It's A Miracle!

This is the season for miracles. But my wife and I never thought we would witness one in our own house.

Our local weatherman said we were going to have an ice storm Wednesday night and into Thursday. Umm, well, he was right. And what a storm! We lost five of our trees, two of them falling on our carport, and crushing it.

We lost power on Thursday about noon. Right in the middle of my wife baking some of her apricot bread, our favorite. She was really upset about that. Me too. It's delicious.

It was a long day of cutting up fallen trees, one of which spanned the entire road in front of our house. I even had to use the snow shovel to remove all the ice from the roadway.

We had two of our neighbors stop and offer to help. That was really nice, and I told them so, but I was just about done and they drove off.

The power came on at 4:00. I'm happy to say that our new generator worked perfectly (Generac 2000 if you're looking for a good portable).

Now, here's the miracle. After all of our unexpected work at damage control, my wife opened the oven to remove het half-baked bread.

"It looks done!" she exclaimed. "How is that possible? We had no power."

She cut open the loaf to make sure it was done, and it was! Then she cut us each a slice, we buttered it and ate it. It was, inderd, perfect.

"I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread." - Psalm 37:25

It's Your Breath

"Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." - Genesis 2:7

When I was a young boy (aged 9-10) our family lived on a sheep farm. Early one morning my dad took me over to my grandpa's barn. It was dark outside, but not in the basement of the barn. My grandpa was already down there working. It was lambing season!

Have you ever witnessed a birth; human or animal? The whole process is quite amazing, and definitely a God thing. Here's a young life. It's heart is beating, but it is not actually breathing until it exits it's mother's womb. Not until that moment did it ever breathe one single breath.

I'm no medical expert but WHY do we all start breathing at that very same moment? And, now that I think about it, I've heard of women giving birth where the baby comes out under water. Here's an explanation.

But think about it. How did this whole process ever begin in the first place? It's definitely a God thing in MY mind. I would even go so far as to call it a miracle.

Why, suddenly at birth, do we breathe? What causes us to do that? If we go back to Adam and Eve, neither of them were born. Both were created - Adam using dust and Eve using one of Adam's ribs.

Then the first baby was born - Cain. Cain had the very first belly button. He was also the first baby to take his first breath after exiting the womb.

These things are all too amazing for us to understand. But we believe they happen because they DO happen. Miracles DO happen! We are LIVING proof! Let us praise God for the miracle of His creation! And thank Him, for without His creation, where would WE be?

Great Are You Lord - All Sons & Daughters

Confirmed!!

No, this is not a story about eighth grade confirmation class, although I have many tales I could tell. Rather, this is a brief appreciative note about how God works and how the Holy Spirit leads.

The further along I get in my faith journey, the more I appreciate the signage along the route, confirming that I am traveling in the right direction. God is WAY better than any GPS system or Google Maps app. Here's the latest example.

I wrote a Bible study for our youth group at church. I presented it this past Friday night actually. It was initially about giving our testimony. But as I was writing it, it turned into more of a discussion about the Holy Spirit and how we can tell if He is living in us. In the study was this verse from 2nd Corinthians.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Weeks after I "finished writing" the Bible study, our pastor was giving a sermon out of Romans 6. He used this scripture.

"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. ⁹For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." - Romans 6:8-11

During his message he then said this: "Turn with me to 2nd Corinthians 5:17."

Really?

So, I turned, and there it was. The verse I was going to use in my Bible study. Was this a sign that I was on the right track? Does God use signs and confirming "God-incidences"(sun, moon, stars, animals, other humans) to guide our thoughts and actions?

You betcha der heh!

If you Google "signs from heaven" and click on "Images" you will notice something. Lots of birds in particular. Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Hummingbirds. People seem to think creatures deliver confirming messages. But what does the Bible say?

"And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years." - Genesis 1:14

"There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven." - Luke 21:11

"The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes." - Joel 2:31

There are more examples than these, of signs from God.

Have you ever encountered one of God's signs? Was it delivered by another human? An animal? A very real and true prayer is for God to "show me a sign."

"And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs." - Mark 16:20

That's good enough for me!

Endings

I finished reading the book of Nehemiah this week, and each time I get to the end of it, I am always struck by the last words.

"Remember me with favor, my God." - Nehemiah 13:31

Focus on those words for a bit. What a beautiful way to end a prayer. Or a life.

Speaking of endings, March 28th is a day that I will never forget. It's my birthday. Every time I go to the doctor, they always ask what my date of birth is. They are using my birthday as a test, just to make sure "I am who I am."

But the reason March 28th is a day that I will never forget is because it is also the date on which my niece chose to end her life.

Each year, on or about my birthday, I go downstairs to my office and pull out the stack of letters that my neice sent me. She was new to her faith in Jesus and had many questions which I was more than happy to help her with. This was her favorite verse.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

Ironic . . .

Her favorite musical artist was Phil Wickham. She was quite jealous when she learned I had seen him in concert. She and I were planning a trip to see him before . . . well, before things ended. Again, speaking of endings, the thing she always wrote at the end of her letters is the same thing I often use in my correspondence with others to this day - "love you and miss you."

And that I do. That I do.

Here's a question: How can your niece be your sister?

When you both have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. 

Love you and miss you, my sister.

See you soon. 🙂❤🙏

Remember - Nilsson

Flowers - Phil Wickham & Jamie MacDonald 

Why Love Matters

Let's start off this story with a line from the old Don Henley song, The Boys of Summer.

"I thought I knew what love was.  What did I know."

We go through our lives with changing ideas about just what love is. It begins with the simple, honest love of a small child. Jesus wrote about these kids and their faith saying, "

"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14

Is a child's love different from their faith? Not really, if you think about it. Both are simple, honest, and unconditional.

As we grow older our "love definition" changes, as do our beliefs. They become conditional and more self-centered. It's all about me instead of all about Thee. Both get entangled and mixed with other feelings - lust, and selfishness mainly. One word - sin.

We find ourselves alone, wondering what happened to the love we once had?  That childlike love, when things were simple and life was good. Do you ever long for those days? Would you like to go back to that simpler time and experience true love all over again? Yes, be we can't.

Our love for others continues to become more complex and we lose track of its true meaning and intention. It becomes contaminated by the world we live in.

Finally, we come to the end of our lives, when someone is in their last days of life, what does of love look like for them then? Often it is extremely lonely. What can be done? I have a few suggestions.

1. Love everyone we meet. And love them unconditionally. Jesus already commanded us to do this but we always seem to forget just what His love was like, to our detriment.

2. Get off our butts and GO love someone! Visit someone, invite them to lunch. If they're not doing it, we should call them up and take the initiative.

3. Send someone a text or message. Maybe they're having a really bad day and when we reach out, they know someone cared enough to actually act.

If we sit at home and "hope" someone is doing okay, what good is that? We could, and should, pray for people. But God placed us here for a reason. Not simply to think, but to act.

How are we doing with that?

"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." - Revelation 2:4

The Boys of Summer - Don Henley

Conflation

"While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." - 1 Thessalonians 5:3

If you have watched the news for any amount of time it's easy to become discouraged; especially these days. There are SO many bad things happening in the world right now. And then to find out that Chuck Norris has died!?! Oh my....

So, today I want to talk about a theory I have about these times we are living in. I am not a prophet nor a pastor, but I study my Bible pretty intently and there is something going on that has made me, and mamy others, take notice.

First, let's begin with a little scripture from the Book of Daniel.

"There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then." - Daniel 12:1

Check. ✅ That's happening right now for sure.

So, here's my theory. These things that we see happening now are merely the visible portion of what is actually occurring. We are only seeing 10% of "the iceberg," so to speak.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I just see news headlines and find myself asking questions. (My favorite question is "Why?" and my favorite statement is "Follow the money.")

Here's a word to ponder as you consider this theory of mine. Conflation - a fusing together; a merger of two or more things or ideas into one.

And one more word. Technocracy -  government by technicians. Specifically : management of society by technical experts.

As we watch gas prices rise we can read headlines like this and begin to ask "Why?"

Saudis Warn Oil Going to $180, Gasoline to $7 at Pump

Oh, it's war the with Iran, Israel bombed an Iranian oil field, or Iran bombed a UEA oil field. Saudi Arabia has cut production. All of those are true, but here's where my conflation theory comes in. What are we NOT seeing and hearing? Why would someone WANT to see oil prices rise? Could it actually be God's will? I have no idea, but read this:

“Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” -Revelation 6:6

Does that sound like inflation to you? And "do not damage the oil?" Trump just told Israel "Don't do that."

I recently listened to a podcast by a panel of five men, all of them are pastors who specialize in eschatology. One of them brought forth an article he had written about Donald Trump, what's happening in the world today, and The Board of Peace.

Did you know that Trump is the self-appointed head of the BoP? And did you know that he is the chairman? FOR LIFE? Yep. You can check it here.

These present-day events are a reflection of scriptural prophecies in the Bible. If these events that we are seeing today are just the tip of the iceberg, we will probably be leaving soon. And for those who remain after our departure, repent, believe, and forever receive.

In the meantime, keep reading your Bible so that you are not caught unaware. These are crazy times, but also exciting times as we see the day approaching.🙂☝️

Prophecy Roundtable

All Rise!

I've been working on a Bible Study for our church's youth group. We decided to teach our kids a little bit about giving their personal testimony. As I was sorting through scripture I was struck by the number of legal terms that were popping up. In addition to "testimony" I was seeing words like "evidence," "conviction," "trial," "witnesses," and "judgement." Here are a few examples.

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." - Revelation 12:10

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." - John 16:8

Then this "trial" theme really came home when I  read this:

"And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One (Jesus) who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead." - Acts 10:42

Each of us will be put on trial when we stand in front of Jesus one day. I believe our trial will take a split second, if it takes THAT long. Jesus already knows which of us are His. Our names are already written in the Book of Life.

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he wad thrown into the lake of fire." - Revelation 20:11-15

We will be judged by what was written in the books and by what we have done.

Gulp.

Here's one of my favorite songs. In it there are a few lines to consider.

1. "Am I proof that You are who you say You are?"

2. "Is there evidence that I've been changed."

3. "When they see me do they see you?"

Something to consider before we walk into the throne room.

Live Like That - Sidewalk Prophets

The Abomination

According to an article in Israel National News (link at bottom), the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) warned about what it described as intentions by “settlers" (Jews) to carry out the commandment of the Passover sacrifice on the Temple Mount during the upcoming Passover.

Interesting . . .and scary.

[FYI - the 2026 Passover begins April 1 and ends April 9]

There is a group of Jewish people that want to reinstitute the temple sacrifice. Their only problem is there is currently no temple. Or is there? 🤔

Let's go back and look at Daniel for a moment. The angel Gabriel was talking to Daniel in verse 27 about The End Times.

"And he (The Antichrist) will confirm a covenant with many for one week (the seven year tribulation), but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.” - Daniel 9:27

So, there WILL be sacrifices happening during the first half of the tribulation, according to Gabriel anyway. But my question is, why are there sacrifices taking  place at all? Speaking of Jesus, Paul wrote . . .

"For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God." - Romans 6:10

The problem here is that the Jews do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They believe that the Messiah has not come yet.

Can you see the problem here? The present day Jewish leaders want to start sacrificing animals to God. But God already sacrificed His one and only Son. God already put an end to sacrifices. Jesus died once, for all.

Do you think God might get a little angry? Do you think God might remove all of those who follow Jesus and begin the seven year tribulation period? I would say that is a VERY REAL possibility.

If we think that these wars going on right now are horrible, wait and see what the Tribulation period looks like. Of course, we who follow Jesus woll mot be here, but talk about "weeping and gnashing of teeth!"

If you have not done so, trust in Jesus today! Repent of your sins, submit to His authoriry, and pray.

PLO Warns Against Temple Sacrifice - INN

The Wood Carver

A wood carver takes a blank piece of wood and, through whittling away pieces of the whole, ends up with an amazingly beautiful creation. If you think about it, the end result was actually there all along. It's just that the carver eliminated the unwanted pieces to reveal his creation. God does the same with us.

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you" - Jeremiah 1:5

God knows what we will become in our lives before we even live them. He also knows just what it is that He wants us to do for Him. Paul is an excellent example.

"Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’" - Acts 22:10

God created us to bring Him glory, praise, and honor. He shapes and carves us into who He wants us to be. He gives us certains gifts and abilities to accomplish His will for us. He refines us, tests us, and guides us with His Holy Spirit.

I design and install disc golf courses where I live. The process begins by examining existing terrain, trees, and waterways. Often, "my" fairways follow existing deer paths or areas where wind or ice storms have already damaged the trees.

One might consider ME a "wood carver," as I carve fairways through the woods. But who is the REAL course designer? Me, or the one who caused the trees to grow where they did in the first place? Who placed the rivers, lakes and hills to form these wooded areas?

I am not really the designer, God is. All I do is clean up the things He placed there years ago. To God be the glory!

To God Be The Glory

The Biggest Hurdle

There is something that most people simply ignore about God. Here's how it begins.

They think that when they die, they just go to heaven and live happily ever after with all of their friends and family members, dogs and cats, golf clubs and their favorite beer. Sadly, they will never experience what heaven is like until they come to realize just what it takes to get in.

The key is knowing who God is and what He demands. God is perfect and therefore demands perfection from all those who hope to enter heaven. We are NOT perfect. Our problem is our lack of understanding about just what sin is.

We can say, "I've never killed anyone, or stolen anything." Read this. This is Jesus talking.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. " - Matthew 5:21-22

If being angry keeps us out of heaven, do you think we have a shot at getting in? No.

Any sin keeps us out of heaven. And everyone,  EVERYONE, has sinned. His disciples asked Jesus, "Who then can be saved?" Good question. It is actually quite easy to be saved.

In a prayer to God, tell Him that you repent of your sins and that you are sorry for all that you have done, and not done. Tell Him you give up that life and seek His forgiveness. Then tell Him that you believe that Jesus is who He says He is - the Son of the Living God. Say that you believe that Jesus' shed blood is an atoning sacrifice for your sins. Then your earnest, heartfelt prayer will be heard. THEN you will receive the Holy Spirit and become changed. A new creation.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

But this whole "get into heaven" thing depends on The Head Judge at the track meet. He is the ONLY judge and His name is Jesus. Without His Holy Spirit living in us WE WILL NOT ENTER.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" - Matthew 7:21-23

We do NOT want to hear THAT!

Elusive Love?

This story is for those who desire to find love yet somehow it eludes them. It is for those who THOUGHT they were in love, only to find themselves shipwrecked on some remote desert island. Your story can have a happy ending, if you so desire. Interested?

Let's start with the concept of love itself. Where does love come from? How and where do we find it? So many questions! Let's begin with a Bible verse, shall we?

"So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." - 1 John 4:16

Store that away for a moment and consider this: God created all things. He also created man in His own image. Do you then suppose that man is capable of showing love to others?

Yes, we CAN love, but then why don't we? Why are there some people who hate? Including ourselves. That's because of sin. God WANTS us to love one another.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34

All the pieces seem to be there, so why are we not finding love? Again, it's sin - in us, and in others. But the biggest component is the Holy Spirit. Are we SURE we have the Holy Spirit; or do we THINK we do. That's a real question we all must answer.

"It takes two to tango," so we need to make sure that both parties in our love relationships are saved (ie. a follower of Jesus). And yes, that's plural. We are to love everyone.

To be clear, 'love' has many different meanings. We are talking about unconditional, sacrificial love here. Agape in the Greek.

If we still haven't found love at this point, the last two components in our search for love are prayer and patience. Earnest, honest, vulnerable prayer. And a patience for as long as it takes.

We might say, "But I want love now!" Look at that statement. "I want." What about what "God wants?" And "now" sounds like impatience. Selfishness and impatience are sins.

It comes down to our faith in God. Our faith in Jesus. Is it real? Or just superficial? Are we SURE we know Him, or do we just know about Him?

Have You Been Sealed?

Watch Over Me

I saw something recently that made stop and think for a moment. It was SO true. 

"What if we woke up tomorrow with only what we thanked God for today." Ooo. Ouch. Would we still have our jobs, our houses, our cars? What about our family and friends? Would our hearts still be beating? And what about our lungs? Still breathing?

It is VERY easy to take things for granted in this world. And yet, we are not promised even one more day. Are we living with gratitude for all of the things that God has provided?

God watches over those who truly believe in Him. How do I know this?

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." – Isaiah 41:10

"The Lord will keep you from all harm; he will watch over your life." – Psalm 121:7

That should do it.

If God watches over us, shouldn't we thank Him for His protection? Of course! In addition to other thousands of things He provides for us!

Lord God, thank you for your ever-watchful eye and your mighty hand. Your provision is unmatched and there is no other god like You. We thank You and praise You for all that You have done, and all that You have yet to do. Amen.

Watch Over Me - Aaron Shust

Comfort One Another

"Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth." - Revelation 3:10

That was a promise from Jesus to the church in Philadelphia. But pay attention to what Jesus says at the end of this passage - "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’"- Revelation 3:13. "Churches." Plural. 🤔

The "hour of trial" that Jesus spoke of is called The 70th week of Daniel - The Tribulation.

"The “seventy weeks” prophecy is one of the most significant and detailed Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament." - GotQuestions.org

That prophecy is found in Daniel 9. 69 "weeks" of Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy have already been fulfilled. There is one unfulfilled week remaining. The 70th week. The Tribulation.

This tribulation period will be seven years of incredible pain and suffering. One last attempt by God to give everyone a chance to repent. Some will, but most won't.

For the Christian though, there is hope. It seems as though God will not be putting us through it, but will snatch us out of harm's way, before it even begins.

"Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come." - 1 Thessalonians 1:10

God is incredibly patient. As Paul wrote to his student Timothy,

"God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." - 1 Timothy 2:4

But although God is patient, He is NOT tolerant. His wrath WILL be coming on the whole world. But take heart. Those of us who believe and whose names are written in The Book of Life will not experience God's wrath.

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

But God . . . He is SO good! He loves those who love Him. He is our Redeemer and Savior! And notice that it says "comfort one another," not comfort yourselves.

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ²“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." - John 14:1-3

Watchman River Podcast

70 Weeks of Daniel - Gotquestions.org

Impaled?

You know, we read the Bible and believe that what it says is truth. At least we should, right? I would like to add an asterisk to that statement, and it reads like this:

The Bible is 100% true *

* in the original text

Example: The Thief on The Cross passage found in Mark 15:27. If you go on BibleHub.com and explore the 43 different Bible translations for this verse, many different words describing who was crucified next to Jesus appear - robbers (25), thieves (5),  bandits (4), criminals (4), rebels (2),  revolutionaries (2), and outlaws (1).

So which one is right? They're all similar. "Robbers" seems to be the most popular. If you look up the verse in a Greek Interlinear Bible you will find the Greek word 'lēstai' which translates as "robbers." That coincides with the most popular translation. But why did other translators choose the words they did if "robbers" was the best choice? Unknown.

Here's another example from the same verse, just two words before "robbers." The word 'crucified.'

"With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left." - Mark 15:27

Look at this screen shot from the interlinear Bible. It says 'impalling' in the blue colored text. What? Jesus was impaled? Okay, what is the definition of impaled then? Because I thought impaling was like what happened to Haman in the Book of Ester. He was impaled on a pole.

Merriam Webster - "to pierce with or as if with something pointed. To torture or kill by fixing on a sharp stake."

That's what happened to Haman alright.

I enjoy digging into the Bible's words to see what their true meanings are. And each time I do, I always come away with a new, deeper understanding.

In this case, Jesus was crucified. Exactly how it was done is up to human interpretation. He died. Does it truly matter how? Nailed to a cross or to a tree (which the Bible says elsewhere), or impaled on a pole, He died next to two men. Truth.

He died as a sacrufice for OUR sins, rose again from the dead, spent 40 days walking and talking with the disciples, then He ascended into heaven. The Gospel, the good news, is pretty simple. We should keep it that way.

Have You Been Sealed?

"Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He annointed us, ²²placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come." - 2 Corinthians 21:22

You and I received the promised Holy Spirit when we came to believe in Jesus, repented of our sins, and followed The Lord. But how do we know for sure we have received the Spirit? 🤔 Are there any observable signs? Yes, thankfully there are! This is from C.S. Lewis:

Five Signs You Are Marked by the Holy Spirit:

You experience a deep hunger for God’s Word - The first sign is a growing desire for the Bible. When the Holy Spirit marks you, your desire for God’s truth becomes insatiable for the scriptures. The scriptures start to feel alive and you realize that they hold the answers to life’s biggest questions. As Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live be bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Your perspective on sin changes - Another clear sign is a clear sensitivity to sin. The things you once ignored or excused now weigh heavy on your heart. This isn’t about guilt. It’s the Holy Spirit guiding you to live a holy life. Romans 8:13 reminds us “If by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live." This transformation shows that you are being refined for God’s purpose.

You have a burden for others - The Holy Spirit stirs your heart for people – friends, family, strangers, even enemies. You feel a deep compassion and a desire to share God’s love with them. This aligns with Jesus’ command in John 13:34 “Love one another as I have loved you.” Your life becomes a vessel of God’s grace, and this love, is one of the clearest signs of being marked by the Spirit.

You encounter spiritual battles - Being marked by the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean life becomes easier. In fact, it often brings spiritual opposition. Ephesians 6:12 says “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, and spiritual forces of evil.” These battles are a sign that Satan sees God’s work in you as a threat. But remember, “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4

You see God’s purpose unfolding in your life. - When the Holy Spirit marks you, you begin to see God aligning circumstances for His greater plan. Doors open where they once seemed closed and you realize He’s leading you step by step. Romans 8:28 assures us,  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Note: Being marked by the Holy Spirit is a journey of transformation, love, and purpose. If you’ve experienced ANY of these signs, know that God is at work in your life.

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:13-14

Find Me In The River

At first I didn't understand the title of the song I was listening to. Find me in the river? My first thought, upon seeing the title, was that it was a song about fly fishing. Nope. What is the song about then?

The last story I wrote was called Testimony. It contained a link to a song by Jeremy Camp. Jeremy's testimony contains a love story about how he met and married his wife, only to lose her to cancer just four months later. How incredibly sad.

This story, part of his testimony, was made into a movie called I Still Believe. I have not seen the movie yet, only a trailer for it. But I DO know that I WILL be watching it. What a wonderful story! But what is this "river" and why should we want to be in it?

At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus said this:

"On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." - John 7:37-39

Ahh. With that in mind, do you think Jeremy Camp thirsted, spiritually, as he sat there, watching his wife die? Do you think he wanted to be surrounded with God's love?

"The River" that Jesus spoke of is the Holy Spirit. All of those who have received Christ have also received His Spirit. As a result, we simply cannot deny His Holy Name, because His Spirit lives in us. It changes is. And it does indeed flow from within us, out from our hearts and into the world. This river contains compassion, mercy, grace, and love. "The flow" is made up of God's love.

"The river" does not begin with us however. We are merely a channel. The river comes from God, and IS God.

As a side note, we must be careful not to pollute His river nor redirect it in any way. Just let it flow. May God ALWAYS find US in His river.

Find Me In The River - KJ Apa & JJ Heller

I Still Believe Trailer

Testimony

We all go through life, experiencing ups and downs. Some of those events can have profound effects on us. Some can even be life changing.

When we look back on our lives, what are the key "steppingstones" that got us to where we are today? And what if we took those turning points and turned them into a story . . . about God?

That's our testimony. It is a story about how God changed our lives for our good and for His glory. Do you have such a story? You should.

The Apostle Paul had quite a testimony. You can read about it in the Book of Acts.

"About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. ⁷I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

⁸‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked.

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. ⁹My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

¹⁰Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

¹¹Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus. ¹²There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, ¹³came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

¹⁴Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice. ¹⁵You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’" - Acts 22:6-16

Wow! That's quite the testimony! Most of us don't have a story to tell that can compare with Paul's, but we all have SOME kind of story to tell.

And what does Jesus want us to do with our story? Here's what He told a demon-possessed man to do after he was healed.

“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him." - Luke 8:39

Ans so should WE do.

If you look at Paul's testimony, he has a before, during, and after phase - his life before meeting Jesus, meeting Jesus, and his life after meeting Jesus. His life after meeting Jesus testified to his changed life.

Our next Youth Night Bible study is about giving our own personal testimony. The three adult leaders will be giving theirs. What is yours?

"They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." - Revelation 12:11

Here's one more word of advice from an angel of God who was speaking to Lot and his family.

"As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back." - Genesis 19:17

Don't look back at your old life and think about what once was. You have been saved! Saved FROM it. Look at what awaits you in the future instead! Give glory to God by sharing what He has done in your life and how He has helped you to overcome.

Overcome - Jeremy Camp

God's Promises

This past Friday night our church held another Youth Night. It was our fourth (one each month). This last one was different than all the previous ones in that we were teaching the kids about apologetics and preparing them for life outside "The Bubble."

As an aide, and as an encouragement, we gave them each a book entitled God's Promises For Your Every Need. The book contains only scripture but the verses are arranged by topic. The Bible is a big book, abs it contains ALL of verses, but, if you are looking for a verse dealing with a certain topic, the one you are looking for CAN be hard to find.

After one of the boys received the book, I noticed him flipping through the pages, searching for something.

"What are you looling for?" I asked.

"Something about confidence," he replied.

"Try the index up front," I suggested.

[He was really looking for this! And then he found it!]

"You Need Confidence! Page 146!"

Flipping, flipping, . . . then he arrived.

"I can do all things through Christ to strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

"Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise." - Hebrews 10:35, 36

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

There were several verses as well. 

The teens of today need to be prepared for when they leave home and set foot in this worldly world. What better way for them to be ready then by arming them with God's Word.

If you would like to arm yourselves with this weapon for use against the forces in the spiritial realms, it's on Amazon for less than five bucks. That said, it is actually priceless, if it can help save just one of these little ones.

God's Promises For Your Every Need - Amazon

Purim

"Purim is the account of a genocidal decree overturned on a single, decisive reversal. These events unfolded in Persia, which is modern-day Iran, where Haman plotted the annihilation of the Jewish people. What was intended for destruction became deliverance. The God who preserved His people in the days of Esther still reigns over the nations and rulers today. And history consistantly proves that evil designs do not have the final word.

This year, Purim will be observed March 3rd. It coincides with the one-month ultimatum that President Trump gave the Islamic Republic to accept his terms for a deal. Wouldn't it be something if that regime were confronted with the same resolve shown against modern-day Hamans on that very day?" - Amir Tsarfati

As Amir stated above, this year Purim occurs on March 3rd. Something else happens on March 3rd as well - a blood moon.

"The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.” - Joel 2:31

A blood moon is often associated with divine judgment, prophetic events, or even divine intervention.

"And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red." - Revelation 6:12

There have been "blood moons" before. Just like there have been earthquakes before. They are nothing new. But the Bible DOES say that there will be a blood moon when Jesus opens the sixth seal judgement.

And this is from the Talmud . . .

"When the heavenly lights, i.e., the sun and the moon, are eclipsed, it is a bad omen for the enemies of the Jewish people." - Sukkah 29a

Will the U.S. and Israel attack Iran on March 3rd? I don't know. I'm not predicting anything. I just find it interesting that so many things are happening on that one day. What do YOU think?

An earthquake is also mentioned. Will a major earthquake happen in Iran on March 3rd. I have no idea.

There have been lots of things happening on the world stage lately. Could it get any crazier? I DO know this: it will.

Here's a question for you. What do you think would happen if suddenly all of the Christians were no longer here? The Rapture is also a prophecy, just like a blood moon and an earthquake.

One thing we DO know for sure, and that is this: When God makes promises, they WILL be fulfilled. It was promised in the Bible that Jesus would return one day. Jesus told us to look for signs. We are currently seeing the signs He spoke of on our nightly news broadcasts.

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." - Jesus, Matthew 24:30-31

And lastly this: God does not lie. When He promises something, will He not do it? What do you think? 

"God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?" - Numbers 23:19

Book of Esther

The Tribulum

One of the many things I love about the church I attend is our pastor's teaching. He dives deeper into the text than most pastors I've heard. This past Sunday we were just beginning Romans 5, when he paused after reading this verse: 

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance..." - Romans 5:3

Then he said something like this: "Tribulation comes from the Latin word tribulum or tribula. A tribulum was used for treshing out the grain."

Really? That's interesting. During the tribulations we go through in our lives, WE are the grain. Here's another verse dealing with threshing grain.

"His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” - Matthew 3:13

We are the wheat, unbelievers are the chaff, the barn is heaven, the threshing floor is earth, and the winnowing fork is Jesus at The Judgement.

I'm thinking that being "wheat" is better than being "chaff." Being burned up "with unquenchable fire" just does not appeal to me.

The picture above is what rhe underside of a tribulum looks like. The white things are jagged rocks embedded in the wooden planks. Imagine getting THAT dragged over you until your skin comes off. TRIBULATION!!

The tribulations that we face today pale in comparison to those of Jesus' day. Crucifixions, 39 lashes, or being burned alive. Yet, burning for all eternity is what awaits those who sin (all of us) and have not repented of those sins and made Jesus their Lord. By making Jesus LORD, then He becomes our SAVIOR. And we ALL need one of those.

And boy, do we all need Jesus!

You Don't Own Me

Occasionally, thoughts of my old self come back to me. I wonder, "How could I have done some of those things I did before?" Before Jesus. Thankfully, I am no longer who I once was.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

One of the first things I noticed after coming to believe was that I began looking at things differently. Through a new set of eyes, so to speak.

"There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!” - John 9:25

I also had an insatiable desire to read the Bible, God's Word. This has not abated in my 20 years as a believer in Christ. If fact, it has increased. What else?

Love. I now love more deeply, more sacrificially, that I ever did. My love before was self-centered. Now it is other-centered.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Yet, despite all this, we are constantly vulnerable to spiritual attacks. Satan absolutely hates when God gets love, praise, and glory. So, he attacks.

And that brings us to the title of this story - You Don't Own Me. Remember these words from Jesus.

“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” - Matthew 16:23

Although Jesus spoke those words to Peter, they still have meaning for us when we encounter those who disagree with what we know to be true. We will always be a target from those who don't revere Jesus. Let us stand firm then in our faith!

"Finally, be strong in The Lord, and in the strength of His might, put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." - Ephesians 6:10-11

You Don't Own Me - Disciple 

The Heavy Stone

Did you notice how suddenly Benjamin Netanyahu came to see President Trump this past Wednesday? He was originally going to come to Washington NEXT week, but SOMETHING happened and became very urgent. That made me think....

Many Christians believe that we are living in the last days - the days before the rapture of The Church and the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period. I am one of those people. So, I have been watching Israel and the Middle East very closely.

There is a prophecy in Zechariah that mentions Israel standing alone in the last days . . . saying "in those days," speaking of a future event. It also says ALL the nations will stand against her (Israel). I can see that easily happening in the VERY near future.

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples. Judah will be besieged, as well as Jerusalem.

³⁰On that day, when all the nations of the earth gather against her, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who would heave it away will be severely injured." - Zechariah 12:2-3

For many years these verses spoke about a future time that sounded like it was WAY into the future. Today, it seems like it could happen at any moment.

The thing about Zechariah's prophecy is that it says ALL nations - even the United States presumably. The U.S. has always been an ally of Israel. How could that change? Could Israel ever do something to upset the U.S.? Yes, it has already done that by attacking Doha, Qatar on September 9, 2025. Trump made Netanyahu apologize.

It could also be that a new president, who hates Israel, comes to power A Mamdani type perhaps? Either way, once the U.S. removes its support from Israel the stage will be 100% set for The Ezekiel 38 war.

The opposition is already positioned - Iran, Turkey, Russian, and the entire Muslim Brotherhood nations list. They're just waiting for the opportunity. And for God to act. Yes, this war will be from God.

In my lifetime I have never seen anything like what is happening in the world today. And these things are increasing in frequency and intensity. We are in the last days. Are you ready?

"Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." - Matthew 24:34

Ezekiel 38

The Unrequiting

The term unrequited means "unanswered; not returned; not reciprocated; or not repaid," according to The American Heritage Dictionary. "The Unrequiting" are those people who choose not to return something or reciprocate in any way.

An example of this can be found in the relationship between my wife and her cat. Normally their interaction during the day is very loving. My wife feeds the cat and pets it, talks to it, and picks it up and cuddles it. However, at 4AM my wife my is very unrequitive, wanting to sleep just a bit more.

The cat tries to get beyond the closed bedroom door with clawing and mournful meowing but my wife ignores the cat,  choosing sleep over requiting. Poor kitten.

We humans can be the same way in our relationship with God, if a relationship even exists. Most who don't know God are just fine without Him, even though HE might "stand at the door and knock."

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20

But even those of us who believe can go through times when we ignore God. That usually doesn't end well.

"Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah, son of Amittai, saying, ²“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.”

³Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD." - Jonah 1:1-3

That didn't go so well for Jonah. He ended up on a beach in a pile of fish vomit.

People who refuse to hear the Gospel or ignore the knocking of God at their door, are destined for a fate far worse than Jonah on the Ninevah beach - eternity in Hell.

What should we do then, for the unrequiting; for those who are unwilling to return the love of God and His offer of forgiven sins and eternal life? All we can do is pray for them. If they refuse Almighty God's knocking at their door, do we think they will open up for us?

It hurts when those we love refuse to even consider a relationship with Jesus. Why? Because we know what awaits them. And that, for all eternity. How incredibly sad.

“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’" - Matthew 22:13

Do Not Be Deceived

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you." - Matthew 24:3-4

The text days that Jesus was talking about "the end of the age," but I wonder if He was also talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI). And I also wonder if we have arrived at "the end of the age" that Jesus was talking about. There is definitely a lot of deception happening these days.

There was a time, and not that long ago, when we had no reason to doubt news stories, photos, or videos that appeared on our newsfeeds. Those days are gone.

My wife was sad to learn that the LIMU emu was computer generated saying, "I thought it was real!" She's not alone in her thinking.

Pretty much any movie that comes out of Hollywood these days is fake. Or at least has some CGI in it. The movies are as fake as the actors in them - hired to play someone else in a green-screen sound stage somewhere.

And isn't that what WE are in danger of becoming? Every night we watch "fake news" orchestrated by a bunch of suits sitting around a conference table in a board room dozens of floors above the sidewalks where their audience walks.

Deception is everywhere, except in God's Word. It is constant. It is truthful. In the original text. Yet even some translations have become corrupt through "fleshly" interpretations. Stay away from The Message "Bible" for example, which is NOT a translation but a paraphrase written for kids. There are others.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have their own Bible (The New World Translation). So do the Mormons (The Book of Mormon). Both groups claim to be Christian, but their "religions" both features a fake Jesus.

There is only one Church, despite all the denominations on the planet - those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. No green screens are needed for the miracles and wonders that HE performs. He is the real deal. 

The Parable of Our Cat

Well, our cat is running back and forth throughout the house right now. Sunroom to living room, living room to bedroom, bedroom to sunroom. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Is our cat insane? Yes, but that's beside the point. I think our cat is simply happy.

Our cat is a "used" cat and by that I mean that my wife is the second owner. Our cat's previous life was spent in a small duplex with high, curtained windows . . . and a dog. Not that any of that is bad, but now it is living in a bigger, window-filled, dogless house and I think the cat is merely expressing joy in its new home.

The parable here is simple - a joyful life IN Christ. Think about it. Did we ourselves not journey from one "owner" to the next? Have we not been given a new heart? Are we not loved and cared for? We have all we need and SHOULD be joyful.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." - Philippians 4:4

Granted, our cat still gets into trouble from time to time. It's a curious cat. But we too can stray from the path of righteousness. But then we are corrected and forgiven.

My wife absolutely loves her cat. And the cat knows it. It will sleep on her lap and waits for her outside the bedroom door each morning. And then, when her owner finally emerges, well, let the joyful romping begin! Oh, to have a faith like that!

Got To Get You Into My Life

Another morning, waking up with another song in my head. Usually I have worship music playing on WBOB radio, but this morning it was The Beatles. Not sure why or where this song song came from but I gave it a listen anyway.

The first verse meant nothing. "I was alone, I took a ride. Etc." Big deal. But then the chorus...

Ooh, then I suddenly see you

Ooh, did I tell you I need you

Every single day of my life?

The song is probably about a woman, or drugs, but my mind is shaped a little differently than Mr. McCartney's. Think 'Jesus.'

When I look back at my spiritual transformation, I can pinpoint the day, the hour, the location, what I was doing, and who was there. It was sudden, that's for sure. As Paul said in his song, "then suddenly I see you." And that, I did.

The sudden realization that Jesus was real, for me anyway, was literally an eye-opening event. From that moment on, I began to see things differently. That brings us to the second and third lines of the chorus...

"Did I tell you I need you" and "every single day of my life."

After I figured out what was going on, it wasn't long before I realized just how much I needed Jesus. And that I would need Him every single day of my life.

I look at the chorus of this Beatle's song now and think, this is really a prayer. Not what Paul McCartney had in mind, I'm sure, but consider this prayer.

Dear Lord, I was living my life, totally blind to what I really needed. But then, I suddenly saw You, and I confess to you now, O Lord, that I need you every single day of my life. For without you I am nothing. I repent of my sins and submit to your authority. Make me into who you want me to be, Lord. I am so incredibly grateful to get you into my life! For who am I that you should rescue me? I am your servant, now, and forevermore. Amen.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” - Isaiah 12:2

Got To Get You Into My Life - The Beatles