Grace and Love

There are many stories in the Old Testament that foreshadow future events.  Some are a foretaste of the coming Messiah, Jesus, while others speak of the End Times and a new heaven and a new earth.

Examples of some of these stories are those of Jonah, Moses, and Noah. They all reflect Jesus, a deliverer, who was yet to come.

The prophets Daniel and Ezekiel spoke warnings about wars and a tribulation period filled with God's wrath against a sinful people. Kind of like us now.

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Book of Genesis is an example of God's wrath. It tells us that, although God is patient, He is not tolerant of sin.

When the two angels came to take Lot and his family out of Sodom, before God rained down death and destruction on the city, was this not a foreshadowing of God rapturing His church before the great tribulation?

The angels were in a hurry to get the righteous out of harm's way.

"With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.

When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” - Genesis 19: 15-17

God will take us out of this place BEFORE the tribulation begins. But it's not going to get any better between now and then. It will get worse. Trust in the Lord! On Him you can depend.

God has given the believer a ticket out of Sodom. The Holy Spirit. Jesus has paid for that ticket with His very life. We don't even have to flee from the coming wrath. Why?

Because God will graciously and lovingly 'deliver us from evil.' Because we trust in Him He will safely take us out of harm's way. All we have to do is believe in Him with all our hearts.

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

Sodom and Gomorrah Story

Three Days

"They (the disciples) were looking intently up into the sky as he (Jesus) was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:10-11

There it is in verse 11. Jesus WILL come back. The question is . . . when, right? A thought occurred to me the other day and it seemed interesting enough, although I have no proof of anything.

In 2nd Peter 3 we can read this bit of information.

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." - 2 Peter 3:8

Why did Peter say that?  What was he even talking about?

Peter was writing to The Church. That's us! He was telling us about Jesus' return - The Second Coming!

Question 1: When did Jesus die? Everybody has their own idea but most biblical scholars seem to feel it was around 29 AD.

Question 2: How many times are the words 'three days' or 'third day' used in the Bible? Answer: 138 times in the King James. That's a lot! Do you suppose it might be important?

It has been almost 2000 years since Jesus was crucified. Two DAYS, on God's 2nd Peter calendar. If the phrase 'third day' is so prevalent, might Jesus return on the dawning of the third day?

Yeah, kind of a stretch but it's going to be pretty close I think. And when converting from Jewish years to Gregorian years, who knows.

Here's an idea: Let's just keep our eyes on the skies and our hands busy doing what God wants us to do until His return. WHENEVER He comes, we'll be glad to see Him.

Wait What?

The Bible is filled with all kinds of wonderful truths about God and the things He has done. Still, in the midst of all those stories, there are some things that can make us laugh or even wonder, "What is going on here?"

For example, when Jesus first met Simon,

 He changed his name to Peter. Why? Later on, when Jesus was walking on the water, He called Peter out of the boat. Peter then began to sink in the waves. Jesus said it was because of Peter's lack of faith. What Peter should have said was, "Well, you changed my name to Peter too (which literally means 'a stone'). Of course he sank! Lol!

Here's one I read just yesterday. In 1st Samuel 28 (ESV) King Saul went to a medium and had her call up Samuel so he could talk to him. That was pretty amazing in itself. But here's a hidden little gem that makes us go, "Wait. What?"

"Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house . . ." 1 Samuel 28:24

IN THE HOUSE????

This raises all kinds of questions for me. Like where did it sleep? Answer: wherever it wanted to. Lol! Those things are huge!

And when the heifer relieved himself . . . now that had to have been a big mess to clean up. I have walked through a cow pasture. I know what I am talking about! Lol.

I thank God for these humerous stories in The Bible. They show us that God has a sense of humor. And they remind us that we were created in His image.

Empty Chairs

This story is libel to mess with your theology a bit. Today we are going to look at just one verse. But it could test your belief system. John 3:13. Specifically, the first six words of that verse. Written in red, these are the words of Jesus.

"No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." - John 3:13

We hear compassionate words uttered at funerals about being in heaven. We see them written in Tweets and Facebook posts. Words like . . . 

"Well, they're in heaven now," or "Heaven gained another angel today," or "They're looking down on us from heaven now." These words, to be quite blunt about it, are merely someone's hopes, based on their misinterpretation of scripture.

"Heaven gained another angel." Nope. We do NOT turn into angels after we die. Angels are separate beings created by God.

"They're in heaven now." Are you sure? Can you back that up scripturally? Nope. Only Jesus decides who gets into heaven and who gets tossed into the lake of fire. And He doesn't do that until the Great White Throne Judgement AFTER the tribulation and AFTER the millenial kingdom.

One could argue, "What about the thief on the cross? Jesus told him, 'Today you will be with me in paradise.'"

That's true. Paradise, yes. Heaven, no.

"They're looking down on us from heaven." Nope. 

It's good to be compassionate and to comfort those who have lost someone. But we shouldn't comfort them with words and concepts that aren't true. 

There are lots of "empty chairs" in heaven right now. The "dining room" is being prepared for the wedding feast of the Lamb. You don't want to miss it!

Who is GotQuestions.org?

How God Works

Funny. I wrote down the title for this story and just stared at it for 10-15 minutes. What an impossible task - to describe how God works. The ways he works are infinite - "like the grains of sand on the seashore," to use God's own words. But I CAN give you ONE example.

This story began several years ago when someone suggested I meet with a young man was "going through some stuff." That "stuff" was a near-fatal car accident, resulting in multiple surgeries to save his arms and legs, and a resulting opioid addiction. Not an easy hole to climb out of.

My friend had lots of questions about God. I guess I would have those same questions if I had been through what HE had. We met and talked several times, but those meetings diminished in number to occasional texts.

I photographed his wedding - an emergency substitute for a photographer who couldn't make it that day. If you haven't noticed, God kept providing ways for me to keep in touch with this guy.

Last week I got a text from my friend saying that he had met someone playing disc golf. He suggested that the three of us play together sometime. "Absolutely!" was my reply.

You know, I probably should have known then that God was up to something, but I didn't. I figured that sometime in the spring we'd play. It could wait. No rush, right?

Last night at our disc golf putting league a new guy came walking up to me and introduced himself. Short hair, scraggly beard, piercings, tattoos, He asked me if I knew so-and-so (my friend from the first part of this story).

"Uh, yes. Yes, I do."

That's when I knew that God was up to something. That thought is solidifying itself with each word of this story, as I write.

Has God ever brought someone into your life who changed your life as a result? From what I have seen, God does that quite often. Most of the time we don't even notice. But sometimes we do, and we get to watch God working in someone's life, for their good and His glory.

"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." - Hebrews 13:20-21

Bleed To Love Her

I heard an old Fleetwood Mac song the other day. The significance of it didn't really hit me until yesterday when I met with a friend who told me about his brother-in-law.

This 61-year old man suffered a heart attack, kidney failure and had Charlie Vector One Niner, all at the same time. Living alone, no one discovered him for three days. He's alive but now needs a kidney transplant.

Is it possible to love others enough to sacrifice a kidney so that they might live without dialysis? Some people have done that. THAT is sacrificial love!

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." - John 15:13

Do we have that kind of love for our friends?

I met with a former youth group kid the other day. She's struggling with a condition that requires surgery and the removal of "a critical piece of equipment."

There was that song playing in my head again. Do I have that kind of love to give of myself in such a sacrificial way?

Jesus sacrificed HIS life so that WE might have life. Do we have that kind of sacrificial love for one another? Even if it might cost us everything?

"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

That old Fleetwood Mac song has this line in it:

"Somebody's got to sacrifice

If this whole thing's going to turn out right."

Jesus sacrificed Himself so that things could "turn out right." Do we have that same kind of agape love in our hearts to where we would do the same?

Bleed To Love Her - Fleetwood Mac

Send Me

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” - Isaiah 6:8

There is a tendency these days, especially with all of us as busy as we are, to pass over volunteer opportunities. We simply can't take on anything else in our lives.

At the same time though, if somebody doesn't do it, who will? And how do we know if it isn't the Lord calling us to do something . . . for Him?

Do you know yourself well enough to know whether or not you're good at something? I do. When my church asks for volunteers to bake treats for everyone, I steer clear. Bowing our heads in prayer is good. Bowing our heads in pain after eating one of my 'treats' is not.

But what if your church asks for help in an area where you CAN actually help. Does your hand go up? Do you say "Send me!"

The best test for a compassionate volunteer comes when there is no spoken request at all. No words are needed. But you can sense there IS a need. And you act.

Maybe it's through a Facebook post or in the expression on someone's face. Something's not right. And you want to help.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"May I pray for you?"

This is what Christians do. We serve others. We have compassion for those who are hurting. We 'volunteer' without raising our hands or saying, "Send me." Why? Because we are children of God and we cannot NOT do something. (Bad English?)

Where is there a need in your church, your family, your community, or your group of friends? Remember when Jesus told us about the sheep and the goats? The goats said to Jesus:

"Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’" - Matthew 25:44-45

We don't want to be goats. Sheep volunteer. Be a sheep. We must help our brothers and sisters who are in need. Even if there is no spoken request. If you KNOW there is a need, fill it.

You, You Are God - Gateway Worship

Trust

Trust is something that, once lost, is hard to get back. We can trust our hearts to someone, but when that trust is broken and betrayed, it's hard for things to get back to where they once were.

A perfect example of this would be in a marriage. Things are absolutely beautiful at the wedding ceremony but then, over time, things can change. Somebody betrays that trust and the marriage ends in divorce.

So, what happened to our trust? Where did it go? What caused our relationship to fail? Was it us?

Usually what happens is the direct result of sin. Sin is a powerful tool that Satan uses to attack God through us.

Sin takes many forms - lust, greed, infidelity, discontent, selfishness, revenge, hatred. All these things are contrary to God's will for us.

There are two passages about 'love' in the Bible that confirm this concept. You are probably familiar with both of them. The first is found in the Book of 1st Corinthians.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

The second scriptural truth is only three words long. But without these three words in our relationships, complete trust is left defenseless and fragile.

"God is love." - 1 John 4:8

Read the verse from 1st Corinthians again, substituting the word 'God' for 'love' and you will see what I mean. 

1st John also says that, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because . . . God is love." Similarly, anyone who does not know God, cannot know love. We cannot possibly love someone else to the full extent that God wants us to love each other unless He is in our hearts.

Hard truth: the divorce rate in the Christian church is nearly the same as it is in the secular world. What does that tell us? Read 1st John 4:8 again. Slowly.

Sin is everywhere. Even in God's church, His 'bride.' It's not God who breaks the trust in our relationship with Him. It's us.

Love is a gift from God. Love cannot fully function without His presence in our hearts. If we place our trust in God first, love, true love, will always follow.

Best of 2022

Have you ever watched one if those videos summarizing all of the year's events? If you were to make a video of your top three 2022 moments, what would they be?

Think about it. Make sure you have them all before we reading any further.

I'll wait . . .

. . . I'm still waiting. Lol!

Got 'em? Okay. Let's proceed.

I thought about mine for a while and I came up with my top three, but I'm not going to tell you what any of them are. I'm not going to ask you for yours either. But let's just think about our top moments of 2022 for a bit.

What were they about? If you distilled each event down to just their basic characteristics, what were they about? A one-word description.

Love? Family? Were they joyous events? Or were they sad? There are many possibilities.

Here's a tough question for ya. How many of your top three moments of 2022 involved God?

If we look at each event, didn't they all involve God in some way? In loving relationships? In acts of service? Even through someone's death we can serve God.

And how many of our one-word descriptions involved the fruits of the Spirit?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5: 22-23

God brings many blessings into our lives every day! Some days they are overflowing. Other days we are simply grateful that our hearts are beating.

Whatever our situation is in life, whatever day or season it is, let us find the joy and the blessings that God brings. God loves you!

Lure The Wolf

Have you ever wrestled with a wolf before? Perhaps you have but you just didn't know it. Today's story is about something we have all experienced in our lives, and how we can ultimately face it.

In the movie The Bourne Legacy, Jeremy Renner actually lures and wrestles with a wolf. He defeats the fearsome animal by using a very powerful weapon - his brain.

The wolf in our lives is Satan. He can be fiubd in our fears and our doubts. And we really don't have to lure him at all. He already prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Or was that a roaring lion? (1 Peter 5:8) Lol!

Most people in Jeremy's situation would have been terrified and eaten alive. The ability to overcome our fears is essential if we are ever to overcome our enemy - Satan.

What is your biggest fear? Is it death? Loneliness? For me, my biggest "fear" was not being loved. I should say it used to be a fear. I was able to defeat that fear by utilizing an incredibly powerful weapon - Jesus.

When Joshua was about to lead God's people into the promised land God gave Joshua a command - "be strong and courageous." He used those words four times in the same chapter!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

Our biggest weapon in ANY battle is God Himself. And He will always be with us wherever we go! And should we ever "lure Satan" (the wolf) into our lives, let Jesus defeat him!

The reason that Joshua and the Israelites were successful in capturing all of that land was not because of their own ability. It was because that God fought all their battles for them.

Have you been facing any battles lately? Have you allowed God to help you in fighting them? Or have you tried defeating them on your own?

God can overcome ALL of our fears . . . if we let Him. Be 'strong and courageous'! Call on the name of The Lord and be saved from ALL of your fears.

Wolf Scene - The Bourne Legacy

[This story was inspired by a song from the John Wick soundtrack, entitled Lure The Wolf.]

Lure The Wolf - John Wick soundtrack

The Parable of the Good Servant

The Bible contains many truths that are still applicable in our world today. What's going on in the U.S. House of Representatives this week is our example for today.

Let's go to Exodus, Chapter 32 and read something.

"And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves." - Exodus 32:7

Have we corrupted ourselves? Have we done things that would get God mad at us?

It didn't take long for God to get upset with the Israelites. In the span of a few chapters it went from "Let my people go" to "your people have corrupted themselves." Have our politicians corrupted themselves?

There is a small group of House Republicans who don't want Kevin McCarthy to be their Speaker. Right now anyway. And it's holding things up in Congress. No one is getting anything done.

But they are actually doing this for a reason. They want to get term limits actually voted on! They want an immigration plan and a border plan. They want a balanced budget plan. And fiscal accountability in legislation. Sounds reasonable to me.

There have been secret meetings and deals, trying to get everything worked out. So far, everything has failed.

Then there were these eight Representatives in the picture above. They're doing something that can actually work! They're nealing on the House floor and they're praying!

John Edward Acton once said, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." That statement has proven true time and time again. Especially for heads of nations.

Washington politicians are in a position of great power. That can be dangerous. Perhaps calling on an incorruptible God for guidance should have been their first order of business instead of an afterthought.

"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools." - Romans 1:21-22

We elect representatives to represent us. If they are found praying, that's wonderful. But if they are found to be power hungry individuals set on enriching themselves at the people's expense, someone needs to change that. They were elected to serve us, not themselves.

"The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." - Mathew 23: 11-12

May God's will be done in our nation. And may humble servants lead us in doing things in God's name, not our own.

The Gospel - Paul Washer

The Power of Prayer

Did you see what happened on Monday Night Football? A player, Damar Hamlin, collapsed on the field, his heart stopped beating, and CPR was administered. He would have died if it weren't for the EMTs.

And then the players. The players and other personnel gathered in a circle Monday night and began to pray. There's a lesson there for you and me. But it's not the one you think.

The Old Testament is filled with stories about how God's people turned their back on Him. He would then punish them for their transgressions. Then, finally they would repent and return to Him. Only then did God hear their prayers. Only then did God heal them.

We go through our daily lives without much thought about God. Only when we really need them do we turn to Him. Do you think He will listen?

They say that the only prayer God hears from an unbeliever is a prayer of repentance. God is not some magic genie that we can pray to whenever we want and get what we're praying for. He's a God who demands obedience to his will and faithfulness. And THEN He will give us the desires of our hearts.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - 1 Chronicles 7:14

But did you notice then, when the players realized there was nothing they themselves could do, they turned to God in their desperation. Now, if we could just remember to be obedient and repentant in our daily lives.

What a thing for the world to witness though! People gathered in prayer, not for themselves, but for someone who was unable to pray.

God wants us to be holy. And 'holy' means 'set apart ones.' We need to be different than the rest of the world. We need to stand in the truth of God's word, no matter what it costs.

God answers the prayers of His children everyday. Does He answer yours?

The Gospel - Paul Washer

Staring

I have been doing a lot of staring lately. Not at anything in particular. Mostly I stare in disbelief and usually it occurs during news broadcasts, when I hear some unbelievably stupid story. That happens a lot. I stare at a lot of politicians.

Staring is okay if you're looking at something beautiful - like a landscape, a painting, . . . or a dozen doughnuts of assorted kinds of course. Especially the jellies. Lol! Just kidding.

My phone gets stared at a lot. I often spend hours wondering what I just did to make it suddenly stop working. I'm still staring at it right now, trying to figure out what to write next.

I imagine we'll be doing a lot of staring when we all get to heaven one day. Our mouths will be open in wonder too. That's understandable. We've never seen anything like it.

Some people won't be going to heaven though. They haven't placed their hope in Jesus. They'll be staring at us when we meet Him in the air. They will be doing a LOT of staring! "I thought I was good enough," they will say. Nope. No one is.

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” - Acts 1:11

One way to reserve your spot on the upcoming "flight for life" is to receive the Good News of Jesus Christ. The video below will tell you all about it.

Oh, my dear friends, to be standing in that most perfect of places, staring into the face of Almighty God! What a day, a glorious day, that will be!

The Gospel - Paul Washer