Spencer Patrick .com

” For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ESV Strong’s Bible)

” We are telling you what the Lord taught. We who are still alive when the Lord comes will not go ?into his kingdom? ahead of those who have already died. The Lord will come from heaven with a command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet ?call? of God. First, the dead who believed in Christ will come back to life.”
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 GWT

Jesus is not walking around on the earth as a man today.

8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
(1 Timothy 4:8 NKJV)

I’ll take time with God over the gym or some breakfast meeting any day.

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth
(1 Timothy 4:1-3 NKJV)

Does this sound anything like the time we’re living in?

This is so cool to see a bunch young guys praising the Lord.  The nice thing is that those who don’t want to don’t have to.  But those who join in look like they’re having more fun!

We pray God protect and keep these men from the enemies and death, and that God protect them from foolish politicians and leadership of their country.  They shall not be put unnecessarily in harms way but will only have to defend what is right and what we must protect.

” For example, a person must realize that those laws are not intended for people who have God’s approval. Laws are intended for lawbreakers and rebels, for ungodly people and sinners, for those who think nothing is holy or sacred, for those who kill their fathers, their mothers, or other people.”
1 Timothy 1:9 GWT

” Laws are intended for people involved in sexual sins, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for those who lie when they take an oath, and for whatever else is against accurate teachings.”
1 Timothy 1:10 (GWT)

Our family is big on tithing.  We have gone from nothing to abundance.  All that we have has come from Him.  Praise God!  It’s all His anyways. We are stewarding His things for the Kingdom.

I will never forget the couple that came to Japan to help with starting the new church. They received all sorts of blessings from our church.  They got help getting a place to live.  They received many things as well as a washer, a dryer, a refrigerator, even a car… They were so blessed and it was so exciting to see.  Just after all that, they said they didn’t ‘believe in tithing’.  As leaders we should have known better when we saw that.  They’re hearts were in rebellion.  These people were stealing from God.

A few months later, we decided to go from a Saturday kids ministry to a Sunday meeting for the whole family.  God miraculously gave us a meeting place when we couldn’t find anything a year earlier.  Instead of celebrating and helping as the church went to the next level, their rebellion showed and they refused to help.  They tried to continue the Saturday meetings and the enemy was working in them already to try to split the new church start up.

God will not bless individuals who work against His people.  Everything fell apart for this couple and this family went back to their nomadic lifestyle of church hopping, taking and losing things.  It was a very sad thing to see as even if someone gives to this type of person, it will just all be wasted.  We all need to be careful where and who we give to.

God wants you to live long and prosper.  True prosperity only comes through Jesus.

As believers, when we give abundantly it will come back to us in abundance.  Praise the Name of Jesus!

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
–1 Timothy 5:8 (NKJV)

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
(1 Thessalonians 1:10 NKJV)