What's Your Trigger?

A lot of people these days are getting "triggered" by one thing or another. I first heard the term "triggered" being used regarding anything Donald Trump. But it applies to lots of things.

Maybe you're watching the news tonight and you'll see a story about abused pets. Or perhaps you'll be on your way to work when someone pulls out in front of you and you have to slam on the brakes.

There is a neverending supply of triggers in our lives these days, or so it seems.

What IS a trigger anyway? A trigger is something that causes something else to happen. In a gun's case the trigger releases a "hammer" which strikes a bullet, causing an explosion, which sends a hunk of lead flying. Triggers cause reactions. They cause things to happen.

Here's a question: What was it that triggered your conversion to Christ? Do you remember the day? What was it that "triggered" you? A conversion? A sermon? A sudden medical emergency you were saved from? A car accident where you emerged unharmed while your car was totalled?

The key fact in any conversion story is someone somehow encountering Jesus. It's when He becomes REAL in our lives.

We can live our whole lives going to church, doing and saying the right things, but until we meet Jesus, none of it matters.

The Apostle Paul went to church each sabbath. He was VERY religious! Yet it wasn't until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus that his life changed.

"As he (Paul) journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." - Acts 9:3-5

That was Paul's trigger.

Not everyone conversion story like Paul. A bright light, sudden blindness, and Jesus actually speaking to him. Wow!

But everyone has a story. What was it that led YOU to Christ?

Cetus

Today's word of the day is Cetus. Any ideas what that means? Cetus is a constellation, sometimes called "The Whale" in English. Cetus (ketos in ancient Greek) was a sea monster in Greek mythology which both Perseus and Heracles needed to slay (whoever THEY were).

A whale . . . Hmm.

"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." - Matthew 12:38-40

Jesus was in "the belly of the whale" for three days just like Jonah. Surely Jonah's stint in that deep, dark place was a prophetic sign of Jesus crucifixion and his descending into hades for three days.

I saw this piece of artwork (pictured above) while searching for today's story picture. It is Cetus the whale! Note the stars on its side. It's the constellation Cetus! Amazing!

What else do we see? Well, it's a clock for one thing. We can tell that by the Roman numerals III, IX, VI... and Cetus is pointing at the number 3. THREE days in the belly of the whale? Interesting.

Who knows what all this means. Perhaps Jesus and His heavenly host will come to us out of the constellation Cetus. I really have no idea, but this encoursging to me. All we know for sure though is this . . . time is definitely ticking. And we do NOT want to end up in the belly of the whale.

The Wee Small Hours

A couple of nights ago I was on YouTube listening to music when I came across One More Light by Linkin Park. I watched the video. I probably shouldn't have.

Chester Bennington (lead singer) sang a song about suicide and how he cared when people chose to end their lives instead of talking to someone. Of course, Chester would later do the very thing he sang about, taking his own life in 2017. 

As the song repeated in my head I thought about all the people I have known who took the same sad option. Austin, Kameron, Bill, Jesse, Oksana.

So there I was, thinking about suicide victims at 3:00 AM. Perhaps if I wrote about it . . .

So, I jotted down some notes for this story on my phone. I then discovered I had already written a story about this topic. What now? It's 3:00 in the bloody morning! Lol! It's the wee small hours!

(Ding!)

And there you have it. The answer to getting songs out of one's head. Sort of. Change the song!

Now I'm on YouTube again, searching, only it's now 4 AM. . . . In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning . . .

(Ding!)

In the wee small hours of the morning,

When the whole wide world is fast asleep,

You lie awake and think about that girl,

And never ever think of counting sheep.

When your lonely heart has learned its lesson,

You'd be hers if only she would call.

In the wee small hours of the morning,

That's the time you miss her most of all.

And now, with THAT song playing in the background of my mind, I returned to bed and prayed for the families of my friends who are gone.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." - Psalm 147:3

"The Lord is near to those who are discouraged; He saves those who have lost all hope. Good people suffer many troubles, but the Lord saves them from them all." - Psalm 34:18-19

When we find ourselves feeling sad, change life's soundtrack, and pray. You will find that soon you will be sleeping like a baby. And falling asleep as you pray is a wonderfully calming thing.

I slept like a rock. THEE Rock.

"Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." - Matthew 8:24-26

In The Wee Small Hours - Chris Botti & Sting

Puzzles

When I inherited my mom and dad's jigsaw puzzle collection I didn't know what I was getting myself into - a lesson about life.

Puzzles can be a fun little diversion. Jigsaw puzzles teach us that it is possible to attack a problem and emerge at its completion 100% satisfied. Unless, of course, there are missing pieces.

Often, my wife will enter my "puzzle space," bend down, and pick up one of the pieces I had inadvertently knocked off the table.

"Here. You might need this," she'll say. What an example of Jesus!

Life is a lot like assembling a crossword puzzle.

Puzzles exist so that they can be assembed. They provide us with a sence of accomplishment after we complete them. Equally, puzzles can also provide frustration if some of the pieces are missing or if the puzzle proves too difficult. Is life any different?

We can be working on life's puzzle, all organized and going well. Then, suddenly, something's not right. A medical emergency, infertility, the death of a loved one. A piece of our "puzzle" has gone missing or we have placed one of life's pieces in the wrong spot. Enter Jesus.

Is there a puzzle that Jesus cannot solve? Is there something missing in our lives that could not be fixed by Jesus?

Jesus completes us. He guides us through life's puzzles with His Holy Spirit and His Word. He is the one who picks up the pieces off our floor and puts them back onto the table for us.

Jesus could solve ALL of life's puzzles for us with a thought or a snap of His fingers. But He doesn't. He wants us to grow and to learn.

What God teaches us today may be needed to solve some "life puzzle" in the future.

Embrace the puzzle!

F.R.O.G.

When I was much younger (in my 40's and early 50's) I would often wake up in the middle of the night, worrying about work.

In the wee hours of the morning, my eyes would look like Mr. Frog here - bugged out, trying to solve some work-related problem. That doesn't happen anymore.

"Well, Bob, you're retired now so . . ."

It's more than just the work aspect. What's interesting is that I don't worry about ANYTHING anymore. AT ALL.

And it's not like I haven't had anything to worry about. Friends of mine have died this past year. People I love have suffered through incredibly debilitating medical procedures.

I have friends and relatives who have been beaten, who suffer from anxiety and depression, and others who have lost their jobs. The world is at war, for heaven's sake. And still, all is calm within me. Why? What happened in my life to change all that once was?

Let's get back to my little frog friend. He looks pretty nervous, doesn't he? Maybe it's a snake stalking him. Or maybe he just looks that way all the time. It's his name gets the attention here, today.

FROG is an acronym for Fully Rely On God

When we fully trust in Jesus . . . FULLY rely on Him . . . anxiety and worries just leave us. Hey, I don't understand it. It just happens.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

If we claim  to be Christians, yet we still worry about things, are we FULLY relying on God? Isn't 'worry' thinking that God can't handle things?

It is the promised Holy Spirit living in the heart of every believer that calms our fears and gives us that peace.

If we say that we believe in Jesus yet we still worry, I say, "Really?" Are we fully relying on God?

Read those verses again. It says "the peace of God WILL," not that it might or may.

Remember the acronym FROG. What does the 'F' stand for?

Fully.

"Do not be anxious about anything" the verse says. Is that not a command? Are we not sinning against God then if we are anxious?

Trust in the Lord.

"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

God Reveals Himself

Samuel. He was prophet, the last of Israel's judges. He lived during the time of Saul and David. Samuel was powerful and strong in The Lord from his youth.

"The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word." - Samuel 3:19:21

Did you know that there is an often dormant gift from God awaiting all those who believe in Him? There is. It's right there in bold for all to see. The last three words of verse 21 above.

"He (God) revealed Himself to Samuel THROUGH HIS WORD."

God will do the same for all of His children. However . . . in a recent Barna group survey, not many Christians are making the choice to read these days. Only 48% of Christians in 2021 read their Bible at least 3 times A YEAR.

How is God going to reveal Himself to us, THROUGH HIS WORD, if we're not reading, and studying, His Word, the Bible? Hmm.

In my previous story I talked about our need to be salt to those around us. God revealed that to me, through His word. I read the Bible. God revealed to me, through His Holy Spirit, that I need to get out of the house more and into the community in order to become that salt that hasn't lost its saltiness.

God revealed to me that I need to spend more time after church, hanging out with my brothers and sisters. I need to spend time listening to THEIR stories, not telling them mine.

What will God reveal to YOU today as you read His Word?

5%

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." - Matthew 5:13

After Jesus gave His Beatitudes speech on the Mount of Olives He told His followers what you just read. "You are the salt of the earth."

Why did Jesus call them salt? And why is the name of this story "5%"? Well . . . 

Salt. Back in Jesus' day salt was used as a preservative, to cleanse newborn babies (a disinfectant), and for fertilizer. Fertilizer? 

Yes! Where did the Jewish people get their salt? From the Dead Sea. Dead Sea salt is Potassium Chloride, not Sodium Chloride like our table salt. Potassium Chloride,  also known as Potash, is a fertilizer. It helps things grow.

Salt changes the things it comes into contact with simply by being what it is. Is that what we do? Do we change people simply by being who we are in their presence? Let's go read what Luke had to say about salt.

“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away." - Luke 14:34-35

How much salt do we need then? When a community contains just 5% active Christians, it begins to change for the better. Judging by today's headlines we need lots of salt!

But the thing about salt is that it needs to come into contact with the dirt, with what it is intended to cleanse. How is THAT done? By being out in the community. By reaching out to the hurting, the sick, and the poor. We can help those around us grow in their faith simply by being with them. It's called fellowship.

Salt in our kitchen is useless while it's just sitting in the salt shaker. Only when we put it on a steak, or on some french fries, does it serve its purpose.

If we are to be salt in this world, where should WE be? At home in our living rooms watching TV? Or being poured out into the lives of those around us?

We are purveyors of the Gospel. If I sit at home simply reading my Bible, am I truly fulfilling my purpose as "the salt of the earth?"

Prepare Yourself

Maybe it was just a bad dream. Everything's quiet right now. No more sirens. No more explosions. Of course, it's only 5 AM. I think. My alarm clock is dead. My phone is dead. There is still no power. Better get a fire started. It's bloody cold in here.

There. That's better. Now to make some coffee. Oh yeah, there's no water. No power, no water. Better get going an take the long, cold walk to the creek at the bottom of the hill. Maybe the house will be warm by the time I get back.

* * * * *

Welcome to the future and nuclear winter.

According to an MSN report last week, Iran now has enough enriched plutonium for a nuclear weapon. That weapon should be ready by . . .  today, so they say. How comforting.

Millions of illegals pouring across our southern border from all over the world - even Chinese and Iranians. Hmm. I wonder . . .

"Death to Israel! Death to America!" they chant. Again . . . hmm.

Consider this all-too-real scenario: One lone nuclear weapon, smuggled in from Canada while everyone has their eyes on Eagle Pass, Texas. A stolen van, traveling down I-41 into downtown Chicago and BOOM!

Chicago has a population of 2.6 million. They would all be gone. No problem though. We have enough illegals coming across our borders to repopulate Chi-town within a year. 2.8 million border crossings in 2023 dontcha know. There is no deterrent. Plus, we give them free phones, prepaid debit cards, and food and housing.

My wife and I live 216 miles north of Chicago. If the Windy City fell victim to a terrorist bombing, we would be fine, God willing. Northern Indiana and south western Michigan however are in the fallout zone. A slow, lingering death for them in this sad scenario.

* * * * *

But COULD this actually happen? Yes, it could. However...

"God has not given us a spirit of fear." - 2 Timothy 1:7

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

"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

The best way to be prepared for ANY event is to KNOW Jesus. Allowing Him to be Lord of your life is the best prepping decision anyone could make. Are you prepared?

The Woman In The Red Dress

One of the reasons I love The Matrix movie so much is because it is filled with allegory and metaphor. Hidden meanings and subtle messages. It is therefore much like the Bible in that regard.

The Bible has many such hidden treasures, waiting for the reader to uncover. Unfortunately, many of today's Bible readers are, as Morpheus says in the movie, "not ready to be unplugged."

What good is reading something if you don't understand it?

Take Luke 23:43 for example. When Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise," do you think Jesus was talking about heaven? No. 'Paradise' in Greek means "a garden," not heaven.

Getting back to The Matrix, look at the woman in the red dress. What does she represent in the life of a Christian? The woman represents sin.

Instead of listening to his teacher, Neo becomes distracted by the woman in the red dress. Sin. Morpheus, Neo's teacher, then asks Neo, "Were you listening? Or were you looking at the woman in the red dress?"

There are so many distractions in this world right now. We all have our diversions, our sins, our distractions. Do they keep us from following our Teacher? Jesus? Do they keep us from understanding His Word?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" - Matthew 7:21-23

We too must understand the will of our Father in heaven. To do that we must understand the meaning of His words. What HE thinks, not what WE think.

Morpheus: "If you are not one of us, you are one of them."

Jesus: "Whoever is not with me is against me." - Matthew 12:30

We must be in God's Word, daily. We must study it and learn from it if we are to learn and grow and know what God's will is. When was the last time you opened your Bible? Last week? Last year? Do it now and grow!

The Woman In The Red Dress - The Matrix

The Word - Sara Groves

The Four Horsemen

In the 6th chapter of the Book of Revelation we read about seals and scrolls being opened and about four horsemen riding horses of various colors.

Verse 2 - "a white horse"

Verse 4 - "a red horse"

Verse 5 - "a black horse"

Verse 8 - "a pale horse"

The color of this last horse actually varies with the Bible translation. If we look at other translations for verse eight we see another color mentioned. The New Living Translation, for example, says "a pale green horse."

Of the 32 translations I checked, 11 of them say this fourth horseman was riding on a green horse.

The picture above is of the Palestinian flag. Note its colors. White, Red, Black, Green. The same as the Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse. Coincidence?

If you are bored today you could check out the colors on the flags of THESE neighboring countries in the Middle East - Jordan, Sudan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Afghanistan, and Syria. Yep. White, Red, Black, Green flags.

In case you were wondering, as I was, Iran's flag is White, Red, and Green. No black. Their mistake. However . . .

If we search for 'Persian flag' (for Iran was formerly called Persia) what colors do we find? White, Red, Green, Yellow, and . . . Black.

Ha!

Yemen (Houthi) flag colors are White, Red, and Black. No Green. Get with the program, people!

And Hezbollah up in Lebanon? Their flag is Green and Yellow. And what are the colors of the Lebanese flag? White, Red, and Green. No black. Perhaps we should look at the color of their hearts to find the black. Just a theory.

So what do these four horsemen do in Revelation? What do they do at the end of the world?

The rider on the White horse was "a conqueror bent on conquest." The Red horse's rider "was given power to take peace from the earth." He was given "a large sword." The rider on the Black horse was given "a pair of scales" and was in charge of setting prices for bread, barley, oil' and wine - the world's economy.

And the rider on the Green horse. What was he given? Power over one fourth of the earth . . . to kill.

Keep these flag colors in mind as we watch these countries, and their flags, gather against Israel in these last days of prophetic fulfillment.

Sweet Dreams

Do you believe that God communicates with us through dreams? Why not! There are numerous examples of God doing just that in the Bible.

"He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds." - Job 35:15

Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Pharaoh, Samuel, Solomon, Daniel, Zacharias, Joseph, Pilate's wife, Ananias, Cornelius, Peter, Paul, John, etc. Even the wisemen who came to see the newborn King. All these people received dreams of instruction or warning in their lives.

December 27, 2023 two missionaries reported that "Muslims are meeting Jesus in their dreams and converting to Christianity at an alarming rate."

Have you ever had a dream that seemed extra powerful in nature? Could it have been some sort of instruction or warning? What do we do when a dream like that happens? How do we know if it's real?

This is uncharted territory for me. I really don't know what should be done when we get those amazingly real dreams. But when we DO get them, I think it would be a good idea to keep our eyes open and be aware of our surroundings. God just might be trying to tell us something.

If you're old like me you have probably heard of the 80's band Fleetwood Mac. They have a song called Dreams. In it Stevie Nicks says, "I keep my visions to myself."

That's probably a pretty good rule of thumb. Still . . . if it truly is God trying to tell us something, what do we do with it?

Ask Him.

"Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.” - Daniel 2: 19-23

God does communicate through dreams and visions. It's up to us, whether we act on those dreams, or not. Sweet dreams tonight.

The Boys In The Boat

Everyone has heard the story of Jesus walking on water. Fewer remember how Peter ALSO walked on water. But today we're not talking about either of them, as you can tell by the title of today's story. 

To be sure, the story about Peter stepping out of the boat and onto the waves is a tremendous example of faith. Peter's faith is a testament to all, as is his losing that faith and sinking like a stone. Ironically, Peter's name, given to him by Jesus, literally means "a stone."

[If you search for the meaning of "Peter" you will find that it means "stone" in Greek, while Cephas is "stone" in Aramaic."]

Back to the boys in the boat. It is wrong to add to scripture, but I'm thinking the rest of the guys must have been questioning Peter and his decision to step out of the boat.

"Peter, what are you doing? Sit down! You'll drown!!"

Do you think that Peter's example of faith that day benefited those who saw it? Do you think that OUR faith was an example to others?

And just as Peter's faith was an example, so was his failing faith. It was an example to everyone that we should not take our eyes off of Jesus during a storm.

Jesus challenged the faith of His disciples many times in the Bible. The healing that Jesus did was ALSO linked to faith, often saying, "Your FAITH has made you well "

"Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” - Matthew 14:31

Quite the teaching moment, wouldn't you say? How has God taught YOU using the trials in YOUR life?

Jesus Walks On Water - All Four Gospels