Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. – 2 Timothy 4:8 Psychologists tell us that anticipation, which is the opposite of surprise, is an emotion with marvelous healing powers. Can you imagine a world without anticipation? How would you feel with nothing to look forward to? Welcome to non-Christianity. Without Christ, there’s no ultimate anticipation. There may be momentary prospects and incremental excitement, but lasting expectancy is missing. Everything is different for Jesus followers! Our best days are ahead of us,…

For what is our true hope, our true joy, our crown of rejoicing in all this? It is nothing if it isn’t you standing before our Lord Jesus the Anointed at His arrival. – 1 Thessalonians 2:19 Have you every received a trophy, a medal or even a diploma? How many weeks, months or years of dedication, hard work and determination did it take to accomplish the task? How great did that make you feel? No doubt you decided long ago that the prize would be worth any effort required to obtain it. Now imagine putting all that time, effort and devotion into seeking the lost souls in this world and sharing the Good…

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. – Luke 15:10 I have been participating in a study of the end times and came across a story that goes with the judgement and rewards that we will receive when we meet Jesus. The story goes like this; There is an old tale about three men crossing the desert by camel at night. As they were crossing the desert, a voice came out of the darkness. The voice commanded them to dismount, pick up some pebbles, and put them in their pockets. The voice said, “At…

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge…

They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might. 2 Thessalonians 1:9 I am currently working through a bible study about the signs of the end times. It’s fascinating and amidst all that is going on in the world today, it is giving me peace. Peace because I know the One who is truly in control. Peace because I know the One who has provided revelation and warnings. Peace because I trust Him. One thing that is very clear in the study of end times is that there is a heaven and a hell. We try to imagine…

In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light. – Ephesians 5:8 I have always enjoyed looking at stained glass windows in cathedrals and old churches. The details that are displayed are remarkable. Many windows in cathedrals depict bible stories such as the nativity, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. They display the stories in the most amazing colors both inside and outside of the buildings. Many people are drawn to these iconic structures to take in the beautiful images produced by the light that passes through them. This week I came across…

 Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. – Nehemiah 8:10 I was waundering around a store in the mall the other day trying to find something that would boost my spirit and help motivate me. To my great surprise I found it or rather it found me. While looking through a display of summer clothes I heard my name being called. When I looked up it was my dear friend Molly. She looked like an angel as she walked towards me with wide open arms and her face shining with excitement. Her hug was one of those that you don’t want to end and I could feel her love for me…

Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. – 2 Peter 3:9 I was scrolling through some news feeds today and one headline caught my attention. It said, “World’s wealthiest man, Elon Musk, rejects salvation and prefers to end up in hell, ‘just like the vast majority of the earth’s populace.'” The article showed a social media post between…

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. – Acts 1:8 My day started by reading a short devotional about how unlikely it was that Jesus called the men He did to be witnesses for Him. Some thought they were better than others, some were loud and could be obnoxious. All of them deserted Jesus and experienced fear, yet Jesus still called them to be His witnesses. These same men became bold witnesses, messengers of The Truth and martyrs for Christ. What changed? The Holy Spirit working in…