My Hope Of Heaven by Edwin O'Hanlon

Imagine you’re taking a trip. You arrive at the airport check-in desk, but you’re the only passenger there. Security's a ghost town. So is your gate. You board an empty airplane and meet no one the entire flight. No captain. No stewardess. No one.

In many ways, this is death. We enter this world alone, and we leave just the same. But what if the person you loved most of all was eagerly waiting for you once you disembarked the flight? That ought to warm your heart and stop the trip from feeling like a Twilight Zone episode, right? Well, Jesus promises just this!

The joy of hoping on heaven purifies the lives of the redeemed. Paul says: If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1). Paul toiled tirelessly for the Church’s sanctification because he knew heavenly eyes are the best shield against sin. 

We may be positionally righteous on this side of heaven, but none of us are practically perfect until we go to be with the Lord. We must look ahead to the sweet hereafter. And when our day of departure comes, may we share Paul’s desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better (Phil. 1:23). Amen and amen. Come Lord Jesus.

***

Edwin O'Hanlon

Christians celebrate both the Cross, where Jesus gave His life to rescue us, and the Crown, symbolic of His victory over sin and death. 

He died and rose again that sinners like me might forever know and love God. 

My mission now is to rejoice in Christ, explore Scripture, and magnify its loving author by publishing weekly articles at www.fromcrosstocrown.com

Poetry: He Will Turn It Into Good

HE WILL TURN IT INTO GOOD

I heard a man on TV today,

Who spoke about suffering and trials to allay,

The feeling that struggles are really for nothing,

The often unfairness and our life's contorting.

He said if we could not determine a cause,

That we can be certain and give this applause,

That we will come out of it richer inside,

The strength that we get will show on the outside.

Some trials are too heavy, some burdens beyond,

What we think is fair, way too much put upon.

But there is not anything God cannot use,

To make our lives better, to help us improve.

That does not support that our pain is ordained,

That God must make sorrow for blessings to rain.

He does not need trouble and horror and woe.

He needs not the evil from that pit below.

We live in a world that is set on a course.

The fault is not ours so we feel no remorse.

We know we can't change Satan's evil world reign.

The Blood of Our Savior we use as a bane.

Don't think about quitting or turning on God.

To God be the glory and give him a nod.

He will make it right, this old world has to go,

And all of the pain and the suffering and woe.

So what can't be changed will be taken for you,

And made as a blessing, to help others too.

Just keep holding on and don't dare you forget,

That you will come out of it richer and blessed.

***

©Sandra Johnson/Draw Nigh To Hope

Christian poems about hope, poems about having faith, lyrical faith poetry, faith poems and encouragement

Feeling Hopeless And Alone?

Feeling down? Struggling? You are not alone. God The Father is aware of what you are feeling and has the answers. Won't you seek him?

God The Son Cares and wants to help you. Won't you cast all of your cares upon him?

God The Holy Spirit comforts and will guide you to a safe place in your spirit and emotions. Won't you receive him?

Choose faith in God through the sacrifice of his Dear Son Jesus and come alive in his Holy Spirit. Hopelessness and discouragement are no match for power from on High!

DoItGodsWay CallOnJesus TalkToGod spiritualanswers GodsAnswer Godwilllisten godknowswhy youarenotalone ifeelhopelessandalone IamUnHappy ifeelmiserable askjesus askgodforhelp

Run Into The Strong Tower

There will be lies and threats through Satan and his helpers. 

God, however, is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble. He knows those who trust in him.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe.

Remember who you are in Christ Jesus!

Nahum 1:7

Proverbs 18:10

Ephesians 6:10-18

*****

Things Change Overnight

I don't know how to impress upon you the importance of being faithful, of pressing on through dissatisfaction, confusion and fear. It is imperative that you continue to do your part, though it seems like nothing is happening. Whatever your need is, whatever you have presented to God, keep working towards the answer. 

I have heard it said that at the time when we feel like we can't go on, God comes through. When we feel that we are going to break but then choose to push on one more time, God sends the answer. All of the cliches, it's darkest before the dawn and there's a silver lining behind a dark cloud, seem to be true after we are stretched to the limit and still trusting God.

One of my favorite scriptures that I quote everyday is, Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19) If your thinking is similar to mine, you feel that God does not have to deliver you out of them all. For some wants and needs that develop ever so often you want deliverance through favorable outcomes. 

In those situations, we fervently pray and hope that God will deliver the help that we need ASAP. Praying, believing and working towards a goal that seems to be moving further away is an affliction from which we definitely want to be delivered. 

We work hard everyday to trust Our Father and build ourselves up in our most holy faith. We believe The Most High God will increase our faith. We practice everything that we know to strengthen our resolve and fortify us spiritually, but nothing seems to be happening. Nothing is happening towards the thing that we are believing for.

Not only are we doing our part spiritually but there are efforts that we must make towards the goal for which we are believing God. We must look. We must work. We must pursue what we need. We have a part to do and we're faithfully doing it. Time is ticking and we start thinking of various solutions because nothing is happening. Though we know God is with us and we're on the right track, we're not getting anything concrete from God. He's not giving us enough information for us to be sure of the outcome.

My mom has been gone to Jesus now for about 2 years. She used to say, Things change overnight! That was one of her favorite sayings that comforted us when we were struggling or pressured. I find myself repeating her words often. Things change overnight! They truly do. One reason is the passage of time. Things often change when enough time has passed, though the change may not be what we were believing for. There is another more important and reliable reason that things change overnight. It is because God had a plan for it all along.

In the eleventh hour, when it feels like our faith in God helping us with it is over because we can't hold on and keep trying anymore, God surprises us with the answer, the revelation, the deliverance, the solution. The blessing drops. It was going to happen all along. 

God's Holy Spirit set it into motion a long time ago. We had a part in it back when we first presented our request to God and started taking action. As time passed we began to lost hope but God knew all along what he was going to do. He was guiding us all along but not allowing us to see the outcome. 

We wake up one morning and there it is. God presents us with the answer, the arrangement, the help that we need. After he has tested our faith, strained us to our breaking point and tried us in the fire, he gives us what we thought was a long-lost answer. How excited you will be that you did not totally give up. How blessed you will be when you recognize that along with God's revelation of provision that your spirit has also been tempered. Through being stretched to your breaking point your spirit has been strengthened.

I encourage you to continue on. Keep pressing on, trusting God for that thing. You know that your spirit is always willing to go further. It is the flesh that tires and wants to give up. You've got to tell Our Heavenly Father that you are determined to continue to believe that he has the answer and that he is and will help you. You've got to confess to him that you refuse to give up on him, not matter how it looks, no matter what happens, no matter how you feel. You've got to stand.

Trust him. It's so hard because you are being tried in the fire but that strengthens you. He is strengthening you because he loves you. You will be so grateful that you did not turn away from God, the scriptures and praying, that you did not stop doing your part in believing and seeking for a solution. When you wake up on that morning and he has changed your situation overnight, it will be a miracle, both outer and inner! 

Succeeding Despite Ridicule: A Testimony Of Faith And Persistence

When my first writing (which was a poem) was selected for publication decades ago, a close and much older family member retorted, "Don't think you're better than others!"

That hurt and affected me negatively for years but I kept on writing and studying about writing and publishing. That and other slights and rejections starting in early childhood crushed my spirit in many ways. 

Though that mean comment often replayed in my mind, it eventually faded into the distance. Though it had done damage, one day I found myself to be successful, in satisfaction and fulfillment, in pursuing my writing goals.

Nothing comes to perpetual dreamers who only rest and fold their hands. Successful people do the things that others don't like to do and that others ridicule them for. They invest time and consistent effort in visions that burn within and they never give up.  

Compassionate people do not oppress others in their tender growth. They endeavor to build up those who are trying, especially children and teenagers whose lives can be destroyed through consistent insults. It is difficult for some to rise above non-support and oppression.  

Though others laughed at me and brushed off my efforts throughout the years, ridiculing me and saying in derogatory ways that I liked to play with papers, I kept playing with those papers. I kept writing and editing and filing and re-filing those draft manuscripts. 

Through the years, my files bulged and I dragged them to everywhere that I moved. I had unrelenting faith in what I was doing and an ever-burning love of the craft of writing and publishing.

Today, I am the only one in my family or in my previous circle of associations, that I know of, who has published books. While I've found creativity in my ancestry, I've not yet found anyone who published a periodical or a book.

Despite the rejection and derision that I have endured, I loved writing and other creative abilities that I'm blessed to have. I'm SO grateful that what God put in me could not be killed. I've done nothing but improve and progress over the years, adding more skills and talents along the way. 

It was hard to rise above the dejection that dogged me but God brought me through even when I did not know him and was not open to him. It was He who blessed me with my creative talents and He protected them, as He has protected me in many ways. 

I have published 7 themed journals, 1 prayer prompt journal, 1 children's book, 1 business book and am about to publish my 11th book, which will be my 2nd Christian book. 

Glory be to God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit! I now rely upon them entirely for my acceptance, validation and support. So Grateful! So Thankful! So Blessed!

My encouragement to you is to hold on to what you believe about the good thing that you are doing. You must choose to believe that some where, some way, some how you will accomplish what your spirit is burning to do. 

Our Father has given you all that you need to succeed. It is inside and members of The Godhead will help you to use the tools which you have been given. You are special! You are loved! They care about you! Press on! Keep going! Don't stop!

God Is A Reveal-er Not A Stealer

Everything that God suggests that we do is to inspire, elevate and prosper us. Everything that God suggests that we don't do is to benefit, heal and deliver us. He's the God of revelation. He reveals what is best for us. Our Father did not send his Son Jesus to take from us. He sent him to give to us and open the eyes and ears of our understanding.

Those of us who are saved can remember when we did not want to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. We felt that we had to quit this, stop that and cease things. Most of those fears stem from religion. Man has turned God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ into religions. Religion binds us. The way that many Christians promote religion hinders God. 

God's purpose frees us. He is not a religion, nor is His Son or His Holy Spirit. They are. God is and he wants the best for us. He loves us. He simply wants us to come into the knowledge of the truth. 

God wants us to receive a power and understanding that we never knew existed. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and he was obedient to Our Father. All that Jesus did was for us because the Father said so. The works of the devil are to deceive, cheat, mislead, blind and keep the lights out. 

Jesus said that he came into the world as a light so that whoever believes in him will not have to live in darkness. (John 12:46). The love of God takes us out of darkness and ignorance and brings us into his marvelous light. We can then understand and receive from him all that pertains to life and godliness. (II Peter 1:3) 

When we understand and accept that God always wants to give to us, it helps us to be more obedient to the guidance of his Holy Spirit. There is nothing there to steal from us and to make our lives miserable. It's all about the revelation of light.

God Will Defend Us One Way Or Another

God will defend those who believe in his Son. We often don't witness it. Sometimes we do. Whether we experience our vindication in this earthly life or not, we know that all will be vindicated in the end. 

While we are praying to God for vindication against our transgressors, we should remember that someone somewhere is praying to God for vindication against us. Even the person who thinks he/she has led a near perfect life has hurt or offended someone, sometime, somewhere.

Just as Jesus Christ's vindication is coming, be encouraged and strengthened because the vindication of each person who believes is coming also.

Tomorrow Could Be The Day

God sometimes seems late but in the end, he's right on time.

It's darkest before the dawn.

Just when we think we can't take anymore, God delivers us.

If the deliverance is not total, it's enough to give us saving relief.

It's enough to encourage and strengthen us.

It's enough for us to feel that we can go on.

It's enough for us to understand that he is aware of what's going on with us.

Our Father is always aware of how much we can take.

*****

The Word Refutes Negativity

The Word of God refutes negativity, stubbornness and fear in us. It's blunt statements correct our thinking. No matter what we are experiencing, the Scriptures direct us on how to think about it. 

We judge God by what we understand through our flesh and challenged minds. The Holy Bible says it will give us understanding because we are simple-minded (Psalm 119:130). We are not simple-minded in a child-like way but in a rebellious, anxiety-ridden and faithless way. 

The Word of God is all-encompassing. Until we leave this world, whenever and however that occurs, it will continue to tell us that all things are possible to whomever can and will believe (Mark 9:23). 

Despite our challenges, barriers, hindrances and handicaps, the Holy Scriptures insist that we can see miracles with faith the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). That's why when we faithfully put that Word inside of us everyday, we notice over time that we are changing. We are thinking more positively. We feel more hopeful. We believe more. (Romans 12:2) It's the power of The Living Word. 

You don't think that God heals and will heal you? You don't feel that God prospers and will prosper you? You don't believe that God hears you and is making a difference in your life? The Word refutes that. It says the same thing, over and over and over again. 

It says that this is the type of trust that we can put in him, that if we ask anything according to HIS will he hears us. And if we believe that he has heard us, then we know that we have what we have asked him for, (I John 5:14-15) because we asked according to HIS will. Cut and dried. Plain and simple. No ifs, ands or buts.

It does not matter what did not happen for Christians that you know. It does not matter what hasn't happened for you. The Word of God refutes negativity, stubbornness and fear in us. Its message is consistent and unrelenting. The promises in the Word elevate us. The Scriptures lift us to a higher level of thinking and living, closer to and more like Our Father and what he wants for us. 

 

Weekend Of Renewal

Let this be a weekend of renewed, increased and elevated faith in Our Father and Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. 

We need to hold on with all of our might and build ourselves up in our most holy faith! Jesus loves us and nothing will separate us from God's love.

 

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary IX

Many who know and love God want to continue to have faith in the only personal contacts that we have with him. These are our prayer lives. 

They include our formal, scheduled prayers and our hurried, on the spot prayers. Most of all, they are simply the ways that we choose to talk to The Most High God everyday, throughout the day. The ways that we think of him when we lay our heads on our pillows every night. The ways that we wake up and greet him each morning. 

I know that you are one of these Christians who would like to continue to believe in your prayer life. Our Father wants you to know that your every prayer and conversation with him and even your desire to pray and share with him means everything to him. He receives your desires as prayers.

Receive more inspiration through my tired of praying series:

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary I

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary II

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary III

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary IV

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary V

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary VI

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary VII

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary VIII

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary VIII

Trials in life are so hard that it's easy to be reduced to begging God. I say reduced because begging is a fear state. It is beneath the position that God has provided for us through Christ's sacrifice. We are, in fact, heirs to the throne and joint-heirs with Christ. The actual enthroning hasn't happened yet because that is reserved for the New Heaven and the New Earth. 

~ We no longer feel like praying when we feel that we need to beg. ~

Remembering this truth, however, can put us in the right, high position mentally and emotionally, as we live out our lives on this earth. That mental position is important in receiving from God rather than begging for what we already have. Why would we need to beg? Begging leads to exhaustion and a compromised prayer life. We no longer feel like praying when we feel that we need to beg.

Isn't it wonderful that as we pray for God's will that his will is actually the same as our will? We pray for what we do because we think it is best for us. Our Father wants the best for us, as well, and more than we do. Though he often needs to tweak our prayers and the results, he is always on our side. 

~ Begging leads to more begging. ~

Relinquishing our doggedness and fear-focus in begging and instead praying one time for God's will about something does not mean that we will not be happy. It doesn't mean that we will never get a favorable reply to our fondest wishes. It means that we are more likely to. Begging leads to more begging. The prayer of faith pushed through, when we feel that we just can't pray another day, leads to results. 

Refuse to beg. Determine to receive. God's Holy Spirit will show you how.

Receive more inspiration through my tired of praying series:

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary I

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary II

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary III

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary IV

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary V

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary VI

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary VII

They Can't Stop Your Blessing

~ When your application is not approved or your request is not accepted, you don't have to be angry. You don't have to blame them. You either believe that no one can stop any blessings that God wants you to have, or you don't.  ~

Jesus' Sacrifice Has Given Us Power

Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God, The Bright And Morning Star, The Resurrection And The Life, was revealed, personified and embodied to:

1. destroy the works of the devil 
2. and to take away our sins.

We should make sure that we are daily recognizing that his pure, shed blood has covered all of our transgressions, past, present and future. We don't need to feel guilty for mistakes, uninformed choices, inherited weaknesses and any other challenges. 

Not only are we covered for all time by Our Savior's sacrifice but God is always with us to help us to manifest a better future and the future is today. Nothing can separate us from his love. 

We should also make sure that we are submitting to God daily so that we can work with the Holy Spirit to destroy the efforts of principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. 

In other words, Jesus' sacrifice has made us able to restrict the activities of all beings who are against the Kingdom of God. We can operate daily on the fact that they have no authority in our lives. We can stand on it until the time when they are completely put away by Jesus.  

I John 3:5,8 

Why Is God Taking So Long?

God is working it out in a way that you can receive what you have asked for. God is not limited, but we are. He chooses to work around our challenges to bring us into the fullness of our faith and His glory. This is in addition to bringing about what we want according to his will.

God is not restricted by time but in our current earthly life, we are. He works with us and time to bless us, not only materially, but also in a way that encourages us to store up riches in Heaven. Don't forget that in his Word he also promises to redeem time for us. He does this in various ways, in relation to his plans and purposes.

Our Heavenly Father is processing it for us, always.

God Has Never Failed Me

I remind myself that nothing will separate me from God's love.

I remind myself that God has my best interests at heart and that no matter how things have been, how they look today and what may come tomorrow, he will never fail me.

I remember that even though some things have not happened in the way in which I had hoped, God has never failed me.

I remember that I have seen God's glory. I've seen God's deliverance. I've seen God's blessings. I've seen God's protection in my life.

I remember that God has never failed me and he never will.

Nothing will separate me from God's love.

Remind yourself today.

A Way Out Or A Way Through?

The Lord promised in his Word, Psalm 23, that he would prepare a place before us in the presence of our enemies. This scripture was illuminated to me by the Holy Spirit and I discerned that it is not saying, necessarily, that God will remove the enemies from our lives. Maybe he will. Maybe he won't. Maybe he will at the time he has appointed. When we read this scripture however, we want immediate deliverance from our enemies' attacks.

We want so badly (especially those of us who have been suffering attacks for so long) for that passage to mean that God is going to wave his divine hand and say POOF! and the enemies and their attacks will be gone. Psalm 23 is revealing that the enemies are present to see our advancement, deliverance, success and favor in the midst of their evil. Thou shalt prepare a table in the presence of my enemies.

These people under the influence of rulers of the darkness of this world may or may not care. Seeing God's favor on us may make an immediate difference in their lives but it mostly likely will not. People who are bent on following the influence of principalities and powers are not quick to see their wrong.

We were there at one time, living reprobate lives, subject to any wicked thing against others, no matter how good we thought we were. We hurt people overtly and covertly, purposely and unconsciously. We know that it takes the timing of the Holy Spirit to bring us into His marvelous light of truth and set us on the path of transformation. It's up to God when and how our enemies are blocked from their access to us. 

We are quick to embrace a way out but is that best at this time? Is it God's good, acceptable and perfect will for us to have a way out on this stretch of our journey? When it is not the appointed time, a way out keeps us weak. A way through, alternatively, builds our faith and spiritual strength. 

After the way through comes the way out. I want increased faith to walk in the freedom of Christ and more power to destroy the works of the devil, don't you? That's the ultimate goal, the building up of our most holy faith and the reception of power from on high, no matter what our enemies are doing. 

Mistakes Now Serve A Purpose

Was listening to R. C. Blakes, Jr. recently at Youtube and he made a profound statement which blessed me. His message was about how difficult it often is for us to forgive ourselves. His message encourages us to allow the shackles of guilt and shame to be broken off of us. He ministers to help us to step into that place of the forgiveness of the Father towards us and the forgiveness of ourselves from within.

At a point about 3/4 of the way he said, We are not defined by our mistakes. We are refined by our mistakes. That statement caught more of my attention. As I pondered it, it seemed to be saying that the things for which I am sorry for in my recent and distant past are helping to mold and shape me into someone who is useable by God. My mistakes are not the end. They don't have the last say-so.

You can listen to his message here:

FORGIVE YOURSELF AND MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR LIFE by RC BLAKES

His statement reminded me of another one from the website Homeword.com about grace.  

HomeWord shares this about their mission: 

HomeWord seeks to advance the work of God in the world by educating, equipping, and encouraging parents and churches to build God-honoring families from generation to generation. At HomeWord, we believe in STRONG MARRIAGES, CONFIDENT PARENTS, EMPOWERED KIDS and HEALTHY LEADERS. We exist to strengthen and equip parents, couples, families and leaders. 

God already loves us. He loved us from the beginning. He commended his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). When we did not know God and did not care about his only, precious Son, he sent him to suffer and die so that we can be whole and have our souls redeemed.  Since God did that for us when we could not have cared less, we know that he is always willing to take our blunders, errors and slip-ups and turn them into good. He works our sorrows out for good to bless us and glorify his name.

We should work to forgive ourselves. We should not worship God with shallow and ineffective babblings which make Jesus' precious blood to none affect in our lives (Galatians 2:21, 5:4, I Corinthians 17). Accept God's forgiveness and grace today. We are worthy, because of Jesus Christ.

We Forget To Ask God About The Small Things

Though we pray faithfully, we forget to ask God for many things, big and small, before we step out and try it ourselves. It's easy to go to God with the big things. Sometimes, we go to him for distressing and devastating things when we haven't been giving him the daily time that we should. Our Father, however, does not condemn us and we can always devote more time to building our relationship with him.

What about the small things that we could ask him about? He has time and time again given me favor about something that I was thinking about but never asked him for. I know it was him because after he blessed me he lovingly touched me through His Spirit and let me know. I always feel bad when he shows me this because I know that what I received was what I was thinking. I know that it only came from him and I feel bad because I didn't ask him, that I didn't acknowledge that he was there. 

Instead, I did the old habit of thinking fleetingly about a want or need and quickly shoving it on the back burner to bring it about later by myself. My Father let me know, however, that he was there and heard my thoughts. I did not talk to him about those small things but he chose to respond. He let me know that he wants me to ask him about the small things, because he is there for me, always listening.

Some Christians say it's being obsessive and that we don't have to ask God about every little thing. Well, I say ask God about what they are saying. I know from him communicating with me after he blesses me with simple little things that he is telling me to rely on him more, communicate with him more, love walking with him more. Committing to asking him about small things and for help with small dilemmas will help us to walk better with him. Determining to consult him about small decisions and to ask him for small blessings will help us to draw closer to him.