militaries that train for war anymore. This is the hope of the world. Many people talk about being able to have peace on this planet and no war. But, it will not happen until the Lord God Almighty brings it to pass. Sinful man will never have peace until it is brought in by the Prince of Peace. The terrible destruction that one nation can bring on another nation today is…

GODLESSNESS But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts. —Revelation 9:20-21 After 1/3 of mankind dies in these future three plagues people will still refuse to repent and turn to God. They would rather worship demons, murder, practice witchcraft, be involved in sexual immorality and rob. How sad is that? This will happen in the…

SAVED! Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb! —Revelation 7:10 A man fell through the ice into the water and could not get out. Every time he tried to get back on the ice it broke off and he could not get himself out. It did not look good. He would not survive long in the icy cold water. Fortunately for him another man was passing by and saw what was happening. This man had a rope in his truck and threw it to the man and pulled him out to safety. If it wasn’t for this man coming by at that exact…