Each of Us is Going to Court

SCENARIO:

The day started out like every other day, but little did I know that a tragic event would transpire that would change my life forever. I just had breakfast and was about to head out to work, when there was a knock on the door.

I opened it and a sharply-dressed, tall, dark gentleman asked me my name. After I responded, he replied: “This is a subpoena for you to appear in court. The date and place are in the document. See you in court.” He then departed and closed the door. I was surprised and more than a little nervous. Uncertainty and fear gripped my heart as I wondered – what is this all about? Am I in trouble? What have I done? After gathering my thoughts, I opened the door to ask him a few questions, but he was not there, and I did not see him even after I looked up and down the street.

As I was on my way out the door to head for work, I glanced at the summons, and noticed that it was for TOMORROW, at some location I was not familiar with. But as I was late for work, I decided to check out the location later.

It was a very busy day at work, and I even had to work late. A strong thunderstorm came up, and as I was driving home, a drunk driver swerved and hit my car head-on at high speed, causing a HUGE CRASH. In an instant, my life flashed before me, and I lost consciousness.

THE GREAT COURTROOM OF HEAVEN

When I woke up, I realized something had profoundly changed. I was standing in a huge, majestic courtroom, and it felt like I had somehow passed into another dimension. It then dawned on me that I had passed through the veil of death and into eternity, and was now standing in THE GREAT COURTROOM OF HEAVEN!

When I looked toward the rear of the courtroom, behind a rail were visitors. I saw my parents! And my Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary, my neighbor David, a co-worker who died from cancer, and three high school classmates who had died from a car accident many years ago. They were all excited to see me, and were there to support me and cheer me on.

When I returned my gaze to the front of the courtroom, it dawned on me that I was the one who was on trial!

I then recognized the tall dark gentleman who gave me the summons, standing to the right of the judge’s bench and wearing a white flowing robe. I realized he was an angel and he declared: “All rise in reverence for the Judge, the sovereign, living God of the universe.”

When God the Father came in, His holy presence filled the courtroom, and everyone present bowed to the floor, the only thing a person could do in the presence of absolute holiness.

The angel then told everyone to be seated, but for me (the accused) to remain standing. He then asked the Accuser (Satan) to read the charges against me. Satan had a very long list, as I had committed many sins throughout my life. My heart was broken and grieved as he read them, realizing all the harm I had done to so many people.

Then God the Judge asked “Before I pass sentence, what do you have to say for yourself?” I was so overcome with grief, I had nothing to say.

GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY

God then asked me: “How do you plead – guilty or not guilty? “Guilty” I sobbed, and I knew my fate was sealed if justice was to prevail.

He asked one final question before pronouncing my sentence: “Is there anyone present who would like to speak on behalf of the accused?”

At this point, Jesus stepped forward from the back of the courtroom where He was watching the proceedings. He told the judge and all in the courtroom that He paid the price for my sins with his death on the cross, and thus took the penalty that was rightfully mine. My heart leaped with great anticipation at the possibility of a reprieve for my many sins.

The Judge, God the Father, then slammed the gavel down, announced that all charges against me were dropped, and welcomed me into the Kingdom of Heaven. Immediately I heard a loud chorus of angels rejoicing that another soul had been snatched from eternity in the Lake of Fire.

While Satan stomped out of the courtroom, furious at losing another soul to Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven, my friends and family in the visitors’ section cheered loudly, for my life had just been saved by the blood of Christ. I then experienced a joy and bliss that is beyond my ability to describe – a feeling of peace and of finally coming home to be with the Lord for eternity.

EVERYONE HAS A DATE TO APPEAR IN COURT

Well guess what – this is going to happen to you as well as to me. Each of us has a particular day in the future when we will pass through the veil of death and into eternity. We will then stand before the sovereign, living God of the universe in the Great Court of Heaven, where ultimate justice is dispensed for each of us.

Satan, the accuser, will describe all the sins we have committed in our life, and then we will be asked to respond to his accusations. Finally, God the Father will ask if there is anyone who would like to speak on our behalf. Although we may have friends and family watching the trial, their testimony will not be allowed, as they have no standing regarding matters of eternal justice (and God already knows what they would say on our behalf anyway).

Only Christ can advocate for individual persons, and then only for those of us who have received Him as our Savior BEFORE WE DIED. Once we pass through the veil of death into eternity, our course is set.

So let us reach out to those who come across our path with the love and truth of Christ, for life is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Source of image: shutterstock.com

To God be the Glory

LifeintheSpirit.net

A Homeless Guy, a Recovering Christian, and a Christian Met One Night in a Bar

Wouldn’t you like to hear what the homeless guy said to the recovering Christian? Stay with me and I will tell you, for it is a compelling story.

Actually, it was on an afternoon, not in a bar, and on the steps of a house owned by the recovering Christian, a young man in his 40s. When asked what his religious background was, he said he was raised in the church, but he is now “a recovering Christian” (like a recovering alcoholic).

He cited two experiences that impacted him in particular. The first was when he was enrolled as a student at a Christian university and playing baseball. When the coach caught him and several other players smoking pot, he confessed and even said he had a joint in his dorm room. The next day, security officers searched his room, where they found the marijuana joint.

The other players were reprimanded, but stayed on the team and in school, while he was expelled. He pleaded for mercy from the college administrators, but they refused and expelled him.

Secondly, he mentioned seeing homeless people sleeping in the alcoves or on porches of churches who kept their buildings locked. He then referred to Jesus who said inasmuch as you did not give food, water, or shelter to the least of these, you did not give to Me. So he is a recovering Christian because of the traumatic ending of his college and baseball career, and the gap between what Jesus said and what he has seen in churches.

It is at this juncture that a homeless man chimed in. He told the homeowner that there is a big difference between true Christians who are members of the Body of Christ, and church organizations that place a higher priority on holding events for their members and maintaining their buildings than going out to win souls for Christ. He declared that the true church is not an organization with buildings and a sign that says church, but an organism with members from all countries who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. His final admonition was to not confuse the two, but focus on Christ who alone can set us free from sin and the fear of death.

The True Church in Communist Romania

This conversation brings to mind insights from Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, author of “Tortured for Christ”. Wurmbrand experienced months of solitary confinement, years of periodic physical torture, and the anguish of brainwashing by Romanian communist officials, all for the crime of public witnessing about Jesus Christ.

Wurmbrand described how believers would not build houses, because officials would then arrest them and take their properties. They could not gather in public or they would be arrested, so they would gather in basements or out in the forest at night – anyplace where they would not be detected.

So what if (or when) Christianity is outlawed in America, and we had to meet under a tree in the forest at night? There would be no buildings to maintain, lock, or worry about vandalism. If someone was sleeping under our tree, fine – we might sleep there as well. If someone came to worship with us, terrific, for they too are seeking the love and truth of Jesus, the only truth that can set us free. If we are sharing food and someone comes, fine, we share food with them JUST LIKE JESUS DID.

Everyone has a story – a story of their life, with successes, failures, hopes and fears. Everyone we see or meet is going through some struggle unknown to us, even if they say everything is “fine”. So let us reach out to them with the love and truth of Christ, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Source of image: Shutterstock.com

To God be the glory

Mark Peterson

LifeintheSpirit.net

MEMORIAL DAY SALUTE TO OUR FALLEN VETERANS

As you know, this is the day for us to pause from our daily lives to
reflect on and remember those who died for our country. And thank you to all of you who served our country in the military, and your spouses, for the service you have rendered to our country. We enjoy freedoms today because of your willingness and that of your colleagues to put your life on the life to protect
our nation.“Mansions of the Lord” is a majestic and compelling hymn that honors those who lost their lives in service to our country. You can see it performed by the West Point Band and West Point Glee Club here (https://tinyurl.com/MansionsoftheLord)
You can follow along with the lyrics:

Mansions of the Lord

To fallen soldiers let us sing
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding, no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
Just divine embrace, Eternal light
In the Mansions of the Lord

Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard though the angels sleep
All through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord

Our nation faces many grave challenges, so let us pray that our leaders
will make wise decisions, to keep us safe and from harm.

Blessings on your day,

Mark Peterson

LifeintheSpirit.net

Education is Not THE ANSWER –

Two Incredible Stories

Source of image: unknown

Is education important? Of course. While we may expect a better educated public to address complex and serious issues more effectively than an uneducated public, in my many years as an educator, I concluded that it is not THE ANSWER to the many critical challenges facing our nation, such as drugs, poverty, homelessness, corruption, and crime. Ironically, it may even provide greater capability to promulgate evil. Here are two incredible stories that shed light on this matter:

Story #1: The Einsatzgruppen in Nazi Germany – Educated Murderers

Prior to the invasion of Poland in 1939, Heinrich Himmler, Chief of the German Police, created the Einsatzgruppen to identify, combat, and eliminate suspected enemies of the German Nazi government in areas taken over by the Nazi army. They were paramilitary death squads that engaged in mass murder, primarily by shooting many of the cultural, religious, and intellectual elite of Poland, including Catholic priests, Freemasons, Jews, local political leaders, communists, partisans, and Romani people.

These units, supported by SS units, killed over 50,000 Poles, including 7,000 Polish Jews by the end of 1939. Himmler recruited highly educated Germans to lead the Einsatzgruppen, with OVER HALF OF THE EINSATZGRUPPEN LEADERS HAVING PH.D.S. Their advanced education did not provide them with a moral compass to forbid mass murder.

Story #2: Craig Marlatt – From Prison to Street Ministry

Craig Marlatt’s life started out rough, then took a radical turn for the Lord. Sent to prison THREE TIMES for drug offenses, the third time he was in prison, Marlatt volunteered to assist with a prison ministry as the chaplain’s clerk because it was easier than working out in the hot cotton fields. There he met a homely preacher who preached the Word of God. The Holy Spirit convicted Craig, and he came to the Lord. When he left prison, he started a coffee house in the toughest part of downtown Orlando. Here is an ex-con with a high school education, ministering to drug addicts, prostitutes, and street people, as well as writing books and recording Christian songs that inspire people to live lives of honesty, virtue, and service.

These stories demonstrate that education, while important, can be used for good or evil, and that our Lord can and does use ANYONE who is yielded to His Holy Spirit and is willing to carry out the work of the Lord. God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.

Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 The word “life” in Greek is “zoe” which means a life expressing the highest and best, a life of service to God and to mankind. As just one example, the early Christians were known for rescuing unwanted babies off the trash heaps of the Roman empire. In contrast, communist regimes that explicitly rejected God have killed over 100 million of their own people. Christ brings life; communism – rejecting God – brings death.

So let us seek the Lord with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, that we may discover God’s calling upon our lives and experience the abundant life – the life of joy that He promises to all who follow Him.

To God be the glory

LifeintheSpirit.net

What Do YOU Bring to the Table?

Several years ago, a non-profit organization board in the Arkansas Delta met to discuss prospective board members, and I was privileged to be a part of that discussion. Like many non-profits, they struggled with finances, so they were looking for individuals who were either wealthy or had political influence to gain access to money. A person would be suggested, and the next question was: “What do they bring to the table?” Although I dislike the jargon, it means “what could they contribute to our organization?”

What Different Age Groups Bring to the Table

We could ask the same question about people of different ages – what can they contribute to our society:

BABIES inspire awe, wonder, and love; created in the image of God, they are BRAND-NEW PERSONS, more incredible than a solar eclipse, Niagara Falls, or Grand Canyon.
CHILDREN contribute curiosity and excitement at encountering the world and learning how to get along with other people,
YOUNG PEOPLE contribute energy and promise for the future, unencumbered by life’s burdens, unfulfilled dreams, and skepticism of what is possible.
MIDDLE AGE PEOPLE are the backbone of society – men and women each contributing their unique abilities, knowledge and skills in work, dedication, and commitment to family – raising the younger generation and caring for the older generation.
SENIOR ADULTS contribute experience, reflection, wisdom, and a knowledge of history that enables them to recognize patterns and current events with a deep understanding.

Healthy, Godly societies, communities, families, and churches recognize the critical contributions that each group can make, and act to support, protect, and nurture them. In these settings, individuals in each of the above groups are respected and loved for who they are, and “heard”.

What Does Satan Bring to the Table

In contrast, Satan and his minions seek to steal our identities – who we are as image-bearers of God, kill our bodies in a multitude of ways, and destroy our souls:

BABIES are killed in the womb or sacrificed to idols,
CHILDREN are abused, trafficked, or mutilated for gender transitioning,
YOUNG PEOPLE are brainwashed by secular education, hooked on drugs, blasted with satanic music and videos, and robbed of their promising futures,
MIDDLE AGE PEOPLE are lied to by our government and media, forced to work in inhumane conditions (required vaccinations, etc.), and robbed of their finances through inflation, and
SENIOR ADULTS are put on drugs to keep them docile, and robbed of their valuable roles as sources of wisdom by a culture that only values youth.

Satan not only brings destruction and death to the table (our society, communities, families, and churches), but HE WANTS TO DESTROY THEM.

What Does Jesus Bring to the Table

**Not only does our Lord prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5), but He:**

· **invited His disciples to join Him for a breakfast of fish and bread (*John 21:12),***

· **invites us to dine with Him (Revelation 3:20), and**

· offered bread and wine to His disciples at the last supper (Mark 14), an expression of and a precursor to Him giving Himself – His body and blood – on the cross to wipe away our sins and the fear of death forever (Mark 15).

What Do YOU Bring to the Table?

Jesus said we are to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, the first and great commandment.” Then He said we are to “love our neighbor as ourself.”

He is saying – if we don’t spend any time with Him – in repentance, in His Word, in worship, and in prayer, we will have nothing special – NOTHING SUPERNATURAL to share with others. We will be unable to fulfill His calling upon our lives – the grand purpose for which we were created – to impart to others His truth and love.

So let us go forth with boldness and courage to reach others, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory LifeintheSpirit.net

Source of image: Pixabay

The Eclipse is a Warning to America – Stay Inside!

While there has been a great deal of media attention to the eclipse coming on Monday, much less attention is given to the spiritual dimensions and implications of the eclipse.

Messages from several watchmen and women have not only declared that the eclipse is a major warning to America to repent, but that a biological attack is planned for those who gather to watch the eclipse. This is very serious and includes a warning to stay inside rather than place you and your family in harm’s way. You can see these messages here:

eclipse-is-a-warning Download

In I Chronicles 12:32, the sons of Issachar were commended for understanding the times and knowing what they should do. So let us be like them, seeking understanding of the times and what we should do to live at this time and serve our Lord. As in all things, question everything and take it to the Lord for confirmation.

This blog is for the remnant Bride of Christ and all who seek The Truth. You won’t want to miss it.

Blessings on your day,

Mark

Mark Peterson

LifeintheSpirit.net

Ten Reasons Why Repentance is Absolutely Necessary

Our nation is becoming more and more perverse, as President Biden recently declared EASTER to be Transgender Day of Visibility, a direct insult to the sovereign, living God of the universe. This is a blatant abomination, and our nation and people are now facing judgment from God.

So it is absolutely necessary that we repent of our sins and seek the Lord for His protection, guidance, and peace, as never before, because:

God is a holy, righteous, and jealous God. If we approach Him with unconfessed sin on our hearts, we are idolators, worshipping another god.
Unrepentance refuses Christ’s gift of salvation. If we refuse His free gift of grace, we will be judged under the Law and found guilty.
Unrepentance drowns out the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. We lose our ability to discern what is from the Lord and what is from the evil one.
Repentance frees us from the bondage of sin and death. When we retain sin in our hearts, we remain in bondage, enslaving our souls to the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Conviction from the Holy Spirit is our friend, as it is a warning sign that we are straying off the narrow path.
Unrepentance pollutes our witness to others. Unconfessed sin sends mixed messages about Christ and those who follow Him.
Unforgiveness is a powerful example of unrepentance. And if we don’t forgive someone of their wrongs against us, our Lord will not forgive us of our sins.
Unconfessed sin is a cancer to our souls, and we need to get rid of it before it spreads and takes over completely.
Unrepentance opens the doors to demonic influence in our lives. Unconfessed sins attract demons like fresh meat attracts flies, but repentance closes those portals to our soul.
There is no sin in heaven. If we arrive at the pearly gates with sinon our souls, we are refusing to die to self and live for Christ, which is the entrance fee to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Lord is sending us into the front lines of the great spiritual battle for the souls of men and women – the ultimate prize. But we can only do this if we are spiritually clean, have our spiritual armor on, and are in touch with the Holy Spirit.

If hold on to any sin and refuse to die to self, we are saying no to life in the Spirit – a great spiritual adventure filled with blessings, sorrows, and the joy of the Lord that only comes from His presence in our lives.

So let us repent, forgive, and go forth with the love and truth of God, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory

LifeintheSpirit.net

Start Each Day in the Third Heaven

START EACH DAY IN THE THIRD HEAVEN

Source of image: Freepik.com

For many years, I would get up in the morning, have breakfast, and go to work. But I discovered that our Lord calls us to a higher calling and purpose for our lives:

a love for us to experience that can transform us,
a battle for us to engage in that is worth fighting, and
a story for us to live in that is far bigger and better than we have known.

Furthermore, when we receive Christ, we become indwelt with the Holy Spirit. And when we spend time each morning in His Word and prayer, we can experience the three heavens. We receive a clue about the third heaven from the apostle Paul in II Corinthians 12:2:

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.”

THIRD HEAVEN

When we repent of our sins, forgive others, and get into the Word of God and prayer, we can commune with our Lord in the third heaven, where the sovereign, living God of the universe resides on His throne, with Jesus Christ on His right side. This is also called the secret place:

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

Our Lord teaches, convicts, equips, encourages, and loves us. He also illumines and transforms our minds so that we can see the world as He does and walk in the Spirit.

But then He says – it is time for you to go and carry on My work on earth, because there are many souls who don’t know Me and are headed for the Lake of Fire. So put on your spiritual armor and go forth.

SECOND HEAVEN

Then we can enter the second heaven – the realm of angels, demons, and spiritual warfare, where we can:

Ask our Lord to bind the demonic forces harassing us and our loved ones, and command them to go into the Lake of Fire,
Plead the blood of Jesus over our family and friends and ask our Lord to protect us with His mighty angels,
Rebuke all curses upon us and our loved ones, including generational curses upon our family to the 4^th generation,
Ask our Lord to touch their lives of particular individuals, our leaders, and the lost.

Interceding for others is like SPIRITUAL ARTILLERY. Just as armies shoot artillery shells into enemy territory, we are asking our Lord to send His Presence into the lives of loved ones – for healing, comfort, direction, and peace.

You don’t think demons are active today? Then you are misled by our culture and Lucifer. Here is what the apostle Paul said:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:11-12

FIRST HEAVEN

Now we go out into the world to carry out the work that He has set before us:

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

We are also to look for the divine appointments our Lord has for us each day. And we should always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us, imparting some spiritual gift to them, or receiving a spiritual gift from them.

If we don’t spend time with our Lord in the third heaven, we won’t have anything supernatural to share with others. And we will miss the joy of the Lord that comes from fulfilling His purpose for our lives.

If we don’t do spiritual battle in the second heaven, we will be going into enemy territory without armor, unaware of the evil that attacks us and our loved ones.

And if we don’t know God’s calling on our life, we will live in the first heaven, oblivious to the spiritual battles around us that seek to rob us and those around us of the joy and salvation of the Lord.

So let us go forth with the truth and love of Christ and witness to all whom the Lord brings across our path, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory

Mark Peterson

LifeintheSpirit.net

Every One Dies Twice

This may sound strange, but everyone dies twice:

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes [trials and tribulations] shall not be hurt by the second death. Revelation 2:11

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Revelation 21:8

Christians: respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, repent of our sins, surrender to the Lord, and die to self when we receive Christ as our Savior. Then at some point in time our bodies die physically, and our soul goes to heaven to be with the Lord for eternity. Dying to self is a continual process and leads to a life of joy with no fear of death, looking forward to stepping into eternity to be with the Lord and loved ones who went before us.

Non-believers in Christ: when their bodies die physically, their soul goes to heaven to be judged, and then die a second time as they are sent to the Lake of Fire. It is their spirit that dies in the second death – their ability to commune with the Lord. They fear death, go to heaven to be judged, and it goes downhill from there.

So which will it be:

Are you so involved in and enjoying the enticements and pleasures of the world that you cannot imagine – are just unwilling to – die to self for something that appears to be a long way off? You can always receive Christ LATER, right? (This is one of Satan’s most favorite lies.) OR
Do you acknowledge the reality of the sovereign, living God of the universe and respond to His call upon your life, knowing that the choice you make now will have eternal consequences?

“Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

To God be the glory

LifeintheSpirit.net

Not only does our Lord prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5), but He:

· invited His disciples to join Him for a breakfast of fish and bread (John 21:12),

· invites us to dine with Him (Revelation 3:20), and

· offered bread and wine to His disciples at the last supper (Mark 14), an expression of and a precursor to Him giving Himself – His body and blood – on the cross to wipe away our sins and the fear of death forever (Mark 15).

**Not only does our Lord prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5), but He:**

· **invited His disciples to join Him for a breakfast of fish and bread (*John 21:12),***

· **invites us to dine with Him (Revelation 3:20), and**