Jesus, Take A Hold

Jesus, Take A Hold

Isaiah 55:8-9 King James Version (KJV)

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Once again, as always, the morning news is filled with dire and troubling information and speculation that can only lead to more of the same. It has ever been thus, and shall be thus until the information given long ago is accepted that brooks no speculation, allows no miscomprehension, remains constant in solution of any and all inequality and divisiveness created by mankind.

Today’s title comes from yet another offering in song given in the form of a prayer years ago from another popular singer that devoted far more of his talent toward the wonderings and wanderings of man, than toward the gospel, yet somehow managed to find the time to devote a portion of his time to the gift given him by God, for God’s purposes.

Having spent, or rather misspent, so much of my own time, I find his effort in this particular song worthy of repetition, the prayer worthy of inclusion in my own, in full knowledge and understanding that that prayer is already answered before it was first given by myself and all before and all after me to give voice to that prayer.

Jesus, Take A Hold

Merle Haggard

Like the ancient Roman empire, this world is doomed to fall
And it's much too big a thing for mortal man
Just take a look around and see the writing on the wall
Somehow we've got to find a helping hand

This world has never been in the awful shape it's in
And people scorn the things our leaders do
It's time a prayer was spoken from the heart of every man
Jesus, take a hold and lead us through

The mighty roar of gunfire is now a local sound
And our city streets are filled with angry men
Law's now a mockery throughout our troubled land
And destruction seems to be the current trend

This world has never been in the awful shape it's in
And our leaders seem in doubt, what to do
It's time a prayer was spoken from the heart of every man
Jesus, take a hold and lead us through
Jesus, take a hold and lead us through

Even as this particular dissertation is being written, remembrance must be and is given to far greater words than those making the request, that remain the answer to that request for all willing to accept that answer!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

¹² Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

It is that expected end that is to be sought, not allowing the expected trials to take precedence.

It is the prayer, like the one given in the words of this title song that needs to be reiterated, but done so in FAITH that the answer is assured, the outcome is assured, the victory has been won already through Christ Jesus, and that we have already been heard before having asked.

It is imperative that need to continue to call on Him be understood and followed, and that the requisite use of whole heart be followed as well.

Jesus reminded us of what to expect from the world, he also reminded us of what never to accept from it despite the pressure that continues to be placed on us by it.

^{Matthew 24:4-51 King James Version (KJV)}

⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

⁵ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

⁶ And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

⁷ For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

⁹ Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

¹⁰ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

¹¹ And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

¹² And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

¹⁵ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

¹⁶ Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

¹⁷ Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

¹⁸ Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

¹⁹ And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

²⁰ But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

²¹ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

²² And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

²³ Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

²⁵ Behold, I have told you before.

²⁶ Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

²⁷ For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

²⁸ For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

³⁰ And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

³¹ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

³² Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

³³ So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

³⁴ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

³⁵ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

³⁶ But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

³⁷ But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

³⁸ For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

³⁹ And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

⁴⁰ Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

⁴¹ Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

⁴² Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

⁴³ But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

⁴⁴ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

⁴⁵ Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

⁴⁷ Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

⁴⁸ But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

⁴⁹ And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

⁵⁰ The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

⁵¹ And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

As the warning is read, and hopefully understood for what it is, attention given to that warning makes available the promise stated within that warning;

Matthew 24:13

¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

That endurance comes only with and through prayer, given in Spirit and in truth in recognition of the TRUTH that:

Philippians 2:10-11King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Acts 4:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Romans 10:13

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Amen and Amen

CMc