Beyond the darkened cloud:

Recently my family and I were on our way from Galveston Texas, to our home in Dallas. We were lest than one hundred (100) miles from home when in the distance we could see the lightning dancing as if they were genes coming out of their battles. The closer we got to them the more spectacular they appeared. Even though the windows were shut tight we could still hear the thunder roared with authority as we watched the streaks of lights danced as if it were they were dancing to the sound of mighty drums. It did not take us long before we found ourselves smack under the darkened cloud; we were engulfed in this natural phenomenon.

The visibility suddenly decreased from three miles (3) to about fifty feet (50). Some cars pulled over on the shoulders to wait out the storm, but I kept on moving forward, I had home on my mind. Emmeline occasionally looked across at me, and I knew she was concerned. I told her that as long as we go ahead carefully, things would be okay. It is the best thing to do at this time I assured her. If it gets too dangerous, that we would pull over on the shoulder and wait.

The danger were there for sure but I had a hope, I had a feeling that somewhere up ahead the storm would be over. Somewhere up ahead beyond the dark clouds, the sun would be shining brightly once more. Somewhere ahead sooner, or later the pouring rain that is penetrating through the vial of darkened cloud will disappear and my vision would be clear once more.

I pressed on with a prayer on my heart, believing that God would take us through safely, and so He did! Soon it was possible for us to see the border where the rain cloud clanged to the clear blue sky and our hearts leaped with tremendous joy.

In my mind I could feel as if it were I had invisible arms that were a mile long and they were reaching out to touch the blue sky that was waiting up ahead.

The thunderstorm was about three or four miles behind us when we made a pit stop. The area where we stopped was dry, and a strong wind was blowing old bits of papers, shrubs and dust all about us; just the way you see it in the western movies.

In just a few minutes we went from one extreme to the other, from wind and wetness to wind and dryness. Just as how our minds were reaching out to touch the sun and the dryness, isn’t that the way our heart should be thou? Reaching out and up to touch a little bit of the righteousness of God? In many cases life’s journey is just like that, where thick and darkened clouds hangs over us, and our lives become so uncomfortable, so entangled and that is when hope dimmed, that is when some of us gives in. Some of us pull over to the shoulders, recline our chairs, lean back, close our eyes and wait for the storm to subside.

That truly works well for those that knows their limitations, but sometimes they do subsides and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes we are at the wrong place where the storm and dark cloud never let up...We are under the eye of the storm, which have no intention of going anywhere. We stay under that stormy cloud year after year, getting soaked without trying to pull away and out to a dryer place.

Sometimes all we need to do is to take a step forward in faith; meaning by keeping our eyes on Jesus. For those who are like unto myself, those who are more inclined to push forward as long as we can see a few feet in front of us. We move on but not before we have counted the cost. We are willing to move ahead, to get out and away from the storm; we want to breathe freely. That is our type of life-stile. Sometimes we win and sometimes we loose. Now do not go away with the wrong opinion about me and others like unto myself. If I cannot see the next spot to put the vehicle I am driving, then I will stay put until it is clear and safe to do so.

Death's death:

I am truly looking forward to the day when this will take place; when death will die for the last time; that will happen shortly before the King of kings recreates the new earth. There is some bondage of course, which will remain unbroken and those will only be release when death pays a visit. Those are the ones that truly spell out the true meaning of the statement, "until death do us part." I am not talking about human relationships or prison walls. There are those who will have to stay under the clouds of unbroken bondage until they die.

This is the only way that God can save us, He sees that we gets out of control whenever we have too much freedom. We forget to give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for sitting firmly on His throne, holding on to the hope rope which is wrapped around His arm. This rope I speak of has millions of knots on it, but down through the ages of time human had slipped down, down until we went over the lost knot. We slipped so far away that we were lost forever. As time passes by, as our world makes it’s way down to the gulf of everlasting death, doomed was the talk of the day; then Jesus our Savior came.

We have been talking about unbroken bondage, now let’s talk about the unbroken bondage of death and the role of Jesus undertook when He came to this earth. His job was to break the unbroken bondage of death that was pronounced upon the human race. The devil tried so many desperate attempts to stop this important process from going through. This was the once in a lifetime chance which men had; it was the only way that humankind could be freed from the horrible punishment of eternal death. This cloud only come through the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What would have happen to us if the Savior had changed His mind and took the first flight out of hear back to His Father in Glory?

When the sting of death began to creep into His flesh, when the beating and the jeering, when down through the ages of time He looked and saw me whom He love and were about to die for.

He saw me rejecting Him and doing my own think; even then in His pain and agony He pitted me and said, "Father! Forgive them for they know not what they do." That was then, now that I am aware of my guilt and the penalty for sinning what now? Will I be excused from the punishment when I knowingly do wrong? I do not think so.

Do you know the Savior? Do you know who He is? Or better yet does He know who you are? Before the Savior hanged His head and went to sleep, His Father turned away His eyes from the earth which left us in total darkness, "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ST. Luke:23, 44.

It is important for us to note that while Jesus slept in the tomb of Joseph the counselor, this world had no connection with heaven whatsoever, but God so loved His Son that He saved the whole world from eternal doom. What do I mean by that? When the Father gave His Son life again He gave life not only to Him, but He did so to the whole world. He loved His Son and He was getting weary of living without Him. He sent down His most powerful angel and in the angel’s hand. The Father places a package, which contained the hope rope but this time it was marinated with some of the most precious priestly oils from the vessels of heaven. After the reunion of Father and Son, Jesus put on His priestly robe and rapped the rope around His waist before giving back the rain to His Father.

Today if you pull on that hope rope Jesus will know it before His Father does. He stated clearly in the book of John. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." ST. John 14: 6.

My Father will not accept you if you do not show Him my seal. In other words, there is no back door for us to enter in through. The hope rope is still here on this earth, hanging just a heartbeat away from the cares of this world. When we empty our ships of the perishable things of this world, throw them over board, only then will we be lifted to higher highs. Then and only then will we be able to get a firm grip on the rope of life eternal and everlasting joy. Jesus lives so we too can live, He gave His all for you and I. You do not have to stay under the rain cloud forever, reach out towards the rope of faith and the Holy Spirit will revel unto you which unbroken bondage are breakable.

Heed this warning! If for some reason you happen to make a pit stop do not tarry there unnecessarily, get back on the highway as fast as you can. Remember that home is where you are heading; even if you can see the open gates you are not safe until you are inside. Keeping our eyes and our minds focus on those things which will matters most when the storm of life is over, is of foremost Importance.

It does not matter how thick the storm cloud is, God can just look at it and attempt to blink and it disappear. There are several type of storm clouds which are hovering over our lives, drinking, tobacco, pair pressure, covetousness, unfaithfulness, selfishness, lawlessness, unforgiving, speeding, swearing, lustful eyes, poverty whatever our problems are, our heavenly Father through His Son and the Holy Spirit can remove all of them. How wonderful it is when we come to that special place in our lives where we think and believe that God’s way is the best way for us. How lovely it is when we can tell others with conviction that God’s way is the way to go. It is the solid foundation upon which all human should build their lives.

Willing to let Him lead brings such a wonderful and reassuring feeling. Do you have unbroken bondage? Lay them at Jesus’ feet, He will know what to do with them.

May the Lord continue to bless us as we through the Holy Spirit, strive to do His will.