An Abomination?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Consider this from the Apostle Paul:

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is the performer of miracles, not man.

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

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

Pig Kidney Transplant Story - AP

Waiting

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

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

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

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

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

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

The problem is us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Madison Shooting - Newsmax

Boomerang Blessings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A New Beginning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://bobslifesongs.blogspot.com/

Wheels In The Sky

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ezekiel 1: 1-21

Wheel In The Sky - Journey

The Art of Forgiveness

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

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

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

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

Uh-oh.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let go, and let God.

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

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

God forgives like no other.

The Heart of The Matter - Don Henley

I Apologize - Sidewalk Prophets

Prophecy Fulfilled?

Early Sunday morning the word came.

"Damascus has fallen. Assad is missing."

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

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

"A prophecy against Damascus: 

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city

    but will become a heap of ruins."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Syrian Government Falls - Associated Press

Come To Jesus

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

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

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

"Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Come To Jesus - Chris Rice

The Light

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You Are The Sun - Sara Groves

Everyone?

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

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

Here's the quote:

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

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

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

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

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

Who is them? Who was Jesus talking to?

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

The Bible is all the proof we need.

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

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

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

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

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

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

From my MacArthur study Bible:

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

Conclusion?

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

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

Jesus ends His parable with these words...

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

Matthew 22

Pope Francis Article

Slings and Arrows

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

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

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

15 and the Lord Almighty will shield them.

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

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

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

What did you find? These are my interpretations: 

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

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

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

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

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

Shield - again like a protective dome aka Iron Dome.

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

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

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

Zero.

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

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

Zachariah 9

Tamar³

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rest Easy

When I close my eyes at night, I can literally fall asleep within the first few minutes. Wanna know how? Three things. Got your paper and pencil ready?

First, I make sure that I am physically active during the day. Yard work, disc golf, biking, hiking, you get the idea. An hour is good.

Second, I placed my faith in Jesus 18 years ago. Since that time I have had zero worries. Zero. God is in control. What do I have to worry about? I have concerns, but I NEVER get worried anymore.

And the third thing I do, to be able to fall asleep so quickly, is to recite Psalm 23 to myself after the lights go out. I have it memorized. Why Psalm 23? It's a good reminder of who is in control. It reminds me that, whatever happens, "the Lord is my Shepherd."

Try it sometime. Don't nod off now.

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." - Psalm 23

No matter what kind of day we have - good, bad, happy, or sad - we will always fall asleep quickly knowing that those reassuring words from King David are true.

Sleep well tonight my brothers and sisters. And may God bless you this week, and always.

Deconstruction

If we look up the word "Christian" in the dictionary we will find "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ." That definition is flawed right off the bat. We CONfess, not PROfess. I have written about that before. Anyone can profess something, then do something else.

The confessing Christian not only believes in Jesus but follows His commands and teachings. So, what if we don't like ALL of God's rules? Welcome to Christian Deconstruction.

Deconstruction, as it pertains to the Christian faith, is this: "The postmodern process of rethinking your faith without requiring scripture as a standard."

Deconstructionists believe that there is no correct destination in their faith journey. There's no correct place to land. Their faith is their own and nobody else's.

Jesus has a slightly different view from the deconstructionist. 

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

And . . .

"Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say." - Luke 6:46

Good question.

Deconstruction is dangerous but many practice it without even realizing it.

"I'm a Christian," they say,  but they think abortion is okay, or homosexuality, or sleeping with someone without being married, or getting drunk, or getting high on drugs, or lying, stealing, or gluttony.

This "ala carte" Christianity is the "broad road that leads to destruction."

In the construction business we use a similar word - demolition. It's basically removing things until you get to the point where you can build something new and different. Beautiful, right?

In Christianity however it leads to hell. Many will arrive there and wonder, "How the heck did I get here?"

Jesus, our Just Judge, has an answer for the deconstructionist.

"Depart from me, I never knew you." - Matthew 7:23

We need to be very protective of God's Word as we read it and study it, and live it. It is what it is. We do not have the right to change it just to feel better about ourselves.

"And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book." - Revelation 22:19

Be smart out there. God has warned us. It's up to us whether or not we heed His warning.

Righteous Judgement

A couple of news stories stood out to me amongst all of the post-election hype and blame casting this week. On the surface, both stories involve those evil MAGA Republicans and the unthinkable things they are always doing. Lol!

The first story involves a prominent player from the National Football League, Nick Bosa. Nick is the highest paid defensive player in the league and plays for the San Francisco 49ers. He was fined $11,255  this past Saturday for wearing a MAGA hat at a football game..

There are two interesting things in this story. The first is, Nick knew he was going to be fined by the league - and he didn't care. The second point of interest is this . . .

Although this a clear violation of league policy, the NFL waited until AFTER the presidential election to fine him. They didn't want to get those MAGA-Republicans any more fired up than they already were. Sheesh!

The second story is about FEMA and even more disgusting than the first. A FEMA administrator was fired last week after she instructed her relief workers to skip over any hurricane damaged houses featuring Trump or MAGA signs in their front yards. Even Democrats condemned her actions.

These two stories reflect a "clear and present danger" in our country. Each features a powerful entitee (the NFL and FEMA) using their power to effectively silence people, even denying help to the hurting. Lady Justice is supposed to be blind, not peeking out from under her blindfold to choose who to help or punish.

What does all of this have to do with Jesus? First, just one more example. Check this out.

In 2023, a woman was arrested in the UK for silently praying outside an abortion clinic. She has since been cleared of wrongdoing and has even received an apology and a £13,000 judgement in her favor. The point is this.

Back in Jesus' day there was an oppressive government in power - the Roman Empire. Everyone had to submit to Ceasar's authority. Christians were being crucified for things they were saying and believing in.

We are inching closer to that again today. Governments around the world are persecuting and killing their own citizens for their beliefs, even contrary to their own laws.

It seems that justice is a concept seldom practised these days. What has happened to the world we live in? Well, these unjust things are happening because we have removed Jesus from the judgement seat and replaced Him with our own craving for power.

There is an old saying that goes, "absolute power corrupts, absolutely." That has always proven true - with man. Not so with God.

"God is a righteous judge. I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High." - Psalm 7:11,17

With justice comes judgement for the disobedient. I for one am grateful for God's righteous and just judgements. And I am also grateful that Jesus has already paid the price for the unrighteous things I have done.

Thank you Lord!

Nick Bosa Article

FEMA Worker Fired

UK Woman Arrested

Wash Yourself

I have GOT to stop reading the Book of Jeremiah. That thing's filled with nothing but bad news. No wonder they call him The Crying Prophet. And then, as if THAT'S not enough, Lamentations is up next. Woo Hoo!

What is your favorite book of the Bible for encouragement? Romans? The Psalms? John?

Before I dive into that exciting book of Lamentations, I'm going to spend some time reading the Songs of Ascent (Psalm 120-134). Here's a listing, along with a description. They used to sing these songs on their way up to the temple from The Pool of Siloam (discovered in 2004 and excavated).

Psalm 120: God’s presence during distress

Psalm 121: Joyful praise to the Lord

Psalm 122: Prayer for Jerusalem

Psalm 123: Patience for God’s mercy

Psalm 124: Help comes from the Lord

Psalm 125: Prayer for God’s blessing upon His people

Psalm 126: The Lord has done great things

Psalm 127: God’s blessing on man’s efforts

Psalm 128: Joy for those who follow God’s ways

Psalm 129: A cry for help to the Lord

Psalm 130: A prayer of repentance

Psalm 131: Surrender as a child to the Lord

Psalm 132: God’s sovereign plan for His people

Psalm 133: Praise of brotherly fellowship and unity

Psalm 134: Praise to God in His temple

Let's see . . . how about Psalm 130 . . .

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;

Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive

to my cry for mercy. 

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,

Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

and in his word I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning. 

Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

for with the Lord is unfailing love

and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

from all their sins.

That worked for me. How about you?

Whenever our minds get filled up with the news, election results, wars and rumors of wars, we need to remember that God is in control. He rescues us in times of trouble. If we call out to the Lord, He will answer.

Have a good week out there, brothers and sisters. Jesus is coming soon.

“Go,” He told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." - John 9:7

The Prison of The Mind

Have you ever watched the news and heard someone say something that seemed SO contrary to the truth? Where does that come from? How can they still be on the air? Well, there's a reason for that.

Why do people act like they do? They can be so hurtful sometimes. It's almost like they are not themselves or are manipulated in some way. Yessss.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world . . . 

That's us. Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus. We used to be "one of them," living amongst them, as Paul says later.

"and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."

That's Satan, the Evil One. 

"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 

So, why are we different? Why can we recognize the lies? And why do we still love the very people who hurt us and lie to us? It's almost like we are different somehow.

Yesss.

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions."

So, God did this? We were "dead," but now we are "alive?" Why would He do that? What makes us so special?

Good question. Yey, here we are. Saved.

"It is by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:1-5

When someone yelled out that "Jesus is Lord" at a Kamala Harris rally a few weeks ago, she told them that they were at the wrong rally - implying that Christians belong at a Trump rally. Think about that for a moment. Was she right?

We who believe have been saved from God's wrath (the just punishment for our sins). Remember, we used to be among those who are disobedient. Be we were called out of our disobedience. Why?

Well, it's not to do nothing. We have been saved, not to just sit on the sidelines and watch "the game" unfold. Suit up, Christian! Reach out to those who persecute you. Love and pray for those who chastise you and abuse you. That's who WE were.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Trump's campaign has made a fatal mistake in their "Make America Great Again" campaign, IMO. No one man can make that happen. Rather, their slogan should have been a prayer. Only God can change hearts. Only He can make the blind see. We need to be on our knees, not sitting in the bleachers.

"The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God." - John F Kennedy.

One Tree Hill

Back in 2003, my wife started watching a show called One Tree Hill. It was about some high school kids, their families, their relationships, and the ensuing drama.

A few weeks ago I wrote a story about one of its actors - Bethany Joy Lenz. You can read it here.

Anyway, this week I had another "encounter" with One Tree Hill. A friend of mine was telling me about her current favorite song - Send Us Out by Sixteen Cities (link below).

So, I listened to the song. It's a worship song. (It made me happy, knowing my friend's favorite song was a worship song).

I then did some research on the band. They're on Wikipedia. Here's an excerpt from their bio.

The 2nd single from Sixteen Cities' debut album, "Pray You Through", was featured on a Season 8 episode of One Tree Hill.

Okay, what's going on here . . .

When things like this happen, I usually stop. Is God trying to tell me something? Why One Tree Hill? Why is that popping up all of a sudden?

One . . .

"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." - 1 Timothy 2:5

Tree . . .

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree." - Galatians 3:13

Hill . . .

"So they took Jesus, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified Him." - John 19:16-18

[Golgotha is the Aramaic name and Calvary is the Latin name of the hill outside Jerusalem where Jesus was executed.]

One Tree Hill = Jesus, The Cross, and Jerusalem.

Interesting. So, what do I take away from this mess?

My friend's "favorite song" is an encouragement for all of us to share the Gospel - the "Good News" of Jesus, The Messiah.

How do we do that?

"Hey, do you remember that show called One Tree Hill? Let me tell you a story . . ."

He is coming soon! What's YOUR story?

Send Us Out - Sixteen Cities

Bonus story!!

Where did the band Sixteen Cities get their name? The band used to be called Issachar. Does that sound familiar? Issachar was one of Israel's 12 sons. When the Israelites arrived in the Promised Land, Joshua divided up the land by lot . . .

"The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the people of Issachar, according to their clans. Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, Beth-pazzez. The boundary also touches Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and its boundary ends at the Jordan - sixteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Issachar, according to their clans - the cities with their villages." - Joshua 19:17-23

The Heart of Worship

"A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” - John 4:23-24

I'll probably get in trouble for this, but here goes. I think that the church we know of today is not the same as the church back in the book of Acts, when it was just getting started.

Today, we sit in church on a Sunday morning and listen to someone tell us things we should already know. We're encouraged to be more like Christ. We encouraged to spread the Gospel. We sing songs. That's all good, but is what we call "worship" today the same as it was back then?

If we do a search in a Bible app for the word 'worship,' and start reading the examples that it returns (274 in the NIV), you will find that many examples are one-on-one worship. And what does that kind of worship look like? Let's look at the early church.

"All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." - Acts 2:44-47

The word 'worship' is totally missing, but everything they were doing WAS worship.

When a person was actually worshipping someone, the worshiper dropped down on his or her knees, face to the ground, and worshipped the one they were bowing down to. In church we just sit in our chairs and listen to stories. While good, is that really worship? What IS worship?

If we are commanded to 'worship in spirit and in truth,' doesn't God prefer the one-on-one, more personal worship compared to our corporate worship? He has said as much.

“The multitude of your sacrifices - what are they to me?” says the Lord. 

“I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 

When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 

Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations, I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 

Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! 

Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." - Isaiah 1:-11-17

God is not looking for sacrifices. God does not NEED anything. What He DOES want is for our deeds to reflect His will. We are to worship God by doing His will. And then we must simply praise Him, for everything. That is the true heart of worship IMO.

I don't do a good enough job in my worshipping. How do I improve? I need to spend more time praying on my old, sore knees. I need to spend more time helping my brother and sister in need. Simply put, pray and serve more, share the love of Christ more. LOVE more. May the love of Christ define our worship, not merely the singing of songs.

The Heart of Worship - Sonicflood

Transformers

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

What is Paul trying to tell us here? I get the "do not conform" part. The world is crazy enough right now as it is. If we conform to the world, wouldn't we just be adding to the craziness? Yah.

Paul wants us to renew our minds. What's that all about? Maybe this verse will help.

"The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person." - 1 Samuel 10:6

That was Samuel talking to King Saul. But it also reflects what happens to those of us who have believed and received God's Holy Spirit. We DO become changed. Transformed.

And once we are transformed, then we can know what God's will is. We can 'test and approve' what it is.

I have had people say to me, "I'm praying about it. I just want to find out what God's will is for me in my life."

Uh, God's will for us is plastered everywhere in the Bible. That's why God wants us to read it and apply it.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." - Deuteronomy 6:5-9

God laid down the law to Moses in the Old Testament and Jesus offered up even more things to consider in the New Testament.

If we have truly been transformed we will know what God's "good, pleasing, and perfect will is." And that's a great place to be.

Here's a question to consider. How many of the Apostles went to seminary school? Zero. Yes, they were taught by Jesus, but they had no degrees or formal teaching. They simply had a working knowledge of God's Word and they applied it, boldly.

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus." - Acts 4:13

Is there evidence in our lives that we have been transformed? Have our minds been renewed by knowing His Word? That is more valuable than a thousand degrees.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of The One and Only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:1,14

R.T. Kendall is an 89-year old theologian. He offers these words of advice to believers contemplating obtaining a religious education.

"I would not recommend seminary. Know your Bible, and pray a lot. That's it." - R.T. Kendall

Know Jesus. Know His Word. It's really that simple.

Read the Bible - R.T. Kendall

The Dream of The King

"There is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." - Romans 13:1

Well, it's Wednesday morning - the day after the 2024 election - and God has made some moves. Nancy Pelosi won again. Six terms? Yikes. AOC won. Clearly, the "war" is not over. But battles have been won.

Wisconsin senator Tammy Baldwin is in a tight battle with newcomer Eric Hovde. But the Senate has already flipped to red. Mr. Schumer will no longer be "leading" the Senate.

Abortion won last night. Seven states made it legal. That's sad news for all of the babies in their mother's wombs right now, that will never get a chance to vote on their own future.

But the big news appears to be Trump's win over Harris. When I checked at midnight, Newsmax said he had reached 270 electoral votes - the minimum number needed to win. This morning he's at 286. Pennsylvania, where he was shot in an assassination attempt, put him over the top. Interesting.

So what now? Time to get to work. It will be REALLY interesting to see what happens at our southern border, with our economy, and with the funding of the Ukraine and Israeli wars.

One thing I noticed though that is really worthy of note. God was acknowledged by Trump and the Republican party and, as a result, was blessed with many victories last night. That's something we all need to remember as we live out our own lives.

Trump said this at 2:26 AM. "God spared my life for a reason." Trump regularly plays God Bless The USA at his rallies.

Trump is brash and snarky to be sure. But God has put him on the thrown of this country. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

These past four years have been hard for many Americans to watch. But it would be SO nice to see God make America great again.

Finally, there's this from the prophet Daniel:

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others. 

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. 

I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." - Daniel 2:20-23

The Ancient of Days

We have an election here in the United States tomorrow. We will be electing "the leader of the free world," or so they say. Honestly, we haven't been doing a lot of "leading" lately.

We sang a song in church yesterday that I thought was perfect for our pre-election blues. Here's the first verse:

Though the nations rage, kingdoms rise and fall

There is still one King reigning over all

So I will not fear for this truth remains:

That my God is, the Ancient of Days

"Though the nations rage." Aren't we living that right now? And kingdoms definitely rise and fall. It has been sad to see our country failing these last few years.

But there is one thing we need to remember. God rules over ALL. Whoever wins tomorrow. God is still king.

If things don't go the way we'd like in our election tomorrow, we need to remember that they are going God's way. And we need to be fine with that.

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." - Romans 13:1

The Ancient of Days is God, The Father. Let us respect and honor His judgements and decrees. No matter who wins.

Ancient of Days - CityAlight

Coming Soon

The Bible is a big book. SO big that there are 66 other books inside it. It was written over a period of 2,000 years. Yet, it is a perfectly cohesive story about one man - The God Man - Jesus.

The Book of Job is considered to be the oldest book in the Bible. Yet even Job eludes to Jesus when he said this:

"If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more." - Job 6:33-34

There is, my friend. His name is Jesus.

Jesus Himself said that He was around since the beginning. He didn't just suddenly appear at His earthly birth. He was there at the creation of the universe. He'll be there at the end.

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you a this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” - Revelation 22:12:16 

Jesus closes out His Words written in the Bible with this in verse 20: 

"Yes, I am coming soon!" - Revelation 22:20

While it has been 2,000 years since Jesus told those words to John, remember what the psalmist said . . .

"A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." - Psalm 90:4

The Red Chord

In the Book of Matthew there is a listing of all the relatives of Jesus on His mother's side.

"Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David." - Matthew 1:5-6

Rahab is the Great, Great, Grandmother of King David. She lived in Jericho, the first walled city that God commanded the Israelites to destroy when they came out of Egypt. Rahab was a Canaanite, and a harlot, a prostitute. But she was righteous in God's eyes. Why?

Joshua sent spies into Jericho before they attacked the city. But why did the spies go into Rahab's house? Unknown. Were they directed by God? Anyway, the spies were seen entering her house and Rahab was soon confronted.

"But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them." - Joshua 2:4

She saved the spies from certain death, eventually lowering them down through a window. She lived on the outside wall of the city. When it's walls "came tumblin' down," every wall around the city fell, EXCEPT the walls of Rahab's house. Interesting.

"Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent." - Joshua 6:17

Rahab had made a deal with the spies. It saved her and her family. It started out this way as she aknowledged that God IS the God of heaven and earth.

"Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." - Joshua 2:8-11

Rahab believed in God and helped the Israelites in their effort to conquer Jericho. Noble. But there's something else.

"Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down." - Acts 2:17-18

Scarlet. Red. You mean like the color of blood? Like "the blood of the lamb" the Isrealites put on their door frames in Egypt to save their first-born from death? Yesss.

The story of Rahab, and what she did and believed, is a reflection of Jesus and us. It's a story of salvation.

And what is OUR red chord? It is the Holy Spirit who lives in ALL who believe. And not just believe, but who have acknowledged Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Are you wearing a "red chord."

The story of Rahab and the spies exists in two parts (links below). Rahab is also mentioned in the New Testament.

"In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?" - James 2:25 

"By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient." - Hebrews 11:31

We might think we are unworthy, but if we place our faith in Jesus we will be saved.

Joshua 2

Joshua 6