RA Post: Insurance and National Healthcare

Jingle bells, jingle bells, s'more bills, meds don't help a bit, oh what fun it is to fund the local insurance. 
This year's insurance choice was a doozy. Basically I have no coverage until I meet my max out of pocket of $6600. No generic med coverage, no doctor visit either PCP (GP)or speecialist. No ER, no Hospitalization, no labs, no imaging. Nothing. Once I hit the magic fee, though, full coverage. 
I hate every new year. I hate hate hate not working. I had hoped I could either write often and well enough on this blpg, which mainly gets spammers from other countries directed here by porno site. Apparently its a great way to make the porno sites look like they have more whatever than they really do. Oh well. Or I hoped I could write books well enough to earn money. At least to pay my medical and save a little. I hate sitting in a recliner, listening to tv shows, since I really can't see what's on the screen very well. Tey dimming your brightness and contrast all the way. Out on the blackest sunglasses you have. Do ya see much? 
But that doesn't seem to be in the plans. I really don't understand what I am doing here. I've always wanted tp be able to help lots of different people, in whatever small manner i might. A word of comfort and encouragement. My nursing hit that on the nail. I saw people on their darkest days. And I like to think I might have helped them in some small way. I feel like here, stuck in a chair or a bed, that I am not much help. Its so hard to see people, visit them. I don't have much to add to a conversation anymore. I feel like a lone inflatable liferaft. With knife holes stabbed all over it. 
I want to do more than what I have been doing. I try every little bit to push beyond what o normally do, aitting in a recliner all day, but often I still remain sitting. Its so tiring ro do more. Even riding to town some 35 miles away means not driving, and sitting in the vehicle while whoever ahops in a store. Walking is often too painful to do. It has to be the right store. It has to be the right day. 
Someone asked a good question today, is everyone with RA this bad? The answer is easy. No. Sometimes people only have a few joints involved, or for whatever reason they just don't feel as awful. Physiologically, it doesn't bother them. Someone I know has awfully swollen hands, but no other issues to speak of. I guess one could say its like broken bones. Somekne with a simple broken bone, one bone,in the forearm, is not going ro be, in general, in as much pain and need as much healing time as someone who has broken 20 bones and severely. Even then, the simple break can be bad, and limit the person horribly, depending on the case. 
I want to be well. Maybe if I could get my temperature to stay more normal. As I've said, I get a slight fever every day. The hotter I am, the worse I feel. Getting my clothes wet with ice cold water, sucking ice chips, running air conditioning in winter can help with the fever. Drops it so o don't feel so awful. 97.1 really is best, temperature wise. There doesn't seem to be an answer. Anyway, reader, the insurance costs rest heavy on my heart. But at least I actually get care. I hear the horror stories of people lying in wait for care in the socialist medical care places. My doctors have all heard and seen those stories. We are going to kill our own people. In Canada...you wait until magically you get specialist care. England, patients can wait, by NHS rules, 18 weeks max for care by a specialist. Even here, three months is rare, generally meaning a less severe case, and a month is more likely. 18 weeks to see someone about my sort of the ye condition is incredible. I can't imagine waiting so long. I assume they don't really...but then I have heard my UK friends say they have waited for hours to talk to their pcp's office....to make an appointment. I've never waited that long. Ever. 
Something to consider, reader. 

Disabled and inVALID

Let's face it. Regardless of what anyone says in the world, I am disabled. Worse,I am inVALID. 
I have been trying for disability status,giving up three years ago, figuring the likelihood of my being cured was, reality check, less than my chance at seeing a live tricerotops on this planet. It was ever suggested by the government when I asked for some sort of assistance in paying the max out of pocket every year by the second month. Which would be ok, if my MOOP was still 1,500 as it was five years ago, and not 6,660. Ouch. Therefore I started the paperwork...finding as I thought about what they asked that I was even more pathetic and inVALID than I had ever thought I was. Do you cook? No. Why? I often get too tired or too ill to monitor it, leaving it less than half done. Do you go to stores? No. Why not? It's too much effort to walk, so I rarely go but to the thrift store smaller than a gas station for dive minutes, where I sit, and then to pick up holds at the library. Do you see friends? No. Its too tiring, and I don't drive but a few times a year. I have hardly used a computer since I got iritis,because the light will make inflammation worse. I listen to tv, with the screens so dimmed i can't really even see the characters move about, hide in the dark, barely able to sort of read a book, if my vision isn't blurry from inflammation cells in the eye. I don't see anyone, I feel too tired and too nauseated. To be honest, the nausea is worse than any stomach flu I have had to date. All encompassing, horrible.
However, since I got well enough to feel "better" than I had in three years, which meant I might have a very good day once every two months, and a slightly longer energy burst during a week, say two hours total in the day, I was declared well enough to work by my doctors. If my readers know of a job that pays you to not watch tv from blacked out screens, or for working the days you feel like it, and well at that, do let me know. As it is, as hard as I worked for my near 4.0 GPA in RN school, I know I would be fired the first week, if I managed to get a job. So what, should I get and lose job after job? Apparently. 
InVALID. That's what the word means to me. Not invalid, but inVALID. No longer valid, no longer useful. Especially now I cannot hardly stand to do my blogging outreach program, I feel especially useless. 
I'm being left behind by everyone. I don't have children, seemingly never will, I don't do anything, can't do much, and am regularly called a liar, lazy, and so forth for my lack of activities, and have little to nothing to talk about, making me a very dull person. I can talk about Bible, end times, news fake and real, and health. That's it. And most people do not want to talk about any of these topics, finding it boring or weird. 
My heart is beyond heavy. My soul is beyond heavy. 

Amir Tsarfati: MIddle East Update November

One of the latest Amir updates. Sorry I've not written much. I've not felt very well, have been so tired, and feel like someone who has been run over and parked on by a bus. Maranatha.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU_Lsuoa3F0

Amir Tsarfati: November 11, 2019 Middle East Update link

 Amir Tsarfati's latest update, November 11, 2019. A bit short on the update section, but neat to hear about the pastors who've traveled to Israel this time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acKg-JvzsME

November 3 2019 Middle East Update link

Well, this next week ought to be very interesting, readers. Very interesting indeed. Maranatha!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqt2bHBgzQU

Amir Tsarfati: The Illuminati and the One World Government

An older video, but do watch:

Amir Tsarfati: The Illuminati and the One World Government

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv5xn9gEFq8&list=PL89J9LwDvDrYaexot44RHy5BJ2GNpIjV_&index=89&t=0s

AMIR TSARFATI LINK

I HIGHLY recommend you watch, read and follow everything that this man and his organization publish. It is one of the teachers I listen to who gives me the greatest hope when dealing with my various disabilities. A hope for the hopeful, I suppose. 


https://www.youtube.com/user/beholdisrael/videos

Health Update: Terrible Loss of Spirit

I have spent the last week too sick to do anything but occasionally, half halfheartedly, gaze stupidly at the dim figures on a brightness/contrast reduced TV screen, annoyed at even these fake characters for having an easier time doing day to day things than I am often facing. 
Even today, which is mildly better, still has me with a fever of 99.0 F (orally) [as a good nurse will document], an improvement from the 99.7 F I was running yesterday and several other days. I run fevers most days, enough that I rarely bother to check it, because there will be a fever at one point, even if it is right before bed. 
I am so tired of sitting or laying down. I really am. I will try to gather the gumption to write again, on one of the "Deeper" series, which is more effort and concentration than I quite feel up to at this time. Hang on there. Maranatha.

Crowning Attribute

The crowning attribute of Christ was Love to God. It is the supreme honor and attainment of man to be one with God in feeling, thought and purpose. Christ naturally hadn't as much difficulty with being one with God, while to the mass of mankind who scarcely think about Him at all, and even the godliest of men confess that it costs them severe effort to discipline their minds into the habit of constantly realizing Him. We cannot be in His presence without the sense that His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways.  It was this faith in God that gave Christ such fearlessness in His work, knowing it was of God, and knowing when exactly His time was. He knew that the worst that could happen to Him was in His Father's will for Him, and this was enough. He had ever at hand a retreat of perfect rest, silence and sunshine, into which He could retire from the clamor and confusion around Him. It was this great secret He bequeathed to the followers when He said at parting, "Peace, I leave you My peace I give you."
James Stalker, Life of Christ, para 113

I will endeavor to Stalker's attributes of Christ's nature, as it is fascinating, and then add discussion to his points; partially it is a bit easier to write out than my "deeper look" series, and makes a nice break from studying quite as hard. 
The above mentioned paragraph from Stalker's book is one of the most eye catching for me personally. In the description of Christ's attributes, you see the examples of how He would have us live, with Purpose, Love to Men, Love to God, Faith, Originality--though I am not certain the Originality as described by Stalker is one that we could achieve, being mere humans. 

Love to God, I would say, should certainly be our first goal as my reader probably already is aware of, especially as Christ Himself stated it as the most important rule, followed by the Love to Man. Intriguing that while this is the single most important and best attainment we can manage, it is so rarely on the goal list of people--we are more concerned with careers and worldly things than are we of heavenly things:
He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  Luke 10.27 ( NIV )
It is side effect of the Love of God that will taint the rest of our actions, thoughts and dreams. Wherein the wickedness of the hardhearted, evil man spreads throughout his life as yeast will spread through bread, all the more so will the Love of God move through us. God's power is infinitely more powerful than the wickedness of the fallen angels and of fallen man, and so by leaning on our love of Him, we can perhaps put a better foot forward in honor of God. 

It is so much effort to remember to think of God at all times. Quite often one has to physically force themselves to work on remembering Him, to put forth the effort of study, prayer, praise--the whole nine yards as they say. It should be easy, shouldn't it? We have the blessing of the Spirit with us, and yet we "forget" that still, small voice, often until some disaster befalls us. When we do pay attention to God, it is an effort, because as we work on learning more about Him and studying hard, it is actually hard work. It is not a flippant effort, it is hard, mental work--even with His Spirit helping us, teaching, pointing out connections between passages and verses scattered all about His great Word as lightening leaps across the skies, highlighting passages with such brightness and vividness as to blind us. It is a relaxing hard work, a paradox there in that it soothes our souls, but it remains an effort to concentrate of the study of God when the gods and pleasures of the world shout as loud as they can at us.
² Do not be conformed to this world,^[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12 ( NIV )
We have to admit, however, that there are things we do not understand, since He is not made in our image, we are made in His; therefore there are a great many things we cannot comprehend. It would be rather like a two week old infant attempting to understand high physics. The baby does not have the language or the capability to do the work. The baby is not an idiot, certainly, but the distance between the knowledge base of the infant, which is all very well and normal for an infant, will be unable to study and contemplate the knowledge base of the physicist; it would be foolishness to expect that the infant could understand this higher science.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. Isaiah 55.8 ( NIV )

I love how God understand us, knows what our experiences are like; firstly because He is God and He surely could understand everything anyway, but secondly because He lived on Earth.
Christ had to face the feeling of being abandoned by God, probably worse than we ourselves ever will face, since in my experience it isn't so much that God isn't answering us, it is that we have gotten so far away from Him we cannot hear Him calling back to us as we cry out. There on the cross, though, facing great pain, humiliation, abandonment, loneliness, He faced being alone

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). Matthew 27.46 ( NIV )

Somehow knowing He knows what it is like to live in a rotten, spoiled creation is helpful to one struggling through the day to day toils and tribulations. It makes love towards God easier, knowing He knows what it is like. 
Regardless of one's walk in life, whatever trials we have, we often find people not helpful. If one's car has broken down, the person in question may feel very distressed, especially if funds are tight or there is no easy way to repair it, and yet the neighbor may crack some joke that makes the matter all the worse for the victim. It is likely not even spitefully said, on purpose, but do to the distressing nature of a minor event to the one, it seems cruel and makes everything that much worse.
In my experience as being ill, people are forever saying very hurtful things; sometimes on purpose, but mainly on accident. It is only those who understand by living with the same conditions or a similar condition as a family member that speech is generally not hurtful. It is an example of how humans, not living the same life and not understanding can inadvertently (or advertently) become cruel. Christ lived His life, unique as it was by sinless and perfection, and unlike the average person, understands each and every one of our lives and the struggles we face.

Some missionaries have such presence that they face terrifying ordeals seemingly fearless, so certain of the duty that God has asked of them. The rest of us often float about, like a lost lifeboat, rowing here and there. We either do not wish to do the duty set before us, as in Jonah's case (and often out of fear), or we do not know what He would have us do. God first and foremost desires love of Him, by which we show with the faith we hold in Him. If no enormous burning desire appears to us, tested as being from God, then we attend to holding our faith, and to other day to day duties that come our way. Sometimes one is a great teacher like Billy Graham, and sometimes one is a long suffering teacher like Joni Eareckson Tada, and sometimes one is a stay at home mama with three little ones. Each person has a set duty, and some bring fame and sometimes fortune, and some demands are of a quieter nature, of loving one's spouse, children and tending the home. Each is important in God's eyes, because we must do them with the idea of love of God. It is then, and then alone, that our duties will be done with honor and grace, making us an example to those about us lost or saved.

5Trust in the LORD with all your heart
         And do not lean on your own understanding.
6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
         And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3 ( NIV )

I believe if you are listening at all to God, He will show you what must be attended to, what coins you are to manage, and whether you are given a great duty or a smaller one, they are all hard in that we must hold faith strongly at all times. First and foremost, though, our duty is Love of God.

Christ, being God in the flesh, knew His purpose and duty in and out, as well as knowing the exact hours and moments things ought to happen. It would be helpful to us, we often say, if we knew what we should do, but not being omnipotent, we are unaware many times of the right moments to act. However, there would be an additional burden for Christ, as He would know exactly what was going to happen to Him, and we rarely know such things. Christ, though, knowing what good would come of it, was willing that whatever God's will was, it should happen to Him as desired. He was distressed enough, though, to be sweating blood---a medical example of extreme levels of stress.
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22.44 ( NIV )


Christ was, of course, fully loaded with the Holy Spirit, the great peace and the only true peace that can be held in this world. After His death, a perfect sacrifice for all time and all wickedness, it was then capable for us to house the Spirit, as we became temples for Him. We were clean enough, by His holy blood, to house the same Spirit of peace that He Himself had housed. Perhaps we do not listen to our Counselor as we should--far too often we ignore the promptings of the Good Spirit that is with us night and day.

15“If you love me, keep my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be ^c in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14 ( NIV )
When we are closest with God, in a more solid communion with Him than at other times, we hold that same ability of peace, or at least a greater peace. We have the ability to distance ourselves from wickedness and sorrow, to take a rest from the world and its demands and horrors. We have the near ability to flip a switch and step from a moment of terror or worry into the moment of peace and tranquility. We are not left here alone to struggle on, but instead have the greatest of helpers to lean on, to carry us when we have fallen, and to wipe our tears, murmuring "hold on, only a little while longer," until the Bridegroom calls us with His trumpet blast.

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ^a ; believe also in me. 2My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14 ( NIV )

Health Update: So Tired

I have changed my RA updates to just "Health Updates". Generally I have too many conditions going on all at once, which makes it confusing to even me, without confusing everyone else.

My eye condition has been more stable, hovering with 4-6 drops of steroid medications in one eye, and 0-2 in the other. This is a vast improvement with the worst being near 11 drops a day in each eye. One, it is very confusing to work so hard on it, even with a sheet of paper marked up with the number of drops, and two, that many drops is not especially good. There is no choice, with anterior uveitis. If you don't treat it, the white blood cells and the damage the errant immune cells causes will plug up the drainage outlets of the eye, increasing pressure in the eye (glaucoma), which will eventually cause blindness. If there is no treatment, the errant cells themselves can cause enough damage to the eye to cause blindness. The medication can cause glaucoma itself. So I go in about every week (more if I have high drop use) to have my pressures checked. I know my eye dr staff by name, who is married, who is pregnant, who is going on vacation. We are all great pals, by this point. But it is still old. I rarely bother wearing makeup, because I mostly wear eye make up, and with the sunglasses I wear 24/7, no one would see it. Least of all, me. 
My joints have been somewhat worse, and whether this is from the weather settling into fall, or whether it is just the disease I have no idea. I had started Humira, a biologic medicaiton, for the second time, but seemed to swell up worse on it, with my eyes worsening. My rheumatologist's nurse asked me to come in, so I will be going in this week to see what his advice is. 
Personally, I doubt there is a treatment for me that will work. Five years, and numerous medications...if it wasn't for some side meds, I wouldn't be able to walk at all. 
My ulcer is still healing. There is much less pain there than there was, I used to get twinges every day, then every other, weekly, and now it is quite rare, but still there. I haven't looked at the actual measurements of the ulcer, but it is my understanding it is quite large and impressive. 

I just wish it would please God that I would be well. Or more well. While I more well than I was 5 years ago, I still only get about 10 really good days in the year, the sort of day when I can do anything without even repercussions. 3-4 days out of a week, on average, I am too tired and too ill to do anything but sit or lay down, too ill to even read, because I cannot comprehend what I am reading anyway. And if my blog shows anything, I hope it shows that I am the sort of person who wants to go on learning and doing. How much I try and try and try every single day to do something, even if the best I can manage is sit in a well-padded chair with my feet up. I do try, and I hope the reader believes me...because the single worst thing is people NOT believing you. 

I so want to be better, to raise a family. But I can barely take care of myself, much less little ones. I am not sure why God has asked me to hold onto faith through this, for I fear I am not much of a witness to the world, but only a witness to those unseen witnesses:
"1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12 ( NIV )  

I therefore often feel pointless, useless, a time and space waster, because there are so many, so very many, things I wish to do, and I simply cannot. I so desperately want to, yet if I try to push hard enough to reach the goal, I will be so ill by the second or third day of pushing, and will be sick for a very long time, and so dreadfully miserable, that it is not worth the effort. I wish it were. I wish that the nausea and exhaustion were not so bad, that I dared not even open my mouth for the sickness. I hope you believe me, reader, in how many tears and sobs I have uttered over my lack of children, my lack of mobility, my lack of energy, the people who have forgotten me...

Maranatha, over all, maranatha, Lord, please come soon!

Hope For the Battle Weary + JD Farag Sermon Video Link

Be prepared for a great speaker on the video I am sharing today. Much like this pastor, J.D. Farag, I am bone weary waiting for the coming Redemption of my King (and I hope yours). 
I pray nearly every night that the trumpet will sound and the next thing I know is standing with multitudes of people (and if you know me, I really don't like crowds) all thinking the same thing, leaping and praising God for the salvation granted us for our faith. The thrill of finally standing in that wondrous place, never to be ill, face sorrow or troubles again, and to never, ever, leave the presence of the One and Only, the Great King, Father and Counselor. 
In the meantime, yes, I am weary. I am weary of the wickedness I hear shouted from the rooftops every day, the wickedness I am to condone, to love, to encourage, and the sorrow I see within the world. I am bone weary of my miserable life, which I know could be much, much worse, so I will thank and praise God that I have the chances I do have, the strength I do have, and the good days I do have. I am still weary of sickness, light sensitivity, pain and immobility, and watching all the other young people my age "live" when I am a mere shadow of the person I was, a 5-15% of the person I was. It is a miserable existence, and so yes, I am weary. Tired enough to sob, begging God to call us all home. 
I feel for the lost, who are so happy being lost...and I am sorry for those facing the hardship of looking forward to that trumpet call and the loss of those determined to face away from God. I still can't help begging God to take us all home. Maranatha, maranatha, maranatha, come, Lord Jesus, come, and again I shout come soon. Let us be free of the wickedness festering beneath and in society. 

https://olivetreeviews.org/audio-video-hope-for-the-battle-weary/

A Deeper Look at John 6.14-15

¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ¹⁵ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. John 6 ( NIV)


It had been written that a Prophet was to appear, as seen in the following passages.

¹⁵ The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. ¹⁶ For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”
¹⁷ The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. ¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. Deuteronomy 18 ( NIV)

Much like the patriarchs and prophets of old, Christ showed signs that He was of God, the miracles that came from Him were of two classes, those done on man himself and those that were external-acts on nature itself. Christ was putting Creation to rights, much as He will do completely on the Last Days of Time; a sampling of what life should be like without illness, death and a natural world at war with itself; a further sampling of what He was bringing the people: an exhibition of not only His power, but His holiness, glory and love. (James Stalker, "Life of Christ", para 79)

Paul pointed out how the prophecy was fulfilled by the coming of Christ.

²² For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. ²³ Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’^{[a] 24} “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days.Acts 3 ( NIV) 

³⁷ “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’^{[h] 38} He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us. Acts 7 ( NIV)

  ⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— ⁵³ you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” Acts 7 ( NIV)

The people were desperate to get free of Roman rule, which for Torah following Jewish peoples was not particularly friendly. If you were willing to have "fun" at the local temple, celebrating Jupiter, or perhaps Hades himself, enjoying the pleasures of the "priestesses", you'd fit in well, certainly. Much as those who love the world, living in its patterns and pleasures fit in more than those who object to the wickedness spreading like yeast in breads. Instead, the people were desperate to have again a kingdom like king David's rule, and were very willing to have someone step into the "right" path. We tend to get very impatient when we think we see an answer in the wind and will do everything in our power to force it to happen, when perhaps the view we have is extremely flawed and would end worse than other options. Deciding to pass a slow moving car on a country highway can end poorly when impatient to get home sooner, and make us not notice the fact the car in front is moving slowly for the escaped cattle he has spied ahead.

Christ was not interested in this since the goal of His first coming was to ensure that salvation could be complete and that all the prophecy regarding His comings were fulfilled. First He comes offering salvation, then He comes as a Ruling King. Now the goal was getting the people to understand what brought about salvation: the understanding of Sin equaling Death, and Faith equaling Salvation: 


20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in ^b Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6 ( NIV )

As a small aside, note the last verse, mentioning eternal life in Christ; it must be remembered that those false teachers out in the world who say all people live forever are right. They speak with as much twisting lies as Satan did in the Garden when speaking to Eve, however, and leave out the fact that there are two options for the eternalness of people: we may live with Christ in Paradise, or we may live with Satan and his minions in Torment. It is purely each soul's choice where they think they would like to be.
One of the single most common complaints by people is that they say they would rather be in Hell, drinking, with all their buddies than be in Paradise. If you have ever looked at Scripture on the subject, this is not what will happen to those in Torment. There is a reason it is called Torment, for it is the 100% absence of God, and the only thing that makes like on Earth somewhat tolerable, in the meanest sense, is the fact that God is still here, offering comfort to the screams coming from Creation out of the selfish choices made every single second.

 1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Romans 4.1-3 ( NIV )

6Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Genesis 15.6 ( NIV ) 

 It was not so much the sacrifices themselves that saved the Jewish people, it was the faith that they had in God, and the realization held of being as wicked and sinful as we all really are, whether we will admit it or not. One who holds they are perfection embodied cannot stand to hold faith in God, for it is a paradox, pulling the person apart mentally and spiritually, for that mind cannot or will not admit the wickedness festering every moment of every day, waiting for an escape on the world or on the person in question, selfishness and evil, cruel thoughts wrecking havoc.
Christ will come a second time as a ruling King of Kings to bring about what is to be done--and what the Jews expected at the time of the Roman occupation of Israel will come to pass. The nations and peoples of the great Gobalistic nation and its ten subsets will be forced to realize what they have done to the small nation that God Himself chose over all others. They will be judged on this, most harshly, and so the wrongs of all time will be judged by the Righteous Judge.

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25 ( NIV )

  The mention of "brothers" in verse 40 is considered by Amir Tsarfati to mean the Jewish people themselves, so aiding those. This is the judgement of the nations and what they did (  Grace Chapel PDF), which if you watch his presentation on The Deception of the Nations ( Behold Israel ), you will likely agree.
 
Look also at this passage:

3 ^[a]“In those days and at that time,
    when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
² I will gather all nations
    and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.^[b]
There I will put them on trial
    for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered my people among the nations
    and divided up my land.
³ They cast lots for my people
    and traded boys for prostitutes;    they sold girls for wine to drink Joel 3 ( NIV ).

 

Christ may have come as a humble carpenter and a great teacher, but when He returns it will be as the Great King taught in prophecy throughout the Old and New Testament. Amir Tsarfati puts it best when he says two things: There there is more prophecy about the second coming than the first, and lastly, when the Second Coming does happen, at the end of the Wrath of God (7 year Tribulation period), it would be better to come with Him, and see His back than to see His face, as He comes as the Greatest King.

My Heart, My Soul Aches

"How long will this take? How much can I go through? My heart, my soul aches, I don't know what to do. I bend but don't break, cuz i have You." 'Carry me Through' by Superchick.

I've been thinking often of running a race. Since it is nearly impossible for me to comfortably run, such a statement is perhaps strange, unexpected. It is not, however, the physical running I am speaking of. 

As you know, or perchance you do not, the people of old, Greeks, Romans, and so on, loved games, and running was one of the favored. Therefore it makes a great analogy for living for God's sake. 

The last five years have been the longest, hardest years of my life. I struggle most every day to be up in a chair rather than in bed, even if my body screams for a bed. Even good days are hard, for I do wake with days in which I know I will be well all, or at least most of, a day...yet it is horrible, a tantalizing curse, showing me what life used to be, what it could have been, what it might, however unlikely, become. Seeing other young adults "living", traveling, working, having and raising a family is torture, making me sit and sob for the family I want, the life I want...yet cannot yet manage, if ever.

My spirit is tired, tired of struggling on, as patiently as possible, waiting for either the end of all races, the end of this race, or the next hurdle in the lineup. I feel as if my muscles are screaming with the burning buildup of lactic acid, my breath rasping in my throat as I struggle for enough air to force another step, my heart thundering in my ears, sweat pouring with drops of blood down my face. 

Yet I am desperate to finish the race well, even if the best I can offer God is the faith I hold with both, clutching hands, I cannot offer a life as a missionary, or a women's speaker, or even much of a nurse. All I can offer is Faith. And don't we get told that isn't enough, or that we feel it isn't enough?

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9 NIV

How does one run to win the prize, if they cannot run? Physically, you'd just be out of the race. But since we speak of spiritual running, how can you run the race? What if you are too ill to even see other people? You certainly can't be much of a witness stuck in bed. What if you don't even go online much? You can't be much of a witness then, either. 

The goal, then, has to be one that is equally hard to speaking to people, both those known and those who are strangers, of knowing God, of faith in God. It is one that we MUST have before speaking so to people of faith in God.

You must, dear reader, exercise faith in God....alone, firmly and strongly, whatever it takes to hold faith. . 

Faith is the single most important part of a relationship with Christ. Consider the thief on the cross beside Christ. He was told he would enter Paradise with Christ,(  Lk 23.39-43 NIV) and he obviously wasn't going to be spending the next 20 years as a missionary, not that it isn't wonderful to do so, but we often act as if you are bad and wicked if not "working". Do work! If you are called to something, do! But do not forget the part which is more important, faith! Why work if you haven't faith? By the same token, why have faith if you won't work when called to do so?

What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Rom 4.3 ( NIV )

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt 22.36-40 ( NIV )

Faith, to me, is part of loving God. One can hardly love something or someone they do not believe exists. Faith is our saving hope, what connects us to God. 

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 

8 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 Tim 4 NIV 7-8 

"...and if I have to crawl, will you crawl too? I stumble and I fall, carry me through. The wonder of it all is You see me through." "carry Me Through", Superchick. 

God will NOT abandon me, and I will NOT abandon Him. We must run the race all the way through, falling over shoelaces, tripping over hurdles, being knocked down by other runners
We must see that God does not leave us to run the race alone. He, by His presence with us, the strength, peace, endurance, shelter, and joy He gives us allows us to manage to run the race. I am exhausted of running, and as such feel like I am running through mud, but He is there, always with me, even when I lose hope. 
We must also help our fellow runners. So often people are running all they can, and with the outreach of a fellow Believer, it becomes easier. Ever run hand in hand with someone? Especially if they are bigger, or in better shape? They pull you along with such ease!
As a warning, though, those lost "believers" not in sound, biblical doctrine can also pull with nearly as much strength, making our race harder in the long run, and making our faith a farce. Be certain of what the Word says, since as you look, you will see the Word agrees with the Word. If it does not, it is not of the Word. God is not changing, so His Word is not changing. 

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? Galatians 5 NIV

Watch! Be certain of the Word. 
I look forward beyond all words to the end of the race, which I hope for me and those I know will end up with Christ's second coming, His calling of His Bride to His Father's House. I pray Maranatha!, waiting impatiently to go where my heart and soul have long been calling home. The things of this earth call to us, but which is really better?

So run the good race, dear reader. Run for the Crown, the Crown we then give to Christ in worship, the gift we offer God. Run, with chest heaving, leg muscles screaming, sweat pouring off of you. Run, even if your faith has to be shown by remaining in Him while you lay sick in a bed, or if you work daily in a stressful, anger inducing career, or as a stay at home mama, or a single father, or whatever your life demands of you. Run, knowing He is there, to lend a hand, and run alongside you too...so long as you remember to look to Him, remembering Him. Run, my friend, run. For soon and very soon (Amen!) we all will finish the race, and I want to finish the race very well indeed.

The Lost Teaching the Lost to be Lost

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3 ( NIV )

This verse deals with our King's calling us home and the end of days--and that He does not wish any to be lost. Everyone that can and will be saved MUST be saved. This verse also covers that He is indeed returning, not as fast as we might want, but that is so those people who will make the choice to be saved, and admit that God is God (and Christ is the Son of God and Savior) will be with us.
There is a disturbing trend in the world at the moment, though:
It doesn't matter who or what you believe in, for all people will go to Heaven. Which if it doesn't matter who or what you believe in, why would you need to believe in anything at all? And why would there be the notion of Hell at all?
Secondly, if anyone has spent even five minutes reviewing the various major religions...it is difficult to put them all in the same category. The great variance between them is, if nothing else, confusing. Attempting to straighten out Hinduism is really confusing, based on my attempts at sorting the various gods.

It is indeed true when people who follow that all saved theory that God does not want any to be lost--but there is a HUGE limiting factor, as in the 2 Peter 3.9 passage, but with the following verses as well:

3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2 ( NIV )

²² "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

²⁴ "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5 (NIV )

20The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.

21“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. 22None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? Ezekiel 18 ( NIV )

[Recall this is before Christ appeared, but basically requiring the same thing--that we repent (stop and change) of our evil ways and cover it with sacrifice, whether from animal then or from the permanent sacrifice of Christ now.]

While Jay Mack is speaking about Revelation 2.18-29, Christ's letter to the church at Thyatira, we can take a quick look at the following quote:
"But today, instead of tolerating beliefs or practices with which we strongly disagree, our secular society expects us to agree with everybody’s beliefs, values and lifestyles. Every deviant behavior wants to be affirmed as being “normal.” As a result, the belief in absolute truth becomes weaker and weaker.How can there be absolute truth if everybody’s belief’s are equal? (Mack )

This applies because it shows what happens to churches/people who begin to doubt the Word of God. If you remove the absolute truth that is the Word of God, you are, unfortunately, likely to be fooled into following one lie after another, each bigger and more deadly than the last."As A. A. Hodge wrote, “Whatever God teaches or commands is of sovereign authority. . . . The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the only organs through which, during the present dispensation, God conveys to us a knowledge of his will about what we are to believe concerning himself, and what duties he requires of us” (Outlines of Theology, chapter 5)." (  GotQuestions)

There was a reason Christ said in John 14:
⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.( NIV)
Here stands absolute truth stating the absolute truth that this is the one and only way to salvation. When we ignore passages in the Word--and worse, encourage others to do so--it is deadly dangerous. Really, too, when ignoring the Word, how do you decide what stays and what goes? To ignore the simplest point, though, that one must believe in Christ to truly be saved from a lifetime of sin, is beyond description.

¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, Romans 1 (NIV )

²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. ³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1

 The church at Thyatira was greeted with the vision of Christ as Judge--the title Son of God used here points to a judge, as well as the use of bronze, as bronze was used in the courtyard of the Tabernacle to point out judgement.  Thyatira, unlike the other churches in other towns written at this time, was not a hotbed of pagan worship, with the Greek god Apollo being the main god worshiped, nor were there very many Jewish followers. Instead, Thyatira poisoned itself quite effectively. The town was a strong commerical link, with each business belonging to its official guild--and these guilds concluded dinners to its patron god/goddess with an orgy. 
Thyatira's church was fascinated with a woman who stated she had new messages from God, and as such, slowly led the people away from God's real teaching. Sound familiar with popular churches and teachers today? "I have a new revelation" is the new byword of today's seminaries. "Let’s hold on to what Yeshua has done, and not tolerate anything or anyone that distorts the Gospel."  ( Mack )

What happens to churches and people who continue in the track to "tolerate" everything that comes their way? We have churches tolerating everything listed in the Word as against God--complete with celebrating these sins. You list 'em, we got 'em, and we're proud of 'em!
Eventually, and there have been churches like this from the very beginning to now, you get dead churches like Laodicea:
Some churches make the Lord cry, others make Him angry, but this lukewarm church made Him sick.... The church at Laodicea boasted that it was healthy and prosperous, saying: I am rich. I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But Jesus contradicted them by saying: You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked (3:17). They were characterized by richness in worldly things, but also self-deception, for they were spiritually poor, blind and naked. Not only did the church boast in their supposed spiritual well-being, they boasted that they had acquired their wealth by their own efforts. Spiritual complacency was accompanied by spiritual pride.124 Their belief in Gnosticism led them to believe that they had a higher level of spiritual knowledge. They looked down on the unsophisticated who were satisfied with the teachings of the Bible and the Person of Messiah. ( Mack)

Read, for consideration, the various letters to the 7 churches, and the level of warnings and commendations and commands given---and how these apply to your life, your church and  what you are following: Are you listening to the Word of Truth spoken from God, or are you leaning on the dangerous "new" revelations given you? Are sins seen as sins, or cause for celebration?
Revelations 2 ( NIV); Revelations 3 ( NIV)

Remember that all Scriptures, true Scriptures from God are truth, not the lost crying to the lost, but the full authority and truth speaking justly^.16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 
2 Timothy 3 (  NIV).
 
 ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3 ( NIV )