The Agonizing Question

I figured since I am periodically bothered with the question that I will address in today's thoughts, perhaps you too are troubled with similar questions.  I am sure that my slant on the subject and Bible truth concerning the matter will help alleviate your doubt and/or despair. 

Before dealing with the question itself, I want to take you on a quick journey to explore the topic of faith, hope and charity, and tie it in later with the question that buffets me. 

When a person makes up their mind to live for Jesus rather than merely existing without Him in the routines of life, this step of faith is the first step to abundant living.  It is a walk of faith; not by sight.

I did not have to be at the tomb where Jesus was buried to visually see that He rose to life on the third day after being crucified on the cross for our sins.  I accept it by faith and believe that God indeed raised Him from the dead, because the Holy Bible tells of this epic truth.  Our hope of eternal life in heaven is based upon this event. 

The salvation of one’s soul is through Christ alone and none other.  It is the substance of that which is hoped for, while experiencing, firsthand, the evidence of things not seen.  This is exactly what faith is all about.  Without faith there is no hope.

Believing that God’s Word is truth embodies our faith in God.  It is totally within our aptitude to trust that He protected the Bible from any errors for our benefit and gain.  Trusting that the content therein is the inerrant Word of God is faith at work.

I was set free from the bondage of sin in my mid-twenties when I asked God to forgive me of my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.  He did exactly that.  But you may ask, “How do you know for sure?” 

There was no doubt in my mind that something wonderful happened that day.  The burden of sin that was crushing me transferred to the Lord, because He chose to carry it.  His great love for me made it possible to cast the heavy load I was carrying upon Him.  I remember taking a deep breath and saying with excitement, “I can breathe!”

(Psalm 55:22), “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

My personality changed; I had a smile on my face; and no longer were my desires centered on wrongdoing, because I wanted more of Jesus who set me free.  I felt the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  It was at that moment I took the deep, cleansing breath of freedom.

(1 Peter 5:6-9), “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,” vs.7 “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”  vs.8  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  vs.9 “Resist him, steadfast in the faith…”

My experience of the “new birth” was indeed real and my friends could see the difference in my countenance, disposition, and attitude.  Upon leaving the sanctuary of my bedroom where I knelt to pray the sinner’s prayer, Satan immediately began harassing me with the question pertaining to this writing:  “How do you really know you’re saved and going to heaven?” 

This question troubled me deeply.  The more I gave ear to the father of lies the more agonizing the question became.  While reading the Bible I learned that if I resisted the devil he would leave me alone, so I put God’s Word to the test, and it worked!

(James 4:7), “Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” 

God strengthened my faith the more I read His Word.  I was pleasantly surprised with (Romans 10:17) that faith actually becomes stronger when we read the Bible.

(Romans 10:17), “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

If Satan is causing you to doubt your “born-again” experience and tells you that heaven is not for you, just resist him and he will go away.  Yes, he’s going to return sometime in the future to test your faith again, but the Bible says that God is greater than the devil.  We need not concern ourselves with his lies and deceitful claims. 

(1 John 4:4), “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 

My mom always pleaded the blood of Jesus when the devil was on the offensive, because there is all power in His blood.  The blood He shed on the cross made it possible for you and me to enter heaven.  This is the promise of God, which is the hope of every Believer.

Before coming to Christ, I wasted many years refusing His outstretched hand through the efforts of people that tried to share with me the good news of God’s grace and mercy.  I did not want it or desire to hear about it.  Change was not for me, because I thought I was happy with the statuesque of living life.

Actually, I was running from God, while looking for my niche in society without committing my self-serving character to Him.  But it wasn’t working.  Though I had ample money to buy most anything I wanted, there was still something missing inside me. 

Girlfriends and the popularity of my peers became less meaningful, while the value I placed in these relationships fell to a superficial and trite state of decline.  Nothing was working to fulfill the longing of my inner being; my soul.  All was vexation of spirit. 

So when Satan bangs at my heart’s door with the question, “How do you know you’re going to heaven?” I plead the blood first and then think back to how miserable I use to be and the filth that I was involved with prior to becoming a child of God.  Then the peace of God comes and dispels all doubt.

It is amazing how unstable I had become and how far adrift from the sense of belonging that I wanted so badly.  It was beyond my reach until I gave my heart to Jesus.  Though I was out of sorts with God, He continued His quest to make me His son. 

I am thankful that He didn’t give up on me when fame, fortune, and status were all encompassing.  Jesus saved me from a negative state of mind and the tailspin that I was in, of which I could not correct on my own.

When my mental instability was collapsing and I was at rope's end of self-sufficient living, and the fanfare of parties and other entertainments failed to bring peace, Jesus was waiting patiently for me to take His hand when I was going down for the third time.  He is our only hope for survival in a world having no peace and lacking hope.

(John 14:27), “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” 

So when the agonizing question I referred to in the title brings fear and uncertainty that heaven is outside our reach, STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN to what the Holy Spirit is telling you through God’s Word.  It will deliver you from any doubt that you have, because the Bible is alive in truth, which sets at liberty those that are tormented by the devil. 

(1 John 4:18), “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

When an individual surrenders their will unto God they are made perfect in love.  This act of faith gives them entitlement.  They become a child of God and joint heirs with Christ. 

When we accept Jesus as Lord, He saves us from the punishment we deserve.  Though I know this, a battle of the mind still ensues, because Satan wants to dissuade me from the things of God, but I stand with my feet firmly planted in faith.

The truth of God’s Word puts Satan to flight, especially the scriptures dealing with son ship and the chastisement of God.  They support the certainty that I am heaven bound, because my heavenly Father, in love, convicts me of sin just as I corrected my children when raising them in order to bring out the good when disobedience wanted to raise its ugly head. 

(Hebrews 12:5-8), “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:”  ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;’ ” vs.6 “ ‘For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’ ” vs.7 “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?”  vs.8 “But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.” 

God gives sinners the faith to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead.  That is exactly the amount of faith a person needs to become a Christian.  I did not have to see the nail scared hands and feet of Jesus, nor the wound in His side to believe that He died for me.  The Bible declares it and I believe it—such is faith.

Faith increases the more we read the Bible, which gives us more power to resist the devil.  Questions will become less and less a problem when more and more of God’s Word is hidden in our heart.    

Faith pleases God.  Those patriarchs in the Bible, men and women like you and me, exercised faith, which are examples to us of the willingness of an omnipotence God to intervene when all else fails.  We must strive to live by faith and not by sight.  As we do this, agonizing questions will flee; dispelling all doubts and fears.

(Hebrews 11:6), “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a re-warder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Blood-red Moon

I do not pretend to understand or grasp the ins and outs of dreams and their purpose, but I do know they have caused my spirit to rise up, take notice, and make improvements in my life depending on the content of the dreams.  

As a side note, compare this to television, which is not worth watching these days; movies with ratings not fit for family viewing; and the liberal news media that sanctions all that is unholy and anti-Christ.  These platforms fail to stimulate people in positive ways.

It is disgraceful to see how low that ‘so-called’ entertainment and American values have plummeted from the moral standards on which this great nation was founded—God’s principles.

There is just something about meaningful dreams that intrigue me more so than the snippets of filth shown on T.V. Ads.  Shamefully, most of the programs are deplorable and unacceptable.  Thank goodness for a DVR so that I can skip over them and record shows, which are wholesome in nature; though in short supply. 

To parallel some of the above thoughts, I have learned that possessions, assets, and the like cannot provide lasting satisfaction or peace.  Money, in particular, and what it can buy, fails to enrich spiritual growth or inspire my ability to improve relationships with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

We need things in our life that give hope and a sense of well-being that encourage true contentment; not momentary pleasures that quickly fade away.

In my preadolescent years and earlier, I remember my mom telling me that if I shared a dream before eating breakfast that it would come true.  So if I had a good dream, I told it, but if not, I waited. 

It is funny how old wives tales peak the interest of people of all ages to the point that some actually believe the subject matter as being factual.  With this being said, an event is near-term that is neither a wives tale nor the figment of someone’s imagination.  It is the totality of what life is all about and the reward for making right choices—the return of Jesus and going to heaven.

God can speak to us using any means that He chooses.  I believe that dreams are mediums that He makes use of when other attempts of getting our attention fail, especially those efforts that roll off our back like duck feathers repel water.

Angelic visitations and the awareness of their presence; messages from God; and things of spiritual influence that bring a responsive reaction of one’s relationship with the Lord can very well happen, because of dreams.  They are exciting encounters having to do with the supernatural, which certainly captivate my attention.

I analyze, question, and explore the content of these dreams in an effort to capture the full essence of their meaning.  You may think this a bit strange, but how many dreams pertaining to the supernatural does the average person receive in their lifetime?  So it behooves me to understand what it is that God is saying.

I believe that dreams can directly correlate the sensations of our senses with the spiritual world where God operates.  I also believe that a person can sojourn in a place of holiness; a position in God, where they are actually in the Spirit.  I call it the “God-mind.”

John the Revelator wrote the Book of Revelation; the last book of the New Testament.  In my thinking, he was in the God-mind when he compiled the visions that God commanded him to write for the enlightenment of humanity in the last days prior to the second coming of His Son, Jesus.

I believe that a similar state of mind briefly encapsulated my psyche last night, though I am not comparing myself to John in any way.  Perhaps it was a dream, but it may have been a vision, I’m not sure.  It was so thought provoking and meaningful; it moved me to write these words today.

While lying in bed with my eyes closed, I could see the beauty of God’s handiwork in the heavens and was pleasantly surprised that a full moon was in view.  The more I drank in the splendor and awesomeness of creation, my eyes beheld a scene that I have never witnessed before.

There, kneeling at the base of a huge bolder was the shape of a man dressed in white garments.  He had a long walking staff in his left hand, which he leaned upon during his time of prayer.  It was as if he were looking directly into the face of God with his head lifted high.

His silhouette could be seen clearly with the moon shinning behind him, which caused me to become more intrigued as I focused on the image before me.  And then suddenly it happened without warning!  The moon took on a different appearance!

No longer was it the captivating moon that caused my wife and I to become moonstruck when we were dating and so much in love; it became a visual message of intense importance.  I remember the experience being an overwhelming reality that authenticated the Bible scriptures that I had read in (Revelation 6:12-17) and (Joel 2:30-32) concerning the end times.

On the extreme, right side of the moon, about 1/8^th of its surface was the shape of a crescent; blood-red in color.  While in a state of awe and drinking in all that the moment offered, I realized that it was a sign to me that Jesus was about to return on clouds of glory to receive those that were looking for His appearing.

As soon as this realization was understood within my perception, the man ceased to look upward and slowly turned his head toward me and fixed his eyes on mine.  It was then that my uncertainty of who he was took flight.  It was Jesus!

It was extraordinary and wonderful as He continued his gaze in my direction, but uncomfortable at the same time.  It was the same stare that my dad gave me when he wanted me to mind as a child; not having to say a word, because I knew the look and what it meant.  The Lord’s countenance was stern, yet compassionate, with eyes concerned, but full of love.

Like a child, I received the message God had for me and for you as well.  He wanted to make sure that we knew Jesus as Lord and was attentive to His Word when it stated that we must be ready when Jesus returns.  He stood firm with regard to no second chances—a middle of the road relationship with Him would be rejected.  

Jesus emphasized the fact that we must take note of the signs around us, because His return was nigh at hand, thus, the moon turning to crimson red…not fully engulfed as yet, because God’s grace was still allowing us to pray, “God forgive me of my sins.”  He was still extending mercy to lost souls, but for how long?  

The message was five-fold—time is of the essence; today is the day of salvation; no one has the assurance of tomorrow; and we must live each moment as if Jesus is coming back before our next breath.  The Lord is coming in the twinkling of an eye to receive His bride unto Himself; the bride being, born-again Christians.  Are you ready to meet Him when He returns?  I pray that you are.

(Joel 2:30-31), “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:  blood and fire and pillars of smoke.”  vs.31  “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.”  vs.32 “and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved…”

(Revelation 6:12-17), “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.”  vs.13 “and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.”  vs.14 “Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.”  vs.15 “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,” vs.16 “and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!’”  vs. 17 “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Dream Awareness

I am sure that you could validate the fact that dreams can be off the wall at times with regard to content; a little far-fetched in some instances.  But then there are those epoch moments that awareness-of-reality someway makes its appearance in our dreams.  Such was the case a couple of nights ago.

As I lay sleeping I experienced an extremely, unusual dream, which could have been a nightmare had I not been a Christian.  It was eye-opening, yet worrisome and distressing at the same time. 

I dreamed that I had the ability to time-travel back to earlier days of my life.  I guess I’ve been watching too many sci-fi movies lately.  Just at the moment I transcended to a day in the past, in the twinkling of an eye, Jesus returned for those that were living for Him.  Many people call this experience, “The rapture of the church.”

Though I was a Christian and ready to meet the Lord, the timing was such that I was not taken, because I was not present at the exact moment of His coming, but somehow aware of the wonderful event that I had heard about for so long.  It really happened!

I was awestruck, mesmerized, and taken aback at what took place.  Though surprised that the promised event finally took place, I was more concerned about those that were left behind.  Wait!  I am now in their past; surely they will listen to me when I tell them of the impending phenomenon that is going to take place! 

The awareness of lost souls was overwhelming.  The dream alerted my psyche to the same realization that our pastor, at church, was trying to get across to the congregation; that we must share the good news that God forgives sin through His Son Jesus Christ.  He said that Jesus died on the cross to bring salvation to you and me, our households, neighbors around us, and people throughout the world.

I wondered why Christians were so lax in their responsibility of sharing this message with others when the reality of the end of time was so close at hand.  I was compelled to tell every person I met that Jesus was really coming back.  Some listened and gave their heart to the Lord, while others rejected the message of the hour.

I was aghast that more people did not surrender their life to God.  “Why won’t they listen?”  I cried out.  Then the Bible parable came to me about a certain rich man that fared sumptuously and a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table (Luke 16:19-31). 

So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.  The rich man also died and failed to make things right with God and went to hell, because he had made money his god.

Being in excruciating torment from the unquenchable flames, the rich man asked father Abraham to send Lazarus to his five brothers that were still living and warn them of the impending judgment; a horrifying destiny that awaited them if they didn’t change their ways.

(Luke 16:29-31), “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ” vs.30 “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ” vs.31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” 

In my dream I realized that some people would sooner live for the devil in poverty of spirit than surrender their will to the God of peace.  This is the nature of fallen man.  Everyone has a freewill to choose their destination—heaven or hell.  It was impossible to make that choice for them though I wished I could.

It seemed as if the people that rejected my message thought they were going to live forever, or did not want to face the fact that what I was saying may actually come true.  They chose to live their life in a vacuum of their own making; refusing to see beyond the momentary pleasures that would one day seal their fate in hell.

They looked at life as if it were an hourglass full of sand.  When the last grain was about to fall through they would turn the glass over and restart their meager existence again, taking up where they left off.

I believe that God has given us ample time to make the decision to walk with Him, while enjoying an abundant life in Jesus.  God gave mankind seventy plus or minus years—a dressing room to prepare for eternity.  We can either wear garments of virtue or rags of iniquity.  Heaven is the reward for those that become children of God, which is the hope of Christians.

The dream was a reminder of the importance of witnessing—sharing my faith with others.  It also prompted me to re-examine my relationship with God to make sure that I was living the life that ought to be in order to make heaven my home. 

I live in the knowledge that God set me free from sin through the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary.  I am saved, because of His great sacrifice and love.  It is not of my own righteousness, lest I should boast, but the righteousness of Jesus who set me free.

The dream awareness is fresh in my mind and I trust that you too will consider this dream as a wake-up call.  The reality of this experience is that it won’t be a dream one day.  Are you ready to meet the Lord?

Written by,

Papa Boyd