Here I Am, Lord – – tqministries.com

A Fictional Narrative

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation …..” (Hebrews 2:3)

There once was an extremely successful company owned by a wonderful family. The father oversaw everything at the company. His son was the creative force of the company and was sent out on special projects by the father, and a third member of the family had the responsibility of putting all their plans into practice. They worked as a unit to successfully accomplish all the objectives of the company.

In time, the company issued a directive stating that it would open a new facility in another country. The chosen country was poor by most standards, but the company felt that their way of doing business would work well there and that they would be providing a way for those in this country to come out of the poverty that was so prevalent there.

The operation was opened and the workers were given all the tools needed for success. This satellite operation prospered for a period of time. However, the workers became lifted up in their pride and began ignoring the directives from the home office.

The father sent several of his top executives at different times to try and gain the cooperation of the workers. They not only did not listen to those sent to them, but they mistreated them. The operation began to do very poorly as a result of the workers not following the well-proven directives of the home office.

The father thought that if he sent his son, surely they would listen to him. However, they did not listen to the son. In fact, they treated him poorly as well. The father ended up closing down the company due to their not listening to the company’s directives and mistreating those he sent, especially his son. The result was devastating for those that worked for the company. In their pride, they had brought trouble upon themselves and their families. What might have been a blessing to their country and the workers ended with many of them being scattered to other countries and unable to take care of themselves and their families.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

The story of the company corresponds to Israel’s history up to the current day. They were chosen by God as the only nation on earth at that time to serve the God of the Heavens. They were entrusted with His Word. They became lifted up and rebellious and started serving the gods (idols) of the nations around them. He sent His prophets to show them the right way. They rejected the prophets He sent because they had lost their way and had ceased following the Heavenly directives. God sent His Son and they rejected Him and saw to it that He was nailed to a cross. In AD 70, the Romans laid siege to Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. Many of the Jews were killed. They had rejected God, His Son, and His way, and lost their place in the land. Because of this they were scattered throughout the world and have suffered greatly over the last almost two thousand years. The Lord has not forgotten His people, and all Israel will be saved when Jesus returns in the last days at the end of the Great Tribulation, but it cost the nation dearly due to their rejection of God and His ways all these many years.

” And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer (Jesus Christ), and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (Israel)” (Romans 11:26).

We have a similar decision before us today. The Father has given us His Word that we might be blessed in this life. The Son has come and paid the price that we might be partakers of the divine nature. The Holy Spirit has come that He might live in us; changing us by His mighty power. We have been offered much. How will we respond? Will we follow the heavenly directives? Will we acknowledge the price the Son paid that we might have newness of life? Will we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and be changed?

We have a choice today. Just as the employees of our company in the story had. They chose poorly. They thought they knew better than the benefactor that tried to lift them out of their poverty and bring blessing into their lives. We have been offered blessings today. We need only to accept what has been offered. The day will come when God will bring judgment on this world. Today, we can make the decision to accept His way and come into the safety of His protection. The Lord is patient and does not want anyone to perish. However, there is coming a day when God will judge the inhabitants of the earth. Acts 17:31 says this of that day: ” For He (God the Father) has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man (Jesus Christ) He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him (Jesus) from the dead (by the power the Holy Spirit).” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have spoken. The Heavenly directives are clear.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

“….. We Shall See Him As He Is.”

“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God……” (1 John 3:1)

We are sons (and daughters) of God by way of adoption through our being born again, or born from above. We hear it said today regarding all of mankind that we are all children of God. In the sense of creation, this a certainly true; God created us all. However, in the sense of relationship, this is not true. To have a relationship with the Lord, we must come to Him in repentance and faith, believing that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. The Lord cannot call us His own unless this is done. In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, it says: “But as many, as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His Name.” We can see from this verse that becoming a son of God is conditional. We are not sons, or daughters, of God by natural birth, but by rebirth in the Spirit. Again, when we place our faith in Jesus and His great work at the cross we are born into the family of God by faith.

“……Therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not.” (1 John 3:1)

The world does not acknowledge that we are sons and daughters of God by relationship to Him through faith because it does not acknowledge Jesus as the only way to God. 1 John says, “Whoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father.” There are those today that believe that there is a God but they do not acknowledge that He sent His Son as the savior of all mankind. Or if they do, do not place their faith in the Son and His great work at the Cross to establish a relationship. So, they do not understand that the means of Salvation and relationship with the Lord must comes only by repentance from our sins and faith in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary.

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be…” (1 John 3:2)

The above verse is stating that even though we do not yet have our glorified bodies that we will receive in the resurrection, we are “sons of God” today in the same sense as we will be then. We will be changed by the Lord at the resurrection, but our relationship with the Lord is established now as we come to Him in faith. The Lord has not revealed to us in total all we shall be when we receive our glorified bodies, but we are no less sons of God today then we will be after we receive our glorified bodies.

The Lord will come for His church at the time of the Rapture. All those redeemed both living and dead will be caught up to be with Him forever. 1 Thessalonians says, “For the Lord, Himself (Jesus) shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (Raptured) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” All believers including both the resurrected dead and those which are alive at the time of His return will be caught up to be ever with the Lord. All the redeemed will receive their glorified bodies at this time. This event, the Rapture of the church, is part of the first resurrection.

“….But we know that when He (Jesus) shall appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1John 3:2).

This verse tells us that our glorified bodies will be like His. Philippians 3:20 says in part that we are: “eagerly waiting to welcome, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to receive Him to ourselves; Who shall change the outward appearance of the body of humiliation so as to conform it to an outward expression like to the body of His glory.” We are currently like Him spiritually in that we have been born of the Spirit and we are being conformed more and more spiritually to His likeness by the Spirit’s sanctifying work in our lives every day. The glorified body will conform our “outward expression” to be like “the body of His glory.”

“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.” (Philippians 3:21)

Wow, what great things we have to look forward to in the future. We will no longer be limited to this world. There will be no more sin nature, death will be no more, no more tears, no more pain or sickness. We are created beings and not God, but we will come into the fullness of being sons and daughters of God. When Jesus appeared to His Disciples after His resurrection He could appear and disappear at will and could pass through walls. Although not specifically addressed in the Bible some say that with the glorified body travel will be at the speed of thought. We’ll have to wait and see on the travel, but it goes without saying, our glorified bodies will be a vast improvement over the tent we now dwell in.

We will also see Him as He is. We can only see Him now as He is by faith for, in our current bodies, we could not look upon the Lord of glory. At the Rapture, we will receive our glorified bodies and look upon the Lord and see Him as He is. Although this will be truly amazing and we yearn for that day, the greatest promise we have regarding our future is that we will be with the Lord evermore. We are truly blessed now and have the sure hope of the Lord’s promises for the future awaiting us

“And every man who has this hope in Him (the resurrection) purifies himself (we are sanctified by placing and keeping our faith in Christ and Him crucified. It’s the only way).” (1 John 3:3)

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

There’s a Storm Coming

A Fictional Narrative – Originally Published in 2019

“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15,16)

There was once a very remote village with a population of several hundred. There came to this village a traveler one day. He spoke of a king and a kingdom that were seeking subjects. The villagers listened to the man as he presented the kingdom to them, but they did not feel they needed a king or a kingdom and went about their business paying no heed to what the man presented. There was one exception to this; one man in the village listened intently to the story of this king and kingdom and told the traveler that he wanted to become part of the kingdom.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The traveler told the man that the only requirement for becoming a part of this kingdom under the king was to admit that he needed what the kingdom had to offer. The man did just that and became part of the kingdom. The traveler stayed for some time and told the man all about the wonderful king and kingdom.

After a period of time, the traveler told the man that he needed to leave the village. He said he had been sent by the king to reach as many villages as he could with the message of the kingdom. The king was now calling him to continue on his journey. He would go on to the next remote village with the good news of the wonderful king and kingdom.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

Before the traveler left, he gave the man a book that had all the information that the man would need regarding the king and kingdom. He told the man to read the book every day and that it would encourage him and reinforce all the traveler had told him. The man was sad to see the traveler go but thanked him profusely for telling him about the kingdom. He told the traveler that the words of the kingdom had changed his life for the better and that he would seek to share the message with the other villagers.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout …..(1 Thess. 4:16)

Before the traveler departed on his journey to other villages; he told the man something most incredible. He said that one day the king himself would come for his servants and take them to live with the king forevermore. The traveler told him that all of this was written in the book for the man’s encouragement.

After the traveler’s departure, the man went throughout the village telling all those that would listen of all the wonderful news of the kingdom. The villagers at first listened, but most did not accept what the man told them. He showed them the book and told them of the one day return of the king to take those that had become part of the kingdom away to be with him. Over time, they became angry with the man, mistreated him, and would avoid him whenever possible. The man did not give up. He heralded the good news of the kingdom throughout the village each day.

“Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up …… to meet the Lord in the air…” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

One day the villagers realized that the man and all those that had believed his words were missing. They searched the village for them, but they were nowhere to be found. They remembered his words about the kingdom. They searched his home and found the book he carried with him everywhere. The book had been left on the desk opened to the story of the sudden return of the king for those that were part of his kingdom. The villagers remembered that the man had told them all about these things when he spoke to them about the kingdom.

There were some in the village that took to heart the message the man had brought them. They encouraged each other each day with the words of the book. They also warned the other villagers about a terrible end that was spoken of in the book for those that were not part of the kingdom. The villagers listened at first, but then told those with the message from the book to leave them alone and not bother them any longer. The villagers said they had their lives to live and did not want their lives interrupted or troubled by these words.

“For then shall be great tribulation … (Matthew 24:21)

What the villagers did not realize, was that there was a great storm coming that would destroy their village and take many lives. And although all those in the village would go through the coming storm, there was a place of security for those in the king’s kingdom. As the storm began to bear down on their village, with certain destruction inevitable, the villagers continued living their normal lives unaware of their final end.

THE HOUR IS LATE!

Today, the Lord is calling out to all those that will hear and come to Him. We are promised no more than today. Today is the day of salvation. Won’t you come to Him and enter His rest.

“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

The Peace of God in These Troubled Times

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ” (Romans 5:1).

With all that is going on in the world today we might let the troubles we see all around us affect our lives in a negative way. However, when we look to the Lord and remember that He has told us in His Word that in the last days before His return things would be just as we see them today. Our world has continued its downward spiral since our first parents disobeyed the Lord in the Garden. Sin is the problem and it has wreaked havoc down through the years. We are witnessing the end result of most of the world rejecting God and going their own way; the sin problem only gets worse. The world as a whole, is lost, and undone. 

We, as believers, have seen the light of the Gospel and are blessed with the Salvation of our souls. We have become a new creation and are kept by faith in Christ and His finished work at Calvary. The following verse says it well:

….But you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God: (1 Corinthians 6:11).

When we come to the Lord in repentance and faith we are washed, sanctified, and justified. We have peace with God as our introductory verse tells us. The Lord Jesus paid the price at Calvary that we might be forgiven of our sins and, by faith, become children of God. We are washed, meaning that we are cleansed from all sin. We are sanctified meaning, that we are set apart for God and it reflects our postion in Christ. Having been washed and sanctified we are also justified which declares us Righteous in the sight of God. All of this comes by faith in the Lord’s provision of Salvation we find at Calvary.

We have peace with God and are in His special care through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent His Son to die on a cruel Cross that we might come into the family of God by faith in our Lord’s great sacrifice. We are joint heirs with Christ. What, me worry? No, through His Mercy and Grace we are safe in the care of our great God. Knowing this, we look in faith and trust to the One Who loves us.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

The Cross was the display of this love for us for all to see. When we placed our faith in Christ and Him crucified, we experienced the keeping power of God through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence. The result is a peace that passes understanding and “joy unspeakable and full of glory,” What, me worry? No, my faith and trust is in the God of my Salvation Who loved me and gave His life for me,

We have peace with God and the peace of God as we walk out our lives.  All that we see going on in the world can cause us to focus on the trouble we see brewing here and around the world, but if we focus our thoughts on the Lord, realizing that He controls all things, we will walk in that peace. As has been stated, our object of faith must be Christ and Him crucified which is our anchor. The Holy Spirit is within us and watches over us leading us through our life in this fallen world. Also, the Lord has given us His Word which prophesied just how the things in our world would be just prior to His coming.

What, me worry? No, my God has all things concerning me in hand and I walk out this life knowing that He loves me and cares for me. At Calvary the Lord proved His love and care for us. We walk out this life by faith in the One that loves us and died on the Cross that we can experience His peace in our lives. Though we might be perplexed regarding some of what we might see going on around us, we know Who holds the future and we walk out our lives serving the Lord with the knowledge that the Lord will soon return for us and His coming just might be today.

“Be you therefore ready also: for the Son of Man comes at an hour you think not” (Luke 12:40).

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

There’s an Emptiness Within Us All That Only God Can Fill

“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

If we seek to know the Lord and His way in our journey through this life, we must seek Him with our whole heart. And if we do choose to pursue the Lord, we will find that there are only two ways to approach Him for both salvation and for relationship – through faith or works. To address the later first, the works (or good things) that we do in our life to gain favor with the Lord are the hope of many, or most. We are told from our earliest years that we must work hard in this life to be successful. This, of course, is true. If we do our very best to succeed we will be rewarded for it. So, why can’t we do the same in our approach to the Lord? Doesn’t He want us to live a good life and do good works? Works that will make this a better place to live – works that will honor Him. Isn’t this what the Lord wants and what the Bible says our lives should be like?

Yes, we are to live good lives before the Lord and do our best to help others. But the question is: Do these things count toward finding favor with the Lord for our salvation? The answer is no! Our works are not acceptable to the Lord for our salvation. We are sinners unable to live a life pleasing to the Lord. We are helpless in ourselves. We stand guilty before God unable to pay the debt owed. The Lord is holy and just and for this reason, must require payment for sin. The Bible says that “the wages (payment) of sin is death.” Fortunately, the Lord, in His mercy has provided a way. This way is by unmerited favor or grace. The Lord Jesus came and paid the debt owed to God for our sins through His sacrifice at the cross. God accepted His death as full payment for the sins of all those that will repent of their sins and place their faith in the Lord’s great work at Calvary. We come to the Lord in repentance and accept the gift of salvation He has provided. Our works then come forth out of a grateful heart. As it has been said, good works will not produce proper faith, but proper faith will produce proper good works.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If God provided for our salvation at Calvary, why aren’t more people coming to the Lord in faith to accept His loving gift? The answer is pride. It is hard for us to admit that we are sinners unable to help or save ourselves. We want the Lord to accept the good in our lives as worthy of salvation. We see ourselves in Heaven someday because we have lived good lives. However, if we were to be honest with ourselves, we know that we are flawed with a fallen nature and in need of a savior. Many are in Hell today as a result of believing that to live good lives alone will be acceptable to the Lord when they stand before Him.

What place does living a good life and doing the best we can to help others hold in our lives? The Lord wants us to live good lives before men, but are faith must not be in these things for salvation or sanctification (our daily living). If we could live a life acceptable to the Lord in our own strength then Jesus need not have died on the cross. Our focus must be on faith in His great sacrifice and not on ourselves. God loves us and has provided a way for us to be with Him in eternity. It is a narrow way, but not a difficult way. We must not let our pride keep us from the Lord who loves us and has exhibited proof of His love before the whole world at Calvary.

“But that no man is justified by the Law (by what we do) in the sight of God, it is evident (obvious, for man cannot perfectly obey God) for, the just shall live by faith (the only way from first to last)” (Galatians 2:11).

On our journey on this path called life we will encounter many things; great joy, sorrow, and at times hardship may be our companion, but through all the events and circumstances we encounter along the way, hopefully, it will lead us to an encounter with the Lord. He is found by the few who earnestly seek Him with their whole heart. His way is a straight and narrow way that leads us to Calvary.

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13).

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Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2020

All Those Who Realize Their Lost State Without God

The Beatitudes – Matthew Chapter 5

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (verse 3).

The Holy Spirit is present on the Earth today drawing all those who will harken to the call of God. We have a fallen nature and are unable to save ourselves. Those who realize their total lost state and respond by repentance and faith in the Lord’s provision of Salvation are those spoken of here as “poor in spirit.” The Lord Jesus died on a cruel Cross as payment for the sin debt and our Salvation comes to us only by faith in His sacrificial death at Calvary.

“Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted” (verse 4).

When we realize our personal sinfulness and look to the Cross as our only answer for our condition, we will mourn over our past sinful lifestyle which resulted in being separated from the Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, faith, and thanksgiving.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (verse 5).

When we realize we are “poor in Spirit” and “mourn” our sinfulness, the result will be meekness before the Lord. We will realize that our personal strength is not the answer, but will understand that we need to trust in the power of the Lord in our lives. This is accomplished by daily placing our faith in Christ and His crucified which will allow the Holy Spirit to work mightily in our lives. Meekness is not weakness but restrained strength in the Lord. The meek shall inherit the Earth. This will happen in totality in the coming Kingdom Age.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness: for they shall be filled” (verse 6).

We are washed, sanctified, and justified. All by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we realize all the Lord has done for us and all He wants to do in our lives, it will result in a strong desire to draw closer to the Lord. Again, we do that by faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary. We are to deny ourselves, that is, our own ability and surrender to the love that reached down and saved us. The Holy Spirit will then fill us with His Presence and bring us victory in our lives.

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (verse 7).

Once we see the Lord’s Mercy in our own lives, it should result in compassion and mercy toward others. The “merciful” will walk in the love that the Lord has for all those who are so in need of the wonderful Salvation that the Lord has provided. The Lord has forgiven us much and requires that we forgive others.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (verse 8).

We have been born again into the Kingdom of God and have “Newness of Life” as Romans 6 tells us. We are to realize that Salvation is all of God and completely by faith in the Lord’s provision. When we place our faith in that provision, which is Christ and Him Crucified, the Holy Spirit will work mightily in our lives. We will then see the results of our properly placed faith, which is God working in our lives drawing us closer to Him and giving us victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (verse 9).

We are blessed with peace with God when we come to Him at Salvation, and we are blessed with the peace of God as we walk out our lives. Those that we encounter in our lives should see the peace the Lord has afforded us and it should cause them to seek the Lord. We are “peacemakers” and children of God as we witness to the Lord’s goodness in our lives. The Holy Spirit will use us to draw the lost to the Lord. He is our peace and the only hope of mankind.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (verse 10).

We will experience persecution in our walk of faith from those who walk in their own righteousness. This is a fallen world and our walk of faith is against the forces of darkness that rule this world. We are God’s people and can rest in the knowledge that His promises to us will come about. We must share this Gospel message with the lost, and when persecution comes, rest in the knowledge that the Lord will watch over us and bring us into His very Presence for Eternity. The Beatitudes closes with the following warning and promise of great reward:

“Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you” (verses 11,12).

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Historically Accurate? Read the Article and Find Out!

Originally Published in 2020 – Articles published during the week will be from the archives. New articles will be published on the weekend.

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40)

Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh and “cry against it; for their wickedness.” It was the first time the Lord had sent one of His prophets to a gentile nation to warn them. Jonah knew that this could end very badly for him. Nineveh was part of the Assyrian Empire which was the mightiest empire of that time and certainly a threat to Israel. Even in Israel, a prophet’s warning was usually not well received and could result in the prophet being killed.

After considering what the Lord wanted him to do, and all the reasons for not going there: Jonah fled “from the presence of the Lord.” He boarded a ship bound for Tarshish which was in the opposite direction from Nineveh. The ship experienced a great storm sent by the Lord and all on board feared greatly. While all the crew was calling on their gods to save them; Jonah was fast asleep. They woke him up and told him to call upon his God.

After Jonah told them just who his God was, “The God of Heaven, which has made the sea and dry land”, they were “exceedingly afraid.” They asked Jonah what they were to do with him for he let them know that he had fled the presence of the Lord. Jonah told them to cast him into the sea and the calm would return. Initially, they were reluctant to do this, but after Jonah cried out to the Lord that He would not hold them guilty of innocent blood, they cast him into the sea, and the sea became calm.

The Bible says, “The Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah and he was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jonah prayed to the Lord from the fish’s belly and repented of his disobedience. The Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land.

The Lord told Jonah once again to go to Nineveh and preach repentance to them. This time Jonah obeyed. The word of the Lord to them was repent or they would be destroyed in forty days. The people of Ninevah believed God, fasted and repented of their ways “from the greatest of them even to the least of them” and were saved from destruction.

Jonah was not happy with this turn of events – that the Lord would forgive this heathen cruel city. He reasoned that its destruction would have benefited Israel. This was extremely displeasing to the Lord for the prophet to take a stand against His will. The Lord was patient with the prophet, but in the end, silenced him by showing Jonah that it was always His will that all men be saved. We see this same mercy and grace today in the Lord’s giving of His Son to die on a cruel cross to save those who will hear the message of salvation and be saved from certain judgment.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

We can learn much from this account. It shows us that the Lord controls everything the wind, the sea, and even a great fish. It is also an example of the Lord’s great patience, mercy, and care. He brought Jonah back from his place of disobedience to an obedience that enabled him to face the cruel city of Nineveh with an ultimatum from the Lord that could have brought certain death upon him. This was also a lesson and warning for Jonah’s nation of Israel to not involve themselves in idolatry. Unfortunately, a warning they failed to heed. The Lord’s mercy toward the unsaved is also seen here. Those on the ship sought the Lord after seeing what happened. All of Ninevah repented and were saved from judgment. It was also a sign to all of the coming Messiah some 700 hundred years later.

The Lord’s mercy and longsuffering are seen here. We can be assured that the Lord is patient with us and watches over us for our good. Even if we get off in the wrong direction at times, the Lord, as a loving shepherd, will guide us back to the right way.  He is faithful to us at all times. The final lesson from the story of Jonah is for us today. The Lord is asking that we believe Him and obey Him. We are called to share the “Good News” with a world lost in sin. Today, through His church, He calls out to all those in the world who do not know Him.

[The story of Jonah is an incredible one. Some have doubted its authenticity. However, the introductory verse in this article and the following verse were spoken by Jesus. He, in fact, by His words, authenticated the Biblical account of Noah as historically accurate.]

“For as Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of Man be to this generation.” (Luke 11:30)

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

They Are Mighty Through God

“Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10: 4,5).

We live our lives in the flesh, but we are not to attempt to fight our spiritual battles in the flesh. Those who do not know the Lord have no other choice but to use their carnal nature to get by in this world. But we, as believers, have weapons from God that will give us victory over the powers of darkness that come against us.

We can have victory in our lives only through the power of God which is available to us due to Calvary. Jesus won the victory there and we are protected from these powers of darkness as we daily place our faith in Christ and Him crucified. This is the only way. Some teach that the Lord gives us a stronger willpower when we are saved and we can use it to gain victory in our lives against the spiritual forces that come against us and that we can gain victory over sin in the same way. This is a false assumption and will not result in anything but defeat. When we place our faith in Christ and Him crucified the Holy Spirit will work mightily in our lives. This is what the Apostle Paul called walking in the Spirit. The Apostle Peter warns us regarding the Devil and his ways in the following verses:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom (the Devil) resist steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8,9a).

The Devil tries to get us to sin which will, if he succeeds, rob us of our faith. He is after our soul. We are to be sober and vigilant taking this warning from Peter very seriously. When we walk in the Spirit by daily placing our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death on Calvary, we will experience victory over Satan and his schemes, and victory in our lives against “the sin which does so easily beset us.”

We must “cast down imaginations” which speaks of using earthly knowledge and every attempt man makes outside of the Cross of Christ to live our lives. This also speaks of Satan’s efforts to establish a stronghold in a Christian’s life. Paul said the following regarding our way to victory:

“For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:20).

The Apostle Paul knew that whether it was preaching the Gospel for Salvation, or walking out this Christian life, the answer was the Cross of Christ. There is no victory to be found anywhere else.

We are also to guard against pride. Pride can “exalt itself against the Knowledge of God.” We are to bring all our thoughts into the “obedience of Christ.” Again, this can only be done through the work of the Holy Spirit as we place our faith in Christ and Him crucified daily.

In summary, we cannot walk out our Christian life using our carnal weapons whatever they may be. The Lord has provided a complete Salvation. He has saved us and will give us victory in our lives if we go His Way. The Way we came into the Faith is the way we stay in and have victory. We have peace with God due to what Christ accomplished at Calvary, and we can have the peace of God as we walk His Way with our faith placed properly. Our victory comes solely through what Jesus accomplished at the Cross. We are saved by faith and we are kept by faith. We have victory in Jesus.

Victory in Jesus

Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. He sought me and bought me with His redeeming Blood. He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due him. he plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

Composed by Eugene Monroe Bartlett (1855-1941)

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Who Will Heed the Warning?

“But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report” (Romans 10:16).

The following illustrates the danger that those in the world face who do not know the Lord. I relate this, as best I can, as an illustration I once heard from a pastor. A man stands in the darkness of night waving a lantern as a car approaches. There has been a horrific storm and the bridge ahead is out. The man standing in the road seeks to warn all those that approach of the danger ahead. A father in an approaching car has his family with him. He sees the dark figure standing in the road waving the lantern. He wonders who this person is and what his intent might be? Should he stop and risk the safety of his family? As he approaches he slows down and opens his window. He now clearly sees the figure standing there. The man is waving and yelling something. The father makes the decision to come to a stop and hear what the man is yelling. His face turns pale as he hears the man repeatedly yell, “The bridge is out ahead! The bridge is out ahead!”

The father in our fictional story had a decision to make. A decision that would affect his and his family’s wellbeing. He chose to heed the warning and his family was saved from certain death. We can liken the father and his family to those in the world. The man standing in darkness warning all those that come this way can be likened to the Lord. The bridge out ahead represents the end for all those who do not heed the Lord’s warning. The following familiar verse says it all:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life” (John 3:16).

The Lord left His home in glory to save us from certain condemnation and an eternity of suffering away from the presence of the Lord. We have a fallen nature and cannot save ourselves. The Bible says “There is none righteous, no, not one” and “For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” The Lord saw our great need and came to die on the Cross to pay the sin debt owed to God that we could not pay. He offers us forgiveness and “Newness of Life” in Him.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

This verse warns all those that will not come the Lord’s way of the end they face. The “wages of sin is death.” This is an eternity away from the presence of God. The bridge is out ahead and the Lord calls out to all those on the Earth. By faith in Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross, the Lord offers Eternal Life with Him in Glory. It is a “gift of God.” We cannot earn it. We come just as we are and believe in the God Who loves us and stands in the roadway of life warning all those who come this way.

The Lord has done all He can. It is up to us to hear His words of warning and heed them. The bridge is out ahead! Will you listen to the one who loves you and has proven that love by giving His life for us? It is no small matter. Our eternal well-being is at stake. The Lord is calling out to all those in the world today in His Mercy and Grace.

“Come unto me (the One Who gives Salvation), all you who labor and are heavy laden (we cannot work our way), and I will give you rest (by our faith placed in Christ an Him crucified)” (Matthew 11:28).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

An Actual Incident That Took Place in Hell!

Originally Published 2021

“The path of life leads upward for the prudent to keep them from going down to the realm of death (Hell).” (Proverbs 15:24)

The subject of Hell is a very uncomfortable one both for the believer and for those in the world that don’t know the Lord. Believers, those that know the Lord, want to share the Lord’s great love for His creation and do not want to talk about the eternal punishment that will come to those that reject God’s mercy and forgiveness. The world, on the other hand, does not want to hear about Hell for obvious reasons. But, not talking about Hell doesn’t make it less real. The subject needs to be addressed. Everyone’s eternal well being depends on knowing the truth and acting upon it.

There is perhaps no better way to describe Hell than to relate an actual event that took place in Hell. Jesus spoke about it in Luke 16:19-31. As you read the following, keep in mind that this is not one of the Lord’s Parables. The Lord used actual names, which He never did in His Parables, so we are learning about an actual happening.

“There was a rich man that was clothed in fine purple and fine linen” (verse 19).

Many of that day thought that riches always represented the favor of God. We will see from this account that this is not necessarily true. Also, we see from this opening verse that the rich man was not identified by name. This, of course, is for obvious reasons, as we will see.

“and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table…” (verse 20, 21a).

The rich man passed by Lazarus on many occasions offering him no help. Many of that day thought that those like Lazarus were cursed by God. Many today equate a lack of wealth and earthly blessings in the same way.

And it came to pass, that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom (Paradise)…” (verse 22a).

Who would pay much attention to the death of a beggar? We see here that the Lord takes great care with his own upon their death. He sent his angels (plural) to escort His child to Paradise. Paradise is where all those who died in the faith went prior to Jesus paying the sin debt at the cross. It stands empty today.

“…The rich man also died, and was buried” (verse 22b).

Angels did not carry him off for he died eternally lost. All of his wealth did not help him when he faced death.

“And in Hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment…” (verse 23a).

If anyone of that day had doubted the existence of Hell then their doubts would have been put to rest with these words of Jesus. He shows us in these two deaths that, immediately upon death, the soul and spirit go to Heaven (after the cross) or Hell. and that we are totally aware of our surroundings. This also tells us that there is great suffering in Hell. We will see in the following that identity and memory remain after death.

“… And sees Abraham far off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And cried and said, father Abraham, have mercy on me…” (23b, 24a)

Once a person is in Hell there is no help, no mercy, and no way out. It has been well said that there are no unbelievers in Hell.

“….And send Lazarus that he may dip his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame” (verse 24b).

The rich man showed no concern for Lazarus in this life, but now being tormented in Hell he remembers Lazarus and seeks his help to bring some small relief to his suffering. The Bible here teaches that the suffering in Hell is literal.

“But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things…” (verse 25a).

Points to him being blessed in this life. This did not cause him to be thankful for the good life he lived. His faith was in his earthly blessings to the very loss of his soul at death. How many today are doing the very same thing?

“and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed” (verse 25b, 26a)

The blessings the rich man received in this life did not cause him to come to the Lord, and Lazarus didn’t let his suffering in this life keep him from the Lord. Our fate is sealed upon death. Apparently, those in Hell could see across the great gulf between them and Paradise.

“Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that you would send him (Lazarus) to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come to this place of torment” (verse 27, 28).

He knew that his fate was sealed, but asked that his family be warned lest they suffer the same fate as he. He seemed to know the way of salvation but did not go that way himself in his lifetime.

“Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (verse 29).

Abraham points to the Bible as their sure way of knowing the truth and the way to God. The Lord has given us His Word (the Bible) so that all could know the way.

“And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went into them from the dead, they will repent. And he (Abraham) said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (verse 30, 31).

If one does not believe the Bible then one who rose from the dead will not convince them either. After all, sometime later after relating this event Christ actually rose from the dead. And yet, most did not come to him in repentance and receive the gift of eternal life. It is the same today. Most, knowing about the Resurrection, will not come to the Lord in repentance and faith.

The question many have is this: Why would a loving God send anyone to Hell? The truth is that if someone does go to Hell then it was their choice. The Lord has given everyone every opportunity to come to Him in faith. He sent his Son to suffer and die to pay the price for our salvation. He has given us the Bible as our guide. The Great Commission, the Lord spoke about after His resurrection, commands the church to reach out to all the earth with the good news of the Gospel. He paid the price and reaches out through His church to all those that will hear. What more could He have done!

He loves us and He has provided a rest for all those that come to Him! We have His assurance that we are saved by faith in His great work at the cross! And, He has commanded His church to reach out to the whole world with the “Good News! The following verses tell the story:

His Love

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son (speaks of Calvary), that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

His Promise

“Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

His Assurance

” These things have I written unto you who believe on the Son of God; that you may know that you have Eternal Life..” (1 John 5:13)

His Command (to the church)

“Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

He loves us and has proven His love for us by paying the price for our sin at Calvary and, even to this day, seeks out all those who will come to Him in repentance and faith!

*******************

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, “Here I Am, Lord” is on Telegram. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

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