And Jesus said...

    Gospel of John, chapter 15, conclusion

v. 18  If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 

v. 20  A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. 

v. 22  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

v. 23  He who hates Me hates My Father also. 

v. 24  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 

v. 25  They hated Me without a cause. 

 

No Exceptions 

  Judgment of believers. Part 2 of 6 

     For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him (or her) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. - 2 Corinthians 5:10 

All Christians subject to judgment, no exceptions.

     Each of us will give an account of himself to God. - Romans 14:12  

     ...his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. - 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 

     ...the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. - John 5:22

     Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. - 2 John 8

Next week: to be revealed openly 

Judgment for Believers 

     Throughout our lifelong church attendance, we don't recall any pastor telling us that we believers will be judged. We've read those verses, but it never "sunk in" until we turned 85. 

     People think judgment is for unbelievers only; no forgiveness. 

     There is a difference ... unbelievers and those who are living with hope of salvation. We may live happily ever after. But picture this: our Lord and Savior opening a book with all our records. Opps! 

     He casts our sins into the deepest sea...yet there will be a time of judgment. How much did we love him? What did we do for others? What deceptive words of Satan did we fall for? What commands did we ignore? 

     The Bible says the Lord will reward us for proper attitudes, works, etc. As for sinful thoughts and deeds, "fire" will burn them up. I hope He won't let anyone else see what He saw in me. 

     The record of our invisible "heart" in this life will determine the role we are given during the millennium. 

     Our Bible challenges us to fear the Lord, and to love the Lord.       

     Views by the Sea will search these lessons. The "teachers" are Christ himself, King Solomon, Paul the missionary, disciples Peter, John and Matthew, Paul's helper Mark, and the unknown author of Hebrews. 

     Part 2 - next. The final four parts may depend on other subjects, given ongoing news and events of our times.

Tomorrow: No exceptions

We'll Do as They Say 

   Part 3 Conclusion   

     The 2030 agenda would dictate who we associate with, what we can and cannot eat, and what we must believe, said Argentina President Javiar Milei in his speech at the United Nations. 

     Collectivism. The woke agenda. Solutions not credible. Do the names Al Gore, John Kerry and Barack Obama mean anything to us? And now Joe Biden and their next choice to "play president" while the machine does its thing. 2030 has already failed. The left's repression and restrictions carry on, regardless of their standard bearer. 

     Milei referred to the recent history of his nation: "Poverty. Anarchy. Brutalization." Argentina now embraces freedom: "We are all born free, equal under the law, with inalienable rights - provided by our Creator." He listed "defense of life and property, freedom of commerce, and limited government." 

     Does this sound like the original, free America?  

     Milei upheld "freedom from tyranny and oppression," and freedom of matters such as political, economic and religion. He signed a descent on the 2030 agenda, saying it would cripple the world. He called for a new agenda. 

     He quoted Thomas Paine, who famously said, "Those who reap the blessings of freedom...must undergo the fatigues of supporting it." He also quoted from the U.S. Declaration of Independance. If only our current president had delivered this message to the U.N. 

     Will the U.N. heed Milei's proposal to return to its founding purposes? Our ambassador is Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Surely, she will.......? 😏

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You Name It 

     The United Nations allows it. Part 2

     The U.N. tolerates bloody dictatorships such as Cuba and Venezuela, which can serve on the human rights council like anyone else. Countries that punish women who show their skin may serve on committees that seek to eliminate discrimination of women. 

     The U.N. regularly votes against Israel, a liberal democracy. (Would Satan have a hand in this?) 

     The 2030 agenda has repressed the natural economic process, preventing third world nations from using their own resources. They require nations to commit resources they don't have...develop programs they don't need...and make them perpetual debtors to the agenda of global elites. (So said Javiar Milei, president of Argentina.) 

     Zero emission policies harm poor countries. Permanent members of the Security Council veto decisions based not on merit but on whose interests are involved. 

What's this?

Midday Tuesday ... U.N. member Iran is shelling the entirety of U.N. member Israel. Do they know that thousands of Israelites are not Jewish? What if a stray Muslim-Iran missile struck the Muslim temple on the historic temple mount in Jerusalem? 

Meanwhile, U.N. member Russia continues its assault on U.N. member Ukraine, with over 300,000 deaths so far. The U.N. is powerless to solve global conflict, Milei said. 

     We'll get back to his speech tomorrow.

The Rest of the Story?

     Your life and mine are under the eyes of world leaders. 

     Our discussion days ago about border problems was only a chapter in a scary story. Thanks to our friend now living in Israel, we have a "world view" of this unprecedented movement. He sent us a report by Glenn Beck, including a speech Argentina's president delivered at the United Nations. Maybe you saw this. 

     For over a century, Argentina's collective polices drove their economy into oblivion. Javiar Milei, an economist, a student of U.S. independence, was elected president last December. Over half of Argentinians are still in poverty.

     Milei had the nerve to address the United Nations, noting "decades of failure" to follow its original mission. In 2015, the U.S., while Obama was president, signed on to the "2030 agenda," 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the world, 169 "targets" and 230 "indicators." 

     It seems the agenda has already collapsed, and Milei asked them to develop a new agenda. Do you think the UN Security Council will follow the advice of this man, not yet one year in power? Not likely. 

     Milei told them "Solutions of 2030 violate sovereignty, and the right to life, liberty and prosperity." Sound familiar? He said, "The agenda pretends to solve poverty, inequality and discrimination with laws that deepen those problems."  

     He continued, "History shows the only way to guarantee prosperity is to limit the monarchs, and defend the right to life, liberty and prosperity before the law. This agenda obeys privileged interest. It abandons principles and human rights."

Tomorrow: UN embarrassments

 

 

      

     

Split Second 

                      <  miracle at a St. Louis intersection  >

     A month ago, Nick Eicher's wife Arla was turning left as she had done thousands of times, being careful not to follow too closely. Cut to black.  She regained consciousness, battered, bloody, glass in her hair and mouth. First responders had to cut the door off her Honda. 

     The drunk driver of a pickup truck was going twice the limit and blew a red light. He had no license, insurance or license plates. Eicher says the collision was "a millisecond from sending his wife into the arms of Jesus." 

WORLD magazine

     He says the "undocumented are among us in shockingly large numbers." Pastor John MacArthur, whose wife and daughter had a terrifying car accident over 30 years ago, with no ill effects today, spoke with Eicher a week after Arla's accident. He told him, "God is in the details." 

     Eicher wrote, "The center of the collision lined up with the frame between the front and back seats. If she's traveling one-one-thousandth of a second slower, the loss is unspeakably greater."

     MacArthur stressed that it's crucial not to confuse these miracles of providence with salvation. One's life being spared is not the same as one's life being saved. Recalling the assassination attempt in July, he thinks former President Trump is wrong to say that God saved his life. "God spared his life, that he might be saved. None of us is guaranteed another day." 

     No horn. No skidding tires. Just a normal left turn, then cut to black. "You have to view life that way," MacArthur said. "Heed God's warning now. There may not be another."

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