The Judgement Of The Sheep And The Goats

“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left” -Matthew 25:32-33

The subjects of Christ’s judgment will be all the nations. The nation means every person alive on earth when the Lord returns. Although He will have taken all believers into heaven at the Rapture, during the following seven years of the Tribulation many other people will come to believe in Him. During that dreadful time, multitudes of Gentiles (Revelation 7:9, 14), as well as all surviving Jewish people (Romans 11:26), will be brought to faith in Christ.

Jesus makes it clear that those who are alive when He returns will include both saved and unsaved, represented by the sheep and the goats, respectively. And those two separate people will have two separate destinies. The believers will be ushers into the kingdom and the unbelievers into eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46).

I believe the time of the “great harvest” is now. We all have a choice to make and very soon. If you’re watching anything that’s happening in the world it’s clear that Bible prophecy is coming true right before our eyes.

The process of Christs judgment will include the absolute and unerring separation of the saved from the unsaved. When all the nations and peoples of the earth will have been gathered before Him at His return, the Lord will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

In ancient times sheep and goats were frequently herded together. But sheep are docile, gentle creatures, and goats are unruly and rambunctious and can easily upset the sheep. Because they do not feed or rest well together, the shepherd often separated them for grazing and sleeping at night.

In a similar way Christ will separate believers from unbelievers when He returns to establish His millennial kingdom. He will put the believing sheep on His right, the place of favor and blessing. But the unbelieving goats He will put on the left, the place of disfavor and rejection

In ancient biblical times, a father’s blessing was extremely important, because it determined who would receive the major part of the inheritance. When Jacob was about to bless his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, he was careful to place his right hand on the son who would receive the inheritance. Because the major blessing normally went to the eldest son, Manasseh was placed on Jacob’s right and Ephraim on his left. But when the time for blessing came, Jacob crossed his hands so that his right hand was on Ephraim’s head rather than Manasseh’s. Against Joseph’s objection, Jacob insisted on giving the major blessing to Ephraim, because God had chosen him over his brother (Genesis 48:8-20).

My sheep and goat prayer:

Father God, when the time comes to separate the sheep from the goats, I want to be grouped with the sheep. I pray that I would live my life fully surrendered to you, trusting in you and following you for the rest of my days on this earth, and that I will look forward to spending eternity with you in heaven. In Jesus Name -Amen

A Decision I Made That Helped Me Grow

Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.

I didn’t like the life I was living for a long time. I spent many years in self-pity because of the experiences I had gone through. For a long time, I thought I had no other choice.

One day I was taking a friend to the doctor and the receptionist had a plague on her wall that said,

“If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. But whatever you choose to do, don’t complain about it.”

So often we sit around, thinking about how unhappy we are about our lives. Without putting any effort into changing it. We blame our circumstances or make excuses for why we can’t change. The only person capable of changing your life is you.

That wall plague changed my life. I made a serious decision that day. To not be okay with feeling the victim in my life. I chose to change my perspective on life. It was a decision that made all the difference in the world.

Pushing Buttons

When I get a different vehicle I always manage to hit buttons and something shows up on the dash but I don’t know which button to push to fix it. Buttons are like silent switches that are turned on or off sometimes without a sound. And we are not aware of just how they are pushed.

Some people learn what buttons they can push to make us angry, unhappy or manipulate us to get what they want.

We all have things that we should avoid, places or people that stir up wrong passions or desires, things that cause us to lose needed sleep… the liaise can go on and on. Certain things cause us to act in ways that are not good for us either physically or mentally or spiritually. We may suffer if we permit the wrong buttons to be pushed.

For example, there are times in the day when I especially want to eat something I really crave. Satan did that to Adam and Eve, and it worked. They responded to the suggestion he gave them. He tried the same with Jesus, but Jesus would have none of it. He would not accept Satan’s thoughts whether they came through people He loved or from thoughts that Satan directed His way.

What can we do? What provisions has God given us to help with this? We can learn how to make it increasingly difficult for things or people to control our thoughts. Jesus set His mind to think only the thoughts that would please His Father.

I have found that when I feel like my buttons are being pushed I can quote Philippians 4:8,

“Whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, thing about these things.”

This way I know my thoughts will align with God’s directions. I maybe thinking of something that is true but is it also admirable? Is it pure and excellent? If not, I can turn my thoughts towards things that I know God will use to bless others and myself.

Often times we may realize that our thoughts are not even fitting into God’s plan of what we should be thinking about. When we redirect our thoughts, we can sense joy stirring in our hearts.

When we are happy we think of ways to help others to be happy.

God-Centered Or Self-Centered

If Jesus Is at the center of your life, you will be blessed.

What will be the center of your life? In other words, who or what are you going to live for? We have a lot of options. We can center our life around a career, a sport, a hobby, making money, or having fun.

There is nothing wrong with any of these things. They are all fine, but they all make a lousy center for our lives. We need something at the center of our lives that is absolutely unchanging, and that can never be taken away from us. Because if our center can be taken away, we will always be under stress, knowing we could lose our security. That’s why we need to center our lives on something that is unchanging and secure.

There is only one thing we can put at the center of our lives that will never change and that is strong enough to sustain us through life -Christ Jesus.

I remember an old toy called “Superball.” When you bounced it on the ground, it would go dozens of feet into the air, because the center of the Superball was a tightly compacted, solid core, not a mushy center. It’s solid core gave it bounce-ability.

When our core is solid in God, we also have bounce-ability. We bounce back from stress faster. We bounce back from problems faster. We bounce back from sadness faster. We can even bounce back from a crisis faster. When we have something solid in our lives that doesn’t change, we worry less.

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us instead of worrying, pray…Its wonderful what happens when Jesus displaces worry at the center of your life.

When we put Jesus at the center of our lives we are able to worry less. Anytime I start worrying, it’s a red flag, a warning sign that tells me, “I’ve allowed someone or something to become the center of my life instead of God.” If we make a person or something else our lives, we will be under stress because that person can walk out of our lives, or that thing a break down or run out. Knowing our center isn’t secure brings constant stress.

Get Out Of Survival Mode

Many people spend a lot of time in survival mode. The problem is that when we are in survival mode we are repeatedly looking for the next phase, the next season, or the next big thing.

I’m very experienced on many different levels of survival mode. “If I can just get through the winter.” If I can just make my bills this month.” “If I can…”

Whatever our struggle or stress-induced situation, we pick a point just past it and say, If I could just get there. Current,y for me, it’s: if I can just get past this knee replacement things will be better. But I know when that happens I will pick a new preconceived magical spot and aim again.

It’s a constant game of Survival Mode.

But, God doesn’t intend for us to just survive through life. He’s given us tools and the ability we need to through the indwelling of His Spirit and lots of promises, so we can thrive not just survive. 2 Peter 1:3 says. “Seeing that His divine power had granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue.”

In Jesus, we have whatever we need to not just get through, but to appreciate, enjoy, and partake in God’s kingdom each and every day -not matter what season of life we are in. The problem is that we are nearsighted, and continually setting our eyes on a specific marker instead of setting our eyes on a specific Savior. We are looking for some new season to bring satisfaction instead of seeking satisfaction in God, believing it’s the next thing we need instead of a God we most need.

There is a way out of all the phases, seasons, and struggles. And it has nothing to do with dates on a calendar or getting to the end of a struggle. But it has everything to do with a Christ-centered perspective.

Maybe we need to start asking ourselves. Where is my hope in am accomplishments or in God who hasn’t left me and won’t forsake me?

Romans 15:13 says, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

While accomplishments are great, and we should definitely celebrate them. But, if it’s simply the next accomplishment. I’m focused we are focused on, we are going to come up empty and unsatisfied every time.

Besides, accomplishments don’t get us out of survival mode, they just lead us straight into the next one. When our hope is in God, things shift. A new focus takes over, making room in our hearts for joy and peace. Which happens to be the two attributes we crave most when life feels like we are swimming upstream.

Hope in God feels like He is not done writing our story. It looks like trusting that God is not done with us. And we feel like God has already moved on from us, He still has a plan for our life that’s must right for us.

We need to ask ourselves if we are worrying or worshipping?

This one gets me every time. When I’m worried, having an attitude of worship is the farthest thing from my mind. Worshiping makes an incredible difference. Philippians 4;6 tells us “In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

We need to ask ourselves. Why am I so discontent with today?

If I’m only surviving then chances are that I’m discontent about something. There’s a reason I’m not happy about today. Do I wish I wasn’t so busy or too busy? Am I worn out and longing for a break? Or am I simply not seeing God’s blessings? What is it that’s causing me to wish for tomorrow or another season?

For me whatever it is I personally have turned it into an idol, whether it’s, sleep, sanity, slowness, or success. I’m surviving until I get it, then I’ve put it on a pedestal and decided that’s what I need the most. When it’s God I need the most.

We need to ask ourselves, Where is my mind?

Honestly, I wonder sometimes where my brain went, but it’s not a question of location, it’s a question of aim. Colossians 3:2 says “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.”

This is a perspective question. Am I focused on God’s glory or my own? God’s will or my own? Remember that when we set our minds on the eternal instead of temporary earthly things it leads to a good day. When we get stuck on ourselves it’s easy to get stuck in survival mode.

The bottom line is we don’t have to live in survival mode is we can live each and every day focused on God and the things above.

What Place I Would Never Visit

What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?

I have never had a desire to go to New York City. But especially not now. Because of their catch-and-release policy criminals go free. And it being a sanctuary city. All the of the crime is destroying it.

Along with what they doing to a man running for office. I’m not saying he is innocent in some cases but neither in the other person. None of this should be happening in America.

Negativity Attracts Negativity

Do you ever find yourself ruminating on negative thoughts? Theater a few basic laws of attraction, like attracts like.

If you examine this law a bit closer, it boils down to like thoughts attract like thoughts. If you have negative thoughts, you will attract negative people and things. If you have positive thoughts or think positive affirmations), you will attract positive people and opportunities. But you have to be careful. You can’t just also a positive thought in top of a negative thought and expect it to work miracles.

This is why positive affirmations don’t always work. You have to eliminate all the underlying sources of negativity otherwise it won’t work. Negative thoughts will always cancel out the positive ones. Your actual experience of something prompts the negative thought and then the thought feels real. Then the positive affirmation feels false, like wishful thinking.

Here’s an example,

Say you have a great relationship. You like the idea of having someone to share your life with and you can picture the relationship in a positive light. But at the same time, you’re worried that the relationship could lead to losing your freedom and control. The fear and your need for freedom and independence keep you from reaching the goal of being in a great relationship. This doesn’t prevent you from attracting the relationship but the need for freedom and independence prevents that relationship from becoming serious.

You need to find the don’t cause of the negative thoughts that are blocking your positive goals. When you eliminate negativity at its source then you’re on your way to a more positive life. If your feelings are negative they will color your thoughts,

Schemes Of Warfare

“He will speak words against the Most High and will wear out the holy ones of the Most High. He will plans to change the times and the law; and; and they will take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end“ – Daniel 7:25

Have you ever felt like someone is trying to wear you down?

Issues unresolved in my like for what seems like a decade have left my energy depleted. Its frustrating because in so many areas of my life, I have seen such tremendous growth and increase, yet in this area, satan “seems” to have the upper hand,

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

Yes, there literally is trying to wear you down. It’s the enemy’s first tactic in warfare. The enemy of your soul (satan) is trying to break your spirit so he can sap your energy and get you to quit. We see him trying to do this today in America with all the “cancel culture” things that going on. Russia is trying to wear down Ukraine. Ukraine is trying to wear down Russia. Hitler did it to the Jewish people. Hama is trying to do it to Isreal right now. It’s not a new tactic it’s been going on forever.

Jesus reminds us that he only comes to steal kill and destroy. Satan doesn’t have any good plans for your life…but God does!

In the concentration camps the strongest people were those who humbled themselves before the Lord and relied on Him to take care of them.

God has a plan for your victory. Understanding victory is only achieved through a battle helps you accept that although victory doesn’t come easy, it will come.

If you’re feeling worn down, worn out, and sapped of strength, don’t give up. Fight the urge to become weary in doing good, at the proper time you will reap a good harvest if you don’t give up.

Victory doesn’t come easy, but it will come!

My favorite Restaurant

What is your favorite restaurant?

What is my favorite restaurant? My favorite places to eat are Milagros, it’s a Mexican restaurant. They do not skimp on their ingredients when they cook and their service is amazing. The other one is called Garage Grill, it’s a race car-themed restaurant that serves American food.

Following The Good Shepherd -Psalm 23

From time to time I look for new recipes for my husband and I. I try to make good meals, and sometimes I like to change things up a bit. Sometimes it’s hard because I get in the habit of making certain meals over and over mostly because I’m in a hurry and want something I can fix quick. But it’s good for us to change meals for a broader, more balanced diet. This is why I purposefully change my meal plan.

Some habits are not only good… some habits are essential such as eating, reading the Bible, exercising, sleeping, and praying. However, there are some habits that need to change from time to time.

Good habits need to be changed up from time to time… this can make the habits even stronger.

Sheep are creatures of habit. If left to themselves, they will walk the same path and graze the same land until it is desolate and grads will grow these again. A Shepherd must keep a careful watch on the sheep and the land so that both are kept healthy. When the land is no longer providing enough for the sheep and the land itself cannot handle any more grazing then the sheep must move on to another area to graze. This new path is best for them and the land.

It is very interesting how the Lord has chosen sheep in Psalm 23 as a parallel to us as His children. Sheep are so set in their ways, that unless they are led on to new paths, they will ruin the land. We as God’s children are often very stiff-necked and stubborn people desirous of staying right where we are spiritually. It a vital as God Children to follow the good shepherd wherever He may lead.

To understand the need to follow the good Shepherd we must understand:

  • Who We Are

A 5-year-old thinks he knows best when insisting they need candy or cookies right before dinner. A teenager thinks they know best when insisting on driving their friends to school or a party or wanting to stay out until 3 AM. A young adult thinks they know best when insisting on speeding through a snowstorm to get to work on time. We insist we know what’s best for us even though there are disastrous results may be self-evident.

When we think we know what’s best for us and the Good Shepherd is leading us we need to willingly follow.

  • Who He Is

Jesus the Good Shepherd comes gently and says 7 things in the gospel of John to tells us who He is;

1. The Bread Of Life

“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty“ – John 6:35.

2. The Light Of The World

“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 8:12.

3. The Door

“I am the door; by me if anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go on and go out, and will find pasture” -John 10 9.

4. The Good Shepherd

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own” – John 10:11,14.

5. The Resurrection and The Life

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?“ -John 11:25-26.

6. The Way, The Truth, The Life

“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father, but by me“ – John 14:6.

7. The True Vine

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” – John 15: 1-2.

When a child is at a party or other fun event and their parents want to leave the child throws a temper tantrum. It reveals their selfishness and refusal “to come” when asked.

The difficult point is that many people don’t want to come. In other words, many don’t want to follow. Many do not want to be led in the paths of righteousness, because they think their way is better.

We don’t want to:

  • Tithe…we think our financial plan is better.
  • Get baptized…we think we are too old or it is not necessary.
  • Speak truth…we think deception is better than truth
  • Submit our will to God…we think it’s depressing to not have our own will embraced.
  • Listen…we already have all the answers; no one can tell me what to do…I already know everything there is to know.
  • Be approved by God…in truth, we want to be approved by mankind more than we want to be approved by God.

Most of us know the examples are biblical commands or truths taught in scripture. It is our selfishness and pride and reveals our refusal to come to Jesus.

  • What We Must Do

When I go on vacation and can’t take my dog. I get someone to take care of her. I explain her food and medicine schedule. And to take her for short walks (she is 15 years old). and to give her extra love. I pay $25 a day for someone to do this.

Jesus never made light of the cost involved in following Him. In fact, He made it painfully clear that it was a rugged life of rigid self-denial (Luke 9:23).

Here are a few ways to follow the shepherd

1. Love God. Instead of loving myself most, I am willing to live Jesus best and others more than myself (Matthew 22:37-39).

2. God focused. Fearing or respecting God above all others. Instead of following the crowd, I am willing to be singled out set apart from thr gang (Proverbs 8:13; Ecclesiastes 12:13).

3. Others Minded. Instead of insisting on my rights, I am willing to forego them in favor of others. (Philippians 2:3).

4 Servants heart. Instead of being the boss, I am willing to be at the bottom and help others when I can ( Mark 10:45).

5. Thankful. Instead of finding fault with life and always asking “Why,” I am willing to accept the circumstances of life with an attitude of gratitude (Psalm 107:1).

When we grumble about the circumstances in life and then pray. We have to remember God hears us. He hears everything we say. We have to ask ourselves if God is pleased with our complaining.

God calls us to be led by Him in the paths of righteousness. I ask myself often am I following Him, or am I dragging my heels or complaining. Am I following Him with expectation and anticipation?

Who am I, who is God, do I follow God’s path, new habits.

In 10 Years

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

The way I see myself in 10 years is not something I often think about. I see myself visiting my children more. My main goal is run the race that is set before me. God gives us a purpose in life. I want more to knowledge the God purpose for my life is what matters and in 10 years I will still be fighting the good fight.

There Is Hope For The World

Hope is in short supply in today’s trouble-filled world. Never has there been so much fear of crime and terrorism as there is today. Drug addiction continues its devastating course as people from to escape their reality. And massive debt threatens our country. Morals and personal values have plummeted.

But above the gloom of a problem-ridden world that stands the immutable promise of that Crist will come again. The promise for the world.

Few people realize that everything that is happening today the Bible warned us about. It is the promise that links the future to the present in a solid reality of hope.

There is no fancy or wild imagination or dream that has to take place. The God of heaven has foretold it. Christ Jesus is coming to inaugurate a series of steps that will transform the world into a heavenly paradise filled with happy gloried souls.

From the birth of Jesus and His second coming along with prophecies and Jesus’s earthly ministry and His post-ascension message, and the Book of Revelation the promise is stated more than 300 times. If you believe the Bible, you cannot deny the fact the Christ is coming,

Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:10, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses (sins) as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

He also gave us the Psalms to pray over every problem we have during our time on this earth.

A kingdom is not just a state of mind, it is not the universal church or a healthful condition of the world. A longtime denotes a political entity ruled over by a king, that is not of this world.

The problems in the world cannot be fixed by any human being. Every human resource we can come up with will always be inadequate to transform it into “peace in earth and good will toward man.”

The Bible tells us “though the wicked js shown favor, me does not learn righteousness… for when the earth experience the judgment of the inhabitants then the world will learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26: 9-10).

The only true, trustworthy hope of the world is Christ as judge. The conqueror and King. 1 Peter 5:8-9 tells us to “Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.