Mystery Babylon

If you were to enter the word 'Babylon' in the YouTube search window, and then scroll down through the results, you would find many different interpretations. Who is this Mystery Babylon? Is it the United States? Is it New York City? Is it Iran? Is it the Roman Empire? Is it the European Union? No one really knows for sure.

I came across something today during my reading that made me stop and think for a moment. Is this the answer? What's your take on this passage from the Book of Isaiah?

"On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, ⁴you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:" - Isaiah 14:3

There WAS an actual Babylon back in Isaiah's day, but then what Babylon was John referring to when he wrote the following in the Book of Revelation? He wrote about a future Babylon.

"Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. ⁵The name written on her forehead was a mystery:

'Babylon the great

the mother of prostitutes

and of the abominations of the earth.'

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus." - Revelation 17:3-5

If we go back to Isaiah, remembering that he was a prophet of future events, let's keep reading, Verse 12.

"How you have fallen from heaven,

    morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth,

    you who once laid low the nations!

¹³You said in your heart,

    “I will ascend to the heavens;

I will raise my throne

    above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,

    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.

¹⁴I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

    I will make myself like the Most High.”

¹⁵But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,

    to the depths of the pit." - Isaiah 14:12 -15

God is now speaking about Satan through the prophet Isaiah. So, what was the Babylon that Isaiah was talking about back in verse 3 of this very same chapter, just nine verses prior? A future Babylon. And who was this King of Babylon that Isaiah mentioned in verse 3? Satan?

What is Satan's Babylon? Is it a city? No. I don't think so. I think it is Satan's "kingdom." The one he has been building for himself ever since he fell to earth (in verse 12 above).

What if "Mystery Babylon" is everyone who takes the Mark of The Beast, all those who have not worshipped God? All the unbelieving people of the earth?

In verse 12, Isaiah refers to "the blood of God's holy people." Satan was drinking their blood, which is against God's commands.

"But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. ²⁴You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. ²⁵Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord." - Deuteronomy 12:23-25

It is SO important that we place our faith in Jesus and don't look back. Remember Lot's wife (Genesis 19:26)? She looked back and did NOT make it to safety. There are SO MANY warnings given to us in God's Word. Yet so few people heed them.😥

We must stand strong in our faith and never give up. Bad things WILL happen as we get closer to His return. But a whole lot of GOOD things happen after that.🙂

A Precious Gift

In the Book of Acts there is a story about The Apostle Paul. He begins this part of the text in Ephesus and ends up in Syria. This is part of Paul's last trip. Anywhere.

There are a few things worthy of noting here. Look who he was with at the beginning and the end of his journey. And notice all of the stops he made along the way.

"³⁶When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. ³⁷They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. ³⁸What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

¹After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ²We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. ³After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days." - Acts 20:36 - 21:4

Paul began and ended his trip with the "churches" he had started years earlier. He stayed with them and prayed with them. They loved each other and they all loved God.

Don't we all take similar journeys in our walk with Jesus? We begin and end in a church (baptism / funeral). We make many stops along the way. And we meet many people during our trip that we love. 

I talk to many people about Jesus. Some are already my brothers and sisters. Some are not. And SOME, I have no idea where they stand.

I was given a gift this past week. One of the "I don't knows" sent me a text message, asking me to pray for her son. This has never happened before from this person. Why me?

Years before this prayer request I had prayed for this lady as she went through a personal tragedy. We talked, and then I prayed for her. That was the beginning of friendship and a journey. A journey to Jesus.

We meet many such people as we "sail" from one "port" to another in this life. What is our purpose? Christ! How do we pour into those relationships? Prayer and love!

What did they do in verse 36? They prayed and loved as they hugged and kissed each other goodbye. Do we have those kinds of relationships in our lives? Do we ask each other for prayer? Do we embrace them and love them like Paul did? Will it be the last time that we ever see them?

Pray and love. Always.

I shared this movie clip a few weeks ago but I am sharing it again because it fits. It features a tearful goodbye that almost didn't happen. Tears of joy and thanksgiving were shed. THEN they said goodbye. Just like they did in the Book of Acts.

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." - Proberbs 17:17

Lost In Translation Ending

Waters Break Out

"Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim; ¹⁰so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”

¹¹So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called Baal Perazim." - 1 Chronicles 14:10-11

What the heck does "waters breaking out mean?" Where would David have seen or heard about waters breaking out? Breaking out of what? Did they have dams back then?

Well, there was The Flood back when God destroyed all of mankind (except for Noah and his family). Waters kind of "broke out" at that time but that was a 40-day event. "Breaking out" seems to indicate a sudden, explosive event. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

When the Israelites were fleeing Egypt they found theselves up against the shores of The Red Sea. Remember how God parted the sea so that His people could cross it on dry ground?

"Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” - Exodus 14:13-14

I wonder if the "waters breaking out" that David was referencing was when the Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites and God let the waters of the Red Sea "break out" over them. Killing them all. THAT was defintely a very sudden event.

Speaking of "waters breaking out," have you seen the almost daily breakouts of Executive Orders from the Resolute Desk? It was been a veritable flood. Perhaps the massive "sea" that is our government can be break out into something more manageable, and the taxpayers  can be saved as a result. Lol!

Finally, when Jesus returns, there will be another "breaking out" of sorts as a "flood" of believers takes off from the earth and joins Him up in the clouds.

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." - 1 Thessalonians 4:17

"Surf's up!"

Take Me Back

A few weeks ago I was working on a jigsaw puzzle in our sunroom. My wife was gone for the day so I was able to crank some tunes and unabashedly sing along. I got out the old iPod and rediscovered some of the worship songs from my spiritual youth. Let me tell you, those songs were, and are, absolutely wonderful!

The memories of those early years of my faith were brought to life by the music. It was a wonderful time with many precious memories. I learned SO much. I made new friends, I was a youth leader at church, I went on mission trips, and to Christian music events.

That brought a question to mind. Why don't I listen to my music anymore? What happened that it is no longer an active part of my life? Hmm.

Well, I no longer work for one thing. I used to listen to "my music" on my way to and from work - 45 minutes there, and 45 minutes on the way home. I just don't do that anymore.

Another reason I no longer listen to my music is that the CD player in my car didn't work. But guess what, I got a new car a few weeks ago, and the new car's CD player works just fine. So now, when I go to visit my friends where I used to work, I once again crank the tunes. Woo Hoo!

The Bible says that we are supposed to "worship in spirit and in truth." I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing but, when my worship is paired with music, it seems to come from a deeper place inside of me. Maybe that's why people wrote and sang hymns.

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” - John 4:24

One thing I know for sure is that I love worship music. And I think God does too.

It doesn't really matter HOW we worship just as long as we get the WHO we worship part right.

Here's a song for you to listen to. It was released only a few days ago.

"Take me back, closer to your fire,

I want to feel that Light again.

Give me grace, make it my desire,

Shake my world apart.

Remind me...."

The Power of a Tender Heart - Sidewalk Prophets

High Places

Have you ever unintentionally broken the law? Maybe you've looked down at your speedometer and discovered you were driving JUST a few miles over the speed limit? Or burned a pile of brush when you didn't know there was a burning ban that day? 🤔 Well.... I sure have.

Let me tell you about Josiah, King of Judah. He discovered that HE was breaking the law - God's Law. Uh-oh. 😯

One of Josiah's buds, Hilkiah the high priest, found The Book of The Law, abandoned in the Temple of The Lord. Again, uh-oh. This was the law that God had dictated to Moses back in the day.

After Josiah read The Book of The law, he said this:

“Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” - 2 Kings 22:13

Kind of like the world we live in today . . .

So, what did Josiah do? Amongst other things, he removed all of the "high places" and "asherah poles" and burned them outside of the city. What is a high place? This is from GotQuestions.org

High places, very simply, were places of worship on elevated pieces of ground. High places were originally dedicated to idol worship (Numbers 33:52; Leviticus 26:30), especially among the Moabites (Isaiah 16:12). These shrines often included an altar and a sacred object such as a stone pillar or wooden pole in various shapes identified with the object of worship (animals, constellations, goddesses, and fertility deities).

And what did God think of these high places? Places where the people worshipped gods that THEY THEMSELVES had made?

"I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you." - Leviticus 26:30

Well, okay then. That raises a question of two.

Do WE have things that WE worship rather than God? What, or who, do we put up on a pedestal (a high place)? These are high places of our own making. God must be #1 in our lives. Not family, or friends, or work . . . or the Packers. And definitely not the Chiefs.

Worship God, and God alone. This isn't about going to churchand saying all of the "Christian" catch phrases. We must allow God to change to change our hearts. We must reject all of our high places and follow HIS ways, not our own.

High Places - Gotquestions.org

It's What We Do

"It's what I do that defines me." - Batman

I watched a short clip from the Batman Begins movie the other day. Why? Because of the quote it teased (above). It intrigued me. Why?

It reminded me of another quote I heard in a Casting Crowns video.

"You will know who I am by the things that I do."

And THAT reminded me of a Bible verse. Imagine that.

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing." John 14:12

That, of course, was Jesus speaking. And that verse reminded me of yet another verse.

"Faith, without works, is dead." - James 2:17

And another . . .

"God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”" - Romans 2:6

And yet another . . .

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done." - Revelation 22:12

Maybe it's just me but I think God wants us to actually DO something with our faith in Him, rather than just sit on our butts in church and that's it.

My wife is a perfect example of what God wants us to be doing. She makes meals for those who have lost a loved one, she makes baby care kits for mothers across the globe. Why? God's Holy Spirit has prompted her to do these things.

What will WE be doing today? 🤔

P.S. - Although our "works" define us and who we are in Christ, they DO NOT earn us a ticket to heaven. It is by God's grace ALONE that we are saved. Our works are the EVIDENCE of our salvation. It's all about Him.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." - Ephesians 2:8

Lost In Translation

Here's an example of how my ancient, wandering mind works. But it is also a testimony to God's faithfulness and the leading of His Holy Spirit.

It was Tuesday morning when I wrote this. I know it was Tuesday because I was looking forward to visiting my friends. I always do that on Tuesdays.

Scrolling through YouTube in the pre-dawn living room, I came upon a video regarding Psalm 23. It promised insight to its true meaning. Okay . . .

Click.

You know the text . . .

"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." - Psalm 23:1-3

Then comes this . . .

"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." - Psalm 23:3

In the video I watched (link at bottom) the featured speaker, a rabbi, was talking about the Hebrew meaning of the word "paths" that we English have translated as such. It's real meaning is "a circuitous path" of righteousness.

Circuitous? You mean like Israel walking through the desert for forty years? I always thought paths of righteousness were straight.

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

So, I scrolled some more, searching for other things that might be getting lost in translation. That's when I saw a movie clip for a movie by that very name. I watched it. Maybe you've seen the movie before. I have not.

The clip was from the end of the movie when the lead couple were saying goodbye to each other. The young woman (Scarlett Johansson) was parting ways with an older man (Bill Murray).

The woman reminded me of my friend Kortney, who just had a heart and double lung transplant.

Their goodbye in the movie made me think of how fragile and fleeting my friend's health is. It is still quite possible that she might not make it through the entire transplant process. She currently has fluid building up on her lungs and is having that removed this week sometime.

So, I sent my friend an encouraging text this morning (Tuesday) and told her that I love her and am praying for her. That's when I realized something . . .

I had just been led on a "circuitous path for His name's sake." Interesting. Wherever my shepherd leads, I will follow.

[Update: I got a text back from my friend Tuesday afternoon. It turned out that THAT was the day they were going to remove the fluid on her lungs. My text (God's encouragement for her?) had arrived shortly before her procedure began. A portion of her text is as follows . . .

"Thank you so much! That was so uplifting this morning! 🥰 "]

God placed me on a circuitous path for His glory alright. They drained an entire liter from around her lungs.

When we are led by the Holy Spirit, our job is to follow, no matter how circuitous the path becomes. Praise His glorious name!

Psalm 23 Hebrew Meaning

Lost In Translation Clip

Sheeple

When I was a young lad, my grandfather took me for a walk in the field on our farm. We approached an old gate in the wire fence. It was a teaching moment.

"Whenever you come to a gate like this and it's closed, make sure you leave it closed after you go through it. If it's open, leave it open," he told me.

"Sure."

"You see, Bobby, if one of our sheep goes through an open gate, they ALL will go through it."

Sheep like to follow things. Even if it leads them into trouble.

People are no different when it comes to their desire to be led. We like to be fed and watered just like those sheep do. We like comfort and being taken care of as well. We're "sheeple." Here's the Internet definition of the word:

Sheeple - People who unquestioningly accept as true whatever their political leaders say or who adopt popular opinion as their own without scrutiny.

Look at our government. They take care of us and protect us, right? We will follow them in whatever they tell us.

"We want everyone to wear a mask and take this shot," they said. And so, we did.

What about the pastors in our churches? Do we trust what THEY tell us? Have they EARNED our trust? Or do they push their own beliefs instead of the truth in God's Word?🤔

I've been saying this a lot lately but it is bears repeating anyway. This is Jesus speaking.

"Watch out that no one deceives you." - Matthew 24:4

And, as if that's not sufficient . . .

"Do not be deceived." - Galatians 6:7

"Do not be deceived." - James 1:16

The point is this: It is up to US, whether we are deceived or not. It is also worth noting that all three of these verses are commands to us. They are NOT suggestions.

And now this from our current events department: President Trump has appointed a false teacher to head up his new "faith office." Her name is Paula White. She was in his administration last time too. She preaches the prosperity "gospel." "Name it and claim it!" they say. Our president has been deceived. Don't let deception happen to you.

Watch the video below and you'll see what a false teacher look like. There are plenty of them out there.

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1

Paula White

The Shadow of Shaddai

When seemingly random things occur in life, repeatedly, I pay attention. Here's an example.

My wife and I were watching a documentary about Jimmy Stewart the other night. During a segment about Stewart's Army Air Corp service, the narrator referenced the actor's favorite scripture - Psalm 91. So, I looked it up. The scripture is all about God's protection - an understandable hope and prayer for those facing the ravages of war. Here's Verse 1 ...

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

In my Bible, after the word 'Almighty,' there is a little letter 'a,' so I clicked on it. It took me to a footnote that simply said, 'Shaddai.' What does that mean?

El Shaddai, or just Shaddai, is one of the names of God in Judaism. El Shaddai is conventionally translated into English as God Almighty, God of the Mountains, or 'All-Sufficient One."

Then, one day later, I was scrolling through YouTube and I came across a song by Aaron Shust entitled Shadow of Shaddai.

Go back up and read Verse 1 again.

"The Shadow of the Almighty"

In other words . . . The Shadow of Shaddai.

So, what is my takeaway from all this?

I am being reminded that I am under the protection of Almighty God. I find myself remembering my two car accidents in years gone by - a collision with a deer at 72mph,  and a head-on, roll-over crash with a car that turned in front of me. I was doing 62mph. Both of my cars were totalled. Yet I survived both.

Why was I saved from death in those to instances? I'm not sure. But I KNOW that I "dwell in the shelter of the Most High," El Shaddai, through my faith in Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to read all of Psalm 91 and listen to the song.

"My God, in whom I trust."

Psalm 91

Shadow of Shaddai - Aaron Shust

Need A Sign?

My old, blue 2004 Saturn Ion was making some new strange sounds this past month. It was always made noise but these new sounds were a little concerning, like "I'm going to be dying soon. You might want to find another car, unless you like walking for miles in the cold. In the dark of night. FOR MILES!"

So, I went on AutoTrader.com and began scrolling. I wasn't looking for anything in particular. Just something cheap and reliable. Like ME! Lol! Right!

I found a nice looking Saturn Vue. It was at a dealer in Plover called Bruns & Sons Auto (only 20 minutes away). It was newer than my blue Saturn but it had 100,000 less miles on it. So, I made note of it, prayed about it, and thought I'd take it for a test drive. Maybe. Someday. I'm such a procrastinator.

Well, the following day I was on my way to visit some friends where I used to work. I stopped at McDonald's to grab a $5 Meal Deal (remember, I'm cheap). I placed my order and pulled ahead. That's when I noticed the F-150 in front of me.

Scroll back up and looked closer at the picture I took. Bruns & Sons! Seriously? Was this an answer to my prayer? Was it God telling me, "If you don't buy this car, you'll be walking back home from Appleton next week."

Do you look for signs of confirmation after you pray about something? Are your eyes open, searching for answers to prayer? They should be.

My new(er) Saturn is sitting in the garage right now. It took me to church on Sunday, and it didn't make ANY strange noises either!

God hears the prayers of His children and He often answers them in unexpected ways. WE are the ones who need to be watching.

"And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him." - 1 John 5:14-15

P.S. - I had a small issue with the car after I bought it and called the dealer. He got me right in the very next day, found the problem, and fixed it. For free! Sometimes, it's more than the car. It's the service found in a small town business. And sometimes, God gives you even more than you ask for in prayer. Thank you, Lord.🙂

Riley²

I watched intently as Donald Trump signed an executive order this past Wednesday. His EO banned biological men from competing in women's sports. That's kind of a no-brainer in MY opinion, but there are those who feel these so-called "men" should be allowed to do so.

Generally speaking, men ARE physically stronger and faster than women. That's just the way it is. So, to allow men to compete against women is clearly unfair.

The most visible woman in all of this transgender athlete debate has been Riley Gaines (pictured above, dressed in white, hands clasped). She finished second to another "woman" in a swimming meet or two. Since that time she has been fighting for women's rights, especially in athletic competition.

This past week President Trump signed his executive order surrounded by a sea of young female athletes, banning men from competing against women. Good for him. I was almost brought to tears while watching it. I'm not a huge Trump fan but he sure is doing a great job at the moment. In my opinion.

That brings us to Riley #2 - Laken Riley. Laken was murdered by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela back in February of 2024. He was found guilty on 10 counts in November of the same year. He had previously been arrested for robbery in New York City but was released by their Soros-backed DA and liberal policies.

These two stories demonstrate several things but lets focus on just two - power in the hands of the corrupt, and vindication of the innocent through justice. What does the Bible say?

"Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos 5:24

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" - Isaiah 5:20

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27

I thank God for these actions taken by #47 and our newly installed government, and for the women through which these things came to pass. Let us praise God for setting kings on their thrones for HIS purposes and glory. Not ours.

[This picture makes me think of artist Norman Rockwell and his paintings. Look at the faces of those young girls!]🙂

Of the NCAA's 530,000 athletes, less than 10 identify as trans. - MSNBC News

Trump Praises Riley Gaines

Wormwood

For those of us who follow eschatological stories (stories about The End Times), this one in The Guardian caught my attention. It's about a comet that, quite possibly, could strike the Earth in 2032. 😯

I'd like to share a bit of scripture with you from the Trumpet Judgements found in The Book of Revelation.

"⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

⁷ The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water - ¹¹ the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

¹³ As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

Do any of those things the first three angels used sound like an asteroid hitting the Earth? Hmm.

And when is this asteroid supposed to hit the earth? 2032. That's seven years from now. Seven years. Where have we heard THAT amount of time before? The seven year tribulation period that Daniel spoke of? And Jesus spoke of? Hmm.

If this comet is THEE comet/asteroid in Revelation, it will strike the earth during the tribulation period. What is 2032 minus 7 years?

For us pre-trib rapture folks, this is just another sign that the rapture is imminent. The question is, are you ready? Is Jesus your Lord?

Asteroid Story - The Guardian

Pangs

Things just seem to keep getting weirder and weirder, don't they? Why is that? There is actually a simple answer, yet, at the same time, it is a very complex answer. Here's the simple answer . . .

Why are all of these bad things happening lately? It seems like they are increasing in frequency and severity. Why?

Simple answer: Because we are getting closer and closer to the end. Open your Bibles to Matthew 24. Jesus, our Lord and Savior,  is speaking to His disciples.

"⁷Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸All these are the beginning of birth pangs." - Matthew 24:7-8

Okay. Define 'pangs.'

Pangs - 'a sudden sharp bodily pain.' Or

'a sudden sharp feeling of emotional pain.'

If one goes back to the original Greek text it says,  "these ORIGINal OF-travails."

The word 'birth' is not actually there. Where did BIRTH pangs came from? It's not in the original Greek, but the 'birth pangs part is definitely there in the Bible I am reading.

Perhaps 'birth' pangs is in Matthew because 'pangs' appears elsewhere WITH a reference to the birthing process.

"At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor." - Isaiah 21:3

Or . . .

"You who live in ‘Lebanon,’ who are nestled in cedar buildings, how you will groan when pangs come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor!" - Jeremiah 22:23

Are the 'pangs' that we are experiencing today actually signs that Jesus' return is imminent? Many believe so. Are they increasing in severity and intensity?

Personally, I believe we are close to Jesus' return, but I also believe that many more bad things will happen yet. Things worse that these events we are going through today. And the frequency of those events will increase.

If you are reading this, and have never fully surrendered your heart to Jesus, please do so today. He could return at any moment. There is no biblical prerequisite for His return. And, as SOON as He does return, well, it will be too late to repent. The open door will be shut.

It will be like the parable Jesus told about the ten virgins and the wedding feast. 

"The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut." Matthew 25:1:13

You do NOT want to be outside once that door gets closed.

These things we are experiencing today could be the birth pangs Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24. Or they could just be the beginning of them. Either way, the time is short. Be ready!

Birth Pangs - GotQuestions.org

The Parable of The Ten Virgins

Light It Up

This time of year, when I get up, it is still dark outside. Cars drive by on their way to work. Their headlights light up the entire living room as they pass by. But soon it is dark again . . . and all is quiet.

It's the perfect time to pray. So, why don't I? I'm wrapped up in other things - scrolling through Facebook or writing one of these stories. I am missing out on what SHOULD be the best part of my day. What's wrong with me?

The room lights up again. Another car coming down the road? No. It's my phone! Someone sent me a message! How wonderful!!

And that's when I began to wonder, how does God feel when we pray? Does heaven light up when we pray? Does God's HEART light up?

When someone I love sends me a message, I know exactly how I feel. Does God feel the same way when we pray to him?

Of course, I don't have any answers to these questions. But I do know this. God loves us. It says so in His Word. Say it with me . . .

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

God sacrificed His Son, His ONLY Son, so that we might live. Of course He loves to hear from us!

I received a text message from someone this week. It truly made my heart light up. It was from a dear friend - a youth group kid from 16 years ago. Read it slowly. Does this sound like it's worthy of being a prayer?

"Good morning! I'm missing you a ton! Sorry that I haven't been in contact, it's been, a lot. I think of you often and I'm so grateful to have you in my life."

Gifts from God often come in unexpected ways. They are never what we expect them to be. But they are ALWAYS just what we need. And they are PRICELESS!

That message came from my friend Kortney (speaking of gifts from God). It's now been one month since she received a heart transplant and two new lungs.

Heavenly Father, how I long to see you coming in your glory, riding on the clouds. I love you and miss you so much. I'm sorry I haven't been praying as much as I should. The events in this world are just so distracting to me. There is so much hate in this world. But I do think of you throughout each day - whispered prayers of thanks and praise for all you do. I'm so grateful to have you in my life. My Lord and my Savior. And it is in your merciful name that I pray. Amen.

Eclipse

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks our view of the sun. Today's story is about an eclipse taking place, not in our solar system, but in our hearts.

"The moon of secularism has blocked the face of God." - Dr. Erwin Lutzer

I watched a YouTube video of Kirk Cameron's show Take Aways this week. His guest was Dr. Erwin Lutzer, president emeritus of The Moody Bible Church in Chicago.

Dr. Lutzer wrote a booked entitled, The Eclipse of God. He goes on to say, "Americans don't mind saying they believe in God just as long as they get to choose the god in which they believe. Often times God becomes themselves actually, and as a result of that we are in the society where we are leaving transcendent truth behind and the implications are massive."

That is SO true.

When I was a youth leader at church I encountered many kids who SAID they believed in God, but when asked about God's specific views on same-sex relationships for example, they'd say, "Well, I don't believe THAT."

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." - James 1:17

God does NOT change to suit our desires. It is WE who must change to conform to His will. God is the light of our spiritual self. Anything that gets in the way of His light (a spiritual eclipse) is sin and obscures our view of Him.

"I am the light of the world." - Jesus, John 8:12

We will close with one last word from Dr. Lutzer . . .

"Churches often times make concessions, one compromise at a time, and they think, "Well, I can compromise here but I won't go here," but eventually the pressure is so great that they give in to the culture, they give the culture whatever the culture wants and as a result they lose their effectiveness because they've lost the Gospel."

Has your church experienced an eclipse of the truth? Have you? Read and study the Bible. We must KNOW the God we worship, not worship the god we have created for ourselves.

Take Aways - Lutzer Episode

15 Minutes?

Have you ever heard of a 15-minute city? According to Wikipedia (so you KNOW it's true, right?) the 15-minute city is an urban planning concept in which most daily necessities and services, such as work, shopping, education, healthcare, and leisure can be easily reached by a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or public transit ride from any point in the city.

This concept is already active in cities like Paris, Madrid, Shanghai, etc. It has even been embraced by Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum (WEF). Uh-oh....

The ancient city of Nineveh would never have made it as a 15-minute city.

"Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it." - Jonah 3:3

The problem with these pie-in-the-sky ideas is that it takes a people willing to conform to the will of the governing body. Remember Covid? How many people conformed and took the jab? According to Statista, 81.3% of Americans had one or more shots. That's huge! But 18.7% did not conform.

So, what will happen to those unwilling to conform to the government's wishes? 

"He required everyone - small and great, rich and poor, free and slave - to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. ¹⁷And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name." - Revelation 13:16-17

Basically, conform or die.

Would you take "the mark of the beast" if death was the only alternative? Remember, by taking "the mark" you are pledging to follow Satan. I don't know about you, but I would rather follow Jesus.

The average walking speed for a human is about 3 mph. So a 15-minute walk is about 3/4 of a mile (3960 feet). Go for a 15-minute walk sometime and check it out.

"Stop trusting in mere humans." - Isaiah 2:22

15 Minute Cities - Brad Holthaus

15-Minute Cities - WEF

Deception

When Jesus was walking through Jerusalem with His disciples, they asked Him, "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” - Matthew 24:3

Jesus gave them a really strange answer.

“Watch out that no one deceives you." - Matthew 24:4

Huh?

Jesus could not have been more right. 

The world we live in is absolutely filled with deception. Even in the church! But you know where the most deception exists? In our own hearts and minds. This is an exceedingly dangerous time. For everyone. 

Here's what I mean. How do we know that what we believe is actually true? Where do our beliefs come from? Some pastor? The news? A YouTube video? Our friends and family?

Jesus said, "I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life." - John 14:6. But who is this Jesus? There are many versions of him out there. Which one is THEE Jesus? Mormons have a Jesus. So do Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the Quran of Islam mentions Jesus. So many versions to choose from. Which one is right?

"For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many." - Matthew 24:5

That's for sure! Can we agree that there can be only ONE truth? I mean, either something is true or it is not, right?

I go back to my encounter with Jesus of the Bible. Not a face-to-face meeting by any means. But when Jesus, THEE Jesus, became real to me, January 15, 2006, I changed.

And that is the key. Jesus, the Truth, changes us. Our eyes become opened and we can see clearly for the first time. And by 'see' I mean understand. It's like the man born blind.

"One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see." - John 9:25

Only our 'sight' is an understanding of the Word of God, the THINGS of God.

When we meet Jesus, we become changed. No change = No Jesus = no Holy Spirit.

In the Book of 1st John there is a checklist of sorts for the Christian. Here's an example:

"⁶If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." - 1 John 1:6-7

This is a check for us. Are we "walking in the light?" In other words, are we obeying God's comnands? Are we seeking after His will? If we are not, why would we then be referred to as Christians?

There are many other proofs such as this in 1st John. How many can YOU find? There is a link below. Check it out. There are only five chapters, but the book is FILLED with eye-opening truths.

1 John

Anxiety?

Do you find yourself getting anxious from time to time? Worrying perhaps about how a particular situation on your life will get resolved? This story might be helpful for you.

So often, when we are feeling anxious or worried, we are merely concerned with ourselves. Isn't that true? "I feel this way. I am worried about that."

"I, I, I, I ..." That sounds like an old Fritos commercial. "Ai, yi, yi, yi. I am the Frito bandito."

We need to turn our inward focus away from ourselves and focus outward towards God. Upward, not inward. We need to focus on God and not on our present situation. We need to focus on who HE is, not on who we aren't.

Psalm 46 is a great reminder of God's attributes and not our shortcomings. Read it and see if you don't feel less anxious at it's end.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

³though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. ⁵God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. ⁶Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 

⁷The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

⁸Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. ⁹He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. ¹⁰He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 

¹¹The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." - Psalm 46

Did you notice that verses 7 and 11 are identical? Perhaps it is important and worthy of remembering then.

When we focus on who God is, and we remember that "He will never leave us nor foresake us," what do we have to be anxious about?

"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

"Who of you by worrying can add a single moment to your life?" - Matthew 6:27

Knowing God's Attributes

Frito Bandito Commercial

So Help Me God?

Did you watch Trump's inauguration? I did. And I noticed something. Something very troubling. Did YOU see anything unusual?

Take a look at the picture above of Trump being sworn in. That's Melania standing next to him on his left. What is she holding?

She is holding two books. It look's like they are both Bibles, but it's hard to really tell.

So, where is Trump's left hand? You know, the one he is supposed to place on a Bible to swear by the Lord God Almighty? It sure as heck is NOT on the stack of Bibles! Like I said in my opening paragraph, this is VERY troubling to me.

I wrote a story not that long ago about possible candidates for the antichrist. You can read it here. Trump was one of them. He just shot WAY up on my list of possibles. Consider this from the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

"One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast." - Revelation 13:3

Did Donald Trump appear "to have a fatal wound" recently? Yeeees.... He was shot in the ear while campaigning in Pennsylvania.

The "fatal wound" could also be referring to Trump's political career, after he lost to Biden. Hasn't that wound been healed now upon becoming the 47th president? His political career has been "resurrected" so to speak.

And look at all of the world leaders. They are flocking to him, bowing down to him. Back to Revelation 13:3 . . .

"The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast."

And what is the nickname for the presidential limousine that the president rides in?

The Beast.

Yeah, I know. I'm crazy, right? Alright. Let's change the topic. Do you think Trump is saved? I'm leaning 'no.' He talks the talk, but is it an act? One thing we know for sure. Where the Holy Spirit is, Satan cannot enter in.

"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back (The Holy Spirit) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming." - 2 Thessalonians 4:7-8

Is Trump the Antichrist? We who believe will never know. Keep your eyes on the skies, and trust in The Lord.

Joy

It's a cold winter's day. Mid-January. Temps just BARELY below zero (-11°). Yet, I feel warm. Inside. I'm reflecting on God's love and grace. And I am filled with joy! Why?

As I was traveling to visit a friend this past week I turned on the radio just in time to hear a short 60-second devotional. The speaker suggested reading the Book of Philippians. "It's only three pages," they said. "And it's filled with joy." So I did.

It was definitely worth the read. And it IS literally filled with joy. Which is odd, considering that Paul wrote this letter . . . IN PRISON.

"In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." - Philippians 1:4

I have heard people say, "I just want to be happy." My response is aleays, "Why stop there? Why not go for JOY instead?"

What gives you joy? Think about it. Maybe make a list sometime. There are things that make us happy. But joyous? That would be a shorter list for most of us, I think.

Here's a theory I just came up with - JOY is inseparable from LOVE. One can always find them hanging out together. Here's an example.

I find joy in Jesus, His Word, my wife, our kids and grandkids, and my very close friends. What do these things have in common? I love them all. See what I mean?

"⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." - 1 Peter 1:8-9

Seek joy instead of happiness. As a bonus, you will also find love.

Philippians

Course Correction

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3:8

Each of us is on our own faith journey. It can be likened to getting on board a sailing ship and setting out in hopes of reaching some distant port, somewhere beyond the horizon.

Occasionally along the way our course might need to be adjusted. Just a small adjustment perhaps, but if it is not taken we can find ourselves miles from our intended destination.

As an example, Apollo 11 made five course corrections on its way to the moon. Without those course corrections the spaceship would have missed its destination entirely. They were small corrections, but absolutely necessary.

It is the same with our walk with Jesus. It's called sanctification. We are continually learning and growing - course corrections in the journey of every Christian.

What happens if the winds aren't blowing and the sails on our "faith ship" go limp. Do we just sit there and wait on the Lord. Or do we get out the oars and keep moving?

That all depends. One could easily liken the wind to the Holy Spirit. Without it our faith journey is hopeless. But also a lack of wind in our "faith sails" could be attributed to God testing us and our resolve.

Either way we need to remember that God has His hands on the wheel, not us. And it is His ship, not ours. We are the passengers.

May God continually guide you on the journey you are on. Pray for favorable winds. And may you have safe travels on your way to Paradise.

"We put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ²We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. ³After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray." - Acts 21:1-5

Read, learn, grow, worship, serve, love, pray. Soon, we will be there. It will be more beautiful than we can imagine. In the meantime, help hoist the sails and swab the deck. During our time at sea we will experience much. Just remember whose hands are on the wheel.

The Dead In Christ

According to the Apostle Paul, meeting the Lord will be like this:

"¹³Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

I have some questions . . .

#1.) Who are "the dead in Christ?"

According to GotQuestions.org, the dead in Christ are those believers who have died before the second coming of Jesus. Billy Graham qualifies in that regard. So does Stephen, the first martyr. Believers who have died before the Lord's return "will rise first."

Next question - #2.) Will the dead in Christ rise physically or spiritually?

The reason I ask this question is that when Jesus died on the cross several dead people rose physically from the grave.

"⁵²The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people." - Matthew 27:52-53

A foretaste of things to come? Hmm.

Here's an interesting truth. Paul writes to the church in Corinth, about being "away from the body and present with the Lord." A lot of people have gotten this verse wrong. Including me. Paul doesn't say WHEN we are away from the body we are present with the Lord. Read the actual verse and see.

"⁸We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 5:8

Various translations use the words 'rather' and 'prefer.' None say WE WILL. Be careful out there. So where do we go when we die?

When Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross He said, "²³Today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:43

Read this additional comment from GotQuestions.org:

There has always been a separation of believers and unbelievers after death (Luke 16:19-31). The righteous have always gone to paradise; the wicked have always gone to hell. For right now, both paradise and hell are “temporary holding places” until the day when Jesus Christ comes back to judge the world based on whether or not individuals have believed in Him. The first resurrection is of believers who will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive rewards based on meritorious service to Him. The second resurrection will be that of unbelievers who will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment of God. At that point, all will be sent to their eternal destination—the wicked to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15), and the righteous to a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21—22).

Note that it says we who believe will go to PARADISE' when we die, not heaven. Interesting distinction.

Does it really matter who rises first? I don't think so. But meeting "the Lord in the air" will be spectacular!! THEN we will be with the Lord forever. That's all that matters.

Who Are The Dead In Christ

- Gotquestions.org

The Gospel

"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim The Gospel to the whole creation." - Mark 16:15

Okay. First off, the word 'gospel' means 'good news,' so keep that in mind as we go through today's story.

And who was Jesus talking to? He was talking to the Eleven when He appeared to them after rising from the dead. 

So, "The Gospel." Let's start with some basics. God knows everything. He always was, and always will be. God is perfect and demands perfection. That's where we all should go, "Uh-oh." Because WE, none of us, are perfect.

We WERE perfect once but then there was the serpent and Adam and Eve eating forbidden fruit. You know the story. From that point on we were separated from God. That's not good news.

The Bible says that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). That means that if we sin we're going to hell. Forever. So, where's 'the good news?' Wait. It gets even worse.

The Bible also says, "there is no one who does good, not even one" (Psalm 14:3). People then asked "who then can be saved?" (Luke 18:26). Good question. But then Jesus said this:

“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” - Luke 18:27

And that's where "the good news" begins.

We read about all God's rules and laws, like The Ten Commandments and the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, and we realize that no one can possibly keep all those. And that's right. I think that was the point.

God made the people sacrifice various things to atone for their sin. Goats, cattle, lambs, doves, first fruits of the land, etc. But the sacrifices weren't lasting. Neither was their repentance for sin.

So, we ask the question again, who then can be saved? "With God, all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

God is a just judge. And the wages of sin is death, right? Someone has sinned, so someone has to die. God demands a sacrifice.

We have heard words like grace, mercy and forgiveness before. But we cannot understand the true meaning of 'sacrifice' and 'first fruits' until we contemplate someone actually dying for something that WE did.

And this is the good news . . . 

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

Jesus is our once-for-all sacrifice. Jesus died so that we might live. All we have to do is believe in Jesus, follow His commands, turn from our life of sin, and follow Him.

It's pretty simple once we understand the basics.

How was it that YOU came to be saved? Did someone share the good news about Jesus with YOU?

Why Preach The Gospel? - Voddie Baucham