Alpha and Omega

 

Rev 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 

Jesus introduces himself in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ as the Alpha and Omega. He is with God the Father from the beginning to the end and everything in between. He knows the past, the present and the future and he directs our lives. We can trust him. 

John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

John 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Four times in Revelation we see Jesus saying he is the Alpha and Omega, Revelation 1:8, 1:11, 21:6 and 22:13.

Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 

Rev 22:13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 

Rev 22:14  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

The city is New Jerusalem.

Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 

After the thousand year reign of Jesus on the earth a New Jerusalem will descend from heaven. Will it be on earth? or above earth? This appears to be our final dwelling place. God knows what follows. It is important that we get there and the way is through faith in Jesus who shed his blood to remove our sins. He took our sins to the cross so that by believing in him we may have everlasting life with him.

Eaglewings Ministries

A New Temple

When the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem, they were to restore the walls and to rebuild the temple. The temple of Solomon was glorious and the Ark of the Covenant was in it. A new temple of lesser glory was to be built and without the Ark of the Covenant that was the presence of God.  The finished temple was no where as grand in design as the temple that Solomon built. The LORD reassures the prophet Haggai that the Spirit of God had not left the remnant people of God.

Hag 2:3  ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 

Ezra 3:12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

Ezra 3:13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

Hag 2:4  Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, 

Hag 2:5  according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 

Hag 2:6  For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 

Hag 2:7  And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. 

Hag 2:8  The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. 

Hag 2:9  The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.’” 

Zec 4:6  Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 

The promised Messiah will come, Jesus the Christ came and his glory is greater than any temples made by hand. He would put his Holy Spirit in the hearts of the remnant, the saved of Israel and in the Christians from all the nations.

Eze 37:11  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 

Eze 37:12  Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 

Eze 37:13  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 

Eze 37:14  And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. 

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 

Yes, even the dead who had faith in the Messiah, they shall live again with him. Death cannot separate us from the presence of God, for we who trust in Jesus. the evidence of our salvation is the presence of the Holy Spirit. Whether dead or alive, his Spirit seals our souls unto God forever, amen.

Eaglewings Ministries

More Love to Thee

I had a song in my heart this morning and a peace. The song was more love to thee o Lord.  Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was? He responded;

Mat 22:37  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 

Mat 22:38  This is the great and first commandment. 

Mat 22:39  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

Mat 22:40  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” 

More Love to Thee

Keep Trusting

 

2Ti 3:12  Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 

Psa 44:17  All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant. 

Psa 44:18  Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; 

Psa 44:19  yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. 

Psa 44:20  If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 

Psa 44:21  would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. 

Psa 44:22  Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 

Psa 4:3  But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. 

When the evil ones are in power, persecution of God's people will follow. The Psalmist cries out to God who is all powerful.  Sometimes he allows afflictions as a way to discipline and strengthen his people.  Those who are strong in him will not turn away from him. The apostle Paul repeats this message when affliction came to the Christians.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 

Rom 8:36  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

Rom 8:37  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

Rom 8:38  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 

Rom 8:39  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Trust in the name of Jesus, the Son of God the Father who has overcome death and has given to us the hope of everlasting life. God loves us through his Son.

Eaglewings Ministries

Hearing From God

Luke 5:4  And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 

Luk 5:5  And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 

Luk 5:6  And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 

Jesus spoke to Simon who was a knowledgeable fisherman. He could have let pride get in the way, but when Jesus asked him to throw out the nets again, he obeyed and then he made a bountiful catch of fish. When we think we have exhausted all of our efforts a word from the Lord could be a break through for us.  The Lord wants us to put effort into what we do, but hearing from God is what is needed to be successful and blessed.

When we take shortcuts, do something illegal or cheat to get what we want, then we get fearful of losing it. An example is all the security fences, razor wire and national guard troops around the capitol, congress and the Supreme court. If they had have not cheated then their fear would not be so great. The devil is a thief, a destroyer of what is good. More and more we see the dividing of good from evil. Jesus did not teach that all will get along, he knew that truth would separate people, even families. The sword of truth will divide people.

Mat 10:34  “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 

Mat 10:35  For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 

Mat 10:36  And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 

Mat 10:37  Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 

Mat 10:38  And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 

Mat 10:39  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 

Eaglewings Ministries

Hanging Out

Luke 5:30  And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 

Luke 5:31  And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 

Luke 5:32  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” 

Jesus did not fellowship with sinners to be like them, but to show them a better way; for them to become like him. Jesus had no sins and he was sent to seek those lost in sins.

Luke 19:10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

People do not hang out in bars because they are thirsty, but for fellowship and the drink makes them forget their failings. Jesus would come to these places not for drink, but to remove the sin guilt and to restore people to fellowship with the God who created them and made them for a good purpose. He gives us the abilities to work and the free will choices in a free nation. 

Do not hang out with people who seek to do evil. First, you yourself need to turn to God and get your life right. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you abilities from God.

Luke 11:13  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 

It is best to avoid people and places that bring you down.  Go to church and associate with people who will build you up in the will of God. Be a part and partner with the family of God and do his will. Be where God's love will help you grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Eaglewings Ministries

The Crowd is Wrong

Exo 23:1  "You are not to spread a false report, nor are you to join forces with the wicked to be a malicious witness. 

Exo 23:2  You are not to follow the majority in doing wrong, and you are not to testify in a lawsuit so as to follow the majority and pervert justice. 

1Co 15:33  Stop being deceived: "Wicked friends lead to evil ends." 

Choose your friends wisely. We are to oppose the crowd if they are morally wrong. The church has been silent in the past instead of standing up for what is right. If we go along with the crowd, then we are guilty with them. Be careful who you watch, who you share with and where you get your news.

Our past president will be in an impeachment trial, and knowing him, he will speak the truth even if the majority is against him. One thing that happens is the majority will try to silence those who see things differently. Our nation has laws permitting free speech, the free exchange of ideas, but it is getting to where we can only say what those in power say that is the truth. The constitution of the United States should be our truth. The Bible should be the judge of what is right and wrong. Without submitting to these then their is tyranny. We no longer are a republic, a democracy or a free people.

Eaglewings Ministries

The Destroyer

 Luk 4:9  And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 

Luk 4:10  for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 

Luk 4:11  and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 

Luk 4:12  And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 

The third temptation satan had to offer was death. So many people, especially teens are tempted with suicide, as if it were the answer to their problems; a quick escape from life.  In the story of Martin Luther, a young man killed himself and the church at that time was condemning the boy for this act. Martin Luther took pity on the boy and said it was in a moment of weakness that satan took advantage of him.  I believe that if a person is a believer in Christ that he will be with Christ forever. The blood of Jesus covers all such offenses. For those left behind, know that through Jesus we will all be alive in him, loved ones reunited because of the atonement of Jesus. This never means that we are to kill ourselves, instead we are to die to our stubborn will and to submit all to God and obey him.