What an absolute joy it has been to use the promotional opportunities for the new children’s book, such as this book signing in Wilmington, North Carolina, to encourage little people to come to Jesus. Because Heaven is God’s promise for them, too! Picture taken by Lumina News, copyright February 2012.
There are times when we are so physically weary, so overloaded with responsibility, so pulled on by others, so sapped of emotional energy, so tapped out mentally, so attacked by the enemy, that we need to be ministered to ourselves. Jesus found Himself in this situation following a forty-day period in the wilderness where He had been under constant pressure physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. God sent angels to minister to Him because without the supernatural strength from Heaven that they brought, He may not have been able at that time to begin His public ministry.
Christmas is over. The shopping, baking, decorating, and wrapping are just memories now. But the message of the angels is timeless. It’s one that is desperately needed in our world, not just on December 25th, but every day of this New Year. It’s a message of Hope for the world.
If ever there was a time to offer Hope to all people, it’s now. The population has exploded, unemployment is high, bankruptcies are common, suicides are rampant, politicians lack leadership, leaders lack courage, Christians are unrighteous, and the masses are unrepentant. The list goes on. What is the world coming to? What hope is there for the future of my grandchildren, not just economically and politically, but morally? The land that we love is changing so drastically that future generations will not know the freedoms that we have enjoyed for so long.
My initial inspiration for Heaven: God’s Promise for Me was my three granddaughters. So it was a thrill to share my very first copy with my youngest, Anne Riggin. She now has her own copy and loves it! How I pray God will use this book to gather little children into His loving embrace. Forever!
Jesus loves little children! He underscored their value in Heaven when He revealed that the angels who are assigned to them occupy a position of privilege and power in God’s inner circle. He singled children out for attention and affection, seated them on His lap, wrapped His arms around them, and rebuked misguided adults who sought to keep children away from Him.
I am expecting to see Jesus! In the deep place where nobody goes…in the very deepest core of my being…in the deep inner place of knowing…in that same deep place I know that my generation is the one that immediately precedes the return of Jesus Christ to earth. Jesus is coming! I know it!
How can anyone know such a thing? My knowledge is not based on my hopeful thinking…not on dreams and wishes and feelings…not on hearsay or doom…not on gloomy economic forecasts…not on the dramatic political, social, cultural, medical, environmental and moral cataclysmic changes taking place in our world today…not on environmental disasters of biblical proportion like Hurricane Katrina or the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. I base my deep inner conviction on what Jesus said.
This AnGeL has “seen” Jesus; and the vision of His glory manifested through His character of goodness, kindness, faithfulness, graciousness, tenderness, thoughtfulness…and just generally, His loveliness…has made life not just bearable, but exceedingly better. Let me give you some examples:
