Hope and Anchor for the Soul

A Christian thought to ponder...

Is your hope in Christ, or is your hope in the world? There are many false hopes in the world, but hope in Christ is true, constant, secure, and eternal. As Billy Graham once said, “For the believer, there is hope beyond the grave because Jesus Christ has opened the door to heaven for us by His death and resurrection.” Hope is found in the promise of freedom from sin through the death of Jesus Christ. 

In Hebrews 6:16-19a, the verse states that the Lord's promises are constant and unchangeable. We can find refuge in Him, and His promises give us hope. And this hope is an anchor for our souls.

 Hebrews 6:16-19a

"Now, when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question, that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls."

As Barnes once said, "Hope accomplishes for the soul the same thing which an anchor does for a ship."  This anchor of hope is steady and immovable. It fastens those who believe in Christ to the promises of God. This hope helps strengthen the soul in the midst of storms and a tempestuous world. If you place your hope in men and this earth, you will only have misery and disappointment. The anchor's rope will become weak and frayed, eventually breaking, causing the ship to crash upon the rocks. If you place your hope in Christ, the anchor's rope will be steady and strong, not easily broken, keeping the ship safe and sound.

Our hope in Christ is secure and an anchor for our souls. It is glorious and a treasure to hold deep in your heart. May you place your hope in Christ and be filled with joy and peace.

Heavenly Father,

You are holy, merciful, faithful, and true. We thank you for Your word to help us navigate through this world. We thank you for your promises and that we have the hope in Jesus Christ to anchor our souls. Help us to always seek you, whether the storm is fierce or the weather is fair and calm, and place our trust in You. 

In Jesus' Name.

Amen.

Grace and peace to you all.

In Christ,

Carol

Wolves Within the Church

Olive Tree Ministries released a new video a couple of weeks ago called "Enemies Within the Church." Featuring Pastor Cary Gordon, Senior Pastor of Cornerstone World Outreach, a non-denominational, Bible-based church in Sioux City, Iowa. He goes into detail about how some churches are going woke and are promoting Marxism and socialism. 

Marxism and Wokeness feed society with untruths, and they paint those with opposite opinions as evil Marxist people when in reality, it is they who are the true Marxists.  

Look at the news all around the world. There are signs of Marxist Totalitarianism happening in every nation. They are campaigning for a one-world government and a one-world economic system. They tell us you will own nothing and be happy. At this very moment, they are in the process of taking control of society and individuals. They are censoring opposite opinions or ideas. They have control of the media and are spreading propaganda. They are in the process of dismantling western civilization and outlawing Judeo-Christian views. They are trying to destroy the Christian foundations that this nation was built upon. They have purposely infiltrated the church to destroy it from within.

Destroy the church, and society will plunge into wicked chaos. Christians need to expose these wolves who are bent on destroying the church. What they are teaching is heresy. God clearly states what will happen to those who are false apostles and are disguising themselves as righteous servants in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.

"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds." 

We can no longer appease people with half-truths because we are afraid that we might offend people. We can no longer teeter on the fence. We need to make a stand. We either stand for the Truth or we do not. If we don't stand up for the Truth and do what God has called us to do, we will be held liable, as people's souls are at stake. If the church continues down this road of accepting false lies as doctrine, we are no better than those who are attacking and dismantling the church within its walls. Why? Because we have allowed these wolves and false lies to come into the church and stay in the church. Woe to those who are teaching heresy in the church. Woe to those who change God's word to please their own ears or others' ears'. All will be held accountable. 

 "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." 

 Romans 16:17-20

Open your eyes. Pray that God will give you wisdom and open your eyes to see the Truth.

Heavenly Father,

You are almighty, powerful, and sovereign. You know all and see all. We ask You to protect the church from the wolves. We ask that You would open people's eyes to the Truth and be able to see all the false lies that surrounds them. We ask that you would reawaken the Church and help the Church to get back on the right path, to be faithful and obedient. We place our hope and trust in You.

In Jesus' Name.

Amen.

Pray that you all have a blessed week!

Carol Moore

Hope is Coming

As this new year begins within a world full of chaos, we have the blessed hope of knowing that Jesus Christ will be returning soon. Jesus is coming! Let our hearts be filled with joy at this wonderful news! Even when all may seem dark and hopeless, place your hope in Jesus. Jesus is at the helm, and just as it says in Psalm 2:10-12, he will rid all of those who oppose him.  

Psalm 2:10-12 

"Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."

The Lord's plan is unfolding rapidly before our very eyes. The watchmen are sending out the warning calls to all who will hear.  Disaster awaits for those who choose to ignore the warnings and choose not to believe in the Lord Almighty. His divine judgment is coming; Time is short. Jesus Christ will be returning soon. The Blind will continue to be blind, but those whose eyes are open look up and pay attention to the signs. Although we do not know the hour or the day of Christ's return, the prophetic words of the Bible are coming to fruition.

God is speaking to all people, and they need to heed His warning. The people of this nation have pushed God to the side. They have scoffed and mocked God, and they have rebelled against God. Just as it says in the book of Genesis chapter 6 during the time of Noah, this world is filled with corruptness, evil, and wickedness. 

Gen 6:11-12

"Clearly, “the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” 

The people of this nation have become like Sodom and Gomorrah, evil and wicked. As it says in 2 Peter 2:6, as a result of their evil and wickedness, God will destroy them. God did destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and reduced them to a heap of ashes.

2 Peter 2:6

"and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter;"

Just as the Israelites refused to listen to God, so have the people of this nation refused to listen to God's word. They only want to listen to what gives them satisfaction and pleasure. And just as the Israelites were warned of God's wrath to come by the prophets, so have many church leaders and watchmen been warning people of this generation of what is to come if they do not believe in Jesus Christ and repent. As it says in Jeremiah 3:21, "For they have chosen crooked paths and have forgotten the LORD their God." Just as the Israelites have forgotten God, so has this nation, for matter this world.

God repeatedly warned Israel of the wrath that was to come if they did not repent. God's words ring true for everyone that is rebellious and lawless now. They need to repent, or disaster awaits around the corner; For no other gods can save you, no politician can save you, nor can any person save you.  Only God can save you from the wrath that is to come. God is your only hope. He will guide and protect you from the wolves. Look to your great Shepherd quickly before it is too late and you are devoured. 

Those who hear God and obey Him will escape the wrath that is to come; But, rebel against God, and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, and you will not escape the great tribulation that is to come.

There is only one savior, and His name is Jesus. And there is only One hope, and that hope is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the great Shepherd that can guide you, comfort you, care for you and heal you. As it says in 2 Chronicles 7, if you call out His name, repent of your sins, turn to Him, and ask Him to come into your heart and life, He will hear you, and your faith in Him will save you. 

2 Chronicles  7:14

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Your Word. Thank you for Your Son Jesus and the gift of salvation, Thank you for Your mercy and grace. We pray that seeds of hope will be planted and people who do not know You may come to know You, repent, and be saved. We pray that the ice will melt around frozen hearts that have chosen a path of rebellion and lawlessness. May they see the Light and Hope in You before Your wrath comes upon the world. 

In Jesus Name. 

Amen.

Pray you all have a blessed New Years!

Carol Moore

Christmas Blessings

 

Artwork by Carol Moore
https://mooresartgallery.blogspot.com/

A Christian thought to ponder ...

Two thousand and twenty-five years ago in the little town of Bethlehem, a great star shone brightly, and the angels announced the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, our Savior, and our King. Imagine how Joseph felt holding God in the flesh. What thoughts lay hold of his mind. Did he truly understand that he beheld and held God, who became man to save the world? A world in need of a Savior now more than ever. 

As this world gets darker and wickedness runs rampant, we can find hope and light this Christmas in celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus, our Savior. It is a great blessing to know the beginning of God's redemptive plan. A plan that was promised in Genesis 3:15.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

And that offspring was born one night all those years ago, in a manger in the town of Bethlehem who had no room for its Savior, its King.  As it states in Colossians 13-17, he delivered us from the darkness and he is the King of Kings, Creator of all things.

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Our Savior Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, defeated the enemy. He was victorious at the cross. Death had no hold on him. Sin was atoned for us by his death, and the power of sin and death had over us was broken. We were set free from the bondage of sin. Alleluia!

As we sit around the Christmas tree this year opening our presents, let us not forget that all those years ago, God gave us the greatest gift of all, a Savior, His Son, to redeem us from our fallen state. May our Lord Jesus Christ, who revealed his glory to all on that special day long ago, bless you with peace, hope, and love this Christmas. And may His light shine brightly through your lives throughout the New Year. 

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for revealing Your glory, Your grace, and Your truth by sending Your one and only Son to become flesh and dwell among us. Enlighten hardened hearts and open deaf ears to hear this truth, this hope, and help them to see this true light so that they may believe and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen. 

Hypocrisy and the Church

"Even so, you also appear on the outside to be doing right in front of people, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and sin." Matthew 23:28 (AUV)

A Christian thought to ponder...

How many people have left your church that you attend due to hypocrisy amongst the leaders or fellow believers? 

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary hypocrisy is, "a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not: behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel" or "the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion." A hypocrite, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is, "a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs."

I would wager quite a few of us at one time or another have witnessed hypocrisy within the church and have participated in it. All of us have said or done things that contradict what our Christian faith stands for and what we are called to be, such as loving, kind, gentle, caring, patient, good, and forgiving. I know I have.

But what is hardest to see within a church is when the leadership is full of leaders who are hypocrites. Hypocrites who state one thing in front of a person, but behind this person's back, they spout evil and slanderous words from their mouths. Hypocrites who will put an on performance at church to demonstrate just how good they are, but when they get home or arrive at work, they are a whole different person.  This behavior is false and misleading and misrepresents Jesus Christ, whom we are to follow. Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:1 to be careful about putting on false, kindly acts to be only seen,  "Be careful that you do not do your good deeds in front of people for the purpose of being seen by them, for [if you do] you will not have a reward from your Father in heaven (AUV)." God knows our hearts and just as it is stated in Jeremiah 17:10, "I am the LORD who searches the heart, who tests the inner depths to give to each person according to what he deserves, according to the fruit of his deeds (ISV)."

Our deeds determine what we deserve. If our deeds, actions, and words are full of falsity and hypocrisy, we are doing Satan's will, not God's will. How can one follow a shepherd that cannot even follow the will of God and the ways of God? When shepherds shine only pharisaicalness and self-deludedness, it damages the church. But the thing of it is, we are all leaders, for we were all called for the great commission to go out and share the gospel. None of us should be entrapped with such ungodly behavior, but we are all human and sinful by nature. We need to be correcting one another, and we need to be confessing to our Father in Heaven, seeking His forgiveness, and seeking forgiveness from those we have hurt, shattered, blind-sided, belittled, mocked, or knocked down with our hypocrisy. 

Hypocrisy turns people against the church. When our actions and words are not pleasing to God and are not Christ-like, we fail as followers of Christ. We are no better than all the other sinners out there who do not even know Christ. As we see in Luke 6:42, "Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye (NASB)," if we are too focused on how pious and righteous we are, we cannot see the log in our own eye, and we lose the ability to grow in Christ and the ability to help others grow in Christ. As it states in Philippians 4:8, we need to focus on what is good, lovely, and admirable in people, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Let us show others how we know, love, and walk with God.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Your word. Thank you for the Holy Spirit to convict us when we have sinned against You and others. Lord you know each and every one of our hearts. Help us to have a heart like Yours. Help us to stay focused on what is good, lovely, and admirable in all people. Help us to seek forgiveness from those we have hurt or caused suffering. Help us to be loving, caring, patient, gentle, kind, truthful, patient, good, and forgiving towards others. Help guide us and show us Your will in all things and may our actions and words bring You glory.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Pray you all have a blessed week!

Carol Moore

We Will Own Nothing

A Christian thought to ponder ...

Today in society, there is a spirit of entitlement, rebellion, godlessness, chaos, and wickedness. The church is being attacked not only by outside forces but also from within its own walls. Apostasy is abounding. Pastors who preach about prophecy that is in the Bible are labeled conspiracy theorists. They are mocked and scoffed at not only by outsiders but also by those who claim they are believers. 

Prophecy is unfolding before our very eyes. This world is rapidly changing, and everything is being set up for the arrival of the antichrist. The only way you can escape all of this chaos and wrath to come is to put your trust in Jesus. He will equip you and guide you through these troubling times. 

In Pastor Billy Crone's newest video at Olive Tree Ministries, he tells us what prophecy in the Bible is unfolding, what to expect, and how to be prepared. Jesus is returning. We do not know the day or hour, but everything is lining up with what the prophets spoke about in the Bible. 

Pray you all have a blessed week!

Carol

What Are You Chasing?

 

A Christian thought to ponder ...

What are you chasing? Are you chasing after riches? Are you chasing after some woke notion? Or are you chasing after the One who created all things, including you?

Chasing after the things of this world will never bring you true happiness. Chasing after materialistic items on this earth will only bring you heartache and destruction. Even if you possess all the treasures on this earth, you will always be empty deep down inside your heart and soul. You will never have true happiness or peace.

In 1 John 2:15-17, we are told not to love this world because the things of this world will come to an end, and those who rebelled and turned away from God will face His wrath.

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever."

There is only one thing that can bring you true happiness and peace, and that is Jesus. He is our Redeemer. He is our Guide in this life and the answer to all of your problems. He is faithful and true. He gives you strength when you are weak. His love is everlasting. Chasing after Jesus will bring you peace and wisdom. The peace and contentment that Jesus gives will satisfy you just as it states in 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 hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Rest in the love of Christ. Lay all your worries and troubles into his hands. 

Chase after Jesus! Reach out to him and say his name. For it is only He that can truly satisfy your heart and soul and bring you true peace. 

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for you Son. Thank you for giving us a Redeemer and that he gives us true happiness and peace. Thank you for Your promises and for the freedom to come before You and seek You in times of trouble. Help us to stay on course. Help us to guide others to You. Help those who are blind to see the Truth, and help them to see that it is only You who can truly satisfy one's heart and soul and bring true peace. 

Amen.

Pray you all have a blessed week!

Carol Moore