"I am alive for evermore"

Revelation 1:12-18

12 I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

13 In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the chest with a golden girdle.

14 His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.

16 He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shines in His strength.

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

18 I am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

I have searched for pictures to add to the entries as I follow the chapters in the book of Revelation but it isn't  easy to find pictures that are relevant and can describe  what is written. 

I have found a site with very special art but since it is a matter of copyright and permission to use one or buy all on a CD, I refer to the web site and you can look for yourself.

http://www.revelationillustrated.com/shop/

You can also find a Bible study here if you like to study on your own:

http://www.biblebookofrevelation.com/chapters.htm

I will focus on how Jesus is described and what he says. After all; here you have it: 

The final chapters of mankind and planet earth, and  Jesus  is in control. He  will
complete everything according to his plan no matter what powerful men might think they can decide or control.

Sincerely yours, Ida

(picture from Goggle and I'm afraid I don't know who the artist is. The web site written on the  picture doesn't say either))

Revelation chapter 1

Revelation 1

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,

⁶ and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father

 – to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

⁷ ‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’
    and ‘every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him’;
    and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’
So shall it be! Amen.

(picture from Google; click on image to enlarge the picture)

Closing a year. .. and being in touch with an anvil

2012 has been  a year of “departures” and  “ inner furnace” or if you will “being shaped on the anvil”.

It has also been a year of listening.  . In Wikipedia there is this explanation of the “anvil”

“A bone of the middle ear. When the eardrum vibrates, the vibrations propagated through the three bones in the middle ear, the hammer, anvil and stirrup”

I have listened through the Bible during 2012. In my car and in front of  my computer;  two places  where God’s word has hit my heart. Circumstances in my everyday life have been God’s hammering on the anvil of my heart , and people I have met who have hurt me; people I have met who have encouraged me; people who have made me laugh and so on; they  were all part of the hammering on the anvil although most of them will never know they were.

This year has also been a year of contemplating on death. That might sound very gloomy and sad but no; it has all been about HOPE.

Everywhere I have read In the Bible; about what death means to Christians; has been first and foremost about: “HOPE”.  I promised before that I would write about what happens after death but somehow the Holy Spirit has not allowed me to do that … yet. Every time I have started to write some small voice has told me “not yet” and I guess I had better wait then and see what comes next.

What God wants more than anything is relationship and a communication with his children.  His words will ”vibrate” in my spiritual ear and if any of the bones aren’t functioning the hearing will be distorted.  If the vibration comes to the hammer but it doesn’t join the anvil the stirrup is of little or no use.  The spiritual “stirrup” is a tool to proceed into action. If you know how to ride a horse you know how practical it is to use the stirrup to get on the horse and also to be able to move the horse in the right direction. To be able to move in the right direction in the Kingdom of God you need to obey the hammering on the anvil in order to proceed to the stirrup and find the right direction to where God leads you.

The anvil can be used to shape something, but it is also  needed to be able to listen. I have a feeling that God's hammering on the anvil of my heart and the Word of God vibrating in my spiritual ear will be the theme for 2013. In a year, I have hindsight, but as always:
"Whatever happens, I will always be in God's hands."

I wish for you a blessed 2013.

Sincerely yours

Ida

A Bleesed Christmas I wish for you all

Jag har hört om en stad

Russian folk song. Swedish text Lydia Litell.

The daughter of Lydia Litell tells about how her mother got this text working at her sewing machine on an ordinary day. 

I have heard about a city above the clouds
above  earthly  misty countries

I have heard about the sunlit beaches
and one day, imagine, I will be there!
Halleluja, I must sing out loud
Halleluja I go to that city.
Though my steps are tired and heavy,
they will bring me upward and home anyway.

I have heard about a place with no tears,
no sorrow, no trouble, no fights,

and no more suffering of illness,
and one day; imagine,  I‘ll be there!

Haleluja there we will all rejoice
Haleluja, all doubts are gone!

Never again will I stumble and fall;
I have arrived, yes,  home with God.

I've heard about the snow white robe
and the splendor of golden crowns 
I have heard about the heavenly family

and one day imagine,  I will be there!
Haleluja I rejoice in my spirit
I can hear the song of heaven

and my earthly bands will break
because I know, I will soon be there.