A Continuation of the End

In these last couple of weeks, much has been on my mind and heart and on my plate. :)  Time has run short everyday, and it seems to just happen that way at times, doesn't it? I've been working on my SK calendars for 2015 and trying to get them to the printers to begin their work on them as this season of selling them is such a short time. We've also had our Women's Journey of Faith (WJOF) Sharing the Journey seminar workshops coming up this weekend April 4-5 with meetings on the 3rd so I've had stuff to prepare for that as well. I always look forward to this time of fellowship and growing/learning. Learning and growing never stops, does it? We continually take in everyday and, hopefully, learn and grow from all of it. :)

This week I've also been wrapping up a couple of Bible studies, the To
Live is Christ study which took us on a journey through the life of the Apostle Paul; and also Here and Now, There and Then which is a study on the Book of Revelation. They're both wonderful studies and they've been great to journey through in preparation for the Greece and Turkey tour that I will be going on with a friend of mine from Bible study in May. I've been reminded of so much because this is the 2nd time I've gone through To Live is Christ, but with Revelation....wooow!! I have learned SO MUCH! I've often been more afraid of Revelation, yet at the same time intrigued but now going through this study, it has left me more excited and longing for the end. It's given me so much to think about and ponder on.... I tell ya, there is so much in my brain each day, you don't even know an inch of it! :)  It's amazing how this mind of ours works and how much it can contain. Did you see the fun pic I came across? It sure explains it all, doesn't it :) ...and I'm sure my hubby is very glad that I don't talk about everything that's going on in my brain every day ...and you probably are too! :)

While I've been going through Scriptures and photos for preparation for the calendars, I've come across so many wonderful wonderful verses and I'd love to memorize them all! :)  But I know that's not possible, but it sure has given me many promises to hold on to and much hope to hang on to as well! So here's a few of them for you that I have put on some of the photos I've chosen for the 2015 Inspirational Calendar pages. I know they will all speak to you and perhaps one of them will be a verse that you will choose to memorize. :)

You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God 

our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth...

Psalm 65:5 NLT

Commit to the LORD whatever you do and 

he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 16:13 NIV

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

1 Corinthians 16:13 NKJV

The above three verses will be on a calendar page and they're short enough that I'd like to work on memorizing them all. But I couldn't leave out this sharing this one below with you. :)  I can't wait to see that actual amazing breathtaking life-forever-changing 'picture' in the clouds one day! It's another amazing final ending to the Book of Revelation and, for those who believe in Him, it's the moment we all can't wait to witness.  ♥

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True...

Revelation 19:11  NLT

Oh what an amazing moment that will be! And as I wrap up Revelation this week, the last words in the book will remain in my mind and heart and I pray it will in yours too. What a day we have to look forward to!!

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says,

"Yes, I am coming soon!"

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.

Revelation 22:20-21

From the Book of Genesis, the very beginning of the Bible and of the world, to the Book of Revelation, the very end of the Bible and of the world, God is good and He brings it all full circle to an amazing completion. The whole book of the Bible works together to tell an amazing story of redemption and salvation. Nothing in it is irrelevant or unimportant. In my study notes for verse 21 it says "Genesis describes Adam and Eve walking and talking with God; Revelation describes people worshiping God face to face. Genesis describes a garden with an evil serpent; Revelation describes a perfect city with no evil. The Garden of Eden was destroyed by sin; but paradise is re-created in the new Jerusalem. The Book of Revelation ends with an urgent plea: "Come, Lord Jesus!"  In a world of problems, persecution, evil and immorality, Christ calls us to endure in our faith. Our efforts to better our world are important but their results cannot compare with the transformation that Jesus will bring about when he returns. He alone controls human history, forgives sin, and will re-create the earth and bring lasting peace. Revelation is, above all, a book of hope. It shows that no matter what happens on earth, God is in control. It promises that evil will not last forever. And it depicts the wonderful reward that is waiting for all those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord."

So my dear friends, as you study His Word, the Bible, and memorize it's verses, I know you will be BLESSED and filled with HOPE and GRACE and FORGIVENESS and LOVE and AWE of how Great our God is and with some knowledge of how very much He loves us! Sing to the Lord as long as you live and praise God to your very last breath! AMEN! COME, Lord Jesus....Come soon!! ♥

The Study of Revelation

I've always had a fascination for the Book of Revelation but also a deep fear as well.
When I was a young teenager, I saw the 'Image of the Beast' movies and they totally freaked me out. I was a rebellious teenager and chose to go against what I was taught by my parents and went through a phase of drinking and partying...BUT, the fear that was instilled in me about the end times kept me from turning completely against God. Now in my later years, the fear has turned more into an excitement. A number of years ago, an adult Bible study class leader in church took us through Revelation and then in 2012, Roger and I led an adult Bible study class that took us through John Hagee's sermon series on Revelation. It was very interesting! He is definitely a believer of pre-trib and does give some good arguments about it. He's very knowledgeable and a very passionate speaker, but I can also somewhat see where other people get their viewpoints from as well.

When the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins began coming out around 2000, we bought every single book the moment it was released. I was particularly interested in the book called The Remnant as on the front cover is a photo of the treasury at Petra Jordan. It's so hard to believe that I've been there, 3 times and my husband and children have also been there. :)  What a fascinating place! Many people believe that Petra will be the place in the desert where the Jews and Christians will flee to, to escape the horrors of the end times and the  anti-christ and that they will be protected there for 3 1/1 years. We don't know this for certain as it could also be a spiritual protection that God was talking about and not necessarily a physical place that they will go to for protection. Nevertheless, it is all very fascinating to have read these books and to also study all the different viewpoints out there. I happen to believe in pan-trib....how it all pans out in the end is how it will be. :)


In June 2012 when I had attended the Beth Moore conference in Calgary, I saw that she had a study on Revelation as well, called Here and Now -> There and Then. I bought it but have always had other studies on the go. With the desire to tour through the 7 Churches of Revelation in Turkey and God opening that unexpected door for me to go there in May, I knew that now was the time to journey
through this study. It's been fascinating! I've loved journeying through it with my husband and other couples/individuals on Wednesday nights, but also Thursday morning and Friday morning with ladies. On Tuesday nights, another group of us have been journeying through the life of the Apostle Paul in the To Live is Christ Study, which has been excellent as well! It is preparing me for going through Paul's footsteps through various places in Greece during the same time of the tour that I'll be on in Turkey come this May. But back to the Revelation study, it has kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. It's no longer scary for me but very exciting! But at the same time, it has also put an urgency on my heart for those that don't know Jesus and part of me has wanted to be that person on a street corner holding a sign that says "Do you know Jesus? Do you know that there is a heaven and also a hell?" Yes, I've walked into a grocery store wanting to stop every person and ask if they know Jesus. :)  Really...really....if we really understood what hell was, why are we not talking non stop about Jesus and heaven?

What makes it extra special to be going through this study right now is that God had taken Roger and I
down to Houston TX for a few days in January. I had attended a Scripture memory celebration organized by Beth's office and it was together with many other ladies from around the U.S. What an incredible time! It was such a blessing to meet with Beth face to face again and to meet all her staff at Living Proof Ministries as well, to visit her churches and to attend her Tuesday night Bible study. But what was very cool too is that a dear woman from Houston had emailed me about a year ago because she had come
across my blog posts from my Israel tours. She was looking for the contact information for Arie Harel, my tour guide in Israel. Well, her and I became instant friends and chatted on the phone and emailed each other. We hadn't spoken in a while but when this opportunity came up to go to Houston, I emailed her about meeting her face to face and spending some time with her. Wow! God is so amazing at how He brings wonderful people into my life. We had a lovely time visiting with her and her husband! One of my favorite moments was sitting outside on her patio in the sunshine and talking about Bible study. What I didn't know was that she had already taken the Revelation study and had sat in on all the teaching sessions with Beth Moore during the taping of this series. How unique is that!! God was just giving me these sweet gifts one after the other. :)  It was an incredible time that we had there and if you want to read about it or see more pictures, then return to my previous post before this one on my blog. :)


Another precious gift in all of this was that I was able to attend the first session of Beth's Tuesday night Bible study called 'Breath - the Life of God in Us.' Oh how precious!! She spoke about the Holy Spirit and how God's breath is in us and it was also the breath of His Spirit that hovered over the waters/earth at the beginning of time. When we left for Houston, God had already given me that Scripture on the plane along with a beautiful picture of it from the sky. But what an incredibly sweet gift for one who's led Bible studies for over 20 years and now I got to sit in an actual Bible study session rather than just seeing it over the TV.

What was even more special about this, which I just found out on this day that I'm typing out this blog post, is that 'Breath' is the last Tuesday night Bible study that Beth will lead in Houston's First Baptist Church. She has led studies and Sunday School in that church for 29 years and now this was her last one. You can read more about it in her Living Proof Ministries blog.  God has just made being able to attend this even more sweeter to me, knowing this now. What a tough night Beth had that last night of leading this study (which was just yesterday). What a mixture of emotions! I can relate a wee bit because I have a mixture of emotions running through me right now too as our lead pastor at church has just resigned. I love my pastor dearly, God has used him tremendously in our church and he has taught me so much and stretched me in my faith walk so incredibly in this past season of my life...just like Beth Moore has through her studies.  Both Pastor Russ and Beth have had a lot to do with me leading ladies groups to Israel, leading more indepth Bible studies, getting involved with the inner city, having my heart broken over the sex-trafficking issue right in our own city, and so much more. So, my heart is super full knowing that my pastor is leaving our church soon and that Beth has just finished her very last Tuesday night Bible study...of which I got to attend the first session of! Wow! God's timetable is astounding and always in perfect timing! What an amazing God we serve! He already knows the outcome so how could we not completely trust Him! Yay! :)

So, anyway, I felt led to continue on with the Scripture memory group this year, just on our own with a bunch of ladies through a Facebook group as Beth is not doing one for this year. For a couple of the verses in February God has given me to work on memorizing have come from the book of Revelation. In the study, Beth has encouraged us to memorize Revelation 17:14 in the NIV, which she calls the theme of the book.

"They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."

What a verse to memorize and meditate on! To be his called, chosen and faith follower..wow! That is what I desire more than anything here on earth!  It's not about Beth Moore or Pastor Russ Wilson or anyone else who has had a significant part in my life or your life...but it's all about who Jesus Christ is to you and what is He doing in and through your life to make a difference for the Kingdom of God...and it's about your heart and my heart being willing to serve Him and glorify Him in all we do. That is what Beth's mission is and I know it's the mission of my dear pastor too. God wants us to go wherever He leads us...are we willing?

Another couple of verses I've been working on memorizing in February were Revelation 4:11 and Revelation 5:13 NIV. The amazing picture of God's Throne on which He is always occupying and the fact that Jesus Christ is the only one worthy enough to open the scroll of the future events to unfold to bring about the end of days...it's all just too much! Such amazing pictures too glorious to behold and they have just stuck with me

"You are worthy, our Lord God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things ,and by your will they were created and have their being."

"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them, saying: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praised and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!"

After reading these chapters in Revelation, I can't close my eyes while praying and picture nothingness...all I see is this incredible minute vision of God's throne and me before Him with my prayers and petitions. My prayers don't just go into oblivion...they go right before that amazing throne of Grace and are laid bare before an Almighty God who created the whole universe. Wow! Lord, forgive me for praying in a flippant manner and for not believing enough in the power of the words being spoken through prayer. Our prayer is like incense rising to You and You hear every single one of them!  Thank You Father, thank You.....

Hitting Close to Home

For the past 3 months, I've been journeying through a study on the Apostle Paul and it's called "To Live is Christ" by Beth Moore. It's been an amazing in-depth study of his life, of the Book of Acts and some of Paul's letters to the New Testament Church. So many of parts of his life have hit really close to home for me. Originally called Saul, he was a devout Jew who grew up in the church and kept the law to it's fullest extent. He was so against the followers of Jesus Christ that he had them persecuted and killed all the time, he would even go in search of them to have them killed. After Paul met with Jesus on the Road to Damascus, he became a believer and began sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, but he was persecuted in many ways. The hatred that his fellow Jews had for him now was taken to great extents. From his own people, the religious leaders and even his family, he was flogged and beaten, imprisoned, and even stoned (2 Corinthians 11:21-31). But he stood on the solid truth of God's Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah, who came to earth, died on a cross and rose again and is now living in heaven preparing an eternal home for us there. He continued to preach the Good News no matter what. I pray that my faith will be as strong as his was.

Back in March 2006, I had the opportunity to go to Bolivia to find some of my dad's family living on the Mennonite Colonies there. It's been wonderful to meet with them. But at the same time, the stories that I hear of my own relatives have been no different than what happened to Paul so many years ago.  In 1995, a young man in Bolivia had been severely beaten by the elders of the church for proclaiming that he was a Believer and that he knew for certain that he was going to heaven. They made his younger brother watch and wanted them both to deny being confident in their eternal heavenly heritage. Are you willing to follow Jesus even when it hurts and others persecute you?? I pray that I will be able to. You can read the story of Paul Buhler here:   http://www.jeanettewindle.com/the_way_of_the_cross_following_jesus_when_it_hurts.htm
What has been done in the name of religion or the church is heartwrenching.

Here I am with dedicated
Missionaries Jake & Dorothy
Fehr near Santa Cruz, Bolivia 

relatives on a Mennonite Colony

Recently, a relative from Bolivia came to visit, one that I had met back in 2006. I prayed for this man. Knowing that his own mind has been twisted with the legalistic ways of the colonies, my heart was heavy for him before he left. I didn't have anything to lose, so I stopped in and prayed for him. My prayer for him is the same as it is for my many relatives who are caught in those same religious ways in Bolivia. I pray that their hearts would be changed, that the Love of God would overtake his hardened heart and that the work that dear missionaries are doing in their country would not be in vain. I know that many Mennonites are becoming Believers, in spite of the persecution by their own people, and choosing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what the cost. But it's not easy hearing of these things and to also watch others reap things in their latter years of stuff that they had sown in their earlier years. Oh how we all need the Hand of God in our lives.

On Sunday morning, our sermon in church was about "who am I living for" and "what would I die for." Paul chose to die for Christ..."To live is Christ, to die is gain"...were his words. Am I willing to die for my faith? If my child or a family member asked me to deny my Christ in order to live, or in order for one of my other children to live, would I be strong enough in my faith to say "No, to live is Christ, to die is gain." If someone were to knock on my door and take me to jail for living my life for God, would my faith be strong enough to go through any kind of persecution? I pray that it would.  That's why it's so important to be in the Word of God and developing a daily relationship with God and getting to know His Son Jesus Christ more and more....so that when those times of persecution come, which they will, then we will be able to stand on our firm foundation of faith in God. Ephesians 6 tells us that we need to put on the armor of God daily so we can stand with our feet planted on God and His Word.

synagogue at Capernaum

The hatred that can live in human beings is downright scary. The Jews were "livid" when Paul kept on preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ and their hatred controlled them so much that they dragged him out of the synagogue and began to stone/beat him and left him for dead (Acts 14). We can fast forward to the 1500's when the Anabaptists broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and the severe persecution many believers went through at the hands of angry religious leaders of that time because they simply wanted to step away from infant baptism and have voluntary church membership and they believed in the separation of church and state.  http://www.anabaptists.org/history/what-is-an-anabaptist.html  What is done in the name of religion is absolutely heartbreaking! The religious leaders on the Bolivian colony kept whipping the young 18 year old boy because he knew and proclaimed that he was saved. Yes, this study has hit close to home. What happened to Christians in the Bible is still happening today and has happened throughout history.

The Garden Tomb

Even closer to home yet, is how much closer I feel to the Apostle Paul. What a testimony of a man who, in the early years of his life, thought he had all the right teachings, had been brought up in the church and yet he missed the mark of believing that Jesus was the Messiah. What a testimony he has of being brought to know the Truth and to share it with others through the remainder of his life. As I prepare to go back to Israel in a few

at the Wailing Wall

days, all that I learned through this study is so fresh in my head, just as it was when we journeyed through the study Jesus the One and Only. Each study we do, I get to know The Bible better and better and I get to know the Heart of God better and better and changing me from the inside out. As Paul was writing his letters to the different churches, it was full of love and affection for the Believers and a longing that they would come closer and closer in their relationship with Jesus Christ and to know the Scriptures.  He also longed to meet with them to share about the Good News with them in person, face to face. I am feeling that same way today. I have been able to connect with a couple wonderful Christian women in Israel and we will be meeting together with them while we are there. My heart longs to see their face, give them a hug and to hear about all that God is doing in their lives and through the lives of the Believers in the Holy Land. I know the trip this time will be even more personal and enriching because of meeting together with these women personally.

God is at work!  Hallelujah! Each day is so exciting to find out what He is going to do TODAY! What is He going to give me to add to my Testimony TODAY! Yes, I hope and pray that each day, each week, things will hit close to home, to soften my heart, get me to pray harder, to open my Bible more often and to draw me nearer to the Heart of my Heavenly Father. AMEN!