Now Think On This - Steve Martin: February 2018

Thursday, February 22, 2018

The Unknown & The Known - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

The Unknown & The Known

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." (John 14:1-4, NKJV)

Billy Graham went home to be with the Lord Jesus Christ on February 22, 2018, from his earthly home in Montreat, North Carolina. Those who are believers know that is where he went. He himself knew this destination beforehand, whereupon at his death, at this appointed time when he crossed over from this life to the next, he would be with the Lord. He based it on his belief in the Lord Jesus’ promise of resurrected life.

Those who do not believe in Jesus, in heaven, in that glorious life hereafter, have no such hope. The unknown brings fear as death is faced. But they can know.

Since his acceptance of the Lord’s offer of salvation and forgiveness when he was 19, Billy Frank Graham knew where eternity would find him. In the 80 years that followed, he never let go of that eternal promise, to be there also where the Lord had prepared a place for him. In faith, he too was faithful to share that promise to over 200 million worldwide. The ones who also believed in the Gospel message will join him there someday if they haven’t gone on already.

Billy didn’t make it to heaven based on his good works. He too had to acknowledge that sin keeps us from the God the Father, and only through the sacrificial shed blood of Jesus on the cross is there forgiveness of the multitude of sins each of us have committed. Though we may not fully comprehend this chosen way of the Lord, in order to cross over into His heavenly realm, we must believe that what the Bible says holds true, even to this day.

“Now, brothers, we want you to know the truth about those who have died; otherwise, you might become sad the way other people do who have nothing to hope for. For since we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, we also believe that in the same way God, through Yeshua, will take with him those who have died.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, Complete Jewish Bible)

Whenever I can, I like to visit gravesites and read what is written on the tombstones. The short inscriptions typically reveal whether the person whose body lies in the grave had eternal hope or not. What they professed on earth is often, or not, memorialized in granite, and engraved in a few words. My spirit rejoices with those who proclaimed the Lord as Savior and Lord. I can only hope that the others met their Creator in mercy and forgiveness here, before they met Him on the other side. For it is true that each of us will face our Maker for judgment.

Ruth Bell Graham, Billy Graham Library Charlotte, NC

Settler's Cemetery, uptown Charlotte, North Carolina

Derek Prince gravesite in Jerusalem, Israel May 2017

(All photos by Steve Martin)

At times like these, when a person known to us dies, it is good to stop and confess our eternal hope, reaffirming our belief in the known. No fear of death, no doubts of that beyond the grave need to reside with those of us who believe. Along with those who have gone on before, we too can look forward to the time when our glorious reward awaits us in our heavenly home.

See you there Billy!

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

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Now Think On This #343 - in the year of our Lord 02.22.18 – “The Unknown & The Known”,Thursday, 1:15 pm

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Dream On - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Dream On

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

"And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams,

your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” Joel 2:28-29, NKJV)

The white mini-van was picking up speed as it rolled backward. Soon it would hit the larger hill, making it almost impossible to stop before tragedy struck. But I had to try. I yanked open the driver’s side door and pushed the young boy sitting on the seat aside quickly. Somehow he had put it in reverse. The other kids in the vehicle hung on to whatever they could, as they started screaming with fear.

I grabbed hold of the stirring wheel, trying desperately to pull myself up so I could get a better angle at the brake on the floor with my right foot. Time was running out, and I wasn’t getting pumping the brakes hard and fast enough. I knew that the cases of soda stacked to the ceiling in the van’s backend only added to the problem, as the increased load of weight was only adding to the problem, pulling faster down by gravity.

And then I woke up.

Don’t you wish you could have a complete dream, or remember the ones you do get? This past season I have often prayed before going to sleep that the Lord would give my wife and me good dreams, of the supernatural kind, that would instruct us, or draw us closer to His purposes. I believe they have come, with more on the way.

Though I don’t have full insight into the interpretation of the aforementioned dream, I do believe, as Scripture prophesies, that men (and women) of my age shall experience dreams from the Lord. They will be prophetic and they will increasingly come as we approach these days, with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. A strategy is needed to fight the enemy, to be aware of his evil movements, and secure methods to resist his actions against us, which will be more necessary. Lives will depend on it. Dreams will be one method used to accomplish this.

In another recent dream my wife and I were on a trip – more recreational than ministerial it seemed – and my best friend showed up out of nowhere to accompany us. He lives in Illinois and we reside in North Carolina, and it surprised me more than anything when he appeared where we were. In this dream too I remember a vehicle of ours involved, which is a sign of movement to accomplish a certain task.

Again, I believe the Lord has plans and purposes ahead that He wants us to be aware of, and get be prepared for. Giving us dreams will be one way of fulfilling that goal He has for us and others.

"In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men, while they slumber in their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction…” (Job 33:15-16, NASU)

While we sleep the Lord can choose to speak to us. I think it is partly because that is when we have slowed down enough to let Him speak! Our ears are more inclined to be open.

I am determined to continually seek the Lord each night, requesting Him to speak to us in our dreams. I know He wants to share, and I want to listen. I trust you do too.

Speak Lord!