The Coming Persecution

Are you ready for the coming persecution? I hope so. It's already here.

You have seen in recent weeks how the big tech companies like Facebook and Twitter have permanently disabled certain accounts of politicians and conservatives who preach a different narrative than what THEY do. That has already happened. What I am writing about today is also happening, right now. You just may not know it.

No, this is NOT a conspiracy theory. You are actually being tracked and analyzed as you read this story. So am I. We are being tracked when we go to work or school and when we go shopping. We are tracked when we go to church or go walking in the park. Don't believe me? Then answer me this one question. Do you have a smart phone?

My wife was surprised a few years ago when she was about to enter the old Younkers store at the Fox River Mall in Appleton. Before she got to the front door her new phone went "ding." Thinking it might be one of our kids, she quickly checked the phone. Nope. It was a message from Younkers. They were offering her a coupon for the store that she was just about to enter.

Some might think, "Gee, that's nice." Others, like me, might find that just a little bit creepy.

Try this fun little exercise. Search for something on Amazon. Anything. Select an item and look at it. Now close out of that and see if you don't notice that item appearing on Facebook as an ad in the future. It happens all the time. How do you think these big companies get so big? They sell all of your information to other big companies.

Do you carry your phone with you to church? I do. Do you think anybody in The Cloud knows where you go to church? They do. The algorithms are already in place on your phone, transmitting data back to the mother ship.

What happens if your pastor starts preaching against homosexuality for example. God's word speaks about same-sex acts as "an abomination" yet the practice of it is promoted in our culture.

Are your church services posted on-line? Many are during this Covid time. They are there for "anyone" to listen to. Anyone.

So, when your pastor delivers a message that doesn't conform to the new "equity" that the current administration just laid down, they know where his church is and they know who attends it. You have already been tracked and labeled.

Socialism and Communism are always against the Bible-believing church. Why? Because the church preaches the truth of God's Word. At least it should. But the church also is a danger. Their ideology wants you dependent on them instead of depending on God. That is not good.

I am not suggesting that you wear a tin foil hat on your head to church. But I am warning you to be aware of your surroundings and technology which includes your wonderful new iPhone.

Our hope is in Christ, not in any technology or creation of men. Yet many of us are still in bondage. Still slaves of the very technology that already has us addicted to its use. Our task master is convenience. It WILL be our undoing.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." - Matthew 10:16-23

Enemy of The State Trailer (1998)

Totalitarianism - Rod Dreher interview via Alisa Childers

He Touched Me

Touching someone these days can be a dangerous thing to do, but physical touch is something that the world is in desperate need of right now.

I should probably clarify that statement. There are many different types of physical touch. Not all of them are good or healthy. But the kind of touch that I am talking about this morning is a compassionate, unselfish, loving, almost sacrificial touch.

Today's picture is of a woman who is about to touch someone. There is no hint of danger or sexual immorality here. Rather, I see hope in the woman's eyes. A hesitant expectation of things to come.

The man she is about to touch is Jesus. And WHY does she want to touch Him? It's because she has heard of Him and the things He has done. She wishes and hopes that He can heal her of a medical condition that has tormented her for years. And she has FAITH that Jesus can do it.

"A large crowd followed and pressed around him (Jesus). 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” - Mark 5:24-34

We humans don't have any power whatsoever. Our "power" comes from our belief in God. HE has the power. Still, there is power of sorts in physically touching someone in compassion, especially these days. God did not give us a spirit of fear however.

If there is someone in your life who needs a hug or a prayer, hug them. Reach out and touch them as you pray for them. It's an expression of love. Something the world is in desperate need of right now.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." - 1 John 4:18

He Touched Me - Gaither Vocal Band

David's To-Do List

I came across something in my reading that I thought was helpful - a to-do list for our daily lives from King David himself!

Open up your Bible to 1st Chronicles 16, verses 8-12 and see if you don't agree. I have broken down David's instruction into bullet points, creating a to-do list of sorts for our daily walk with Christ.

• Give praise to the Lord
• Proclaim His name
• Sing to Him
• Sing praise to Him
• Tell of all His wonderful acts
• Glory in His holy name
• Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice
• Look to the Lord and His strength
• Seek His face always
• Remember the wonders He has done
• Make known among the nations what He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced

So, what do you think? That sounds like a perfect way to begin our prayers. By telling God the wonderful things HE has done instead of the list of things that WE would like Him to do.

Lord, I Need You - Matt Mahre

Unstoppable

"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." - Matthew 24:6

Those are the words of Jesus. Part of the Trinity. God. His words are always true. He always keeps His promises.

Have you looked at the headlines lately? Watched the news? It's downright depressing. Hoards of people are heading towards our border because they think that the United States is their only hope. They're wrong but they ARE determined. Watch the video if you haven't seen it already. The mob mentality is unstoppable.

Our culture teaches us to look for a savior - the government. They'll save us, right? Nope. It's a trap. The Old Testament calls this trap bondage. Enslaved by the lure of government programs where people dwell in poverty, trapped by the offer of "free money." It ain't free.

Look what's happened over the course of the past few years. We have become a nation divided. And just who is to blame for this mess? It's not Trump. Think deeper. It must be the Democrats then! Nope. Although you ARE getting closer, it's not them either. It's Satan.

This is not a human war that is being waged. It's a spiritual one. Yes, spiritual.

Look at the human race. There are a few constants throughout our history. Our hunger for power, our desire to wage war, our inability to stop sinning, and our repetitive, proven desire to turn our backs on God.

There is no arguing with this. Read your Bible. Read the last half of Romans 1. It's all true. It's all there.

There is only one hope in all of this craziness. You have read it time and time again in this blog. His name is Jesus. Our Blessed Hope. He has promised to save His children from all this. But He will not save everybody. He only saves those who WANT to be saved. He only saves those who have repented of their sins and have received Jesus as their Lord.

Jesus IS coming back to remove all of the Christians from this place (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Well, not "all" of them. Only those whose faith is true. Jesus knows who they are. Are you one of them? Am I? Ask Jesus about that today. You will know that you have been chosen because you will have been changed.

This blog and these stories will probably be here longer than we will be. We could be gone tomorrow. This message is for those who remain and have been left behind. Here's a tip. Repent of your sins now. After the rapture there will still be time to be saved. But you will then have to endure seven years of incredible tribulation . . . if you even make it to the end.

Please! There will be no opportunity to storm the gates of heaven. Heaven's wall has already been built and the vetting system is already in place. The only thing that is truly "unstoppable" is God and He stands at the gate. It is your faith in Him that is the key.

Unstoppable Mob

Beyond The Gates

“Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” - Nehemiah 1:3

Back in Biblical times cities were surrounded by walls with gates in them. The walls were there to protect the people from their enemies whose desire it was to enter the city and take everything inside it for themselves.

When an opposing army appeared on the hills outside the city walls, people would rush inside those walls and shut the gates. There was an element of risk to living life beyond the gates.

Today, things aren't that much different. Look at Washington DC for example. Walls have been erected around the Capitol building for Biden's inauguration. There are gates in those walls. People come and go through them but not without proper identification.

The Book of Revelation tells us of a "New Jerusalem," coming down from the clouds. It will have 12 gates but they will never be closed. There will be no reason to close them.

"On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life." - Revelation 21:25-27

How do we get our names written in THAT book - the Book of Life? By placing our faith, trust and hope in Jesus Christ. By repenting of our sins, turning from those wicked ways, and following Him. Have we done that yet?

Right now there is a large caravan of people heading for our southern border. Under the Trump administration those caravans were stopped but the incoming administration has new hope for easy access based on presidential campaign promises of open borders. Our gates will now be wide open.

These open borders are not like those we will have in heaven. Anyone and anything will be allowed to enter in to our earthly "city" - America. The reason there will be open gates in the walls of the CELESTIAL city is that there sill be no sin. There will be no enemies to take over the holy city.

That is not the case in OUR world today.

Place your faith in Jesus today. He is the gate to the city of our soul. He will not allow sin to enter our gates nor will He allow the temptations of this world to change our hearts.

Question: What would you do if you lived in one of those ancient cities and saw an enemy army coming down out of the hills. Your friends and family members are out working in the fields, oblivious to the attack. Do you yell out a warning? Do you run and grab them by the arm?

To be clear, simply SAYING you live in "the city" is not enough. You must actually enter it! Jesus is the gate. Unless your name is written in His Book of Life, you may not enter in.

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. a They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:9-10

Open My Eyes

"Though seeing they do not see; though hearing they do not hear or understand." - Matthew 13:13

That's me most of the time. I can be staring right at something and still can't see it. It has nothing to do with my eyesight. It has everything to do with my heart.

Sometimes our sinful nature can blind us when it comes to following God's will for our lives. "Me" get's in the way of "Thee", Lord. So how do we keep that from happening?

Jesus healed the blind, but he didn't just heal those who had no physical sight. He healed those with spiritual blindness as well. This world is awash in spiritual blindness these days. We are in desperate need of a healer.

Often, Jesus healed those who believed He could do it. saying, "Your faith has made you well." Do WE have that kind of faith? Are we hearing and seeing with our hearts?

You know, that's a pretty good prayer - Open my eyes. It encompasses so many things - obedience, love, compassion, acts of service, Let us pray that prayer today and "see" what God has in store for our eyes. And our hearts.

"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things" - Psalm 119:18

Open The Eyes of My Heart - Michael W. Smith

Now We Are Free

Gladiator has to be one of my favorite movies of all time. The hero dies in the end, but it was the WAY he died that made Maximus stand out. Strength and honor in death.

The plot of the film resembles much of  what Jesus went through in HIS life. Maximus was a man who was destined to be made king, he was humbled, and became a lowly slave.

Jesus too was destined to be king. He humbled Himself and became a servant. He sacrificed His own life for those He loved and for the honor of His Father.

The wife and child of Maximus were both crucified by the Roman government. Maximus prayed often and definitely believed in an afterlife and being reunited with his family.

Although Christ too was crucified, He rose again from the dead and appeared to many after His resurrection. Not so for Maximus Decimus Meridius.

For those who believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ, eternity awaits. It has been given to us as a gift by our servant King. The honor, glory, and praise are all His.

This life is a vapor, vanishing in an instant. When we die will we leave behind only memories for those who remain? Or will we leave something more? How will you and I be remembered? Will we be remembered generations from now? Or lost in time like countless others who have gone before us?

If we live our lives for Christ He has promised that we will have an eternal life - dying only once, for an instant. But to die without Christ means that we will actually die twice. Once in this life and another endless death at the final judgement.

Choose today whom you will serve. Choose to live for Him THIS day . . . and always.

"Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." - Hebrews 9:27-28

Now We Are Free - Gladiator

Here I Am

This is my 1,250th story for this blog. It is also the 15th anniversary (this week) of my spiritual re-birth. And it just so happens that, in my daily time spent in God's Word, I am reading the very passage of scripture that was used in the sermon given the day I was saved - January 15th, 2006.

The title for THIS story comes from THAT story in 1st Samuel.

"The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” - 1 Samuel 3:1-5

Samuel had been called by God but at first Samuel didn't know that it was God who called Him. Samuel thought is was Eli. How many times has God called US and we never answered Him?

We need to constantly be listening for God when He calls us. We need to keep our eyes open for opportunities when God presents them. They are all around us. We often miss them.

What was the last opportunity you or I had to speak to someone about Jesus? Do we wake up in the morning saying, "Here I am Lord?" Or do we just grudging get ready for work or school and ignore His voice?

I look back on these past 15 years and hope I have been able to answer God's call. I hope that I have served Him faithfully. Yes, I still stumble. I still sin. But every moment I try to be faithful and obedient and mindful of Him. I try to walk in His ways and serve Him by loving those around me.

The song I am sharing today is one of our worship songs at church (Calvary Chapel in Waupaca in case you are wondering). I am sharing it because the first three words of the song are the title for this story.

We need to answer God's call when we hear it. And be as obedient as Samuel was in responding to that call. If we do, we will be blessed by God. Be blessed today.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

You, You Are God

The Red Pill

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety." - Psalm 4:8

Peace seems like a hard thing to come by these days. Every time we turn on the news there are riots, protests, demonstrations and death. And that's just in our nation's capitol! What do we do to find some peace? Where can we find some actual truth?

Step one should be QUIT WATCHING THE NEWS!!

The news IS just opinion these days. Whether you are from the right or from the left, or somewhere in the middle, everybody has their own opinion about what the truth is.

I came across The Matrix yesterday while searching for something to watch on TV. It happened to be playing the very scene where Morpheus is talking to Neo about "the truth." His description was perfect for today. You see, Satan has created a real-life "matrix" for us to live in. It's called "The World."

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:2

As Morpheus told Neo in the movie, "It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth."

Think about that for a minute. Isn't that true? Morpheus continues . . .

"You are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind."

Isn't that also true? For Christians it is EXACTLY true! We are no different than Neo! Born into bondage. Slaves to sin.

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in b Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:20-23

In The Matrix movie, Morpheus offers Neo a choice; just as you and I have been given a choice by God. We can take "the blue pill" and remain in this world, a slave to sin, or we can take "the red pill" (Jesus Christ) and discover what The Truth really is.

God's Word is the only place we can find truth these days. And in that truth we can find peace. The opening verse says it all - "You alone, LORD."

Morpheus has one final word for Neo. "Remember, all I am offering is the truth. Nothing more."

Watch the clip. 

Take the red pill.

Discover the truth.

His name is Jesus.

Blue Pill or Red Pill - The Matrix

Christophany

Most of us think of Jesus being born as a baby, but He was around WAY before then.

Have you ever heard of the word "Christophany"? A Christophany is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus. A pre-Baby Jesus, Old Testament appearance of Jesus on earth.

The word Christophany is a compound word of the Greek words christos, which means Christ, and phaino, which means “to appear.”.

"Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever." - Hebrews 13:8

Jesus appeared at least a dozen times in the Old Testament. Most people remember the first Christophany because we have all watched the movie The Ten Commandments. Remember the burning bush that Moses went to investigate? Do you remember when the voice told Moses to take off his sandals because the place where Moses was standing was holy ground? Of course you do. That was Jesus.

Fast forward to the Book of Joshua, Chapter 5.

"When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped3 and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so." - Joshua 5:13-15

Sound familiar? Mhmm. Jesus again!

Jesus still has a couple more Christophanies to go, and they will be coming soon to a planet near you. He will return for His church and then He will return to reign for 1,000 years in the Millennial Kingdom.

Jesus always was and always will be. He is part of the Trinity. He is eternal. God has made an incredible offer to US, to be part of that kingdom. Jesus is returning soon. You don't want to miss His next appearance. We have until then to repent of our sins and believe in Him. BUt act quickly, He could return later today. Or tomorrow.

It has been said that God is a God of second chances. While that is true, we all have had multiple chances to place our faith in Christ already. He has already made the offer, but tomorrow may be too late to accept it. Trust in Him today.

Unanswered Prayer?

If God is not answering our prayers, we should probably check for these four things.

• Examine our prayer list
• Examine our prayer
• Examine our heart
• Examine our faith

Let's start with that last one first - our faith. If we are not a 100% bonified child of God, God will not even HEAR our prayers. That could be part of the problem.

"We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will." - John 9:31

Are we seeking God's will our prayers? That's where we need to examine our hearts. Do our hearts belong to us or to God?

Examine our prayers. Are we just asking God for things or are we telling Him how much we love Him? We should not be offering lists of things for God to do. And that's point number four - our prayer list.

If we are praying for God's help in coping with a certain situation that's one thing. But if we are praying to pass a math test or for a particular candidate to win the race, that's wrong. Those are things that WE want. They may not be things that God wants.

Examine this prayer from David. How does it compare to OUR prayers?

“Praise be to you, Lord,

    the God of our father Israel,

    from everlasting to everlasting.

11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power

    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;

    you are exalted as head over all.

12 Wealth and honor come from you;

    you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power

    to exalt and give strength to all.

13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,

    and praise your glorious name." - 1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Now that's a prayer. No list of things for God to do. Just praise and honor for God. Perhaps after hearing something like that from us God would be more attentive to our needs. What do YOU think?

Conviction

Have you ever felt convicted after listening to a pastor deliver his sermon? Congratulations! God's Holy Spirit is working in your life.

It doesn't have to be a pastor that delivers the message either. We can become convicted just by reading the Bible. Or it might be a friend that confronts us about something. That conviction is what keeps us on track and on the path.

This reminds me of the story of Josiah. He was happily just living his life as the king, doing kingly stuff, when someone said to him. "We have found the Book of The Lsw." Then they read it to him.

"When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes." - 2 Kings 22:11

Have you ever had one of those moments? When you suddenly convicted about something you have said or done? I have. I had one yesterday in church.

So what do we do when we have one of those "attacks of the conscience or moves of the Holy Spirit? Make it right!

"Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets - all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord." - 2 Kings 23:1-2

God still punished the people who had lost The Book but He spared Josiah. And this was written about Him in God's Word.

"Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses." - 2 Numbers 23:25

Do we live a life like Josiah did after being convicted by God's Word? After hearing a sermon? Or do we go back to our status quo?

The Shadow of Turning

When I was in the Boy Scouts, many moons ago, we learned how not to get lost in the woods. We also learned how to find our way out if we DO get lost. Both lessons can save your life.

The first lesson is pretty simple - Be Prepared. That's the Scout motto actually. Anytime you are going to be hiking cross-country - be prepared. Take a map, a compass, water and some snacks. Basically, prepare yourself NOT to get lost. But also prepare yourself in case you DO get lost.

Know your surroundings. Know what direction you are hiking in. Know that there is a road to the east and a lake to the west for example. If you are hiking south and your feet start getting wet, turn left!

There is another way to guide yourself through the woods - the sun. If it's noon and you see your shadow straight in front of you, you're walking north. Pretty simple.

The Son, Jesus Christ, can guide us in our daily walk as well. If we walk through life with an open Bible in our hands, it's hard for our hearts to get lost. God's Word never changes. As the old hymn says, "There is no shadow or turning with thee."

Everything we encounter in life is an opportunity to check our bearings. Watching the news, what we hear at work and at school all offer directions to take in life. Are they right? That depends on what we are using for a compass?

The best compass we have at our disposal is God's Word - The Bible. But are we using it? It doesn't do us much good if it is sitting at home on the shelf while we are lost in the wilderness of sin.

Be prepared by reading the Bible.  Know your surroundings by discerning truth from lies. The best way to know what a lie is is to KNOW the truth. Anything else will just get you lost.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17

Great Is Thy Faithfulness - Chris Rice