The Dead In Christ

According to the Apostle Paul, meeting the Lord will be like this:

"¹³Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

I have some questions . . .

#1.) Who are "the dead in Christ?"

According to GotQuestions.org, the dead in Christ are those believers who have died before the second coming of Jesus. Billy Graham qualifies in that regard. So does Stephen, the first martyr. Believers who have died before the Lord's return "will rise first."

Next question - #2.) Will the dead in Christ rise physically or spiritually?

The reason I ask this question is that when Jesus died on the cross several dead people rose physically from the grave.

"⁵²The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people." - Matthew 27:52-53

A foretaste of things to come? Hmm.

Here's an interesting truth. Paul writes to the church in Corinth, about being "away from the body and present with the Lord." A lot of people have gotten this verse wrong. Including me. Paul doesn't say WHEN we are away from the body we are present with the Lord. Read the actual verse and see.

"⁸We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 5:8

Various translations use the words 'rather' and 'prefer.' None say WE WILL. Be careful out there. So where do we go when we die?

When Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross He said, "²³Today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:43

Read this additional comment from GotQuestions.org:

There has always been a separation of believers and unbelievers after death (Luke 16:19-31). The righteous have always gone to paradise; the wicked have always gone to hell. For right now, both paradise and hell are “temporary holding places” until the day when Jesus Christ comes back to judge the world based on whether or not individuals have believed in Him. The first resurrection is of believers who will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive rewards based on meritorious service to Him. The second resurrection will be that of unbelievers who will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment of God. At that point, all will be sent to their eternal destination—the wicked to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15), and the righteous to a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21—22).

Note that it says we who believe will go to PARADISE' when we die, not heaven. Interesting distinction.

Does it really matter who rises first? I don't think so. But meeting "the Lord in the air" will be spectacular!! THEN we will be with the Lord forever. That's all that matters.

Who Are The Dead In Christ

- Gotquestions.org

The Gospel

"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim The Gospel to the whole creation." - Mark 16:15

Okay. First off, the word 'gospel' means 'good news,' so keep that in mind as we go through today's story.

And who was Jesus talking to? He was talking to the Eleven when He appeared to them after rising from the dead. 

So, "The Gospel." Let's start with some basics. God knows everything. He always was, and always will be. God is perfect and demands perfection. That's where we all should go, "Uh-oh." Because WE, none of us, are perfect.

We WERE perfect once but then there was the serpent and Adam and Eve eating forbidden fruit. You know the story. From that point on we were separated from God. That's not good news.

The Bible says that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). That means that if we sin we're going to hell. Forever. So, where's 'the good news?' Wait. It gets even worse.

The Bible also says, "there is no one who does good, not even one" (Psalm 14:3). People then asked "who then can be saved?" (Luke 18:26). Good question. But then Jesus said this:

“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” - Luke 18:27

And that's where "the good news" begins.

We read about all God's rules and laws, like The Ten Commandments and the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, and we realize that no one can possibly keep all those. And that's right. I think that was the point.

God made the people sacrifice various things to atone for their sin. Goats, cattle, lambs, doves, first fruits of the land, etc. But the sacrifices weren't lasting. Neither was their repentance for sin.

So, we ask the question again, who then can be saved? "With God, all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

God is a just judge. And the wages of sin is death, right? Someone has sinned, so someone has to die. God demands a sacrifice.

We have heard words like grace, mercy and forgiveness before. But we cannot understand the true meaning of 'sacrifice' and 'first fruits' until we contemplate someone actually dying for something that WE did.

And this is the good news . . . 

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

Jesus is our once-for-all sacrifice. Jesus died so that we might live. All we have to do is believe in Jesus, follow His commands, turn from our life of sin, and follow Him.

It's pretty simple once we understand the basics.

How was it that YOU came to be saved? Did someone share the good news about Jesus with YOU?

Why Preach The Gospel? - Voddie Baucham

Is Babylon Falling?

"And the lookout shouted, “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post. 

Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’” - Isaiah 21:8-9

What is this Babylon that the chariot driver mentioned? It seems to be quite a mystery. 

I was watching the news this past week concerning the wild fires in California. Several reporters called the fiery scene 'apocalyptic' in nature. That got my attention.

Is there any connection between this Mystery Babylon and fire in the Bible? There is.

"Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror." - Isaiah 21:1

Well, there are definitely whirlwinds blowing in California. Winds gust of 100mph have been reported. And the fire? This is from John, writing about a Babylon in Revelation 18.

"Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her." - Revelation 18:8

There's the fire! But is Los Angeles 'Mystery Babylon?' I don't think so. But the fiery scenes we've been witnessing in LA will be definitely happening to a futuristic Babylon.

There are many potential candidates - Rome, Jerusalem, America, even a general economic system. No one seems to know for sure.

The Babylon thay Isaiah was talking about was most likely the Roman Empire. It DID fall, and it DID burn. But the Babylon in Revelation has not happened yet.

The Babylon in John's writing could be a city somewhere. It also could be an economic system, like the U S. dollar or the European Union. But it also could be this sinful so iety that Satan has built around himaelf. Who knows? Not me. But things seem to be falling into place. Just watch the news.

Who Is Babylon In Revelation?

God Provides

"The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you:” - Exodus 31:1-6

That was God talking to Moses about building the tabernacle. But it is also evidence that God can instill in specific people amazing talent and knowledge and wisdom for His utlimate glory.

I was reminded of this story as I spoke to people yesterday about my friend Kortney's heart and double lung transplant that took place on January 1st. Everyone was amazed at the skills these surgeons and technicians have.

You can almost see them operating, maybe 6-8 of them seated around her. Each of them performing some amazingly difficult task.

What skills has God given YOU? I write stories about God to give Him glory. That' just a small thing. Maybe you're a daycare teacher or a mom. Maybe you're a dad volunteering to coach his son's baseball team. The important thing is, does what we do glorify God?

You might wonder if the heart surgeons were really glorifying God or just doing their jobs. Well, they definitely posess God-given skills. They may or may not be believers. But what about the effected families?

Kortney's family and friends have been praying for months. Kortney and her husband are SO thankful for the prayers!

The point is that God gives people the ability to do things. What are we doing for Him? God provides for our every need out of love and grace. Do we extend love and grace on His behalf to those we meet on any given day?

Jesus told us to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Are we shining?

The Dude Abides

These pitiful stories that I inflict you with each week come from a variety of places. Songs, sermons, bathroom sink drains, etc. The only thing that can be said about them with any certainty is that the main character of each epistle is God - Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit.

The topic for this one came from the title of a Facebook movie clip called "The Dude Abides." There's a link at the bottom.

The short video features a conversation between Jeff Bridges and Sam Elliot from the movie The Big Lebowski. In the clip, Mr. Bridges' character (The Dude) offers this gem.

"The Dude abides."

I thought about that statement for a moment and, in the light of scripture, felt it should be worthy of consideration. We ALL should abide!

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." - John 15:1-11

After reading that, I have come to the conclusion that Jesus wants us ALL to abide. He is in us, and us in Him.

What does abiding in Jesus look like?

To 'abide' is to live. And not simply to just live, but to live in such a way that we live IN Him. That we become like Him. Like a tree abides with the soil. And here is the test.

When people look at us, or think of us, do they see Jesus? That's a tough one. But no one ever said that living like Christ would be easy. In fact . . .

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

James reminds us of this 'troublesome' fact later when he writes . . .

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, a whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4

To sum up, abiding in Jesus is pure joy, even when it isn't. Does that make sense?

Abide then! And experience the joy that The Father intended from the very beginning. Abide! Yes, abide! "And the peace which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

Dear Mr. Putin

I watched a music video recently. No, it wasn't Pink Floyd, Hendrix, or Santana. It was Tchaikovsky.

What struck me about the video (link below) was that is was basically a tour of St. Basil's Cathedral. I had never seen the inside.  Wow!

With such a beautiful building at the center of Moscow, one would think it's leaders would be quite religious. You'd think.

A lot of the world's leaders do things in the name of their god. Except their gods are not really the one-true God.

When Paul entered the city of Athens he made similar observations about its people.

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: 'to an unknown god.' So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship - and this is what I am going to proclaim to you." - Acts 17:22-23

Not knowing the God we worship is a one-way ticket to hell. That statement is not simply MY opinion. It's God's Word.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ - Matthew 7:21-23

There's a lot of good words in Matthew 7. Most read 'do not judge' and stop reading. Read the whole chapter! Jesus tells us that we ARE to judge people, by their fruit.

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" - Matthew 7:16

As Christians, we are to resemble the God we follow. By that criteria, Putin would appear to follow HIS god, Satan, not Jesus as the images inside his cathedral confesses.

There is one God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God who created the universe and everything in it. The God who sacrificed His one and only Son so that we could live with Him forever.

KNOW WHO YOU WORSHIP.

Hymn of The Cherubim - Tchaikovsky

Grace

We had the fam over on Christmas Eve for a light lunch and gift opening. There were eight of us in attendance so thankfully we have two bathrooms.

A few days before our big event, I happened to be down in the basement when I "felt the urge" and hustled into the lower-level bathroom. There, just sitting in the sink, all by himself, was a big ol' spider. So, naturally, I turned on the sink faucet and washed him down the drain.

My wife would never have done that. For example, we get beetles in our house every once in a while, during the winter. My wife lovingly picks them up, carries them to the front door, and puts them outside. Yes, they probably freeze to death, but she doesn't kill them.

God is even more graceful with us humans. We are sinful by nature, deserving of death. Yet God extends US grace and gives US the means to escape His coming wrath.

On Christmas Eve day, with all of our guests in the house, I went down to use the bathroom again. There, sitting calmly in the sink, was my friend, Mr. Spider. I was about to wash him down the drain again, but then I stopped and thought for a moment.

"Leave him alone," I said to myself. "He's been through enough this week."

My wife is a great teacher. Her example of grace saved a spider's life on Christmas Eve. God has given us ALL a way to escape "the swirling waters of death." By placing our faith in Jesus Christ, His One and Only Son. It is the free gift of salvation.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:1-5

The Woods

It's amazing how, when our eyes are opened, we begin seeing things from an entirely new and different viewpoint. Take The Wizard of Oz for example.

"You're out of the woods. You're out of the dark. You're out of the night. Step into the sun. Step into the light."

The latest film to be hyped by 'Hollyweird' is named Wicked. That should tell you everything you need to know about the movie right there. The film had a $150 million budget and, as of this writing, has taken in $634.4 million. Universal Studios must be happy.

So, why should we be concerned about such a clearly popular movie? What's the big deal?

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.” - Deuteronomy 18:9-12

Well, that seems clear to me. Witchcraft is NOT good. So, why do we promoted it so much in Hollywood and in our families?

Think about all the dark TV shows and movies there are. The Wizard of Oz, Bewitched, The Harry Potter series of movies, Narnia movies, Lord of The Rings movies, Charmed, Malificent, Into The Woods, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Blair Witch Project, The Witches of Eastwick, even Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. There ARE more. And this list doesn't even include all of the Halloween movies. My point is this ....

Why would we do something that The Lord clearly hates? Either we are unaware or we are apathetic about such things.

God's punishment for involvement with such things is death. Just sayin' ....

"You shall not permit a sorceress to live." - Exodus 22:18 

"A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.” - Leviticus 20:27

We have grown far to accustomed to witchcraft in our society today, in my opinion. It's almost been normalized. Time to make a change.

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we literally step out of darkness and into the light. To use the Wizard of Oz line from my opening paragraphs . . . 

You're out of the woods. You're out of the dark. You're out of the night. Step into The Son. Step into The Light."

Witches & Witchcraft - Gotquestions.org

The Reason?

Have you ever heard anyone say, "Jesus is the reason for the season?" I sure have. I've even said it myself. And why not? We celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. Why wouldn't He be the reason for the season? I'll answer that question with another question.

"Why did Jesus come?"

Now your thinkin'. Let's pull out John 3:16 and start there. See any clues?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Why did God "give His one and only Son?"

So that we will not perish. But why would we perish?

"Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." - John 3:18

So, "whoever does not believe stands condemned." That's what Jesus said. Then we can assume that, if Jesus had not come, we all would be condemned. Right? "That the world, through Him, might be saved."

So, the reason He came was to save us?

Yes.

So, the reason He came . . . the reason He was born . . . was to live a sinless life, then to die. A living sacrifice for OUR sins. Oh, my!

The reason for the season . . . is US!!

Yep. Interesting.

[This story was inspired by Chuck Swindoll's message that my friend Marty posted on Facebook.]

Listen to this song as if it were sung by us to Jesus. You will be amazed.

The Reason - Hoobastank

Christmas Gifts

When my wife and I were first married we didn't have much money for Christmas gifts. The year was 1977 and we were living in Menominee, WI - a 4+ hour drive from our families living in the Milwaukee suburbs.

My wife was working as a dietitian at the Eau Claire hospital and I was pounding nails as a carpenter.

When Christmastime came, we struggled to come up with Christmas gift ideas for our family members. My wife had made a piece of embroidery in one of her classes. I brought a 4x4 chunk of wood home from the junk pile at the job site. Those two things, plus a nail, and we fashioned a candle holder. We also splurged and bought a candle too. Ooo! (lace not included).

The carpenter crew I was working on was putting siding on a house - a beautiful A-frame with cedar siding. The cornerboards were made out of 1x4 rough-sawn cedar - one board lapped on top of the other - to form an L-shape. In order to get the corners symmetrical, a 3/4" strip had to be cut off one of the boards. The leftover strips were thrown into the dumpster as scrap. But not for long.

I brought the cedar scraps home and began cutting them into pieces. These became picture frames and also stars to put on the top of our Christmas tree, and the trees of our parents. My wife then baked some cookies and our gift "shopping" was done.

Today, we live in a world of gift cards and Amazon Prime. We see, we buy, we check people off a shopping list. Christmas cards are also becoming a thing of the past.

Life was much simpler 47 years ago, and I think better in many ways. Gifts were simpler, more personal, and the giving came more from the heart.

This year our daughter gave me just such a gift. She created it herself. And printed it herself. And she KNEW the gift recipient's heart, which made it truly special.

All gifts given and received are wonderful things, but sometimes the simplest gifts can be the most meaningful. Seek the simple things in life, not necessarily the most convenient. Give from the heart, and not out of obligation. The best gifts are given out of love, and often by using the gifts that we ourselves have already been given.

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” - 2 Corinthians 9:7 

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” - 1 Peter 4:10

Christmas 2024

It's interesting how things work out sometimes. Like this year, when I sat down to write this Christmas letter I just happened to be in the Gospels as part of my daily reading. The Book of Luke in particular. Strange . . .

In addition to the Christmas story found in Luke 2, I heard several verses that stood out in subsequent chapters. Like this one for example:

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, pick up their cross daily, and follow me." - Luke 9:23

First off, the word "whoever" tells us that anyone can be a disciple of Jesus. The invitation is an open one. But being a disciple comes at a cost. We have to “deny ourselves.” In other words, we must deny everything that is of this world and of a selfish nature. We are then to follow Jesus and Him alone.

Second is the phrase "our cross." What does that mean? We can almost picture it, us lugging a wooden cross up a hill. But that's not what Jesus meant. Our cross is not an illness, an infirmity, or work. It's our 'self' and our ‘sin’ that we must give up.

Do you remember that old hymn, "I Surrender All?" That's our cross, in a nutshell. How much of our lives do we surrender to Jesus? All? Everything?

Everything about us is what Jesus wants. And He wants it daily!

What does the look like? When we get up, do we devote the day to Jesus before getting out of bed? Do we honor Him at work or at school? Do we honor Him in our relationships? Every day?

We should give thanks to Him for His mercy, grace, forgiveness, and provision. He gives those things to US. Daily.

This Christmas, let us honor Him with thanks and praise. Let us seek Him in our daily prayers, and surrender every aspect of our daily lives to Him.

Then . . . we can be His disciples. Then . . . we can truly have a most-joyous Christmas.

I Surrender All - Journey Worship Co.

The Weatherman

As I gaze out our living room window it's Thursday morning, and there is no hint of what is about to happen. The sky is cloudy but there is no precipitation. Yet, if we turn on the television or look at the weather app on our phones, we can quickly see that a rather large storm is headed our way.

In our area this morning, schools have already closed. Even though there is absolutely zero snow on the ground. Why? They know what's coming.

“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." - Matthew 16:2-3

Where would we be without the weatherman? Without someone to warn us about the future and the dangerous things that await us?

Jesus has already warned us about a coming storm. Yet we don't seem to pay any attention. We just go on with our daily lives, without a care in the world. Why?

I'd like to show you an obscure little verse, but it is really HUGE if we want to know why not everyone believes in God.

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." - 2 Corinthians 4:4

Who is "the god of this age?" Notice that the word 'god' is not capitalized. This 'god' that Paul is writing about is Satan. HE "has blinded the minds of unbelievers."

And who was it that made the blind to see?

Jesus.

"The Lord opens the eyes of the blind." - Psalm 146:8

Those who have believed in Jesus have had their eyes opened by the Holy Spirit. Sadly, many people that we love are still blind. They have no idea that there's a storm coming. We need to pray for them, because the storm is already on the radar.