THE LAST SUNRISE

This was written last January.  I don't have access to the internet very often and so I am just getting around to posting it.  It is hot August now.  The trees in our corner of East Texas are lush and green thanks to an abundance of rain this summer.   Mornings on my little porch are the best time of my day, winter, spring, summer and fall.   Its quality time with Jesus--starts the day off right!
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This morning was cold.  I bundled up to stay warm and took my steaming cup of coffee out to my little side porch.  Katy Kat in my lap, we watched the sun shine golden through the winter bare branches.  I love that time of the morning when the world is waking up and darkness is overtaken by the light.  The birds begin to hop down to the feeder looking for breakfast.  Another day began!   This morning I wondered what would I do with my day if it were my last sunrise!  

I thought I would like to leave a letter to my family.  I would tell them how much I love them and apologize for not being a better witness for Jesus.  If there is anything I want more for my children than for them all to be saved and heaven-bound, I don’t know what it would be.  I want them to all know Jesus.  I want them to repent of sin and be born again into the kingdom of God.  I want them to resist evil---to hate evil—and to love the holiness-purity of Jesus!  I want them to be overcomers for Christ in this wicked world.   I would that they all gain understanding of God through His Holy Word and that the more they know Him the more they will love Him.

The closer I come to the end of my life on this earth, the more I hate the world.  Actually, I hate the evil that has spread like gangrene over the face of our planet.  I hate that people are so blind that they can’t see how they are wallowing in the filth of wickedness.  I hate it that there is an excuse for every evil under the sun, denying the desperate need for Savior Jesus  I hate it that there is a real and terrible place called hell waiting for those who turn away from Jesus.  I hate it that there are deceivers in the world that turn folks from the truth.   Jesus is the way, the truth, the life!   One way!  The choice is simple----serve God through His Son, Jesus Christ, or serve the devil.   Don’t be confused into thinking there are other ways to heaven.  Oh, God, show them before it is too late!

I am so thankful that I belong to Jesus.  Here am I, without one plea, but the blood of Jesus covers me.  I am sorry for any hurt or pain I caused to anyone.  I forgive all who have hurt me in my lifetime.  Unforgiveness is something I don’t want hanging around my neck when I meet Father God. 

I will be happy to enter the gates of heaven.  I don’t know what to expect except I know the weight of the world will be gone and I’ll be in the presence of my savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.  I would that all my children and those I call my children (unlimited) will be there, too.  I pray we will all hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”     Amen

 

Love, In Jesus Christ

Carole L. Shepherd  (Mom….Grandma…..Aunt…..Wife…Sister….Child of God)

January 24, 2014

I Wanna Go Home!

About a million years ago when I was  young and dumb, having joined the WACs  for adventure and patriotism, we sang a silly song in basic training:   

When I joined the Army-

They said the food was mighty fine

A chicken leg fell off the table

And started marching time---

 

Gee, Mom, I want to go home

But they won't let me go home

Gee, Mom, I want to go

But they won't let me go

Gee, Mom, I want to go hoooooome!

 Now! I am singing it again, only it goes like this:  This world is not my home---I'm just passing through!    This tour of duty will end someday and I'll leave this chicken outfit called earth where the darkness grows darker everyday.    My enlistment will never end, though.  I am bound to an eternal contract with my Father God.  It was signed with the blood of Jesus, witnessed by innumerable angels,  and I'm proud to be a child of God.  Praise His Name forever.  I have never won a medal but I am promised a robe and a crown.    Amen!



 

A Word

I hesitate to share this.   I feel the Lord gave this to me a few mornings ago.  I make no claims to be a prophet.   Maybe its from the Lord or maybe not.  For what it is worth, here it is:

"America is toppling.  Soon, very soon she will fall with a mighty crash that shall reverberate around the world and even to the deepest sea.  The world shall swarm with evil the like has never yet been seen.  Only when Jesus returns will it be abated.  Just as men deny the holocaust, they deny the millennium but as it is written, I will rule and reign a thousand years upon the newly restored earth.  First comes wrath and when all enemies are destroyed and cast into the pit, then will I be glorified and the earth shall be filled with My glory as the waters cover the seas."

Come Lord Jesus!

SILLY BRIDE.......A DREAM...

   A few nights ago I dreamed of a young man and woman.  The setting was old fashioned----carriages, cobblestones and bustles.  The man was nice looking, dressed in a cream colored suit.  His honest face shone with love for his lovely young fiancee.  She was slender and graceful.  She radiated purity, chastity and innocence.  She obviously was deeply in love, too.   They seemed the perfect couple,  having eyes  only for one another, causing those around them to marvel at such great love.
   Next, they were married.  The bride groom was anxious to bring his bride to the home he had waiting for her.  They were walking arm in arm in a place that can only be described as a fair or an old-fashion market place.  There were many people, a lot of shouting, clamor, confusion, and even vulgar language.   This is when things got ridiculous because the bride suddenly lost all interest in her new husband.  Seeing terrible things happening all around her, she turned toward the dire need of the people.  She saw children crying because of hunger and abuse.  She witnessed unimaginable wickedness and evil.  Before she gave it any thought, she turned from her new husband. Her heart cried out to her to  help somehow, to make a difference, to relieve some of the suffering.    Ignoring her astonished husband, she volunteered at a booth of sorts that seemed to be doing a good service.  I'm not sure what the service was, just that several hard working women were busy, busy, busy!  Without looking back she threw herself into the fray. 
   The baffled and deeply hurt husband could do or say nothing to bring her back to him.  She was too busy!  She forgot about him, forgot their love, forgot to eat or sleep.  He watched her become haggard and worn but she wouldn't stop.  Sadly, he turned away. 
   A carriage filled with "ladies" stopped beside him.  The women were gaudy with smeared makeup and revealing clothes.  The gestured obscenely as they tried to convince him to hop abroad their carriage.  Turning from these harlots, he boarded a bus that was filled to overflowing with horrible men.  There was swearing, drinking, gambling and every sort of wickedness taking place on that bus.  Overcome with deep disappointment at her rejection, the bride groom fell into a restless slumber, only awakening when the bus had made its rounds and screeched loudly to a stop in the place where he had boarded.  By this time his clothes were ragged and torn and his coat was missing.  He cried out for his coat, for it had contained all his gold!  The coat was passed to him by many filthy hands but the pockets were empty.  All his gold was stolen!  He dejectedly wandered into the crowd seeking his lost bride.  Finally he spotted her!  His beloved was now filthy, haggard, starved, and worn to the point of death.  As he watched, she was attempting to "deliver" a man from demons.  Tragically, the demon bore down upon her to devour her as a snake would a mouse. 
   End of dream!  I wish I could have dreamed a great end to this story but that was it!
    To me this dream is not too difficult to interpret.  The silly bride is the church who has gotten so caught up in this world, she has lost her first love.  She is no longer abiding in the vine, she is busy trying in her own strength to change things for the better.  She is a  foolish bride with no oil in her lamp.   
    I'm baffled  at the bridegroom becoming filthy and losing his gold.  Could it be that the church allows our savior to be looked upon as pitiful by our "doing our own thing?"   Is the gold stolen away when we ignore the richness and wonderfulness of His blessed fellowship?   When we cease to delight ourselves in Him and instead, fret over the wicked world, are we are sacrificing our blessed hope for a gospel of good works?   Silly bride!  
   Revelation 2:4-5  "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  Remember  therefore from whence thou are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will  remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."
   Father, I repent.  I have lost my first love.  Restore me, I ask in the Name of Jesus.   amen
   
    








































  


  

 



ALMOST HOME

 

     To look at the above picture, one might think  we have a long way to go to get wherever we are headed for.    Just as not judging a book by its cover, pictures can be deceiving!   Around the next curve, our  house comes in view.   We don't really live at the end of the planet, it just feels that way at times.  Kinda like we are closer to Father God than it seems most of the time.   If we belong to Him, He is always with us and our forever "home" is just a heartbeat away,   a blessed fact that gets lost in all the worldly distractions.       My prayer is that we always know Him and no matter how much or little time we have until we are finally "home" we eagerly anticipate  beholding His glory. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Hurt

John 11:35 "Jesus wept."

Last night I thought I heard a male voice saying, “Carole, I hurt.”   At first, I thought about my brother, Marty, who is grieving deeply for his youngest son, Geoffrey.  Geoffrey died about three months ago after an intense battle against cancer.  He was only 32 years old, a musician, a father of a delightful “little orphan Annie” lookalike daughter, Taylor.  Geoffrey won awards for his piano playing abilities, he sang and was very talented. Best of all, he was a follower of Jesus.  Without a doubt he is walking the streets of gold, singing with the angels.  Marty’s pain runs deep and my heart goes out to my beloved brother!

 Then I began to wonder who else it could be.  Not one of my sons, David or William.  They would say, “Mom”, not “Carole”.

 Finally, I began to wonder if it was not the Lord’s voice I heard.  Father God hurts, I believe, when He sees the evil upon the earth and knows the time is short before He pours out His wrath.  Jesus wept at Lazarus’s grave.  Just as He wept for the callous unbelief of the people then, is He weeping for the rebellion, evil and unbelief now?   How could it be otherwise?  It is not His will that any be lost but sadly,  multitudes are and shall be when the end comes.  It hurts Him to see His children turn their back upon His mercy, grace and love only to embrace evil.  He weeps for our blindness, for our loving the darkness rather than His Holy light and  because we believe the lies of the evil one!  He weeps for every child that is abused, molested, taught to reject Jesus and even hate Him.  He weeps for our greed. He weeps for every aborted baby sacrificed on the alter of hell.

He weeps for the wanton cruelty of mankind.  Cruelty that fight  horrible wars, using “weapons” that inflict every imaginable horror upon whole populations.  He weeps for those who hate! 

 He weeps for all people everywhere that blame Him for the woes of life, ignoring His outstretched hand.  He weeps that the sacrifice of His Son on the rough cross is counted as ridiculous for those without understanding.

He weeps for the calling good evil and evil good!  He weeps for the celebration of perversion and violence in the land---for those worshipping false-demon gods.

Does He hurt especially for His bride, the church?  We, who are meant to be holy and without spot or wrinkle, dare to pollute ourselves by dabbling in wickedness.  We fear and tremble, but not for the Lord, but for everything that threatens our comfortable lifestyle.  We gloss over sin, excusing it instead of condemning it.  We justify instead of admitting guilt.  We are greedy,  unclean and blind.  We seek prosperity and shun persecution.  We twist the Word of God to suit our own ideas.  Instead of obedience, we are recklessly picking and choosing---treating God’s word like a celestial salad bar.  All you can eat and toss out what you don’t like!   We are so afraid of “offending” someone that we are either silent or water down the gospel of Jesus Christ. The harvest is ripe but the reapers are sleeping under the tree of “political correctness.”  We are even embarrassed by those stalwart souls who take a stand and speak out for Jesus!  Instead of separating ourselves from the world, we work hard to blend in least we be labeled fanatic fundamentalists.  Oh, the precious heart of Father God is hurting for His people!  Cleanse Thy church, Lord.  Whatever it takes!  Open our eyes, cleanse our hearts, and make us to be all that You want us to be.  

I am so sorry, Lord!  Help me to not add to Your hurting!   I believe---help my unbelief!  Thank You for saving me—for setting me free!  Help me to embrace my freedom in Christ, looking upon Your face and not on past sins or fretting about the gross darkness that is covering the earth.  Father, Your hurt is more than I will ever comprehend, as is Your  great love.  My puny hurts are nothing!  I have felt the pain of rejection.  Mine has resulted from individual’s cruelty but Your’s, Father, is the rejection of the majority.   Only a remnant shall be saved.  How it must hurt to see the rest slide into Hell when You have prepared Heaven to hold them all!  Will there be vast empty spaces in Heaven where Your presence abides and  longs for the missing ones?  Oh, Father, I am so sorry.  Help me to lead others to You—to be a good and faithful witness that they may desire Jesus above all things.  Save all of my children and those You gave me to call my children.  There are many, but You know every one of them and what it will take that they be saved.  Thank You for saving them all!   I love You, Lord! 

Jesus Christ in me, the hope of Glory!   Here am I, Father, Your handmaid.  Be it done unto me according to Thy Will.  Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven---come, Lord Jesus! 

An update

     Its been awhile since I've written on my blog.   So much has happened in the last few months.   My husband is still recovering from the stroke he had.   He is doing well but he is not back to pre-stroke days. Every day is a gift now.  He and I are walking hand in hand, enjoying our time together.   His eye sight is such that he can't drive so I have become the designated driver in the family.  I don't mind except for an aversion to heavy traffic such as in Dallas or even Tyler rush hour.  Also, I've gained a reputation for jumping curbs.   Its a tough world out there.

     Almost two weeks ago, my nephew, Geoffrey Weeks, went home to be with Jesus.  He was only 32 years old.  He fought cancer for over two years.   He was a musically talented young man who loved life.   His little daughter is an orphan Annie look-alike and he delighted in her.  She was his inspiration in his battle against the big "C".    He is greatly grieved and sorely missed by all who loved him, family and friends alike.   Our consolation is that he is with Jesus.  I
love the song, "I Can Only Imagine" because it renders an awesome  hope of what we will find when we enter heaven's gates.  I know that it will be glorious, pure and holy---everything that this sin filled world is not!  
     There is so much happening these days---not so much to me or my family but in general.  The darkness is growing thicker, evil is reigning triumph in the world.  We are in
terrible times---scary and uncertain times, times we could not have imagined a few years ago.  America has chosen the path of sin.  Our nation has lost its way.  Sadly most don't know nor do they care.  Personally, I am weary.   I pray and will continue to pray for the souls of those whom Father God have put upon my heart.  But there are moments when I yearn for "home"--knowing I am a child of God, bought with the precious blood of Jesus.  Most often I am overwhelmed with "home sickness" when the news is being broadcast with all the rottenness of these days screaming into the brains of folks who believe every word. 
     Before I end this blog, I must say a few more things.  First, I believe in the Holy Bible as the word of God---that it is exactly what God wanted us to have for our edification in these last days.  Not being a scholar, I nevertheless favor the King James.  The thees and thous don't bother me a bit!  I believe everything in the Bible to be true because if any of it is wrong, then all of it is suspect.  That means what God calls sin is sin.   What the world now excuses and even glorifies is filthy rags in the eyes of Holy God!  That includes every sexual sin.  Homosexuality, adultery, fornication, all perversions are abominations! 
     Any "religion" that is not the pure gospel of Jesus Christ is a lie!  Jesus is the only way!  There is a terrible place called Hell awaiting those who refuse to believe the truth!  Why do people prefer darkness?   Oh, Father, wake them up!  Save the souls of the lost children! 
     Isaiah 49:24-25  "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered?  But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered, for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I WILL SAVE THY CHILDREN!
     Thank-you, Jesus!