Focus by Gary Rose

 

We are at WAR. Not a war of guns, bombs or chemicals, but rather of words. Our left-wing driven media is using the same methodology as the German propaganda machine of World War II. Their plan: Redefine words to mean what you want them to mean, so that the truth is obscured. Tell lies so often that they appear to be THE TRUTH. When truth does surface, ignore it. Focus on hate and division so that your opposition is weakened. Repeat until absolute control is permanently achieved.

Christians: We need to focus our lives on what God wants for us. What does God want our focus to be?

The Bible says...

1 Corinthians 13 ( World English Bible )

¹ If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

² If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.

³ If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,

⁵ doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;

⁶ doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;

¹⁰ but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.

¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.

¹³ But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.

The truth is that if you focus your life on foolish things, those things will define your life in ways that will ultimately ruin it. Seek love and be blessed with love. God’s ways are always the best ways. Try them and see for yourself. I think that you will simply love the results.

Doors by Gary Rose

 

Today’s picture is that of a door. We all have seen thousands of doors, of all shapes, sizes and colors. We use them to enter and exit rooms, buildings and even our automobiles. Commonplace as commonplace can be. Where this idea of using a door came from, I have absolutely no idea, except that someone thought of it thousands and thousands of years ago.

Doors can be very important to us and sometimes quite memorable; for example, I will always retain the memory of a hobbit house and that most unusual front door. There are others that will be forever with me as well, such as the front door of the first home we purchased ( In Valley Falls, New York ).

“Doors” can mean other things to us as well. I remember going into the church where Linda and I were married, not so much about the door, but rather what we did there. There are numerous other things like this… coming home from the hospital after our daughter Darlene’s birth to our rented house and seeing an open door, a missing dog and the overwhelming smell of propane gas. And, there was the day that we left our home congregation in Clifton Park to travel to our first church ministry in Dover Delaware. That feeling of exiting the school building and realizing we were really starting a new, exciting aspect of our lives will be a cherished memory as long as I live.

But, enough about me. Jesus has something to say about doors…

John 10 ( World English Bible )

¹ “Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

² But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

⁴ Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

⁵ They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”

⁶ Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.

⁷ Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door.

⁸ All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.

⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.

¹⁰ The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Jesus uses the concept of a “door” to explain his role for those who genuinely desire to enter heaven. The door is the way in and also the good shepherd who provides true life ( now and forever ). My thoughts about doors are important to me, but Jesus’ teaching can affect all who will truly listen. I pray that you will think about these things and determine this very day to either begin to follow Jesus or to continue to follow him faithfully until your last day on Earth.

One more thing about doors. They can say a great deal about you; your preferences, your character and even what you believe. Recently, my wife Linda and I were watching an episode of “Houses with History” and we learned that the door at the very top of this post is called “A Christian Door” Why? Because the top four panels form a cross and the bottom two represent an open Bible. What a wonderful way to express your faith to the world! The next time you need to replace a door in your home, you might consider “A Christian Door”. Why not share your faith? Someone’s life could be changed by the simple act of entering your home. Remember, anything is possible!

Light and Darkness by Gary Rose

 

Og Mandino; author of one of the best books that I have ever read: The Greatest Salesman In The World. Read this book, you will be very glad you did! Anyway, I saw this quote attributed to him and it make me think about “Light and Darkness”.

As Christians, we live in a world surround by people who do not really believe in God, for if they truly did they would obey HIM and turn to the light that only HE can provide. Yet, even their unbelief can provide us with something useful; it can cause us to remember what we were like before we turned to God. Bad examples can cause us to be better than we are.

Jesus said…

John 8:12 ( World English Bible )

¹² Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 14:6 ( WEB )

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.

Though we live in a world of darkness ( towards God ), yet we do have light that can and does in fact lead us to God – Jesus. FOLLOW JESUS, LOVE HIM and remember what HE has done for you. Be Happy, fellow Christian, for you have a great deal to be thankful for.

A HARD HEART by Gary Rose

 

A hardened heart just doesn’t happen by accident. Yet, I imagine that only a very few people out there would admit to having a heart like the one above. I chose this picture because this heart was hardened by design. The metal was placed in the appropriate positions and fixed with rivets. And, those spots look to me like some sort of wash that would eliminate anything growing on it. In short, signed, sealed and delivered ( to Satan, of course ).

Jesus said…

Matthew 13 ( World English Bible )

¹ On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.

² Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.

³ He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow.

⁴ As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.

⁵ Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

⁶ When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

⁷ Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.

⁸ Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

¹⁰ The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

¹¹ He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

¹² For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand.

¹⁴ In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ​‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive:

¹⁵ for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and should turn again; and I would heal them.’

¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.

¹⁷ For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.

¹⁸ “Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.

¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

²⁰ What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

²² What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

²³ What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and brings forth, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Some people just do not think spiritually and CANNOT-HEAR.

Some people have hardened their heart and have DETERMINED NOT-TO-HEAR.

Some people will hear and DO-SOMETHING-ABOUT-IT.

All this from a simple parable about a farmer that almost everyone can comprehend ( if they want to, of course ). Beyond this parable is a simple question: Is it possible for even the best of us to have a hardened heart at times? The answer is YES. Moses, when charged by God to deliver a message to Pharaoh, whined that he wasn’t a good speaker, so God gave him Aaron. Gideon simply couldn’t believe and asked for miracles. Jonah, when God told him to go to Nineveh, went in the opposite direction. And Peter even had the temerity to rebuke Jesus ( Matthew 16: 22 ).

God is patient with us and will work with us. Moses did lead the Israelite's out of Egypt, Gideon did win a great victory, the people of Nineveh did repent and Peter, eventually he came around too.

Today, take a good look at yourself realize that you are not perfect. God can work with you ( imperfections and all ). Just remember to cultivate a receptive heart and be willing to change.

One last thing

God loves you and wants the very best for you.

Love HIM in return and be the very best you can be.

L-O-V-E by Gary Rose

 

Here is a cat with a message. He ( or she ) does not have to say a word, or meow or cuddle up to you, for its message is written all over its body; especially its face. Love is the message here and there is no denying it. What do you think about when you see this? I think about the 60’s song by the Beatles “All you need it love” and then the following passages from the Bible…

1 Corinthians 13 ( World English Bible )

¹ If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

² If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.

³ If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,

⁵ doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;

⁶ doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;

¹⁰ but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.

¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.

¹³ But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.

Hebrews 1 ( WEB )

¹ God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

² has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.

³ His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

The answer to what is love, is found in 1 Corinthians 13 and the perfect example of it is Jesus. God wanted to show us what love is in material concrete terms and HE sent Jesus to do it. God walking and talking and just everyday living – Jesus. Now, Jesus didn’t have love written all over his face ( like that cat ), but he had a heart full of it. I know this because of what he ultimately did in offering himself as a sacrifice for sin; for all people who will come to him for refuge and forgiveness.

Question:

Have you come to Jesus for forgiveness; if not, why not?

From soft to hard ( and back again ) by Gary Rose

 

I have had this picture for several years now, but never used it before. I am not exactly sure WHY I have never used it, but the fact remains it has just remained with all the other pictures; just waiting to be used. There is just something about the texture; it seems incredibly soft to me. I can almost feel the softness of the grass near that irrigation ditch. And yet, I know that this picture is not reality. Life isn’t soft, but rather it can be quite hard; and for a genuine Christian very hard.

Paul writes to his young student Timothy the following….

2 Timothy 3 ( World English Bible )

¹⁰ But you did follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness,

¹¹ persecutions, and sufferings: those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. Out of them all the Lord delivered me.

¹² Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

¹³ But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

¹⁴ But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.

Following Jesus is not easy; the world will hate you for using God’s standards of living. Being different has a price and the world will make you pay and pay and pay. But, through any and all difficulties, God will be there for you, helping and guiding you. Eventually, you will die; that is the harsh reality of life. Yet, with God, you will live again and not just exist, but live an abundant life in heaven.

Humm, I wonder what the TEXTURE OF HEAVEN will be like? My best guess is that it will be beyond the softest environment that the human mind can conceptualize.

Beauty and something beyond the sky by Gary Rose

 

One of my favorite heavenly sights is that of a fire rainbow and this one is undoubtedly the very best one that I have ever seen. It really looks like that the rainbow is actually on fire; magnificent. As I looked at this rainbow, I remembered the words that John Denver sang in his “Rocky mountain high” song. I found this video on you tube with John singing and some beautiful pictures of Colorado – you might enjoy it, I did.

 

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN7M87Vc978

As beautiful as the rainbow is and those wonderful pictures of Colorado, I can only image the splendor of God in heaven and to be able to see Jesus, to look at him face to face and ask him questions. David, the great king of ancient Israel must have thought similar thoughts as he wrote the following…

Psalm 27 ( World English Bible )

1, By David. Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?

2, When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.

3, Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident.

4, One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple.

And then, there is this passage from the book of revelation...

Revelation 1 ( WEB )

1, This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel* to his servant, John,

2, who testified to God’s word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.

3, Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is at hand.

4, John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne;

5, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood;

6, and he made us to be a Kingdom, priests* to his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7, Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.

8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,*” says the Lord God,* “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

9, I John, your brother and partner with you in oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

10, I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet

11, saying, “*What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies*: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

12, I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands.

13, And among the lampstands was one like a son of man,* clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest.

14, His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire.

15, His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters.

16, He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

17, When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last,

18, and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades*.

Now, we know that from Isaiah 53 that Jesus wasn’t an attractive man as men define beauty, but I like to think that his beauty of one of the inner spirit. Just consider the words of the Beatitudes and I think you will agree with me. As I consider these things, I have more questions than answers, and frankly, I can’t wait to see Jesus and ask HIM questions until eternity ends. How about you?