Earthquakes

In the Book of Matthew, in the 24th chapter, Jesus is asked by His disciples, "Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus then gives them an entire checklist of things that will happen.

"Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶You 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. ⁷Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹²Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." - Matthew 24:4-14

Are any of those things happening now? Well, all of them are. This past week there were two earthquakes in Venezuela over 7 (7.2 and 7.5). One right after the other. They are still sorting through the rubble, but there are already over 1,400 among the dead, with tens of thousands more among the missing.

To be clear, there are measurable earthquakes every day, but big ones like this stand out. And Jesus said these are just "the beginning" (v8).

Then he said this in verse 9:

"You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me."

Who is the "you" in this verse? Well, Jesus is talking to the disciples, but as history has shown, ALL Christians will suffer because of their faith in Christ. The key words are "because of me."

As of Saturday night, there were 40,000 people still missing after this week's earthquakes in Venezuela.

When there us unrest in the Middle East, and things like this begin to happen, it's always a good idea to pray and then wait anxiously for His return. Wars and rumors of wars, peace, peace, when there is no peace. It's all happening.

Yet, come, Lord Jesus!

"He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" - Revelation 20:20

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” - Luke 21-28

Choose

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." - Proverbs 14:12

Life consists of a series of choices. Left - right, up - down, in - out. We make a choice and go on from there.

Sometimes we choose poorly. We turn left when we should have turned right. That particular bad choice will most likely have bad consequences. We may be late for a meeting, or, worse yet, become completely lost.

Some choices can have rather long-lasting consequences. While a wrong turn on the highway can be corrected, other choices in life can lead to dead ends. Literally.

A woman makes a choice to have unprotected sex. That "choice" has consequences - a sexually transmitted infection, or an unintended pregnancy. And infection can be treated, but a pregnancy? Either it comes to fruition, or it is terminated.

Everyone must make a choice when wrestling with the question of God and/or Jesus. Either you believe, or you don't. And, in the case about Jesus, even doing nothing has consequences. As someone once said, "Not to decide, is to decide."

Whether we decide to follow Christ or not, our decision has lasting consequences. 

There is one single verse, found in the Book of Romans, that lays out our choice options when it comes to our faith, or lack thereof. 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23

The choice is right there. If we choose to lead a sin-filled life, we will surely die. But a life "in Christ" promises eternal life. All we have to do it repent of our sins and believe. It seems like a no-brainer. The choice is obvious. Choose Christ and live!

Come To Jesus - Chris Rice

A Spiritual War

Have you ever had one of "those days"? A day when nothing seems to go right? Well, take heart. There's a cure for that.

Monday was such a day for me. Just feeling down, for no apparent reason. "What's going on?" I asked myself. The answer, as per usual, is in the Bible.

The final straw, the thing that pushed me to take action, was when my wife and I were watching the news at supper time. It was a story about Iran.

"What is with those guys?" she asked. A very logical question. In my mind, there was a very logical answer, so I offered it.

"It's a spiritual war."

"And why does everyone hate Israel?" Another logical question. Because it certainly seems that way.

"And what's up with Tucker Carlson? What happened to him?" She's making good observations and asking the appropriate questions. So, what's happening? What is causing all of this turmoil? What is the root cause of all this grief, unrest, depression, anxiety, and angst? Let's take a look.

"We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." - 1 John 5:19

"In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." - 2 Corinthians 4:4

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ²in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work." - Ephesians 2:1-2

Satan, "the evil one" in the 1st John verse, is now at work in the world. He has been working since Eve gave Adam some fruit to eat. HE is the cause of all this trouble.

The next two words after that Ephesians 2 verse above are, "But God." Oh, those two beautiful, wonderful words! God is the cure!

I got up out of my living room chair, went downstairs to my office, and played some worship music. After that, I slept like a baby.

What is the answer to all of Satan's evil schemes? The pain and suffering he causes? It's Jesus! Embrace Him, receive Him, love Him. Submit to Him, abide in Him, and worship Him.

When we do that one thing, worship, with all of our heart, all of our problems fade away. Thank you, Lord! Our wonderful, merciful Savior.

Wonderful Merciful Savior - Selah

Covenant

Did you see the news story about the San Francisco Giants pitching staff? They got into a little bit of trouble with Major League Baseball during the league's "Pride Month" celebration.

The team had modified the logo on their baseball caps with wonderful, happy rainbow colors.

But then the Giants pitchers wrote something on the cap. "Genesis 9:13-16." What is that?

"And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” - Genesis 9:12-16

The rainbow was created by God and therefore belongs to God (v13). Humans have taken God's symbol of a covenant and used it to symbolize something else. Something that God calls sinful and "an abomination."

Back in the Old Testament there is a verse that is repeated a few times. Because of our society's desire to please everyone, it has made obvious its straying from God's Word.

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit." - Judges 21:25

And that's the problem with this "anything goes" culture we are living in. It has no king. If it did, if it truly knew Jesus, I would not be writing this story today. We would not be in danger of incurring God's wrath.

There are churches that embrace sin and do so in the name of social justice. This is wrong. As a prominent pastor once said, "There is no such thing as SOCIAL justice. Only JUSTICE."

When we decide to embrace things that are outside of God's commands for us, we enter into the danger zone. And that never ends well.

"Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ³¹It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." - Hebrews 10:28-31

 

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." - Jesus, Matthew 10:34

The Biggest Lie

[This is part of a Bible Study lesson for our youth group. Enjoy!]

The following is a short 2-minute clip. Please watch it. It is a perfect metaphor for the world we live in today.

The Woman In The Red Dress - The Matrix

In the video you will notice two of the film's characters, Morpheus and Neo, walking through a sea of people. Morpheus (whose name means 'to change') has no problem navigating through "the world," but Neo (whose name means 'new') bumps into just about everyone available.

Morpheus, at least in MY mind, represents the Holy Spirit, while Neo represents the new believer. He represents you and me.

Morpheus explains, "Most of these people are not ready to be unplugged." How true that is regarding the world in which WE live, and the people in it. Remember this from Jesus....

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them." - John 6:44

The title of this story is "The Biggest Lie." What is the lie? It's the world we live in. And he who controls it is the biggest liar.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2

The Holy Spirit "unplugs" us from "the world." Only when that happens can we truly see. We who believe are not of this world.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life - is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." - 1 John 2:15-17

We watch the news and the stories they feed us. We spend time scrolling through our social media feeds. We interact with non-Christian friends. It's just part of a system that tries to control us and direct us, just like in the movie. And those who are not believers in Jesus, well, they are the enemy.

But we who have been "unplugged" are not of this world. Here's some encouraging words from Jesus.

"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." - John 15:19

The biggest liar is Satan. Speaking to the Jewish leaders, Jesus said: 

"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." - John 8:44

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have been unplugged. Your eyes have been opened. You are a new creation. Your name is Neo.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Amen!!

The Parable of The Campfire

One thing being in Boy Scouts taught me when I was a kid was how to build a fire. You start small with the tinder and get the fire started with a spark from a piece of flint and steel bar. Once the spark ignites into a flame, we put on dried pine needles or birch bark to build it up. Then came sticks and eventually the firewood. Our faith in kind of like that.

The spark is the moment we come to believe and we receive the Holy Spirit. After that the fire grows as we find a Bible-believing church, get involved in a Bible study, and immerse ourselves in God's Word.

But what do we do if our faith becomes stagnant? We can't just sit around waiting for our faith to be renewed, for it to catch fire again. We must fan the flames somehow. Blow on it. Add some more wood. Poor a little gasoline on it! Read the Bible, pray, go to a Bible study. Do something! The Bible says that Jesus stands at the door and knocks. That's true. But WE have to open the door. WE have to do something.

Our Scout Leader had a wonderful concoction he called Boy Scout Juice. It was half gasoline and half kerosene. That got the flames burnin'! Lol!

I have heard people say, "I feel so distant from God." Listen, God hasn't gone anywhere. He is everywhere. WE have left HIM and wandered off.

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way." - Isaiah 53:6

Searchin'

A series of events has been happening in my life lately which makes me wonder, "Is the Lord trying to tell me something?"

In Genesis 24, Abraham sent his servant to get a wife for his son Isaac. The servant prayed for a sign to happen. And when it did, the servant knew that the woman at the well (Rebekah), who was watering his camels, was the right one for Isaac.

"Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’ - let her be the one YOU have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” - Genesis 24:12-14

Have you ever had that happen to you? Prayed for something, and then received a confirming sign?

I am beginning to wonder about a task I am working on. Things have been happening that are impeding my progress. Are these events from the Lord? Or, are they from the devil? Hard to tell.

So, how can we find out if something is from the Lord?

1. Pray - Ask God for answers to your questions.
2. Is it according to God's will? - Is what you are doing something that God would desire?
3. Consider the fruit - What will the outcome be? Does it bring glory to God?
4. Seek Godly counsel - Talk to your pastor or a brother or sister in Christ about it.
5. Trust and Obey - Wherever the outcome of the above steps leads, trust it.

We can't be so fixated on doing something that we forget who we are doing it for - God. 

A friend of mine once told me, "It's hard to turn a parked car. Take a step. Move! If it's the wrong direction, you'll know."

So, whether you are thinking about switching jobs or starting a new ministry, begin to move in that direction. If blessings occur, continue on. But if nothing happens, perhaps more prayer is warranted. It may not be what God wants you to do.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew t:7-8

Searching So Long - Chicago

The Battle Is The Lord's

Christian theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) once said, "We must hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other." That's good advice. Especially these days with Iran, the U.S. and Israel trading missles and drones every day.

So, why aren't the world leaders reading their Bibles? I'm not sure. If they did, and inquired of the Lord, perhaps the "conflict" could have ended already, one way or another. However, this is not your stereotypical war. It is a spiritual battle. 

"All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.” - 1 Samuel 17:47

That was King David ranting against the Philistines shortly before he killed Goliath. Trump and Netanyahu should read rheir Bibles every morning before breakfast IMO. Maybe they do, but their actions say otherwise.

Have you noticed how Iran talks the big talk and rattles their saber every chance they get? They are like Goliath. They are all about delaying and delaying while they restock their ammo and rebuild their defenses. They don't negotiate for peace. It's merely a tactic. They negotiate to delay.

“Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, ¹¹therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall." - Ezekiel 13:10-11

And Trump is more interested in his team winning the November election than in obtaining victory in the Middle East. Let's negotiate! He wants to be portrayed as a man of peace come November. He should have finished the job, but he won't. 

Have you noticed how Trump posts on social media on Thursday about a peace deal so the market can soar a thousand points before the weekend?

Persia (Iran) will still be there in the final battle. Meshek and Tubal (Turkey), and many others are also mentioned in Ezekiel 38.

This present-day skirmish is a Satan vs. God battle. What we are witnessing today is just a stirring of the pot. The ingredients have all been added. And soon it will come to a boil.

Want to know how the story ends?

"Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. ¹²He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. ¹³He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God.

¹⁴The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses. ¹⁵And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ¹⁶And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." - Revelation 19:11-16

The time is short my friends. Jesus has promised to return for His bride (The Church). Are you a member? Have you repented? Do you abide in Christ?

He Was Pleased?

There are many different translations of the Bible's ancient manuscripts. This can sometimes cause confusion. Here is one such example from the Book of Isaiah.

"Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand." - Isaiah 53:10, NIV

Here's the same verse in the New King James Version:

"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand." - Isaiah 53:10, NKJV

I can understand it being God's will to "crush" Jesus for our sins (NIV). He is a just judge. But honestly, I struggle with the NKJV, saying it PLEASED God to do it.

Also, "crushed" vs. "bruised." Would you rather be crushed or bruised? Personally, I'd choose to be bruised rather than crushed, but that's just me.

Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death." That sounds more like "crushing" than "bruising."

Anyway . . . why would it PLEASE God to kill His only begotten Son? I have no idea.

One thing to consider is that Jesus is part of the Trinity. Jesus IS God. Jesus is LORD and LORD is the name used in the text, so really Jesus pleased Himself.

Look, God loves His children. He loves Israel and all of the Gentile believers who have been "grafted in." Yet every one of us is a sinner, doomed to destruction witbout Jesus and His sacrifice. Here's a thought.

What if Jesus, who assumed human form, lived a perfect life, offered Himself as a spotless sacrifice for all of mankind. Do you suppose THAT would please God the Father? Jesus sacrificing Himself so that we could live?

We, God's creation, would then receive eternal life and could commune with God, just like Adam did at the very beginning.

"And they heard the sound of the LORD God, walking in the garden in the cool of the day." - Genesis 3:8

And could "bruising" Jesus, rather than crushing Him, be equated with a temporary death? Because a "bruise" heals, and Jesus was resurrected. 🤔

Or, perhaps it's because that, after thousands of years, God's plan of redemption was finally revealed to His children, in Christ on the cross. I could see where that could be pleasing.

I'm no biblical scholar. Maybe there's a perfect explanation for these differing translations. But I DO know this: God is perfect, His plan is perfect, and it doesn't really matter what we think. All things happen according  to His will. And I'm okay that.

The Parable of The Fawn

The Scene: Central Wisconsin, early June, another beautiful day. I was nearly home, driving my big, noisy F-250, when out of the woods came a slow-walking doe. I slowed down, and then stopped. So did the doe. We were both waiting. And then there it was - a newborn fawn.

This little one was brand new! Maybe a couple of hours old. I watched as it approached the edge of the road and stopped. I looked at the mom. She was watching her baby. Then, with utmost confidence, the fawn crossed the road. Extremely wobbly, yet determined, it went. It's goal? Just to get to mama. It didn't care about the big, noisy truck. It's focus was on it's goal. Mom, or perhaps breakfast.

When the fawn had disappeared into the tall grass, the mom looked directly at me, as if to say "Thanks for stopping." Then it turned and was gone.

There is a hidden story here. I encourage you to stop and wait for it, like I did with the fawn the other day. Are you ready?

We are all born into this world. Wobbly and uncertain at first to be sure. But eventually we are walking and finding our way. Our goal at such a young age is to be with with our mother. She has the nourishment we long for. We also find peace and security in her presence. Life is good.

There is also a second story, hidden in the tall grass. One of a SECOND birth. You and I are the fawn. Our "mother" is Jesus. 

We too must "cross over". Jesus waits for us on the other side. When we place our faith in Jesus, we can hold our head high, confident of our destination, in Christ.

We must keep our eyes focused on the goal, then step into the grass, to be with our Lord, forever.

"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." - 1 Peter 1:8-9

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." - Romans 1:20

Perfect Love

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." - 1 John 4:18

There is a desire within the human heart to be loved. You have that desire. So do I. When we are loved, our hearts are filled with joy. When we are NOT loved, no amount of sunshine can brighten up our day.

"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another." - John 13:34

"No one is perfect," says the world. Is that true? Of course not! The world does not know Jesus. If it did, we wouldn't have any of these horrible, divisive stories on the news every night. What would the news media do then?! Lol!

Jesus demonstrated His love for us by sacrificing His own life for us. Think about that for a moment. Think about a world filled with His unconditional, sacrificial love!

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

One might say, "A world filled with that kind of love is not possible." To that, I would say, "All things are possible . . . with God." - 

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26

My friends, if you are not feeling loved, if your world is filled with darkness and pain, please consider Jesus. He beings light to the darkest day. He brings hope to the lost, and love to those who have none. Be perfected in love. The love of our Savior.

Great Are You Lord - Casting Crowns

Really Moses?

"The Lord was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance." - Deuteronomy 4:21

Really Moses? Was God really angry with you because of the Israelites? Let's turn back to Numbers 20 and take a closer look.

"Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. ³They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! ⁴Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? ⁵Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

⁶Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. ⁷The Lord said to Moses, ⁸“Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.” - Numbers 20:2-8

God said, "SPEAK to that rock." What did Moses do? Let's keep reading.

"So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. ¹⁰He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” ¹¹Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank." - Numbers 20:9-11

Moses didn't get to enter the Promised Land because of his OWN disobedience. Yes, Moses was angry with the Israelites, and the were a stiff necked people, but they didn't keep Moses from crossing the Jordan. His sin did.

When we examine our own lives, can we find things that might keep us from enjoying God's blessings? What about the infertile woman? The Bible says that he closes and opens rhe womb. Upon occasion, God allows Satan to cause us problems. All for His ultimate glory and our good.

Sin is a bigger problem in our lives than most of us are willing to acknowledge. Our next step should be repentance, and let Hod take it from there.

Is there something in our lives that needs to change in God's eyes? Do we need to eliminate certain foods and drinks to live a healthier, happier life? Perhaps it's a relationship that needs to end.

We should be constantly examining ourselves, searching for ways to become more holy. That's a very basic command from God.

"Be holy, for I am holy." - Leviticus 11:44, 45, 19:2, 20:26, 1 Peter 1:15