Endings

I finished reading the book of Nehemiah this week, and each time I get to the end of it, I am always struck by the last words.

"Remember me with favor, my God." - Nehemiah 13:31

Focus on those words for a bit. What a beautiful way to end a prayer. Or a life.

Speaking of endings, March 28th is a day that I will never forget. It's my birthday. Every time I go to the doctor, they always ask what my date of birth is. They are using my birthday as a test, just to make sure "I am who I am."

But the reason March 28th is a day that I will never forget is because it is also the date on which my niece chose to end her life.

Each year, on or about my birthday, I go downstairs to my office and pull out the stack of letters that my neice sent me. She was new to her faith in Jesus and had many questions which I was more than happy to help her with. This was her favorite verse.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

Ironic . . .

Her favorite musical artist was Phil Wickham. She was quite jealous when she learned I had seen him in concert. She and I were planning a trip to see him before . . . well, before things ended. Again, speaking of endings, the thing she always wrote at the end of her letters is the same thing I often use in my correspondence with others to this day - "love you and miss you."

And that I do. That I do.

Here's a question: How can your niece be your sister?

When you both have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. 

Love you and miss you, my sister.

See you soon. 🙂❤🙏

Remember - Nilsson

Flowers - Phil Wickham & Jamie MacDonald 

Why Love Matters

Let's start off this story with a line from the old Don Henley song, The Boys of Summer.

"I thought I knew what love was.  What did I know."

We go through our lives with changing ideas about just what love is. It begins with the simple, honest love of a small child. Jesus wrote about these kids and their faith saying, "

"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14

Is a child's love different from their faith? Not really, if you think about it. Both are simple, honest, and unconditional.

As we grow older our "love definition" changes, as do our beliefs. They become conditional and more self-centered. It's all about me instead of all about Thee. Both get entangled and mixed with other feelings - lust, and selfishness mainly. One word - sin.

We find ourselves alone, wondering what happened to the love we once had?  That childlike love, when things were simple and life was good. Do you ever long for those days? Would you like to go back to that simpler time and experience true love all over again? Yes, be we can't.

Our love for others continues to become more complex and we lose track of its true meaning and intention. It becomes contaminated by the world we live in.

Finally, we come to the end of our lives, when someone is in their last days of life, what does of love look like for them then? Often it is extremely lonely. What can be done? I have a few suggestions.

1. Love everyone we meet. And love them unconditionally. Jesus already commanded us to do this but we always seem to forget just what His love was like, to our detriment.

2. Get off our butts and GO love someone! Visit someone, invite them to lunch. If they're not doing it, we should call them up and take the initiative.

3. Send someone a text or message. Maybe they're having a really bad day and when we reach out, they know someone cared enough to actually act.

If we sit at home and "hope" someone is doing okay, what good is that? We could, and should, pray for people. But God placed us here for a reason. Not simply to think, but to act.

How are we doing with that?

"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." - Revelation 2:4

The Boys of Summer - Don Henley

Conflation

"While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." - 1 Thessalonians 5:3

If you have watched the news for any amount of time it's easy to become discouraged; especially these days. There are SO many bad things happening in the world right now. And then to find out that Chuck Norris has died!?! Oh my....

So, today I want to talk about a theory I have about these times we are living in. I am not a prophet nor a pastor, but I study my Bible pretty intently and there is something going on that has made me, and mamy others, take notice.

First, let's begin with a little scripture from the Book of Daniel.

"There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then." - Daniel 12:1

Check. ✅ That's happening right now for sure.

So, here's my theory. These things that we see happening now are merely the visible portion of what is actually occurring. We are only seeing 10% of "the iceberg," so to speak.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I just see news headlines and find myself asking questions. (My favorite question is "Why?" and my favorite statement is "Follow the money.")

Here's a word to ponder as you consider this theory of mine. Conflation - a fusing together; a merger of two or more things or ideas into one.

And one more word. Technocracy -  government by technicians. Specifically : management of society by technical experts.

As we watch gas prices rise we can read headlines like this and begin to ask "Why?"

Saudis Warn Oil Going to $180, Gasoline to $7 at Pump

Oh, it's war the with Iran, Israel bombed an Iranian oil field, or Iran bombed a UEA oil field. Saudi Arabia has cut production. All of those are true, but here's where my conflation theory comes in. What are we NOT seeing and hearing? Why would someone WANT to see oil prices rise? Could it actually be God's will? I have no idea, but read this:

“Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” -Revelation 6:6

Does that sound like inflation to you? And "do not damage the oil?" Trump just told Israel "Don't do that."

I recently listened to a podcast by a panel of five men, all of them are pastors who specialize in eschatology. One of them brought forth an article he had written about Donald Trump, what's happening in the world today, and The Board of Peace.

Did you know that Trump is the self-appointed head of the BoP? And did you know that he is the chairman? FOR LIFE? Yep. You can check it here.

These present-day events are a reflection of scriptural prophecies in the Bible. If these events that we are seeing today are just the tip of the iceberg, we will probably be leaving soon. And for those who remain after our departure, repent, believe, and forever receive.

In the meantime, keep reading your Bible so that you are not caught unaware. These are crazy times, but also exciting times as we see the day approaching.🙂☝️

Prophecy Roundtable

All Rise!

I've been working on a Bible Study for our church's youth group. We decided to teach our kids a little bit about giving their personal testimony. As I was sorting through scripture I was struck by the number of legal terms that were popping up. In addition to "testimony" I was seeing words like "evidence," "conviction," "trial," "witnesses," and "judgement." Here are a few examples.

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." - Revelation 12:10

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." - John 16:8

Then this "trial" theme really came home when I  read this:

"And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One (Jesus) who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead." - Acts 10:42

Each of us will be put on trial when we stand in front of Jesus one day. I believe our trial will take a split second, if it takes THAT long. Jesus already knows which of us are His. Our names are already written in the Book of Life.

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he wad thrown into the lake of fire." - Revelation 20:11-15

We will be judged by what was written in the books and by what we have done.

Gulp.

Here's one of my favorite songs. In it there are a few lines to consider.

1. "Am I proof that You are who you say You are?"

2. "Is there evidence that I've been changed."

3. "When they see me do they see you?"

Something to consider before we walk into the throne room.

Live Like That - Sidewalk Prophets

The Abomination

According to an article in Israel National News (link at bottom), the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) warned about what it described as intentions by “settlers" (Jews) to carry out the commandment of the Passover sacrifice on the Temple Mount during the upcoming Passover.

Interesting . . .and scary.

[FYI - the 2026 Passover begins April 1 and ends April 9]

There is a group of Jewish people that want to reinstitute the temple sacrifice. Their only problem is there is currently no temple. Or is there? 🤔

Let's go back and look at Daniel for a moment. The angel Gabriel was talking to Daniel in verse 27 about The End Times.

"And he (The Antichrist) will confirm a covenant with many for one week (the seven year tribulation), but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.” - Daniel 9:27

So, there WILL be sacrifices happening during the first half of the tribulation, according to Gabriel anyway. But my question is, why are there sacrifices taking  place at all? Speaking of Jesus, Paul wrote . . .

"For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God." - Romans 6:10

The problem here is that the Jews do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They believe that the Messiah has not come yet.

Can you see the problem here? The present day Jewish leaders want to start sacrificing animals to God. But God already sacrificed His one and only Son. God already put an end to sacrifices. Jesus died once, for all.

Do you think God might get a little angry? Do you think God might remove all of those who follow Jesus and begin the seven year tribulation period? I would say that is a VERY REAL possibility.

If we think that these wars going on right now are horrible, wait and see what the Tribulation period looks like. Of course, we who follow Jesus woll mot be here, but talk about "weeping and gnashing of teeth!"

If you have not done so, trust in Jesus today! Repent of your sins, submit to His authoriry, and pray.

PLO Warns Against Temple Sacrifice - INN

The Wood Carver

A wood carver takes a blank piece of wood and, through whittling away pieces of the whole, ends up with an amazingly beautiful creation. If you think about it, the end result was actually there all along. It's just that the carver eliminated the unwanted pieces to reveal his creation. God does the same with us.

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you" - Jeremiah 1:5

God knows what we will become in our lives before we even live them. He also knows just what it is that He wants us to do for Him. Paul is an excellent example.

"Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’" - Acts 22:10

God created us to bring Him glory, praise, and honor. He shapes and carves us into who He wants us to be. He gives us certains gifts and abilities to accomplish His will for us. He refines us, tests us, and guides us with His Holy Spirit.

I design and install disc golf courses where I live. The process begins by examining existing terrain, trees, and waterways. Often, "my" fairways follow existing deer paths or areas where wind or ice storms have already damaged the trees.

One might consider ME a "wood carver," as I carve fairways through the woods. But who is the REAL course designer? Me, or the one who caused the trees to grow where they did in the first place? Who placed the rivers, lakes and hills to form these wooded areas?

I am not really the designer, God is. All I do is clean up the things He placed there years ago. To God be the glory!

To God Be The Glory

The Biggest Hurdle

There is something that most people simply ignore about God. Here's how it begins.

They think that when they die, they just go to heaven and live happily ever after with all of their friends and family members, dogs and cats, golf clubs and their favorite beer. Sadly, they will never experience what heaven is like until they come to realize just what it takes to get in.

The key is knowing who God is and what He demands. God is perfect and therefore demands perfection from all those who hope to enter heaven. We are NOT perfect. Our problem is our lack of understanding about just what sin is.

We can say, "I've never killed anyone, or stolen anything." Read this. This is Jesus talking.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. " - Matthew 5:21-22

If being angry keeps us out of heaven, do you think we have a shot at getting in? No.

Any sin keeps us out of heaven. And everyone,  EVERYONE, has sinned. His disciples asked Jesus, "Who then can be saved?" Good question. It is actually quite easy to be saved.

In a prayer to God, tell Him that you repent of your sins and that you are sorry for all that you have done, and not done. Tell Him you give up that life and seek His forgiveness. Then tell Him that you believe that Jesus is who He says He is - the Son of the Living God. Say that you believe that Jesus' shed blood is an atoning sacrifice for your sins. Then your earnest, heartfelt prayer will be heard. THEN you will receive the Holy Spirit and become changed. A new creation.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

But this whole "get into heaven" thing depends on The Head Judge at the track meet. He is the ONLY judge and His name is Jesus. Without His Holy Spirit living in us WE WILL NOT ENTER.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" - Matthew 7:21-23

We do NOT want to hear THAT!

Elusive Love?

This story is for those who desire to find love yet somehow it eludes them. It is for those who THOUGHT they were in love, only to find themselves shipwrecked on some remote desert island. Your story can have a happy ending, if you so desire. Interested?

Let's start with the concept of love itself. Where does love come from? How and where do we find it? So many questions! Let's begin with a Bible verse, shall we?

"So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." - 1 John 4:16

Store that away for a moment and consider this: God created all things. He also created man in His own image. Do you then suppose that man is capable of showing love to others?

Yes, we CAN love, but then why don't we? Why are there some people who hate? Including ourselves. That's because of sin. God WANTS us to love one another.

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

All the pieces seem to be there, so why are we not finding love? Again, it's sin - in us, and in others. But the biggest component is the Holy Spirit. Are we SURE we have the Holy Spirit; or do we THINK we do. That's a real question we all must answer.

"It takes two to tango," so we need to make sure that both parties in our love relationships are saved (ie. a follower of Jesus). And yes, that's plural. We are to love everyone.

To be clear, 'love' has many different meanings. We are talking about unconditional, sacrificial love here. Agape in the Greek.

If we still haven't found love at this point, the last two components in our search for love are prayer and patience. Earnest, honest, vulnerable prayer. And a patience for as long as it takes.

We might say, "But I want love now!" Look at that statement. "I want." What about what "God wants?" And "now" sounds like impatience. Selfishness and impatience are sins.

It comes down to our faith in God. Our faith in Jesus. Is it real? Or just superficial? Are we SURE we know Him, or do we just know about Him?

Have You Been Sealed?

Watch Over Me

I saw something recently that made stop and think for a moment. It was SO true. 

"What if we woke up tomorrow with only what we thanked God for today." Ooo. Ouch. Would we still have our jobs, our houses, our cars? What about our family and friends? Would our hearts still be beating? And what about our lungs? Still breathing?

It is VERY easy to take things for granted in this world. And yet, we are not promised even one more day. Are we living with gratitude for all of the things that God has provided?

God watches over those who truly believe in Him. How do I know this?

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." – Isaiah 41:10

"The Lord will keep you from all harm; he will watch over your life." – Psalm 121:7

That should do it.

If God watches over us, shouldn't we thank Him for His protection? Of course! In addition to other thousands of things He provides for us!

Lord God, thank you for your ever-watchful eye and your mighty hand. Your provision is unmatched and there is no other god like You. We thank You and praise You for all that You have done, and all that You have yet to do. Amen.

Watch Over Me - Aaron Shust

Comfort One Another

"Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth." - Revelation 3:10

That was a promise from Jesus to the church in Philadelphia. But pay attention to what Jesus says at the end of this passage - "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’"- Revelation 3:13. "Churches." Plural. 🤔

The "hour of trial" that Jesus spoke of is called The 70th week of Daniel - The Tribulation.

"The “seventy weeks” prophecy is one of the most significant and detailed Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament." - GotQuestions.org

That prophecy is found in Daniel 9. 69 "weeks" of Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy have already been fulfilled. There is one unfulfilled week remaining. The 70th week. The Tribulation.

This tribulation period will be seven years of incredible pain and suffering. One last attempt by God to give everyone a chance to repent. Some will, but most won't.

For the Christian though, there is hope. It seems as though God will not be putting us through it, but will snatch us out of harm's way, before it even begins.

"Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come." - 1 Thessalonians 1:10

God is incredibly patient. As Paul wrote to his student Timothy,

"God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." - 1 Timothy 2:4

But although God is patient, He is NOT tolerant. His wrath WILL be coming on the whole world. But take heart. Those of us who believe and whose names are written in The Book of Life will not experience God's wrath.

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

But God . . . He is SO good! He loves those who love Him. He is our Redeemer and Savior! And notice that it says "comfort one another," not comfort yourselves.

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ²“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." - John 14:1-3

Watchman River Podcast

70 Weeks of Daniel - Gotquestions.org

Impaled?

You know, we read the Bible and believe that what it says is truth. At least we should, right? I would like to add an asterisk to that statement, and it reads like this:

The Bible is 100% true *

* in the original text

Example: The Thief on The Cross passage found in Mark 15:27. If you go on BibleHub.com and explore the 43 different Bible translations for this verse, many different words describing who was crucified next to Jesus appear - robbers (25), thieves (5),  bandits (4), criminals (4), rebels (2),  revolutionaries (2), and outlaws (1).

So which one is right? They're all similar. "Robbers" seems to be the most popular. If you look up the verse in a Greek Interlinear Bible you will find the Greek word 'lēstai' which translates as "robbers." That coincides with the most popular translation. But why did other translators choose the words they did if "robbers" was the best choice? Unknown.

Here's another example from the same verse, just two words before "robbers." The word 'crucified.'

"With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left." - Mark 15:27

Look at this screen shot from the interlinear Bible. It says 'impalling' in the blue colored text. What? Jesus was impaled? Okay, what is the definition of impaled then? Because I thought impaling was like what happened to Haman in the Book of Ester. He was impaled on a pole.

Merriam Webster - "to pierce with or as if with something pointed. To torture or kill by fixing on a sharp stake."

That's what happened to Haman alright.

I enjoy digging into the Bible's words to see what their true meanings are. And each time I do, I always come away with a new, deeper understanding.

In this case, Jesus was crucified. Exactly how it was done is up to human interpretation. He died. Does it truly matter how? Nailed to a cross or to a tree (which the Bible says elsewhere), or impaled on a pole, He died next to two men. Truth.

He died as a sacrufice for OUR sins, rose again from the dead, spent 40 days walking and talking with the disciples, then He ascended into heaven. The Gospel, the good news, is pretty simple. We should keep it that way.

Have You Been Sealed?

"Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He annointed us, ²²placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come." - 2 Corinthians 21:22

You and I received the promised Holy Spirit when we came to believe in Jesus, repented of our sins, and followed The Lord. But how do we know for sure we have received the Spirit? 🤔 Are there any observable signs? Yes, thankfully there are! This is from C.S. Lewis:

Five Signs You Are Marked by the Holy Spirit:

You experience a deep hunger for God’s Word - The first sign is a growing desire for the Bible. When the Holy Spirit marks you, your desire for God’s truth becomes insatiable for the scriptures. The scriptures start to feel alive and you realize that they hold the answers to life’s biggest questions. As Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live be bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Your perspective on sin changes - Another clear sign is a clear sensitivity to sin. The things you once ignored or excused now weigh heavy on your heart. This isn’t about guilt. It’s the Holy Spirit guiding you to live a holy life. Romans 8:13 reminds us “If by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live." This transformation shows that you are being refined for God’s purpose.

You have a burden for others - The Holy Spirit stirs your heart for people – friends, family, strangers, even enemies. You feel a deep compassion and a desire to share God’s love with them. This aligns with Jesus’ command in John 13:34 “Love one another as I have loved you.” Your life becomes a vessel of God’s grace, and this love, is one of the clearest signs of being marked by the Spirit.

You encounter spiritual battles - Being marked by the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean life becomes easier. In fact, it often brings spiritual opposition. Ephesians 6:12 says “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, and spiritual forces of evil.” These battles are a sign that Satan sees God’s work in you as a threat. But remember, “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4

You see God’s purpose unfolding in your life. - When the Holy Spirit marks you, you begin to see God aligning circumstances for His greater plan. Doors open where they once seemed closed and you realize He’s leading you step by step. Romans 8:28 assures us,  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Note: Being marked by the Holy Spirit is a journey of transformation, love, and purpose. If you’ve experienced ANY of these signs, know that God is at work in your life.

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:13-14