The Homeschooling Wife

Eleven months ago, my husband and I settled that the current school year (22-23) would for now be our kids last year at their school. Going forward we would homeschool. It was a huge change for us. I stepped out of the workforce, we are relying on God to provide for our gym as my husband is the only breadwinner, and then of course for the kids. Many times I have had the question, "What about socialization?"

But other questions have been more on point:

• curriculum
• co-op or not
• fieldtrips
• schedule (calendar and daily)

So, I'm sharing this, and going to update the tab on my blog with more details.

But first, a general "disclaimer." I live in Texas, which is an amazing state to homeschool in. Texas requires only that students be taught 5 things.

1. Reading
2. Spelling
3. Grammar
4. Mathematics
5. Good Citizenship, which entails:
1. Federal Holidays
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. History
4. Government

Anyone who lives in Texas and wants more details, I recommend visiting The Texas Homeschool Coalition website. An amazing resource. Every state is different, I highly recommend checking your state's requirement. Now some government schools will argue that you have to notify them officially that you are pulling your kids if they have been attending them. I would suggest if your state doesn't, get your child's academic records, and copies of test scores before they ever hear about you thinking of homeschooling. The schools can be very hostile. 

Now we had our kids in private school, so all I did was opt out of automatic re-enrollment. 

So here is how we homeschool, what we use, and what we do.

Curriculum

      This took work. I researched for months before making decisions. I reached out to families that have homeschooled for years. Scoured websites and blog posts for reviews. I wasn't just going to be schooling one child, but 3, in different grades (5th, 3rd, and PK4). Here is what I ultimately decided on:

5th Grader & 3rd Grader

• Math, Christian Light Education
• Language Arts (Grammar, Reading, Spelling, Writing), Common Sense Press
• Bible, no curriculum. As a family reading the Bible chronologically, and doing scripture memory.
• History/Social Studies - NotGrass History - using their 50 states curriculum this year, additionally say the following pledges: Texas Pledge, Pledge to the American Flag, Pledge to the Christina Flag, Pledge to the Bible
• Science - The Good and The Beautiful - various unit studies
• Handwriting - 3rd grader only, Zaner-Bloser

PK4

• I found an amazing PK4 packet at kindergartenreadyskills.com. I formerly was a preschool director (licensed) and thought to make everything, but her workbook was chef's kiss!
• It includes: alphabet, letters, tracing, mini-month units on weather, hygiene, etc. But I did switch the order of the letter teaching to a phonetics system

Additionally, since I have a 5 year old, we do a general calendar time which is a great review for all three of my kids. And come January we will be adding a typing program for my 5th and 3rd grader, currently reviewing some recommendations.

Language Arts was the only curriculum that really gave me pause. I was also looking at IEW's curriculum but decided it wasn't for us. 

Co-op or Not

      When we made the decision to homeschool, it came after months of prayer and mediation. I felt that God was telling me that I need to spend the next year focused on my husband and my kids. Keep close to home. My husband supported this. Around the time we made this life altering decision, our church announced for the 2023-2024 school year, they were sponsoring a Co-op! And they did ask if we would be apart of it. We said no. Not forever, but for this year for sure based on our understanding of what God was wanting from us. We will revisit it in the future. But I do say, I enjoy the freedom of being with my kids, our own schedule, and if we need to shuffle life around, it only impacts us. I know some people who absolutely love their Co-op. And maybe one day we will experience one. But not today.

Fieldtrips

We haven't yet taken any dedicated ones. I plan to plan better for the Spring. I will use Christmas Break to do more research. But honestly we have had many family commitments this semester. We have gone to a few parks mid-week, and connected some with other homeschool families. I even joined a Facebook Group for our area that plans 2 to 3 events a week. I need to review and sign up to participate in one or two.

But don't think we are homebodies. We run errands together. Meet my husband for lunch, or just visit him at the gym. We have visited friends of mine mid-week and enjoyed fresh air. Also the library is usually a bi-weekly visit for us.

Schedule

      Our calendar isn't as set as one would expect from me. I have a general idea of what I want us to do, and when to have off. We "follow" the districts around here for the major holidays, and we haven't settled on what summer will be like. My husband is on board with a "year round" mindset, and I don't disagree with his logic. I am thinking for summer we won't do a full course load, a modified day, but our kids will still be engaged in focused learning.

Daily/Weekly though we have our routine down by now. From 8-8:30 we usually start our learning time. And here is our order:

• Bible - daily scripture reading, daily devotion, prayer time (kids also have prayer journals), scripture memory review. Also, for where we are in our daily chronological reading I will find coloring sheets or projects to reinforce the lesson/reading.
  
• Mathematics - Speed Drills first, then lesson or quiz/test
• Language Arts, 3rd grader does his Handwriting after. Will probably have 5th grader do keyboarding after her LA lesson.
• History & Science
• History:
• Each of the 50 states is 2 days worth of lessons, so we do 2 states a week
• The History curriculum had the option to purchase books that go with each region, I purchased these. While my kids do their journals, I read a chapter a day.
• Science
• As we do unit studies I pick the focus. We started off going over Biblical Sexuality (different vendor) so that my kids could understand male & female as God intended. Now we are using TGATB for our studies. Currently we are going over "Health and the Physical Body." 1 lesson a week, and generally there is a hands on project or task. I will add supplemental reinforcement worksheets to test that the kids focused on the lesson.
• Calendar - review the days of the weeks, months of the year, the order the occur, weather.

Now all this takes roughly 3 to 3.5 hours. That's right. We DO NOT school ALL day. Once we get through our morning, than we live life. Run errands, tend to the house, visit family, go to the park, have lunch with my husband, I workout. Kids help do chores, watch movies, play outside, play with the chicken (check if she laid an egg), goof around on their tablets. Then come Saturday when my husband works a shorter day, there usually isn't housework to do unless its a big project. We are free to attend birthday parties, or go to the movies, or anything because we aren't forced to get everything done on one day off (Sunday still is set aside for church).

Now regarding my youngest who is in prekindergarten. His schooling does not take as long as the 3rd and 5th grader. He is required to sit through Bible and prayer (planting seeds and setting the example). Then once his siblings are on their math lesson, we review his lessons. Usually 2 letters a week, and 2 numbers a week. We have worksheets the saturate his mind with the current letter/number, and I work with him on understanding, recognizing and identifying. We additionally read together, and he has calendar time with us. His total school day is usually 1 hour. That's it. Then he plays with Legos, playdough, kinetic sand, or does puzzles. He watches Bluey, The Kratz Brothers, and even movies. He loves being outside and will chalk up our back deck with his drawings.

In the future, it could be more difficult. They could go back to private school if finances allow. But right now I am basking in this life we have created. If we continue to homeschool til all 3 graduate I easily see us joing a co-op when they hit high school, just because chemistry for sure was not my thing and I did struggle with Spanish. But I must admit I love the freedom we have to learn at our pace, and with what interests us.

Generation Innocence Taken

Being a parent in this day and age is a challenge that I don't think any of us are prepared for. And if you are a Believer, a Christian, it is even harder. I do remember a time in my life when I said I would not have children; that the world was crazy insane and it wasn't worth it. 

Now, that being said, being a parent is 100% worth it! I love my children. And you can call me a mama bear, you can call me a tiger mom, I would like to think I'm somewhere in between.

I'm going to go with a lion mom who is protecting her cubs. In my connection group we've recently read "In the Middle of the Mess" by Sheila Walsh. Near the end of the book, Sheila talks about how somebody described her as a lioness, with the loyalty the, fierceness, the passion. And she couldn't handle that for a long while. That description, it was too strong to describe her Christian walk/life.

But that is what we need to be as mothers and if you're a guy who's reading this, you need to be a lion, be in charge of your pride: protect them, fight for them. There is a battle going on and our children are in the middle of it. The battle is for them, for their hearts, their minds, their bodies, but oh so more crucially it's for their souls. Jesus said the kingdom of God will be the children's, you have to have a childlike Faith to be in heaven and therefore Satan is going after our children.

Matthew 18 (NASB)

Rank in the Kingdom

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Stumbling Blocks

7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the [h]fiery hell.

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 [For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

I have a hard time understanding how those that are not believers do not see the attacks that are happening to our children. Now there are actual literal attacks. In the Houston area there have been numerous children who have been murdered. Straight up, no question about it: a little girl was cut apart by her mother's boyfriend and that entire situation, while it united the city, the details though they are heartbreaking. Then another little boy was gunned down in the middle of a home invasion robbery. From there there's the drag queen story time issue (I have previously written about it: The Battle Line Has Been Drawn) that is going on nationwide and many of these individuals are sexual predators. And within the past few weeks there was a teenage sponsored drag queen event and a parent tried to remove their child and the parent was arrested.

And then there's the TV shows and movies pushing the LGBTQ "lifestyle".

• My Little Pony:
• My Little Pony Introduces Its First Lesbian Charters with Same-Sex Couple Making Cartoon Debut
• My Little Pony brings lesbians to Equestria - just in time for pride week
• Arthur
• 'Arthur' Creator Defends Gay Marriage episode Following Backlash
• 'Arthur' Opens Season With a Same-Sex Wedding and a Cake
• Toy Story 4
• There's an LGBTQ Moment Lurking in "Toy Story 4"
• Toy story 4 Promotes LGBTQ Agenda
• One Million Moms Protest 'Toy STory 4' Over 'Dangerous' Lesbian Scene

The entertainment industry is doing everything it can to make it seem normal. In regards to Toy Story 4, I took my kids to see the movie; I never heard a peep about the scene. I will say it was very discreet, nothing flashy or over the top, but that is how they're doing it. They're not always dressing up as demonic drag queens with glitter and paint. They're just making it look so normal as a couple dropping their child off for kindergarten and then picking that child up.

I want to say not everybody who is lesbian or gay is demonic or deranged. I've read the studies, a lot of people who fall into the LGBTQ lifestyle/movement have had a trauma or an abuse and my heart breaks for them it really does. And what I will also say is Jesus loves everyone, salvation is for everyone and Jesus does not want anyone to sin and He doesn't want anyone to perish. 

Now back to the children. Moms and dads we have got to stand up, enough is enough! We are the parents, we have a say in what our children are exposed to. My Little Pony is not a cartoon that will be allowed in my house anymore and I will not spend my money on the items. Now we already have items in the house: toys, books and pajamas but we are not going to buy more. And because My Little Pony decided to introduce a lesbian couple getting married I had to explain it to my six and a half year old what is same-sex marriages. I will say having a child whose as is as inquisitive as my six and a half year old is has definitely taught me how to have conversations about the deep spiritual things at a childlike level. 

So say a prayer for your preschool and Elementary ministers right now because kudos to them. They do this on a semi-regular basis and wow. 

I'm dubbing my children's generation as innocence taken because that is what the enemy is trying to do. If he can steel their innocence, in a sense he's gotten them. If our children are no longer innocent at a young age they become hard, they they grow up too fast. 

And I am so grateful that this summer that I have been able to keep my children at home. They are spending one to two hours a day outside in the sunshine: playing with chalk, trucks, bubbles; collecting lizards, flowers, snails, and frogs. It's beautiful and they're watching way too many movies, eating way too many snacks, taking naps. I love it. They are getting to have a childhood, one that is reminiscent of mine which is fabulous, but also they are getting to spend time with your grandmother and that is time, that is precious. And not only have they been at home, they went to Vacation Bible School (now called Kids Camp). They've had swim lessons, we had a family reunion. And next week my Nugget is going to spend time with his dad for a few days: swimming, fishing going to  the movies. And then my daughter is going to go to an amazing week-long camp at our church. She will have the time of her life and I'm so excited she gets to experience it and then before you know it schools going to start and back to life like that but I really am grateful that I have been able to give my children an innocent childhood summer experience. 

Here is what we need to do to ensure that this summer of innocence carries over into the school year. 

• We need to be praying.
• We need to be not spending money on items, toys, movies that promote ideas/beliefs that go against God's word.
• We need to explain to our children why will not be spending money on such things. It's okay to let them know that while the show might be funny, pretty, awesome (pick your adjective,), anything that goes against God's word is not okay.
• We need to make sure that our children understand God's word, that they know God's word.
• It needs to go beyond just the simple Bible story knowledge. They need to know what Jesus tells his Believers, how they're supposed to live, who the apostles were and how they spread the gospel
• Don't put it past your children, they can learn scripture. Plant those seeds. I am so grateful that my husband and I have managed to send our children to a Christian private school. It has been a sacrifice, but it is one that is well worth it. Last year our daughter (in kindergarten) learned 26 versus, one for each letter of the alphabet, additionally Psalm 100 and 23 along with John 3:16 and 17. She is working on her scripture memory for this upcoming school year: she has ten sets of scriptures to learn about 6-8 versus long each. She is already memorized month 1 and has month 2 about 45% of the way done. She is 6.5 and her 4.5 year old brother, he's picking up pieces of it. And the other great thing about it, since I'm working with her to get her to memorize the scriptures, I'm learning the scriptures also.

Investing in God's word planting the seeds in your mind will not return void and it's a great way to help keep your children innocent. Friends be mindful of the movies, the music, the games, the books. Be mindful of everything. We have to be super vigilant, we cannot be lazy. God put the word "intentional" on my heart this year.

I need to be intentional in:

• my marriage 
• my parenting 
• my friendships
• my relationships.

And when it comes to parenting it's knowing what my children are being exposed to if we want to keep our children innocent and not have their innocence stolen. It is time to step up.

Life

When you are told at age 14 that the likelihood of you having a child of your own would more than likely be impossible, and somehow you manage to give birth to three beautiful children, you thank the LORD - daily! I believe my children are a gift from God. I love them, I discipline them, I cherish them.

Psalm 127:3  (NASB)

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

I have been blessed with three beautiful children. 

Abigail is my mini-me, my mother hen, my helper, my sister. This past December she accepted Jesus as her LORD and Savior and was baptized 6 years to the day of her dedication. 

My middle child, Stone, is my nugget (his self appointed nickname). He is my cuddler, my stubborn one, my momma's boy. He is a go-getter, full of energy and has the world's mots amazing imagination. 

My newest, my 4 month old, is Ari. He is the happiest baby on earth. He smiles so big, he laughs, and is such an easy baby. He is our baby we did not know that we needed, and our life is now complete with him in it.

My husband and I have had our children in church almost from the first Sunday they were able to attend after their birth. Regular church attendance is the routine of our life, Sunday's and Wednesday's. Not only that, but we have made the sacrifice to put our children in a Christian school where they are taught the Bible everyday, and attend chapel once a week. Now our youngest is in a daycare, but Christian principals are apart of the curriculum there, so he too is being poured into. We want our children growing up on the foundation of Christ's word. It is the only way to endure through this fallen and broken world. 

Proverbs 22:6  (NASB) 

Train up a child in the way he should go,

Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Dec. 16, 2018 - Baby dedication of Ari Matthew Shuman

Children are a gift and a responsibility, God's word tells us that. Brock and I take both concepts seriously. We know that everyone parents differently, and sees to life in their own ways. But thankfully the friends in our lives all hold true to the same core concepts of faith and life. So we are surrounded by people who are like minded. 

I share all this because heavy on my heart is the legislation that was passed in New York a few weeks back. The most horrific anti-life bill was passed, allowing abortion up to the moment of birth. And since then, the true depravity of many of our nations leaders has come to light. Some legislators want to give a mother the option to murder their child after the child has been born.

My little loves on
Valentine's Day 2019

Folks, our country, our world is in trouble. Women want the right to kill their own children at any point. Or at least that is what the legislators have said. My heart shakes at the idea that there are women out there who truly want this. But....the legislators are men and women, fathers and mothers, grandparents...The condition of their hearts....it is so heartbreaking. And I know that there really are women who want this "right." Every year, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade women march for the right to kill their unborn child. The depravity of that shakes me to the core. 

Luckily, women and men are standing up for life. There is always a counter march that is pro-life. And the numbers for this grow each year. There is hope, but we believers must get on our knees and pray. That is what keeps coming to mind when the news comes out with more laws being proposed to kill babies, or stories about planned parenthood and their horrible practices. 

PRAY

We must pray. Men and women. Life is not a woman issue, it is a human issue. Men need to stand up and speak up - it's their children too that are being murdered. I remember the night I heard about what New York had done. I held my baby boy and just looked at him, and I held him a bit longer before I placed him to sleep in his crib.

I remember giving birth to all three of my children, and to think people want to make it okay to murder a baby up until (and possibly after) birth. The first time I held all my children is a moment I cherish. That feeling, the adrenaline, the rush! Oh the emotions that rush over you. Just typing that up, I can recall the surge of love and emotions.

There needs to be a change. The fact of the matter is, America is going to be called to judgement for the number of innocent lives we have allowed to be slaughtered in the name of "progress" and "women's rights." The land of our country is stained by the blood of the millions of babies who have been murdered in the womb. Blood must be atoned for by blood.

Psalm 106:38 (NASB)

And shed innocent blood,

The blood of their sons and their daughters,

Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;

And the land was polluted with the blood.

God takes serious the shedding of innocent blood, His word is filled with references:

•  Deuteronomy 19:10 So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you.
• Deuteronomy 19:13 You shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you.
• Deuteronomy 21:8 Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them.
• Deuteronomy 21:9 So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 19:5 For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?”
• 2 Samuel 3:28 Afterward when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
• 2 Kings 21:16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
• 2 Kings 24:4 and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not forgive.
• Proverbs 1:11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;
• Proverbs 6:17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
• Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways.
• Jeremiah 7:6 if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin,
• Jeremiah 19:4 Because they have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods, that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent
• Jeremiah 22:3 Thus says the Lord, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
• Jeremiah 22:17 “But your eyes and your heart Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, And on shedding innocent blood And on practicing oppression and extortion.”
• Jeremiah 26:15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”
• Joel 3:19 Egypt will become a waste, And Edom will become a desolate wilderness, Because of the violence done to the sons of Judah, In whose land they have shed innocent blood.
• Jonah 1:14 Then they called on the Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased.”
• Matthew 27:4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!”
• Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”

Shedding innocent blood is a sin, it separates us from the blessings and full life God has for us. Can God forgive us, as a nation, for the millions of babies who have died? Yes. We as a nation though must turn the laws around, make it a crime again in this country to kill a baby. Then and only then can we start to see God's forgiveness.

Reflecting on Those Who Have Gone Before

In the past few weeks many people I know have lost loved ones, friends and family. And for a few that I know it has been several people. And it makes me sad. We are to mourn when others mourn (Romans 12:5), so it is fitting that I am saddened by those around me in mourning.

But there is a hope in all this. Many who have passed were known to be believers. So while their bodies died, their souls are with Jesus. One scenario in particular is that of someone I know wanting to attend the funerals of two people close to them, but the funerals are/were on the same day, one in Texas, the other in Florida, at the same time So an impossible situation. But he honored the one who could not attend by honoring a request of the family. And this had me thinking about the few funerals I have missed the past few years.

Mrs. Schnieder...a feisty 80+ woman in the church. Oh she was a spitfire. She lamented that women no longer wore gloves and hats to church, but confessed that she knew it was more important that people came to church, no matter what they wore. I remember sitting beside her on Wednesday nights and hearing the stories of her and her husband moving from Nebraska, their camping trips, the time when her daughter(and family) lived in Hawaii, to searching for geode's. And she would share scriptures that she felt I needed to know. I don't even recall why I could not attend her funeral, but I look forward to seeing her beyond the pearly gates when the time comes.

My cousin Jesse. This one was hard, he died so young, in his 30's. I loved him dearly, was close to him when I was younger. In fact, for a while I lived with him and his wife while they were pregnant with their first daughter.

And thinking on this, has me recalling Hebrew 11 through 12:1. The genealogy of faith, those who hoped for a day to come, who has righteousness counted unto them. I am looking at the world around me right now, the chaos, disorder, hatred, and wondering how much more has to go wrong before God calls us here on earth home. How much longer until we are reunited with all who have already gone home? There is no answer, we do not know, but we need to live in anticipation. We need to look forward to the day that is to yet come like Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Israel and some many others did before us.

REVELATION: He is Coming; the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ; The Millennial Kingdom & Beyond

Friends, the day is coming. Jesus will call the church home, and shortly after, the Tribulation will begin. 

• The 7th Bowl (Revelation 16:17-21) finishes the Wrath of God.
• And with that, Babylon (the world system and city) will be "remembered" by God (Revelation 18) - destroyed.
• Revelation 19 - there is rejoicing in Heaven (over the fall of Babylon), Jesus returns, judges the nations, and sets up His millennial kingdom.

What follows is the who and what in order starting with the return of Jesus:

• Jesus
• Descends from Heaven and returns to the earth for the 2nd time
• Matt. 24: 29, 30; 25: 31; Rev. 19: 11-13
• The armies in Heaven (The raptured Church…His bride)
• Follow Jesus on white horses as he descends to earth
• Rev. 19: 14 
• SOULS of all BELIEVERS who died before Christ was crucified
• Descend to earth with Jesus. 
• 1. Jesus resurrects their bodies from their graves, 
• 2. Jesus gives them glorified bodies, 
• 3. Jesus joins their souls with their glorified bodies, and 
• 4. They all remain on earth with Him. 
• 1 Cor. 15: 22-24; Dan. 12: 2a, 13; Rev. 20: 5b-6
• SOULS of all BELIEVERS who died during the 7 year period
• Descend to earth with Jesus. 
• 1. Jesus resurrects their bodies from their graves, 
• 2. Jesus gives them glorified bodies, 
• 3. Jesus joins their souls with their glorified bodies, and 
• 4. They all remain on earth with Him. 
• 1 Cor. 15: 22-24; Rev. 6: 9-11; 20: 4-6
• SATAN
• Cast into the Abyss for 1000 years
• Rev. 20: 1-3
• THE ANTI-CHRIST
• Cast into The Lake Of Fire (Hell)
• Dan. 7: 11, 26; Rev. 19: 20
• THE FALSE PROPHET
• Cast into The Lake Of Fire (Hell)
• Rev. 19: 20
• All LIVING JEWISH UNBELIEVERS
• 1. Gathered & Slaughtered by Jesus, 
• 2. Their BODIES are buried on earth, ashes or in the sea, 
• 3. Their SOULS descend into The Well of Departed Souls (Hades) 
• Dan. 12: 1, 7, 11-12; Matt. 24: 15-22; Zech. 13: 8; Amos 9: 8-10; Isaiah 10: 20-23; Num. 16: 30, 33;Luke 16: 22-28
• THE NATIONS (Living Gentile Unbelievers who gather for war with Satan against Jesus) 
• 1. Jesus wages war against them by TREADING THE WINE PRESS from Bosrah, through the Kidron Valley, to The Jezreel Valley (Har Magedon-Armageddon), 
• 2. Their BODIES are buried on earth, ashes or in the sea, 
• 3. Their SOULS descend into The Well of Departed Souls (Hades) 
• Isaiah 34: 1-8; 63: 1-6; Joel 3: 12-14; Rev. 16: 12-16; 14: 20; Rev. 19: 15-16; Rev. 20: 5a-6
• JESUS
• Establishes His throne in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount
• Dan. 7: 13-14; Matt. 25: 31
• JESUS
• JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS
• Dan. 7: 9-12; Matt. 25: 32
• All LIVING GENTILE BELIEVERS
• Jesus queue's them in a line and declares them to be SHEEP
• Matt. 25: 32-40 (Sheep)
• All LIVING GENTILE UNBELIEVERS
• Jesus queue's them in a line and declares them to be GOATS
• Matt. 25: 32-33, 41-45 (Goats)
• All LIVING GENTILE UNBELIEVERS (GOATS)
• Cast ALIVE into The Lake Of Fire (Hell)
• Matt. 25: 46
• ALL LIVING JEWISH & GENTILE BELIEVERS
• Only these are left to populate the earth. 
• They NEVER die, continue to have children, and live eternally with Him 
• Matt. 25: 32-40, 46 (Gentiles) Matt.24: 31; Isaiah 11: 11-12; Zech. 13: 8-9; 8: 1-23 (Jewish)

Jesus is going to reign on earth 1,000 years! He will rightfully be King of Kings!

Millenial Kingdom: 1,000 years

• JEWISH PEOPLE
• No more Jewish unbelievers EVER AGAIN on earth.
• Dan. 9: 24;   Zeph. 3: 12-13; Zech. 14: 9-11, 20-21; Isaiah 59: 20-1; Isaiah 60: 1-22; Jer. 31: 33-34
• SOULS of GENTILE UNBELIEVERS who died during the 1000 year reign
• Descended to The Well Of Departed Souls (Hades)
• Num. 16: 30, 33: Luke 16: 22-28
• BODIES of GENTILE UNBELIEVERS who died during the 1000 year reign
• On earth in the ground, in ashes or in the sea
• Rev. 20: 5a-6
• ALL LIVING BELIEVERS during the 1000 year reign
• ETERNAL LIFE WITH JESUS ON EARTH
• Dan. 7: 27; Rev. 20: 4-6

And at the end of the 1,000 years Satan will be released to deceive the nations once again, there will be a battle, and we already know the end: JESUS WINS! HE IS VICTORIOUS!

At the end of the Millenial Reign of Christ

• SATAN
• Released from prison in the Abyss
• Rev. 20: 7
• SATAN
• Comes out to deceive the Nations (Gentile Unbelievers)
• Rev. 20: 8
• SATAN
• Gathers the Nations (Gentile Unbelievers) for war against Jesus
• Rev. 20: 8
• SATAN
• Amasses his army and surrounds Jerusalem
• Rev. 20: 9
• SATAN
• Fire comes down from Heaven and devours his army
• Rev. 20: 9
• SATAN
• Cast into the Lake of Fire (Hell)
• Rev. 20: 10
• JESUS
• Sits on His GREAT WHITE THRONE.
• No more Heaven and Earth as we know it
• Rev. 20: 11
• All DEAD UNBELIEVERS: JEWISH AND GENTILE
• (Except for the "Goats", who's sentence has already been carried out during the Judgment of the Nations)
• The Well of Departed Souls is emptied out and their souls are united with their dead bodies from in the ground, in ashes or in the sea
• Dan. 12: 2b;  Rev. 20: 5-6; 12-15
• All DEAD UNBELIEVERS: JEWISH AND GENTILE
• (Except for the "Goats", who's sentence has already been carried out during the Judgment of the Nations)
• They ALL stand before the GREAT WHITE THRONE
• Rev. 20: 12-15
• ALL LIVING/SPIRITUALLY DEAD GENTILE UNBELIEVERS
• who were born during the 1000 year reign and still living at the time of The Great White Throne Judgment
• They ALL stand before the GREAT WHITE THRONE
• Rev. 20: 12-15
• ALL OF THE ABOVE LIVING AND DEAD UNBELIEVERS
• Cast into the Lake of Fire (Hell)
• Rev. 20: 15
• BELIEVERS
• Those in glorified bodies as well as those living in their bodies eternally reside with Jesus in the NEW HEAVEN, NEW EARTH & NEW JERUSALEM
• Rev. 21: 1-3, 7, 23-27; 22: 1-4

I will confess, there is a part of me that longs for the Rapture, the 1,000 years, and the New: Heaven, Earth, & Jerusalem. But there is the bigger part that knows that so many are not ready, spiritually. Once the church is gone from earth...there will be terrible times and happenings on earth. Friend, I do not want you to go through the Tribulation. I do not want you to live during the time of the Man of Lawlessness, the Anti-Christ. I want you to among those who are called to heaven by Jesus, who are spared the Wrath of God.

Please message me. Reach out to me. Let us talk. 

God has laid out in His word. We know what is going to happen. And I hope you make the right choice before the time is too late.

MARRIAGE: Protect it! Fight for it!

This past Tuesday night was a normal night for our household. The one exception is that the kids were super excited to be going to the zoo the next day. Getting 2 kids under the age of 5 to bed with thoughts of lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) in their heads is not an easily accomplished task.

But my husband in persevered and both kids went to bed. So the two of us did what I assume most couples do in America these days once the kids are in bed, we plopped on the couch, put a sitcom on, and somewhat mindlessly browsed Facebook on our phone.

A post by a lady stood out to me in my browsing. The summer study for my connection group at church is Lysa TerKeurst's "Finding I AM." So maybe because I am engrossed in her study every day, sharing tidbits on our connection group page, seeing that she posted something stood out. So I read her post.

And then I was in shock. My heart broke for Lysa. For those of you who want to read her own words, here is the link to her post:

 

Rejection, Heartache, and a Faithful God

Let me summarize:

Her husband of almost 25 years for about 2 years was unfaithful to her and developed a substance abuse issue. And after therapy, counseling, prayer, fasting she is filing for divorce. Her own words:

"When I first found out about Art’s infidelity 18 months ago, I made the decision not to divorce him. I had just finished fasting and praying for 28 days and really felt led by the Lord that I was to love Art in my reaction to this shocking news and trust God for every step moving forward. I was still committed to doing everything I could think of to make our story one of restoration, even in the face of the worst kind of betrayal imaginable. I prayed continually. I sought counsel from family and other wise friends. And Art and I even made repeated trips across the country together for intensive counseling especially designed for marriages in crisis. But sadly, though I have repeatedly forgiven and accepted him back, he has continued to abuse substances, be unfaithful, and refused to be truthful to me and our family.

I believe I have the capacity to love Art and to forgive him, but his steadfast refusal to end the infidelity has led me to make the hardest decision of my life. After much prayer and consultation with wise, biblically-minded people, I have decided that Art has abandoned our marriage. Yet, the Lord has been so faithful to help me at every step of this very painful journey and has now assured me I’ve done all I can do."

Do you understand why I was (and still somewhat am) in shock? Let's review Lysa's "resume" if you will:

• President of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the New York Times best-selling author of Uninvited, The Best Yes, Unglued, Made to Crave, and 16 other books.
• Married 25 years
• Raised 5 children

Now lets go worldly - she is gorgeous, put together. She is the WHOLE package.
But she wasn't enough.

Lord help us, if a woman like her isn't enough - how can our own marriage survive? We are dis-shelved, stay at home moms, or assistants in offices. Our roots are showing (our ends need a trim too to be honest), toe nails need a pedicure, our clothes don't fit just right anymore (because we are too tired to go to the gym).

Most would say her husband didn't have a reason to cheat, but he was missing something. And it wasn't something Lysa could give him. He thought another woman could give him what he was missing. But she cannot and eventually he will realize that. That longing, that something that is missing - only Jesus can fill that need.

Proverbs 5 is a warning against adultery. Let's look at verses 15-20:

Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

God is warning us, the decision you made in your youth - honor it. If you married young, fight for your marriage years down the road. Keep the fires burning. The spouse of your youth, the one who was with you in the hard times, when you were dirt poor, had nothing, but that person stood by you - stand by them. Do not upgrade or trade up - which the world will tell you is fitting. Reject that teaching. Stay married, woo your spouse, fight for them.

At work we talked about Mrs. TerKeurst's situation. Several of us read the comments left by others in response to her sharing. Our world is breaking. People are devastated. Post after post, women were pouring out their hearts that they knew what she was going through. That they understand, they are in her shoes.

I read a commentary that summed the situation up nicely (for lack of any other word):

"Not ONE of us is immune to Satan’s plans for our marriage."

What Lysa TerKeurst’s Divorce Tells Us About Our Own Marriages

Marriage was the first institution created by God.
Before the church, the feasts, the celebrations in the tabernacle, God created Marriage. Marriage is important to God - it should be important to you and me.

Genesis 2: 18-25

"Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."

God made man, and did not want him to be alone, that it wasn't good for him to be alone, so he made woman for him. To help him. We are designed to be coupled, to become one flesh, to serve the Lord together. And Satan is doing everything he can to destroy the institution of family. Satan thought he should be God, so he is about to destroy God. You and I know that in the end Satan loses, but until then he has a freedom to cause chaos. His (Satan) chaos should cause us to move toward the Father, to draw closer to God, to strive to live as Christ lived.

And right now - we need to fight for our marriages. If your friendships are not building up your marriage, get rid of the friendships. If your parents do not support/believe/encourage your spouse, spend less time with your parents. Show your children that your spouse comes before them - as God intended. Love your spouse, dance with them in the kitchen, kiss them before bed. If you are having troubles, seek help - counseling, see your pastor, do not go it alone. The world today is designed to alienate us from those around us - don't let it happen. Build up a community around you that is pro-marriage, pro-family. We must fight for our marriages. But know this - if you take on this challenge, you will meet obstacles.

Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

My husband and I have resolved together that divorce is not an option for us. It is the legacy of my heritage, and I want my children and the generations after them to have a better foundation. But taking this stand, by resolving that we will not divorce - we have set ourselves up for attacks, struggles, and issues. And we have had them - financially being the #1 issue - which is one of the top reasons couples divorce. We want to be different, sanctified, set apart. To keep our marriage together, to not let it fall victim to the schemes of the enemy, we have had to work and invest in our marriage. We have attended seminars, we go on dates just the two of us, we spend time with other couples who share our values, we talk and assess how our marriage is doing. Daily we tell each other we love each other, we are affectionate as often as possible (1 Corinthians 7:5 - Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.), we surprise the other with tokens of appreciation. We tend to our marriage as you tend to a plant - it can only produce fruit if it is properly cared for.

I will end this with the marriage chapter of 1 Corinthians (Chapter 7: 1-16):

Principles for Marriage

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.
To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Charcter: Being Sober Minded

I have noticed something in passing here of late. Many friends, some acquaintances, have a new found love with wine. They show off their evening class of red wine, and their feet up. Or they host a social, and the main course is wine/beer. And this has not felt right to me. It has troubled me...

A little back story.

My parents divorced when I was my son's age (2 1/2). My daddy never drank, and not until I was a teenager, young adult do I recall him twice having a beer. My mom and dad did drink: in the evenings, socially, on the weekend. Them and their friends.  In fact, I became a mini bartender, mixing their drinks for them.

So, no surprise, I turn 21 and I started to drink. For me it was mainly socially when I went out dancing. But occasionally it was a glass of wine in the evening. After I called off my engagement/wedding, my best friend's solution was to have a weekend of partying. After that, anytime I had even just one drink I would get sick. So I basically stopped, but every now and then I would try another drink, to end up sick again.

Fast forward to July of 2008, I am living in Pasadena, TX and a friend from college is in town, having spent several months on an oil rig. Her and I meet up for some Tex-Mex and margaritas. Again I get sick. Then that Sunday my Assistant Pastor preached, in the evening service, on drinking. I felt convicted that God was telling me I was to not drink. And I have not to this day.

God prepared me to be the wife of the man I love dearly. My husband has never had a drink, he felt from a young age that he was to not touch the stuff, and so he does not. And if I had been a drinker when I met him, well we would have only met, and there would probably not be an Abigail or a Stone.

I full-heartedly believe that were I to drink alcohol it would be a sin for me. Many friends of mine do not have this conviction, but others do. And honestly, the consumption of alcohol is a hot topic issue in the Christian community.

There seems to be two schools of thought on the topic:

• Drinking is a sin, and Christian's must not do it.
• Consumption in moderation is perfectly fine.

I did a survey on faith and drinking habits, and only a handful of people responded. But the answers mimicked the two schools of thoughts.

Overall, I think it is both. I believe, for individuals like myself, it is a sin to drink. I have had that conviction almost 9 years later, and it has not waned at all. And I know many who are of the clergy who as leaders of congregations publicly have vowed to abstain as an example for their flock. I know that to be employed by my church there is a morals portion of the employment contract where you promise to not drink, publicly or privately.

If you feel convicted by the Holy Sprit to not drink, that is what you must do. To ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit would be direct disobedience to God.

Now, if you do not have that conviction, then you are free to drink.

But, the question is, should you?

In the NIV translation,

 1 Corinthians 10:32 states:

Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—

You might be able to control who you are under the influence, but what we must remember is that our actions effect not only ourselves. Every choice we makes has consequences (good and bad) for others.

What if you are the only example of Christianity someone sees? And what if they see you drink, as a professing Christian, and decide for themselves that it is fine for them to drink, even though they have a family history of alcohol dependency? If you as a Christian do fine with drinking, they might think the same for them? Or what if someone is on the cusp of being a believer, and they see your Facebook page with you partying it up every Saturday evening, and your tagged location Sunday morning is church? They might be a bit confused.

Throughout the New Testament there are verses on drinking (Ephesians 5:18, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 Timothy 3:8, and many more), and Proverbs and Isaiah have a few things to say on the matter too. But my number one argument for believers who do drink is the following:

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

A follow up verse is Romans 14:21 (ESV)

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

 

As a believer and follower of Christ we are to be set apart from the world and show the world that we are different because Christ lives in us. As a believer there should be a marked difference in how we live. And if there isn't, well friend, evaluate your life, humble yourself and evaluate if you are a child of the King of kings.

So while I think that drinking comes down to a personal choice, I believe if you profess Christ, whether it be a sin to you or not, you should not drink. Remember the Prodigal Son, upon his return he acknowledged:

Luke 15: 17 & 18

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you."

Our actions effect not just us. If we sin, others are effected, some people for whom we will never know. But take heart, it is not just our sins that effect others, our obedience to God effects others. Think of every choice you have as a drop falling into a pool of water, there are ripples. Good or bad, the ripples move out from us. So, by choosing to abstain from alcohol, in obedience to the Holy Spirit or due to the commands in Romans 12 & 14, there will be consequences, in the positive in the lives of those around you.

Serving: Beside my husband I stand

Jessica (31), Brock (29), Abigail (4), & Stone (2)

Last night was a sweet night for my family. During our church's evening service, my husband along with six other gentlemen were ordained as deacons. And the scripture that comes to mind for most people, for when deacons were established in the church is Acts 6. Now, my Pastor explained that the word distribution, is similar to a word used I believe in 1 Timothy, where deacons were commissioned. Pastor also noted that as with the events in Acts 6, our church too "ordained" seven men to serve.

Acts 6 (NLT)

Seven Men Chosen to Serve

6 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.

² So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. ³ And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. ⁴ Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”
⁵ Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). ⁶ These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
⁷ So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

 

 

It was an amazing experience last night. I have seen a few ordination services in the years I have lived here, but to be in the service is a different experience. To have the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Deacons, plus our Pastor and Assistant Pastor pray over each man was such a experience. I was able to see that every person prays differently. I heard the words of some, but I also saw how they laid hands. Even my Father-in-Love was able to pray over us as a couple, as he is a deacon in our church too. It was touching to have such personal prays prayed to/over us.

 

So what does it mean to be a deacon? I have been in some churches where the deacons run the church basically, due to smaller size of the congregation. Our church does not operate that way. We have our ministers, then we have committees to take care of the running of the church. All of which is brought forth to the congregation. The deacons are in place to serve.

 

• Lord's Supper
• Widows
• Procession of Banners at Christmas

Just to name a few ways.

 

As part of the training to be a deacon, my husband has assisted in the distribution for the Lord's Supper several times this past year. Now that he is officially a deacon, if there is a widow who signs up, we could be assigned a widow. I am most excited about this serving opportunity. If my husband is assigned widow, it will be an opportunity for my husband and I to show our children yet another way to serve the Lord. We can show them the scriptures then live it out in front of them. But from what I have heard, sometimes there are not enough widows signed up. I am not hoping for anyone to be made a widow, but I do hope my family is in consideration to serve if one does sign up.

 

The Christmas banners are such a beautiful part of our church's Christmas pageantry.  Every year our church puts on "The Singing Christmas Tree." On our church stage, a huge Christmas Tree is put up, and that is where the choir sings from, while below it a drama unfolds revealing the story of Christ. At the end, after an altar call is given, the deacons (not all) bring out banners, walking through the congregation and bringing them to the stage.

 

It is prayful event on who will carry which banners. A committee prays over which deacon will carry which banner The banners were made well over 20 years ago by women in the church. And each one is a name/characteristic of God. They are absolutely gorgeous!

 

The Singing Christmas Tree - 2015

 

Our Assistant Pastor lead the sermon last night. He spoke on Palm Sunday, and how as Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, He wept.

 

Not silent tears, but "wept" here means wailing, or even sobbing. Heart wrenching tears. His Sermon hit the heart. And as you know, if you have read my blog for any time, I am in a Precept class on Revelation. Pastor Jon explained about how this world is corrupt (then and now), how the people are lost. He managed to bring his sermon together with the Rapture. When Jesus wept, Jerusalem had already had Solomon's temple destroyed, Zerubbable had rebuilt it (not as glorious as Solomon's), and Herod had expanded it. Jesus was dedicated in the temple build by Zerubbable and expanded by Herod. In the scriptures we reviewed last night, Luke 19:41-43, Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple that would take place about 35 years after his ascension to heaven.

 

In 70 A.D. Titus fulfilled the prophecy in Luke 19: 41-44 (NLT)

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

⁴¹ But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. ⁴² “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. ⁴⁴ They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

 

Pastor Jon went into how since 70 A.D., close to 200 years ago, Jews have not been able to offer up sacrifices. But, scripture does tell us that the temple will be rebuilt, and Jews will offer sacrifices again. But this will not happen until the Church age ends, and the dead and Christ and those alive as believers are raptured to heaven. After this, Israel will make a covenant with a man who will usher in a "peace" after a large portion of the earth's population disappears. They will be allowed to rebuild their temple.

 

Friends, the furniture has already been bought for the 3rd temple. There is a section in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem that is housing all the furnishings for the long awaited new temple. My Pastor and Assistant Pastor both have seen it with their own eyes. Israel will make a covenant with this man, who will 3-1/2 years later will break the covenant, and desecrate the temple. That man is the Ant-Christ. I have so much more on this matter that I want to share, and I will as part of my summer writings. I want to finish my Precept studies before I start compiling my notes.

 

But I am convicted, and if you have truly delved into the Word of God, you will be convicted to action.

 

I heard a quote last night by William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. It went along the lines of, "Every Pastor ought to be held over the fires of hell for 24 hours, so the will recognize the urgency of salvation." Friends, we must spread the Gospel. Jesus Christ is the good news, He is our peace, and we have a very large, lost world around us who will all go to hell if they do not turn from their evil ways, and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. Today is the day, for we are not promised tomorrow.