An Abomination?

This week in Alabama woman received a pig kidney transplant. This medical procedure freed her from 8 years of dialysis. A medical miracle, right? Or is it an abomination to The Lord?

When Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the end times He mentioned an 'abomination.' What was that?

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand. - Matthew 24:15

He referred to the prophet Daniel here. What did Daniel have to say?

"And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." - Daniel 9:27

At the temple? I have heard Bible experts say that "the abomination that causes desolation" will be the Antichrist sacrificing a pig on the altar in God's rebuilt temple. However, there is no physical temple right now. Nor has the Antichrist made himself known.

Consider this from the Apostle Paul:

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" - 1 Corinthians 6:19

When God gave The Law to Moses back in the day he said this about unclean animals in the Book of Leviticus. Guess what . . .

"And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you." - Leviticus 12:7-8

Sacrificing an unclean animal on something that was clean would definitely be an abomination to God.

Back to the pig/kidney story. So surgeons just "sacrificed" a pig (an abomination to God) and placed its unclean kidney into a human. If this human was a Christian their "temple" (their body) would contain the Holy Spirit. Do you think that might be an abomination to God?

Yeah, I know, I'm stretching things. But it might be wise for us to consider such things. Especially as we see the day aporoaching.

God is the performer of miracles, not man.

I am reminded of Dr. Ian Malcom from the Jurrasic Park movie. He said this about unchecked scientific endeavors:

"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn't stop to think if they should."

Pig Kidney Transplant Story - AP

Waiting

If we close our eyes we can picture them, sitting in class. A teacher is teaching. Students are listening . . . most of them anyway. In many ways it is a normal day - kids waiting patiently for the bell. But then there's a loud BANG and then another and another. What is happening?

Monday was just like every other day at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison,  WI. And now two kids are dead. Their teacher too. And five others are critically injured.

Meanwhile, parents were hearing the news of a shooting at their kid's school. That is a phone call no parent ever wants to get. For a parent, waiting and wondering, hoping and praying, must but the longest, most agonizing, wait they have ever had.

And it's interesting how we initially assume that the shooter was "a troubled teenage boy." Nope. A 15-year old girl. And a 2-year old girl called 9-1-1!

People are also quick to blame guns for this. While true - "If there were no guns this never would have happened." - it's not really the gun's fault. It's ours.

Do you remember the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013? Three people died, hundreds were injured, 17 lost limbs. No guns were used. Just a couple of homemade pressure cooker bombs.

The problem is us.

So, how do we fix the problem? The parents at ALCS were taking a good step, enrolling their kids in a Christian school. But that act didn't grant immunity from their struggles and pain on Monday.

One day, hopefully soon, Jesus will return and take us home. He has promised to give us all new hearts. That's something EVERYONE needs. Not just gun owners.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." - Ezekiel 36:26

The Madison police chief said, "Every child, every person in that building, is a victim and will be a victim forever."

That's not true. It's true for THIS life, but not the next. Not FOREVER.

Prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones. Such a tragic loss of life. The only consolation in this whole nightmare is that the teacher and kids were most likely Christians and are with Jesus right now.

"Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 5:8

For those of us who remain on this earth, waiting for Jesus, we need to make sure our kids know Him. To make sure that He is Lord of all in all our families. That is the only way to keep Satan from eternally killing their souls and no amount of waiting will EVER bring them back.

Madison Shooting - Newsmax

Boomerang Blessings

Recently a new family came to worship at our church. I know this because all five of them sat down in front of me. Pretty observant, right? I know!

The youngest was a boy named Lonnie. He's about six or seven I'd guess. Always active and doing something. Always looking up at his mom.

What can I do for this kid who always brings a smile to my face? Hmm.

I returned my attention to the front of the church where worship was about to begin. That's when the idea came.

I attend church at Calvary Chapel - Waupaca. A small church but a wonderful one. The symbol of our church is a descending dove, like this one.

Then I remembered my brother making an origami bird back in the day. Okay. I did a little YouTube research at home an viola! An origami dove!

I gave the folded paper bird to Lonnie last week. He loved it and kept playing with it. He would pick it up and swoop it around, like a bird in flight. Then he'd turn around and look at me. Priceless!

Yesterday, as I was putting on my coat to leave church, Lonnie's dad came up to me, smiling.

"That bird you gave Lonnie last week? He has it sitting on a shelf in his bedroom."

What a blessing! A simple little paper bird had a positive effect on a young boy AND his dad.

"Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and the one who waters will himself be watered." - Proverbs 11:25

A New Beginning

Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have successfully navigated your way to my blog page. . . and are about to experience something new!

I have been writing stories for this blog since 2012. In fact, this will be my 1,872nd story. As you might have guessed, I like to write. 

Each week in have posted three of these stories on Facebook, to the point where many of my friends have either blocked me or unfollowed me. I get it. It's okay. That's not the reason I am making this change.

Someone out there has been verbally attacking me and my wife over the content of some of my stories. That is unnacceptable to me. I don't care if people attack me, but when you go after my bride,  that's it. So, I am making some changes that will hopefully minimize that person's "pain." And ours.

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another." - Romans 12:14-16

I will still post a link on Facebook, but only once each week instead of three times. It will appear in your newsfeed, just like normal, sometime on Sunday, just like this one did. It is the Lord's day.

I will still write three stories each week (M, W, Sa). I just won't share them all on FB. That's why the link you clicked on today is important. The link is also at the bottom of this page.

My Facebook post will still look pretty much the same, but the link I post will take you to my blog page, not to an individual story (But you have already discovered that). ALL of my stories will be there, the newest right on top. Just click on the story you'd like to read. If you've missed one, this will actually make it easier for you to find.

There are also other features and tools on the page to help you find anything you're looking for. This is automatic for computer users. If you access the blog via phone you will need to scroll down to the bottom and click on "View web version."

I realize that this move might effect my "numbers," but that's not why I write these stories. I write them to honor God with the gift He has given me. Like the little drummer boy.

"I write my blog for You. Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum."

Each story is related to His Word, and will always contain at least one passage of scripture.

So, it's off with the old and on with the new (Eph 4:17)! May His glorious name be forever praised (Psalm 72:19). Amen!

https://bobslifesongs.blogspot.com/

Wheels In The Sky

This week the news headlines have been filled with stories about drones, flying in the night sky over various cities. Who is piloting these drones? Are they from some foreign country, launched from a "mothership" offshore some place? Who knows? Not our government, that's for sure.

To be honest, I don't have any answers either. But I do know this: These events are exposing a real weakness in our defense system. Here's just one possible scenario.

A Chinese national, who crossed our southern border a few years ago, orders a drone or two from Amazon. He conducts a few test flights over New York City. Then  he visits the Chinese embassy in D.C. and picks up the latest biological cocktail from the Wuhan Virology Lab. All set for the presidential inauguration on January 20th.

Of course, I just made that up, but what's scary is, it COULD really happen!

Speaking of end of the world conspiracy theories, this all reminds me of a Bible story from the book of Ezekiel. Think about those drones as you read this.

"As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 

Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels." - Exekiel 1:17-21

How would Ezekiel describe a drone if he saw one in a vision? In chapter 1 of Ezekiel he describes four "creatures," each with a "wheel." Four wheels? You mean like the picture above?

What were the four creatures mentioned? Each creature had four faces - a human, a lion, and ox, and an eagle. What do these four faces represent? Four nations? Here's one explanation.

"The lion symbolizes strength and kingship, the calf (or ox) represents service and sacrifice, the man denotes intelligence and reason, and the eagle signifies swiftness and divine oversight. These symbols collectively reflect the fullness of creation and the comprehensive nature of God’s dominion." - from BibleAsk.com

These are all mysteries. Only God knows for sure. All we know is that Ezekiel's visions are concerning a time of the end.

Keep your eyes on the skies, my brothers and sisters. 

Ezekiel 1: 1-21

Wheel In The Sky - Journey

The Art of Forgiveness

"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:32

There it is. Be KIND to one another. Forgive each other. Two commands we seem to struggle with. Why.

Just to make sure, let's check with Jesus to see what HE has to say about it.

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." - Matthew 6:14-15

Uh-oh.

Just to be clear, if we don't forgive others, we're going to hell. You, me, everybody who does not forgive others.

Here's the real question: HOW do we forgive someone who has wronged us? Do we talk to them about it? That often does not end well. The secret to forgiveness is not from one person to another. It's to God through prayer.

"For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7

Give these situations to God in prayer. Relinquish control of these hurtful situations to Him and let go.

If we continue to hold onto grudges and we keep remembering how so-and-so wronged us, it is not going to go well for us.

Remember, God knows our hearts. He can tell when we have truly forgiven someone.

Let go, and let God.

"Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge that they themselves must pass." - Confucius

"We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love." - Martin Luther King Jr.

God forgives like no other.

The Heart of The Matter - Don Henley

I Apologize - Sidewalk Prophets

Prophecy Fulfilled?

Early Sunday morning the word came.

"Damascus has fallen. Assad is missing."

My friends, we are living in exciting times. Why? Because Bible prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes. And just one . . . day . . . ago!

This specific "Damascus" prophecy is found in Isaiah 17. Verse 1 . . .

"A prophecy against Damascus: 

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city

    but will become a heap of ruins."

Damascus is still standing so this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. However, Verse 3 contains a prophecy about a royal family fleeing from Damascus.

"The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus;"

King Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria (story below). As of this writing, no one knows what has become if him. He is a "royal power" that "disappeared from Damascus."

The 100,00-strong rebel force is comprised of about 20 different groups - ISIS and al-Qaeda among them. This is a very dangerous time in Syria, as the Assad regime was backed by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. 

The prophecy in Isaiah could also be for a future time as well, but when coupled with other current events, things like this get our attention. The words of Jesus, our Lord . . .

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." - Matthew 24:6-8

Keep praying! Things are not falling apart. They are falling into place.

Syrian Government Falls - Associated Press

Come To Jesus

There is a wee little story in the Book of Mark that is a perfect primer for anyone wanting to be saved. Jesus and His disciples are in Jericho when someone yells out from the crowd.

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" - Mark 10:47

The man calling out to Jesus was named Bartimaeus, and he was blind.

"Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” 

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. 

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” - Mark 10:49-52

What can we learn from this story? And what are the steps we must take as we place our faith in Jesus?

1. We must hear about Jesus. We must hear about the miracles he has done.
2. We must know who Jesus is. As Bartimaeus said, "Jesus, Son of David . . ." Bartimaeus knew Jesus was the promised Messiah.
3. We must be called, and Jesus did that very thing for Bartimaeus. Jesus' disciples were acting like the coming Holy Spirit, who calls many into the Kingdom.
4. We must pray. Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted. Bartimaeus said, "I want to see." This a very basic prayer, but it worked.

And notice that Jesus said, "Your faith has healed you. Jesus says this more than once when He healed people.

Bartimaeus was even gifted something he DIDN'T ask for. Eternal life.

I would guess that Bartimaeus was one happy man after his encounter with Jesus. Events like this can happen today. All we have to do is Come To Jesus. And live.

Come To Jesus - Chris Rice

The Light

Sometimes the Bible can be a little confusing. That is, until we study it and learn its true meaning. Here's an example of what I'm talking about.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so thatb they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

Just who is "the light" Jesus is refering to? In one place, Jesus tells us that HE is the light, but in another He says that WE are the light.

So, which is it? Are WE the light? Or is Jesus the light?

Yes. It's both. But there IS only one light. Confused? Just wait.

"And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." - Genesis 1:3

If God created light, how could HE be light if it wasn't created yet? My brain is beginning to hurt.

Jesus IS The Light. He always was and always will be. Let there be no confusion about that.

The light that God created in the Book of Genesis was the sun, moon and stars.

As for US being "the light of the world," who was Jesus talking to when He said, "You are the light of the world?"

"Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them." - Matthew 5:1-2

Was Jesus talking to just His disciples or the entire crowd? Or both? Hard to say.

Let me just say this: There is just one light - God the Father , God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Everyone else is just a reflection of that light.

We are like the moon. We have no light of our own. We just reflect HIS light in this world. Once we remember that, there is no confusion left.

You Are The Sun - Sara Groves

Everyone?

This past week, Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic church, came out with a statement that said all Catholics should embrace cohabitating couples (i.e. people living together and having sex outside of marriage). Is that biblical? What does the Bible say about this? First, a definition . . .

Fornication - sexual intercourse between people who are not married to each other, especially when considered as a sin.

Here's the quote:

"The Church does not close the door to those who struggle on the path of faith, indeed, she throws the door wide open, because everyone 'needs merciful and encouraging pastoral attention' [Amoris Laetitia, 293]," the pope said Monday.

[That's true so far... He goes on...]

"Everyone. Do not forget this word: everyone, everyone, everyone. Jesus said this when those invited to the wedding did not come, and Jesus says: 'Go into the streets and bring everyone, everyone, everyone — But Lord, all the good ones, no? — No, everyone! Good and bad! Everyone, everyone.' Do not forget that word 'everyone,' which is in a sense the vocation of the Church, mother of all."

The Pope referenced a parable told by Jesus found in Matthew 22.

"And again, Jesus spoke to them . . ."

Who is them? Who was Jesus talking to?

"When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them." - Matthew 21:45

The Bible is all the proof we need.

Jesus goes on in Chapter 22 to the tell His parable. There's a link below so you can read the entire parable if you wish but here's Bob's condensed version.

Jesus didn't invite 'everyone' into heaven, as the Pope claims. The word 'everyone' that the Pope used so many times in his statement is not even found in the text. At least the ESV that I used.

"But they (the Pharisees and religious leaders) paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another town his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them." - Matthew 22:5-6

Who are Jesus' servants here? They are disciples. Let's continue reading.

"The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find." - Matthew 22:8-9

The 'invited' were the Pharisees and religious leaders who refused to hear Jesus' teaching. And the text doesn't say 'everyone' as the Pope claims. It says, 'as many as you can find.' These are the Gentiles.

From my MacArthur study Bible:

'This illustrates the free offer of the Gospel, which is extended to all indiscriminately.'

Conclusion?

The Pope does not know his Bible. Shame on him - the leader of his flock. He is a false teacher. His fate will be worse that those he is leading in the wrong direction. I'm no Biblical scholar either but at least I read and study my Bible. So should the Pope.

If you are a member of the Catholic church, I encourage you to leave it. Trust in the Lord and in His Word. Do not listen to mere men, including me. Trust God.

Jesus ends His parable with these words...

"For many are called, but few are chosen." - Matthew 22:14

Matthew 22

Pope Francis Article

Slings and Arrows

There are many things hidden in The Bible that require study. Some can only become properly revealed through The Holy Spirit. But some of God's mysteries and prophesies of real-time events today only become obvious when certain words or phrases get used in our lives. Then God's Word begins to leap from its pages and we can unravel His hidden mysteries for our edification and direction.

Today's storiy comes from the Book of Zachariah. I have read it many times but have never made these connections until recently. Here's a portion of the text. See if anything jumps off the page at you. Look for words that have present day meanings, remembering that Zachariah wrote this book approximately 2,700 years ago. Are you ready?

"14 Then the Lord will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south,

15 and the Lord Almighty will shield them.

They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar.

16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock.

They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown." - Zachariah 9:14-16

What did you find? These are my interpretations: 

Verse 14: the key words are "over them," "arrow," "storms of the south."

Over them - like a dome over Israel? As in Iron Dome, Israel's air defense system. 

Arrow - like Israel's anti-ballistic mussle system.

Storms of the south - as in Gaza and Israel's fight against Hamas.

Verse 15: the key words are "shield," "slingstones."

Shield - again like a protective dome aka Iron Dome.

Slingstones - as in David's Sling, an Israeli-American defense system.

Verse 16: "their God will save his people on that day."

Do you remember Iran's drone attack on Israel back in April? Over 300 projectiles, including 170 drones and 120 ballistic missles. How many Israelis died.

Zero.

They were all shot down by the defense systems prophesied by Zachariah. At least in my opinion anyway. Yes, the United States helped Israel, and another "ally," but God's hand of protection was on Israel that day. And it's still there.

I'm no biblical scholar, but when I see all these keywords in the news, I get kind of excited. May the Lord bless you too as you read and study His Word.

Zachariah 9

Tamar³

Trivia question: How many Tamars are mentioned in the Bible? The answer is three (in case you didn't notice the title of today's story). And if those three aren't enough to keep track of, there were also a few towns named Tamar.

Tamar means "date" in ancient Hebrew, like the fruit - "date," "date palm," or "palm tree," are all acceptable meanings for Tamar.

Not much is mentioned about Tamar #3, except that she was the daughter of Absalom (King David's son) and that she was beautiful. We can assume that Tamar #3 was named in honor of Absalom's "sister," also named Tamar, who was raped by Absalom's brother Amnon. Absalom killed his brother because of this.

"Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman." - 2 Samuel 14:27

The story of Tamar #2 is found in 2 Samuel 13. Like I said, she was raped by Amnon. An ugly and sad story to be sure. Yet, it is in the Bible. We must learn from it.

"Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman." - 2 Samuel 13:20

Tamar #1's story is found in Genesis 38. She was the daughter-in-law of Judah - one of the 12 patriarchs. It is she who is mentioned in Matthew's lineage of Jesus.

"Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar." - Matthew 1:2-3

That sounds all nice and clean, but Tamar #1 had to dress up like a prostitute and have sex with her father-in-law in order to keep the line to Jesus alive. 

So, what do we learn from all of this? The lineage of Jesus passes through a wide variety of humans, often by detestable and disgusting events. Murderers, adulterers, incestuous relationships, "there is no one good, no not one."

All of Jesus' relatives were sinners, just like us. Yet Jesus was "the spotless lamb." How could that even be possible? The answer is found in the Bible. Imagine that!

"Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit." - Matthew 1:18

The Seed of God!! God, The Father! The Christmas story!

He really DOES make all things, ALL THINGS, new. May His name be forever praised! Amen!!