A Word of Encouragement...

Hi friends! Ahhhh...it has been way too long! Can I just tell you how much I have missed this? I love this space of writing and sharing with you. I'd rather it be at my kitchen table with lots of coffee and the sounds of voices, and laughter, not just the clicking of my keyboard. But this will do! How have you all been? So much has happened over the last several months, not just personally, but like universally! I try not to meddle in the news for too long because, well, it's kind of frightening and watching humanity crumbling under the pressure has been less than uplifting. Which is why I am here right now! I have a word of encouragement I want to share with you!

So, a few months ago, I felt God tugging on me to start studying the book of Revelation. To be honest, my first response was, "Umm, Revelation? You sure? But why?" < LOL > The reason I was so reluctant was because I have always been afraid of this particular book in the Bible. It stems from my childhood, and I guess I have never really moved past this notion of fear. I just remember all of the apocalyptic horses and creatures and other figments my imagination drew up while reading some of the chapters! I didn't realize that there was so much symbolism and apocalyptic language that needed wisdom and interpretation behind it to actually unlock the meaning of the content. I took everything 100 percent literal, and being so young, it was just very freaky! Haha! I decided to stay in the books that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside! Those books are wonderful, and necessary too, but the truth is that now my soul needs more than just "milk"... I can digest the meat now, too. So, I obliged, even though I didn't fully understand why He was calling me there.

"I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed you are still not ready."- 1Corinthians 3:2

So, I started reading from chapter 1, and instantly noticed that this was nothing like I remember. This was not so bad after all! Then my life got kind of hectic, and I was doing a Bible Study which required me to study in other parts of the Bible, and I faded back away from Revelation and before I knew it, months had passed, and about 3 weeks ago, I started getting that nudge again to go back to Revelation. So, I did- this time without hesitation.

I started again from the beginning, but decided that I needed to find some resources to help me really understand what I was actually reading, and that was the moment that things started unwinding so fast, I literally don't remember when and how I found most of the articles I began reading. It's fair to say, in a lot of ways, they found me!

All of a sudden, with the understanding came this whole revelation of everything! I was literally seeing the words on the pages of my Bible, like living in the world around me! I could see it now. The prophetic nature of the Bible is literally mind blowing! I just kept thinking: where have I been this whole time? How did I not know all of these things happening around me were so intentional, already predicted in this book that was written 2,000 years ago? How can this be?!

<I will be sharing some of the prophetic fulfillments that I have found -very soon!>

I began to understand and know God in a new and deeper way, as these layers of mystery began to peel away. My faith in Him, which I have always considered to be substantial, began to overflow into places it's never been before. Being so intimately entwined with fear for so long had me in a hopeless bondage that I have never ever been able to break free from. In fact, bondage actually just felt like normalcy because that is how long I have been operating from that place. The enemy had territory there, and believe me, he had no plans of giving it up.

Isn't that something? Feeling peaceful would be a "new sensation". Feeling peaceful would bring about fearful thoughts of whether I am emotionally unwell in this area because I have lost the anxiety that I've only known in this certain area. I began wondering if I was being foolish and reckless, or just giving completely up because I no longer was gripped by the fear of dying. The truth is that dying was exactly what needed to happen. I needed to die to my flesh in order to actually live for my Savior.

"The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace."- Romans 8:6

In the last three weeks, I have experienced Him in a new way, and I can't ever go back to the way things were before. Nothing can satisfy this new craving except God, Himself. It's hard to find natural words to describe the supernatural, Divine touch that didn't just reach my heart, but literally touched my soul. I see His heart in everything around me. I feel His love in ways that I was blind to before.

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."- Isaiah 42:16

This is why I am writing you this message. The studying that I have been diving into has opened my eyes up widely to the seriousness of the season of life we are living in right now. There is no better moment than right this very second to make sure that you are living for God. The earth has a new sound. I know you can feel it. I know you can see it. The earth is groaning..... in "labor," so to speak, and we are nearing the midnight hour, friends. I believe we are living in the last days of the last days! If you are not "ready" this probably sounds terrifying, and not exciting. That is why I want to take this opportunity to share the Gospel with you, in the chance that someone is out there reading this and has never given themselves to God.

"In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am."

Becoming a Christian is literally the most important decision a person can ever make in life. The Bible says our time here on earth is but a shadow.

"For we were born yesterday and know nothing; Our days on Earth are but a shadow."

- Job 8:9

What happens when our time on Earth is over? That hinges on that very important decision we just talked about. This is why I want to share the Good News, the Gospel, with you.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."- John 3:16

God sent His only son, Jesus Christ to the earth. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, and was filled with all of our sins, and crucified, so that we may be forgiven and share an eternal life with Him.

We are born as sinful, by default, people. This is the consequence of Adam and Eve's sin, and because of this default, we are separated from God. This is why He sent His son, Jesus, to pay that debt on the cross, so that we could be One with Him. This is the ONLY way to Heaven. Those who do not choose to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, will be eternally separated from God in a place called Hell. Hell is not a metaphor- it is a real place. This choice leads to unfathomable suffering and torture in a lake of fire for eternity, rather than the unfathomable love and joy of living with our Father in Heaven.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."- Romans 6:23

He loves us with a fierce love that we are not even capable of understanding here on Earth. There is no greater price one could pay, than to give his own life for his friends. There is no deeper way He could have shown His love for us. The world we live in is fallen. It is not the world He originally designed and wanted for us. One day, very soon, He will come back and receive His bride, (all of His believers) and take us with Him and allow us to spend eternity dwelling with Him in the perfect (another concept that we could never imagine in our human capacity) home that He has prepared for us. You can read the Bible from cover to cover and you see that at the end of the day, all He gets out of this is ....us! That is all He wants... to have all of His children glorified by Him to live with Him forever and ever. This hope sounds too good to be true for us, but it is not! He offers that to all who believe.

This salvation is only achieved through Jesus Christ. Some believe that by doing enough good works, being good, kind humans will get them to Heaven. This is not true. You have to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the ONLY way to Heaven..

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."-John 14:6

...and Salvation is so much more than just going to Heaven when our time is up on Earth... I don't mean "just" because even if that was all, that is more than enough!! That is the most important part! But what I mean is that there are many other benefits to receive in the fullness of the salvation He offers us.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."- Psalm 103: 2-5

He knows that our frame is dust, and that this world is unbearably dangerous, and we can't do life without His help.

"For He knows our frame; He remember that we are dust."- Psalm 103:14

He wants us to live peacefully here until He is ready for us to come home and be with Him for eternity, and He makes that possible through our decision to surrender our life into His hands. He only desires to bless us, and prosper us, but we must be willing to choose Him over our own desires. (Sin).

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."- Romans 3:23-24

"Jesus is ’the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”-Acts 4:11-12

I could write forever telling you of all the reasons why choosing God is the best thing you could ever do, but then I'd never get this posted so that you could actually read it!

So, I'll close with prayer. If you have never prayed this prayer before, I'd love to pray it with you! If you send me an email, and let me know, I'd love to send you a Bible, and be a personal friend that you can count on to walk this path together with you. There is no greater purpose for my life than to help others find the one true lover of their soul, Jesus Christ.

If you have prayed this prayer before, but you have gotten off track, and become lost along the way, I want to pray this with you, too! There is no better moment than right now to make the decision to come back home to your Father! Nobody knows what the next moment will bring, so please don't put this off for another day or another time. Jesus is waiting right now!

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."- Luke 15:7

Let's pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to you right now, a sinner, in need of a Savior. I believe that You sent Your only Son, Jesus Christ to die for my sins. I believe that He died on a cross and was raised to life again three days later to pay the price for my sins. Please forgive me and wash me clean, as I receive the salvation You offer me. I choose You, Father, and I place my life in Your loving hands from this day forward. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for loving me, and thank you for Your sacrifice so that I can live.

In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Congratulations, friend! I am so excited for you! You never have to go through anything alone, ever again! He is our Father, but He is also our friend. He longs for us to come to Him about everything! The things that worry us, the things that anger us, the things that confuse us, the things that bring us joy, the things that bring us pain, in our celebrating, in our times of sorrow, in ALL times, He is with us, and He is for us, and He chooses us- no matter how many mistakes we make. He sees us wrapped up in His righteousness and finds no fault! His love is truly unexplainable! I am so happy you made this choice today!

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved."- John 3:17

Blessings and Love,

-xoxo-

-Bethany Hope