Roy’s Blog: “Inheritance”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/22/roy’s-blog-inheritance/

I Peter 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”

In Christ, we have been given a new identity; one in which we are citizens of God’s Kingdom. “You are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19) Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ you have become heirs to a living hope and a glorious future.

When people die they leave an inheritance for their family members whether it be tangible assets such as money or property, or intangible as in memories or values. It connects people to their ancestors, but they fade with time. When Jesus died and rose again to new life, he paved the way for us to have an inheritance beyond this life; one that is for eternity.

The three words Peter uses to describe our inheritance are: imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. This means your future heavenly existence will never experience corruption or decay. It will never pass away.

Though earthly inheritance eventually fades away, our eternal inheritance will never fade or diminish. It will be unstained by sin. We have a living hope in Christ Jesus, “protected by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5).

Roy’s Blog: “Pearl Of Great Price”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/21/roy’s-blog-pearl-of-great-price/

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

There are over five thousand promises in the Bible. They are the “pearls of great price”. They can bring you the greatest joy you will ever know. God keeps His promises; they never fail. We fail. God doesn’t.

God gave Israel a promise. “I’m going to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.” But, because they could not see the provision of God, they rejected God’s blessing and ended up circling around in the wilderness for forty years.

This is where many Christians fail. They reject the provision of God. They spend their whole lives rejecting what is right before them, because they cannot take that last step–trusting God to provide.

God has a blessing, a “Pearl of great price” waiting for you. What is absent? Your faith.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

Roy’s Blog: “Rejoice And Be Glad”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/20/roy’s-blog-rejoice-and-be-glad/

Matthew 5:12a (KJV) “Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in heaven.”

When you’ve been on a trip, and you’re finally home, open the door and walk in; there is just something special about it. Home. Those in the military that have been out of the country, when they land back on their home soil, many of them will kiss the ground, they are so glad to be…home. There’s no comfort like that of your own bed.

This is what makes the promise of our Lord so amazing…our reward is that heavenly home. The Bible is all about our homecoming. From Abraham looking for that glorious city, not made with human hands, to the unimaginable revelation of John as he saw the holy city coming down from God.

When given the task of writing down what he sees, John chooses the most beautiful comparison earth has to offer. That holy city is like “A Bride, beautifully adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2)

The world we live in right now is broken, sin filled, and in chaos with many people grieving and disillusioned. But, for those in Christ, this is not home. We have a heavenly home prepared for us. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad!

Roy’s Blog: “Nothing Can Stop God”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/roy’s-blog-nothing-can-stop-God/

Matthew 19:26 “And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'”

Luke 1:37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Sometimes it’s really hard to envision a positive outcome when we’re in the middle of a mess, a crisis. We look at our circumstances and find them in chaos. We feel helpless not knowing what to do to fix things or even where to begin to straighten them out. How can we even imagine something beautiful, something good, coming out of the destruction we see?

Making beautiful things is what God does. Making beautiful endings is God’s specialty. He can transform all our struggles and heartache for His glory. Nothing can stop God from changing the impossible to possible. Nothing can stop God from His plan for the world.

If we keep following the light of God’s glorious presence in this dark time we face, we will see God turn around impossible messes and use them for His glorious plan. Nothing can stop God from fulfilling His promises.

Roy’s Blog: “When?”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/18/roy’s-blog-when/

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

When? When will the rapture take place? I don’t know the day or the hour, but I do know it is very soon. Everything points to that day being near.

For the first time in history Russia, Turkey, and Iran (all end-time players) are on Israel’s northern border. They don’t even like one another, but they have a mutual enemy…Israel. They are cooperating with one another for a mutual goal.

The prophecies of Ezekiel are jumping out of the Bible. Putin, the President of Russia, is 68 and hungry to restore the Russian Bear. Erdogan, President of Turkey, is 66 and his dream is to restore the Ottoman Empire. The Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei is 81 with the dream of building a Shiite caliphate and bringing in the 12th Iman.

All of these nations are hungry for the wealth of Israel and the extermination of the Jewish people. When? They need it to happen soon because of their ages and their economies.

We’ve been warned by biblical prophecies to be awake and aware, and be ready!

Roy’s Blog: “New Bodies”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/17/roy’s-blog-new-bodies/

Philippians 3:20-21 “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.”

We that are in Christ are eagerly awaiting that future event. New bodies! Our corruptible fleshly bodies changed to incorruptible. No pain, no brokenness. A body that is like Christ’s.

The Bible is clear; Jesus Christ is coming to take His Bride (the Church) to the place He has prepared. (John 14:1-3).

What we see happening in our world today is what the Lord said would take place in the last days. Wars and rumors of wars. Famines and pestilences, earthquakes (Matthew 24). Shouts of peace, when there is no peace. Apathy of the people toward God.

Things will get worse before Jesus’ glorious return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What we see right now is the prepping of society for the Antichrist. We are that close. But, we have a certain hope in Christ.

The Bible says, “The restrainer will be taken out of the way [the Rapture]. Then the lawless one will be revealed.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7,8

You can see what America has turned into since prayer, Bible reading, or any mention of God has been removed from our schools. Imagine a time when there is no one here to pray for America or to exhibit Christian values.

Roy’s Blog: “He Knew”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/16/roy’s-blog-he-knew/

Jeremiah 1:5 (NASB) “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Ephesians 1:4 says that God chose us in Christ, “before the foundation of the world.” Matthew 25:34 says that God has prepared a Kingdom for us, “from the foundation of the world.”

God knew you and planned your life in advance so you could live with purpose. Before you were ever formed in your mother’s womb, He knew you and set you apart. Galatians 1:15 says God has a lifetime purpose planned for you. You are not here to be just born, go to school for 12-16 or 18 years, work 30-50 years, retire for a few years and then die. God has a purpose specifically for your life. One purpose is to serve and honor Him.

So many times we get caught up in the struggles of day to day life and we forget to live. We forget the big picture and plan God has prepared for us. Not only to give us guidance and care for our daily lives but to give us hope for tomorrow. He has prepared a Kingdom for you from the foundation of the world, to rule and reign with Him eternally. Halleluiah!

Roy’s Blog: “Your Problems”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/15/roy’s-blog-your-problems/

I Peter 1:6-7 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Trials are no accident. They happen to test your faith.

Our lives are not a series of random freak accidents. Our lives are not totally unplanned. They are not without meaning, but have order and a plan. God knows what is going on, every minute of every day. For the believer, everything is Father filtered and that is comforting.

Everything that happens to you in life is not God’s perfect will. There are a lot of things that are not in God’s will. If you go out and sin, that’s not God’s will. No matter who you are.

God doesn’t cause my trials, but He may permit them. You have limited free will, and He allows the consequences of that free will. God permits your trials, then uses them to teach, refine, and mold you.

God is an expert at bringing good out of bad situations. Joseph went from the jailhouse to the (Egyptian) penthouse. Peter went from despair over his actions at Jesus death, to the power of Pentecost.

Because God is in control, my plans have a limit and my problems have a purpose. And that is comforting!

Roy’s Blog: “Blessings Of The Bible”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/14/roy’s-blog-blessings-of-the-bible/

James 1:25 (NLT) “If you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law, the law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, God will bless you for doing it.”

In America, Bibles are everywhere. You can find them in grocery stores, bookstores, dollar stores, and maybe still in a few motel rooms. Every year the Bible outsells other major best sellers. In America the Word of God is on the airwaves 24/7 through spoken word or music.

Yet, millions of people here in America, miss the blessings of the Bible. Why? It’s not just having a Bible on display on a coffee table, or in a bedside table, or among your other books on a bookshelf. James gives us three steps on how to be blessed by the Bible.

1. Accept the Word of God. (James 1:21) We must be receptive–welcome the word!
2. Reflect on the Word of God. “It’s like looking at a mirror.” (James 1:23)
3. Obey the Word of God. “It’s a message to obey, not just listen to.” (James 1:22)

We have the Bible available all around us. You can download any version you want on your phone, I-pad, or computer to carry with you. But the blessings of the Bible only come when you live it.

Roy’s Blog: “The Beginning Of Life”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2020/10/13/roy’s-blog-the-beginning-of-life/

Philippians 3:13 (NLT) “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the best is yet to come. You should be excited about tomorrow. Your coming days are overflowing with blessings. I Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'”

There may be burdens along the way, but God knows. He has promised us that: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Don’t dread tomorrow. Tomorrow God will bring out good from whatever happens. I know no matter what season your life is in, your best and brightest days are just around the corner. It’s not MY opinion; it’s biblical truth. When you seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, your future is always unfolding at the speed of grace. It is the beginning of your true life.

Stop looking in the rearview mirror of your former life. Instead, focus on the road ahead; it leads to heaven and everlasting life.