The End IS Near!

The latest world news in the media is devastating…and yet, for the Christian, it is bittersweet! We hear of wars and rumors of wars, but these are the birth-pains. And we recognize birth pains, while feeling devastating at the moment, are the preliminary to New Life!

When I was a little girl (a very small child), I was fascinated by end times prophecy, and wanted to be here to see its fulfillment. I wanted to be one of the ones who never died, but was simply “caught away”! When I wished these things, over thirty years ago, it was debatable that they could really, feasibly come true. But, now, I doubt any scholar of the Bible and end times would argue that, indeed, we may be called away at any moment, now!

Now that I am an adult, with a better understanding of scriptures, I believe that God placed within my child-heart these longings to see prophecy fulfilled; just as he promised Simeon that he would not die before he saw the redemption of Israel, then granted him to hold that Infant Redemption in his arms! I see every prophecy, up to the point of the rapture of the church, has been fulfilled; Jesus may take us away at any moment, on any day now!

What does this mean to you? “Good! I’m out of here!”….But what of those we leave behind?….WAKE UP! THIS IS REAL!! The world news is more than “fascinating”; it is a call to battle for the true follower of Christ! In the light of the book of Revelation, nothing else matters! Here is the end of one world and the beginning of a new! Look around you! IT’S REAL! IT’S HERE! IT’S NOW!

The book of Revelation is not a dark mystery, only to be understood by those with a degree in theology. While there is much in it that seems mystical and allegorical, there is much to be taken in and understood, especially now, as we can line it up with our current times!

We are commanded to not seal up the truths contained in the book of Revelation, for the time is near (Revelation 22: 10)! On the contrary, we are blessed if we observe and lay to heart the truths contained in this “little book” (Revelation 22: 7)!

It is not called, “ the Book of Concealment”, it is called “the Book of Revelation”! Read it, bit by bit, while praying that God will open your eyes, mind and heart! For now, lay aside what you don’t understand, and cling to and carefully study what you do understand! With so many commentaries and studies on Revelation and Biblical prophecies, there is no excuse to enter these end times blindly!

Let it change your life and your relationships toward others! Do not be ruled by your fleshly desires, such as satisfying yourself with possessions and physical pleasure! The time is too short to be wasted on the temporal! It doesn’t seem likely that this present world has a hundred years before the Antichrist is revealed. But, even if it does have a hundred years, you and I don’t!

To all those who claim Christ: THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION, TO SPIRITUAL BATTLE! Don’t make your brothers and sisters stumble and trip over your lazy body sitting and complaining in the trenches; get up and fight! Understand, I am not encouraging violence. I’m calling us to action: Pray, Encourage, Give Financially, Evangelize, Preach, Teach, Entertain, Write, Draw, Perform, Heal, Serve, Govern, Be a Parent, Be a Grandparent, Be a Sibling, Be a Child, Be a Friend….all for God’s Glory and the Furthering of His Kingdom!

Soon you will be gone from this earth, and some of whom you love will be left here during the reign of Satan, himself! The only thing they will have to cling to is the hope you gave them, that they can be forgiven and guaranteed a place in Paradise! Scraps of scripture found in the ash heaps will be like jewels to these, your family and friends! And when they are murdered for their rebellion against the great dictator of the earth, they will be instantly granted a place in our Loving King’s presence!

I am aware that not all left behind will so quickly (or ever) turn to the Truth. But I feel (looking at my family and friends), if they were to be left behind, they would soon find no pleasure in the parties, no gratification in the illicit relationships and no fulfillment in the possessions.

Think about your own family and friends. Although living in sin and selfishness, not many of them are pure evil. You can see that they know they are lost, guilty and empty. That is why I have every hope that such as these will turn quickly to Christ, once Satan is given free reign of this earth!

But, although I believe that day is eminent, let us do all we can to bring them to that saving Faith, now, so that they may join our rising in the air, to meet and dwell with our Lord and Savior, Forever! The earth’s time is quickly coming to an end…so is yours…so is the time of your family and friends. As long as you have breath, breathe out truth, for Christ!

I challenge you to look at your unbelieving family and friends (and all unbelievers) as God does: with love, patience, as sly as a fox and as gentle as a dove, because the end of this present age is so near! May each of us be found to be faithful in this task!

Happy Belated Valentine’s

It’s been a long time…too long!

I have not gotten lazy or forgotten my promise to post my stories and writings here.  But, as I was in the middle of preparing to post something special for Valentine’s, I got sick, and got set back, and off schedule…not too mention, other personal schedules have thrown me a bit off track.

I am so sorry to have missed giving a special Valentine’s post…but, as it’s one of my favorite holidays (and every day is a good day to celebrate Love!), below I am posting some thoughts and insights I prayerfully wrote for Valentine’s, 2010.

Thank you all for liking this page!  I pray my posts are a blessing and an inspiration to you, and many more!  I look forward to sharing something special with you all, in the near future!

God Bless, and enjoy!

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My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“…love is as strong as death, it’s jealousy unyielding as the grave.  It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.  Many waters can not quench love;  rivers cannot wash it away.  If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love it would be utterly scorned.”  (Song of Solomon 8:6-7)

And so, it is for this reason I have had difficulty when it came to sitting down and writing to you all on the subject of love.  I was fully aware that the subject of love is quite overwhelming, and could fill an entire library!  So, I was determined to speak only of the most important aspects;  and yet, soon found myself drowning in this profound subject!  One thing that became clear to me, as I studied this subject, is that God IS Love!

We, as the human race, have done one of two things to the subject of “Love”:  We take “Love” for granted, and use the word flippantly, or, we try to complicate “Love”.

God IS Love!

I wanted to address my single brothers and sisters, as I can currently identify with them;  but I did not want to exclude my married brothers and sisters, and wished to encourage them as well.

But, as I thought and studied, I came to the conclusion that, as I heard a wise pastor instruct, the only way to be a happy married is to be a happy single.  Quote:  “If you’re an unhappy

single, you’ll be an unhappy married”.   On further study, I came to the conclusion that the only way to be a happy individual is to fill your life, your time, with God.

God IS Love!

Be comforted and assured, Dear Ones, that ache, that longing, that burning, that hunger you feel for “true love” is normal, natural and is a Holy fire kindled by a Holy God, for God IS Love!  So let God tend that flame, that it might not burn out of control.  Keep watch over it as something to be treated with care, reverence, fear and respect.

I think God often has us wait for 20 plus years to give us our spouse so that, by the time He brings that special someone, we will not take that love for granted, will treasure it and, hopefully, during our single years, we will have become the kind of spouse the other needs us to be!

God IS Love!

I once, a long time ago, thought I was “in” love with my friend;  to this day I can not say whether or not I was.  One day, I told him, “I love you”.  I confess, I only wanted to hear him say, “I love you, too”.  He did not.  I thank God he did not as it would have only left me more confused, and perhaps led my heart in a wrong direction!

Instead, the longer I felt “love deprived”, the more I cried out to God. The more I cried out to God, the closer I came to Him.  The closer I came to God, I found myself truly “falling in love”!

————A Picture Of My Heart———–

               By Sarah E. Shere

“Once upon a time” is always what I dreamed.

I’d close my door, turn out the light and be transported to another place,

another time, where I was a princess dress so fine!

I peered into the darkness and there was my prince:  not too short, not too tall;

long, thick hair;  warm, strong arms I could feel around me;

eyes that sparkled like stars and a smile that shamed the sun!

One day, I met a man who seemed to fit my dream prince to a tea!

But in a short while,  he was taken away from me.

And when I looked into the night to find my dream prince, once again,

not one hint of a shadow came to view.

I cried, for I felt two loves had been taken from me!

Then, one day, not so long ago, my dream prince, once again, was seen.

However, this time I noticed something I hadn’t seen before!

My Prince’s hands and feet were scarred, as if recently pierced.

His side bore a mark, as if he’d been run through.

He opened His arms and smiled at me, as He used to do!

I fell to the ground, kissed His feet and cried,

“Lord, my God, it’s You I’ve always loved!”

He picked me up into His arms, and held me close to His chest.

I can, again, feel His warm, strong arms holding me up to higher ground!

His eyes are the stars, His smile is the sun.

His voice is power, love, authority, peace and joy!

He is and forever will be my “true love”, my Prince of Peace!

And I know we’ll “live happily ever after” for eternity!

The beginning!

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God IS Love!

“Beloved, let us love one another; for love comes from God and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4: 7)

I have never felt the embrace of a man of whom I could say, “I am his and he is mine.”  I have never known the pleasure of “true loves kiss”.  I determined long ago, even as a child, to save myself for the one God had saved for me.  I am not abnormal and I am not inhuman.  Rather, I have simply understood, from an early age that the love relationship between a man and a woman is something sacred, to be treated with honor, reverence and respect.  I understand and know fully the natural desire for “true love”.  

I pray you who are married do not look at me as someone who cannot give you Godly advice or wisdom.  And I pray you who are single do not become discouraged and turn away from my advice or wisdom because I am 30 years old without a husband or a prospect.  My dear brothers and sisters, I pray you hear and heed my words coming  from someone who has hungered and ached for “true love”, as have each of you.

I find my heart longing to write these things to you this Valentine’s day to tell and encourage you that “real, true love” is possible to possess here and now!  My dear brothers and sisters, God IS Love!  The more I have filled myself with Him, the less hunger I have felt for anyone or anything outside of Him!

In Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, my soul and spirit Have felt Love’s arms wrap around me, comforting, protecting!  In Revelation, Jesus even calls Himself our “first love”;  and I have truly learned to say, “My Lover is mine and I am His” (Song Of Solomon 2:16)!  In Christ Jesus there is “joy unspeakable and full of glory;  the half has never yet been told”!

I encourage you all, married and single, to recall and put into practice the words of the apostle, Paul, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  Submit to Christ, submit or put others first in your life;  then, trust me, every relationship will fall into place!  (Ephesians 5:21-33)

Wives, submit to your husbands;  do it for Christ!

Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved you and gave himself up for you;  so you ought to, for your wives, give up yourself, your time, your remote, your paper, your hobbies, your pride, etc..

Singles, “don’t put you life on hold;  put your life in hand” … God’s hand!  Treasure this season of freedom.  Freedom, not to follow after your own interests, but, to devote your time and talents to the calling and service of God, in Christ Jesus, by the enabling of His Holy Spirit!

God has created each of us with a desire for “true love”.  Will we not trust the One who gave us that hole to fill it to overflowing in His good and perfect time?  Let all that thrills your soul be Jesus;  He will satisfy your every need!

God IS Love!

Valentine’s has always been one of my favorite holidays!  And, as I’ve often said, how appropriate that it falls between Christmas and Easter;  for love has always been at the center of everything God does!

There is a movie portraying the life of Christ called, “The Greatest Story Ever Told”.  I think a serious mistake was made in the naming of that film;  the most important word was omitted.  Because, you see, from the beginning of time, all the way to the present day, the story of Christ Jesus has been “the greatest LOVE story ever told”!

Why do we love?  Because God loved us first; because we are made in His image, and love is the very essence of His being!  Next time you feel unloved, lonely and hungry for love, remember Him who loved us first.  He loved the world so much, He longed and desired that communion and relationship with us so much, that He laid down His very life to obtain it!

Since the beginning of time, God’s reaching out for love has been met with scorn, mockery, painful persecution and even murder!  But, praise God, He arose from death itself proving that “Love Never Fails” and Love truly conquers all!

In the seminary world, the word “love” in the Bible is broken down into three Greek words: Eros, speaking of physical attraction, Philia, speaking of friendship and Agape, speaking of a supernatural, unconditional love.

Falling in love with God has has made me learn how to truly love!  The last time I saw my friend, ten years ago, I told him,  “I Eros you”.  If I were to see him, again, today, I would be able to honestly tell him, “I Agape you”!

Falling in love with God has changed me so that now I can truly look into a face and say, “I love you; not in hopes of what I can get, but with a longing to give!”  It is a love that asks nothing!  It is a love that seeks nothing in return!

I love Christ so completely that I am willing to suffer anything for Him!  I will speak the truth, I will shine my light, I will raise my voice in the wilderness;  I will even be thought a fool, if that’s how some see my passion.  I will be a fool for Christ!

My dear brothers and sisters, this Valentine’s day, I want to encourage you all, love as Christ loved you!  You are never alone;  you are loved unconditionally by Love Himself!  Seek always to give, and you will receive!

And let me just take a moment, right now, to look into each of your faces and say, “I Truly Agape You”!  It has been my joy, pleasure and honor to get to know each of you and to pray for you all!

“You are the light of the world”;  don’t let Satan put it out!

With Much Continued Love and Prayers Always!

Your Sister in Christ Jesus Our Risen Lord,

Sarah