Thoughts

Life is thought, and when we cease to think, we are not living. How we think, is the kind of life we live. Since we are able to control our thoughts, we can determine the course of our life and the way we feel during our time here.

"We are what we think." - Buddha (BC)

It is very important to establish good thinking guidelines and follow them. Placing thoughts of peace and happiness in our minds will help to make our lives peaceful and happy. If we do not set our thoughts properly, we travel through life by way of places where we will wish we had not gone.

"It is the mind that maketh good or ill, that maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor." - Edmund Spenser (1552-1599)

Our daily life includes thoughts associated with responsibilities concerning work, other people, and handling problems. If possible, try not to think of too many different things during your day, and don't move or think too quickly. Start your morning with a plan to come through to bedtime relaxed, contented, and ready for a restful night's sleep.

"Your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your permission." - Arnold Bennett (1867-1932)

Reflect about things that can improve your feelings - learning, completing tasks and duties, pleasant and relaxing experiences, kind words. Think about your happiness, goals, life and its pleasures, your principles and your conduct. Think about enjoying the moment.

"Garner up pleasant thoughts in your mind, for pleasant thoughts make pleasant lives." - John Wilkins (1614-1672)

What are you thinking about?

Today

At the end of today, if it has been preoccupied with thoughts of enjoyment that might be coming, we will find that we have lost something valuable that will be gone forever. Today!

In hoping to be happy about something in the future, instead of being happy right now, we are missing out. We often want more time, more money for that new purchase, a better job, better health. The list may be long.

This is such a waste because there are probably many things to feel really good about each day. Unfortunately we are encouraged to dwell on things that we have yet to acquire. If we were bombarded with daily reminders of how lucky we are and how much we have to be happy about, we would retire at night with wonderful days behind us.

"No matter what looms ahead, if you can eat today, enjoy the sunlight today, mix good cheer with friends today, then enjoy it and bless God for it. Do not look back on happiness or dream of it in the future. You are only sure of today; do not let yourself be cheated of it." - Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1878)

Our day should be free of other stresses and worries. An analysis of a bad event that has happened, or may happen, can be worthwhile in determining a course of action. Beyond that, to continue worrying about it is a completely useless waste of time and is harmful to our health. Worry does not help the future experience and could make it worse, and the past cannot be changed.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could, some blunders and absurdities have crept in. Forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

So enjoy yourself today because it is not coming back.

Signs of the End Of Times

Mar 13:5 And Jesus began to say unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.

Mar 13:6 Many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and shall lead many astray.

Mar 13:7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be not troubled: these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet.

Mar 13:8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be earthquakes in divers places; there shall be famines: these things are the beginning of travail.

Mar 13:9 But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in synagogues shall ye be beaten; and before governors and kings shall ye stand for my sake, for a testimony unto them.

Mar 13:10 And the gospel must first be preached unto all the nations.

Mar 13:11 And when they lead you to judgment, and deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand what ye shall speak: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.

Mar 13:12 And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.

Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

Mar 13:14 But when ye see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains:

Mar 13:15 and let him that is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out his house:

Mar 13:16 and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak.

Mar 13:17 But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!

Mar 13:18 And pray ye that it be not in the winter.

Mar 13:19 For those days shall be tribulation, such as there hath not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be.

Mar 13:20 And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the elect's sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days.

Mar 13:21 And then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ; or, Lo, there; believe it not:

Mar 13:22 for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect.

Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have told you all things beforehand.

Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Mar 13:25 and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken.

Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

Mar 13:27 And then shall he send forth the angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Once Saved, Always Saved?

One often hears the above phrase sated as, "A Christian cannot fall from grace." Or variations such as "If a Christian falls, then he wasn't saved in the first place." However, Scriptures reveals at least six different reasons why "Once saved Always Saved" is not biblically sound teachings.

1. The Bible exhorts us to "be strong: and to put on the whole armor of God and to be alert with all perseverance, (Ephesians 6"10-18). The Apostle Peter tells us some things we must do and and then he says, "For as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble." (2 Peter 1:5-11)

2. Our salvation is dependent upon our being faithful, and thus it stands to reason that we can be lost by becoming unfaithful. Jesus tells us "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

3. The Scriptures speak of the dangers of falling from grace. Galatians 5:4 says out right "You have fallen from grace." We are warned to be on guard. Notice in 2 Peter 3:17 for us to "Be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness." Consider Hebrews 3:12 which states, "Take care brethern, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God."

4. The New Testament warns us against causing others to fall. Consider Romans 14:15-23 and 1 Corinthians 8.

5. The Scriptures foretold that some would fall from grace as stated in 1 Timothy 4:1.

6. The Scriptures tells us that some in the first century that did fall from grace as recorded in 1 Timothy 5:8, 1 Timothy 1:18-20 and 2 Peter 2:20-22.

All of these scriptures show that it is indeed possible for the saved to fall. Therefore, we must be on our guard to keep this from happening. Lastly, in which is probably the most urgent messageof all in the Scriptures, "Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12)