KNOWLEDGE SHALL BE INCREASED: Devotional by Lorilyn Roberts

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: …and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4 (KJV)

“…and knowledge shall be increased.” The amount of information available at our fingertips has exploded in the last few years. Scientists tell us until the early 1900s, knowledge was doubling every hundred years. At the end of 1945, that rate had increased to every twenty-five years. In today’s world, thanks to the Internet, the doubling of knowledge happens in as little as twelve hours.

 Examples of the exponential increase in technology are endless. The Chinese robot, Sophia, is the most advanced robot ever created. We ask Seri and Alexa questions as if they were human and smarter than we are. 

No more do we need wires running through our house to connect us to the other side of the world. We have wireless. We can call anywhere for free—or send an email or enjoy videos and jpegs on social networking sites from Antarctica to Timbuktu. 

This expansion of knowledge is linked to the Worldwide Web. Scientists predict every place on earth will be connected by the super-information highway in the next few years.

The three “W’s” in Worldwide Web are represented by the letter Vav in Hebrew, and it is the sixth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Is there any coincidence that WWW, the symbol for the Worldwide Web, becomes 666 when switched to a numerical value in Hebrew? Because the number one source of information today is shared on a platform symbolized in Hebrew by 666, interesting questions arise. To quote Sir Francis Bacon, “information is power.” 

Most Christians know the number 666 is associated with the most powerful ruler that will walk the earth. He will control the information highway, including all buying and all selling. Those who want to survive will be forced to receive his mark on their right hand or forehead. Satan’s deception will come through this lawless one as well as others because they will not know the knowledge of the Holy One. The minds of unbelievers will be blinded, and because of hardened hearts, God will send a strong delusion that, if it were possible, could deceive even the elect.

 Too many will believe what is false. Too many will reject the truth because they prefer pleasure in unrighteousness. We are already seeing that today, and things will only get worse. Some will be enticed away from God because of their own lusts. Others will not be willing to endure sound teaching. We live in a “me-my-mine” world, where people believe they are entitled, are easily offended, and self-indulgent, where truth is relative and moral values reversed. Evil is called good and good is called evil.

Despite the chaos that is coming, God’s definition of knowledge in Daniel 12:8 is a different kind of knowledge that will increase, a knowledge that will fill the minds of Christ followers with understanding that far surpasses the knowledge of the heathen, knowledge far more significant and compelling than what can be found on the Worldwide Web.

When the Bible refers to “knowledge” in Daniel 12:5, the context does not refer to man’s knowledge bolstered by artificial intelligence or a beast system that’s coming. God’s promises include discernment that will help us to know the difference between real news and fake news, what’s right and what’s wrong, absolute truth and relative truth, and the difference between good and evil.

God created good and evil. He put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden. Just as Adam and Eve were tested, a time of testing is coming upon us, to separate the wheat from the tares—those who love the truth from those who love the darkness.

Where evil abounds, God abounds more. All manner of wisdom in the form of art and craftsmanship will be magnified. God only requires our complete obedience. By faithfully following our Lord and Savior, we can understand all knowledge and all mysteries.

No matter how dire the circumstances, the Word of the Lord is forever. God’s wisdom is sweet, like manna from heaven. Knowledge of the Lord will be as the waters cover the sea, and everything hidden will be revealed. We can take heart that those who love Jesus and are called according to his purpose will be full of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, from now until eternity.

You can read more of Lorilyn Roberts’ blogposts at LorilynRoberts.com

I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

—Philippians 4:8 

What did Jesus mean when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life?”  

*~*~*~*~*~*

From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

What did I want? If I knew, would I be willing to risk everything to obtain it? I gazed at the lake—where was the king headed? I wished I knew the lake’s secrets. If he was the king from the garden, how did he get here? He seemed powerful in some ways but not in others.

—Shale Snyder, chapter twenty-three

*~*~*~*~*~*

Shale faced the same issues that you and I face today—discovering the truth and what it means. How should I live, and is Jesus who he said he was?

Many religions offer you multiple paths to salvation or fulfillment. Baha’i embraces all religions and states that God sent messengers—like Jesus, Buddha, Moses, and Muhammad—to progressively teach us about God’s nature.

Islam teaches that if your good works outweigh your bad, and Allah wills it, he will let you enter into paradise.

Hinduism and Buddhism claim you go to heaven after many reincarnations when at last you become one with God.

Some Jews still wait for the Messiah’s return. Each year during the Passover Seder, a Jewish custom is to pour a cup of wine, “the cup of Elijah,” and send a young child to the door to look for the prophet who is to herald the coming of the Messiah.

Unitarians believe you can get to heaven any way you want and not to worry about the afterlife.

Wiccans don’t believe there’s a need for salvation.

What do you think?

In Seventh Dimension – the Door, Shale went on a journey—it was her path. No two journeys through life are exactly the same. God knows which path you will take—but his unconditional love gives you free will to choose.

Along the way, you will be exposed to many “truths” and many lies. You must learn to discern truth from falsehood. The Bible says Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44). When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, shortly before being crucified, Pontius Pilate asked him, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).

Truth stood in front of Pontius Pilate, and yet he did not recognize the truth. Instead, he denied that truth, condemning Jesus the Messiah to death.

If truth stood before you, would you recognize him? Could you taste his goodness? Could you feel his breath and know it was the breath of life? Could you perceive God’s gentle touch? Would your mind be quickened if  God called your name?

It’s a scary thing to be confronted with the truth of Jesus Christ and yet deny him—deny his power, deny his sacrifice, and deny his love.

Satan makes our life difficult. Our sinful nature leads us astray. But if we confess our sins and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life, we won’t be fooled into believing untruths. Nothing makes Satan and his demons angrier than hearing the name of Jesus. Fill your heart with God’s love, praise his holy name, and they will flee.

Thank you, Jesus, that you are the way, the truth, and the life. Help me to be more like you. Help me to be discerning in all things and protect me from being led astray.

Help me to focus on what is true and noble and be an example to others. Let my little light shine before men and light the path to you. Help me to know the way of salvation through living out my faith. In my life, Lord, be glorified.

The full collection of devotionals can be enjoyed in "Am I Okay, God?"

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http://bit.ly/Praise_MichaelWSmith

WHICH ANIMAL AM I MOST LIKE: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

  But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; and let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind? Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes its food?

—Job 12:7-11

Which animal do you identify with in Seventh Dimension – The Door? Do you perceive your nature to be like Worldly Crow; Cherios, the rabbit; Baruch, the donkey; Much Afraid, the dog; Nevaeh, the bird; or Lowly, the pig?

*~*~*~*~*~*

“Will the king always be with me?”

“Always. The seventh dimension is within you. The animals represent parts of your character. Your suffering has produced good fruit. And always remember, the king is your heavenly father.”

—Shale Snyder and Astella, chapter thirty-seven

*~*~*~*~*~*

All of us are multifaceted and complex, intricately woven together into extraordinarily complicated human beings. The Creator isn’t a novice at creating life. Look around you. He can breathe life into building blocks simply by speaking them into being.

Good and evil are at war against each other in the world and within ourselves. We will never be free of temptation until we enter heaven’s gates.

All of us at one point or another have been as wicked as Worldly Crow or as heavenly as Cherios, the rabbit, or Nevaeh—the unusual bird in the garden. Did you know that Nevaeh is “heaven” spelled backward?

Cherios comes from the word “charity,” which means generous actions to aid the poor, ill, or helpless, or to devote one’s life to love. Cherios gave her life as she praised the king before the demons in the Hall of Darkness.

The other animals were redeemed by the king. Baruch means blessed. In The Donkey and the King, Baruch was a temperamental donkey that struck out on his own and became lost. The king sent the sheep to find him in the wilderness, just as the king searches out each one of us when we become lost.

You may be feeling lost right now. Have you made foolish choices? The good news is that Jesus Christ won’t leave you there. Even if you’re as wicked as Worldly Crow, God still forgives if you ask for forgiveness. The king is in the business of fixing problems and situations that seem hopeless. The king’s way is even better than your way.

Maybe you’re like Lowly the pig. Do you feel worthless? God has given you everything you need to become the person he created you to be. Not one cell or gene is missing because God made a mistake. He’s gifted you with what you need to glorify him.

If you want to be a doctor, God has given you the brains and the ability to be one. If you want to be a dancer, God has made you graceful and athletic. If you want to be a teacher, God has given you the ability to teach. Not only that, he has given you the desire to want to do the things he created you to do.

If you enjoy painting, God made you to paint. God needs Christians in all walks of life. We can’t all be lawyers or bankers or chefs. Perhaps the job you will have when you graduate from high school, technical school, or college doesn’t yet exist. My profession wasn’t around twenty-five years ago. The world is constantly changing.

Perhaps you’re like Much‑Afraid, the dog that pursued Shale. The Bible tells us in I Peter 5:7:  “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

This is much easier said than done, but just as Much‑Afraid stood up to the demon‑possessed man in the cemetery, God will give you supernatural power to overcome your worst fears. He does not mean for you to live in fear of the future or regret about the past.

Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you want them to, but it’s not because God failed or you failed. It’s because if you put your trust in Jesus, he knows what’s best in every circumstance. Jesus cares about the process more than the outcome.

The only moment you have is right now. We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. And we don’t want to look back on our past with regret. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:16 that we should make the most of every opportunity.

The devil and his demons won’t like it if you read the Bible or pray to God daily. Expect at those moments when you’re most like Jesus to be attacked. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8 that the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

You must not give up. Shale was tested and overcame and you can overcome, too. The battle is a spiritual one. 

I imagine angels all around with swords in hand knocking down demonic strongholds. We must claim the power of the risen king to overcome demonic influence, the Worldly Crow part of us, and rely on the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ is not in the tomb. He is risen. He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, interceding for you.

You have a future and hope. You were made with heavenly hands in your mother’s womb. When you start to doubt your value in God’s eyes, remember what Nevaeh whispered in Shale’s ear, “You’re a daughter of the king.”

http://bit.ly/dog_stories 

Thank you, Lord, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made— that you knitted me in my mother’s womb and knew me even before I was born.

I thank you for tall giraffes and whimsical butterflies and slimy snails and hooting owls. If this world can have so much vitality and variety, as darkened as it is with sin, I can only imagine the perfect world that lies in wait.

Let the animals teach me how to be kind. Help me to listen— to the call of the wild, the purring of a kitten, the roaring of a lion, or the cry of an abandoned dog. Help me to be your heart in a world that needs caring people to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves.

May I grow more like you as I care for the animals I meet. May I be as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. May I remember that a kind person is kind to his animals even when no one is looking.

_~_~_

Note from Lorilyn Roberts

I am busy writing my second book in the Seventh Dimension Series.  So if my posts seem a little more sporadic, bear with me. It's difficult to tear myself away from the writing to post on my blog. Summer 2014 is the projected publication date.

DARK SECRETS: Devotional "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

DARK SECRETS

Would not God have discovered it since he knows the secret of the heart?

—Psalm 44:21

Do you have a secret hidden in your heart—something that is so horrid you wouldn’t share it with anyone?

*~*~*~*~*~*

From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

“I hid in the closet underneath the stairs—my safe house. Nobody would find me in here.”

—Shale Snyder, chapter one

*~*~*~*~*~*

God knows everything about you. Every thought and every deed you’ve ever done or will do is not hidden from his watchful eyes.

Including secrets. Satan will use anything he can to prevent you from experiencing God’s grace. Secrets are among his favorite weapons. The devil derives great pleasure using blackmail. You will never win playing his game. All he has to do is threaten to expose your secret sin—pornography, abortion, cheating, thievery—you name it.

My worst fears from the time I was young involved secret sins. I would convince myself if anyone knew “this or that” about me, I would be on the front page of the New York Times.

Seriously, in the past, when I was plagued with guilt, I would lie in bed at night and ponder what would happen if someone told something about me that was slanderous. Many poor souls have committed suicide to escape the judgment of others. Secrets of the heart can imprison you in a living hell. Is that how you want to live your life?

God doesn’t want you to live in fear. Bring your hidden sin to your heavenly father, confess it, and receive God’s unconditional forgiveness. Remember:  God died on the cross to heal you from all your sins—past, present, and future. 

Thank you, Jesus, that I no longer want to hide in a closet—or behind a façade. I will seek you in the morning, noon, and night so you can set me free from secret sins. 

Am I Okay, God? Devotionals from the Seventh Dimension

includes 26 more devotionals like this one and is a companion book

to Seventh Dimension - The Door, a Young Adult Fantasy

 

JOHN 3:16 MARKETING NETWORK GUEST POST: “Lorilyn Introduces New Christian Author Cheryl Rogers”

I (Lorilyn Roberts) would like to introduce a very talented Christian author, Cheryl Rogers; she is not only an author but an artist and musician.

My friend Cheryl likes to write for children because they usually are very open to God. “Children have a special place in my heart. They have so many years ahead of them ... so many years to enjoy getting things right,” she says.

Her latest children's ebook is I Can See Christian Storybook Treasury, a unique book that helps defeat doubts about God that develop as a child grows. It begins with I Can See God's ABCs, a story that should be read to the child as he or she is learning about the world. From there, the short stories become increasingly complex, dealing with questions like how can we find a God we cannot see, why did Jesus come to Earth and why did Jesus have to die.

I Can See Christian Storybook Treasury is meant to be used through the years with each child and grandchild in the family," Cheryl says. "It can be used with younger and older children at the same time."

Another one of her books includes Making Choices: Life is Like Acorns, a Bible study aimed at children 5 to 10 years old.  The story is about a baby squirrel named Peepsy who is learning how to hunt for acorns. His mother teaches him not all acorns are good to eat -- things are not always what they seem to be.

Just Like Jonah Wail Tales, a storybook aimed at preteens and teens, teaches there is a price to pay when you disobey. The modern-day Jonahs make bad choices and land in a whale of trouble, just like the prophet Jonah in the Bible. But when they return to God, He is faithful to change their circumstances.

Her devotions book aimed at new and young believers, Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook, contains 40 short lessons that enable us to live the victorious Christian life, helping us really love and forgive others, set aside pride, deal with tragedy, and death and lots more.

Cheryl knew she wanted to be a writer as a child. She earned a journalism degree in college and honed her skills as a newspaper reporter, but it took a devastating illness for Cheryl to realize what she was supposed to write about. In 1993, she succumbed to a severe immune disorder, Environmental Illness, to which there is no physical cure. After undergoing extensive treatment to no avail, she surrendered her life to Christ and he miraculously healed her.

"My life was in shambles, but God gave me my life back. I learned he was real and well able to handle my problems," Cheryl says.

A Miami native who lives in Tampa, Florida, with her family, Cheryl currently publishes New Christian Books, a magazine featuring announcements about new kingdom-building books as well as book excerpts, a Bible-based living column, author marketing tips, and other features. She has authored a number of Christian titles as well as a couple of ebooks about self-publishing.

In addition to her Christian books, Cheryl designs Christian posters, mugs, cards, tees, and other products using her nature photographs and Scriptures from the King James Authorized Version. She also has self-produced three Scripture song CDs.

"It never was my idea to write Scripture songs," says Cheryl, "but when the first song was sung into my spirit on the second anniversary of my father's death, well, it got my attention. My father wanted my sister and me to write a song as children, but I couldn't come up with a melody. All I could do was the lyrics. And here I was getting a complete melody. I couldn't ignore it."

She discovered a music studio two blocks from her house and was able to complete the CDs with expert help and the knowledge she gained through childhood piano lessons and college voice classes.

"I realized I had better use the talent I had been developing for His purposes," she says, "and so I began sharing the lessons he taught me through Bible columns. These become the basis of my devotions book, Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook.

To read more of Lorilyn Roberts’ blogposts, visit LorilynRoberts.com