Lots of Trouble

There is a lesson that 'lots' of people ignore in today's world. It's found in the Book of Genesis. It's the story of Lot. Here's the background.

Lot and Abraham had parted company back in Genesis 13. Lot chose to go down to the plain of the Jordan.

"So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east." - Genesis 13:11

"Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom." - Genesis 23:12

Uh-oh. In chapter 19 we read about some men of the town coming to Lot's house and wanting to have sex with some visiting angels. Then Lots said this:

“No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing." - Genesis 19:6

"My friends . . ."

"What does light have to do with darkness?" - 2 Corinthians 6:14

"Have nothing to do with such people." - 2 Timothy 3:5

Yet Lot called them his friends.

In today's world we have similar types of people to those in Lot's day. We humans haven't gotten much better at being hoky. As Paul said in his letter to the Roman church, "They are inventers of evil." - Romans 1:30

"But maybe I could lead them to Jesus," we say. "So we should be friends."

Umm, no. Have nothing to do with such people, Timothy!

We can pray for them and love them, as we SHOULD be doing. But should we befriend them? Hang out with them? And interact with them in their activities? Participate in their parades and events?  Not according to the Apostle Paul.

God wants us to be holy. Set apart.

"Be holy for I am holy." - Leviticus 11:45, 1 Peter 1:16

The concept of “holy” is deeply woven into the fabric of Scripture. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as “holy” is “qodesh,” which carries the idea of being set apart, consecrated, or sanctified for sacred use. In the New Testament, the Greek word “hagios” bears a similar meaning and underscores the moral and spiritual purity associated with holiness. The idea is that what God calls holy must be distinct in purpose and dedicated to His honor.

When we ask, “What defines being holy?” we are essentially exploring how individuals, communities, and even objects or spaces are designated as set apart under God’s purpose. This designation reflects not only a moral standard but also a transformative relationship with the God who is entirely separate from sin and imperfection. - BibleHub

And the picture? Then president Biden signing a bill into law, protecting gay marriage rights in 2022.

"Be holy, for I am holy." - God

Foolish Hearts

"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

I love kids and I love interacting with them. Perhaps that's why I have taught VBS for the past 5 years. Who knows? God knows.

Kids have an innocence about them that seems to fade with age. And that is the topic of today's story.

When Jesus said, "the kingdom of God belongs to such as these," He was referring to the children gathered around Him. It's their innocence that caused Jesus to say that IMO. Innocence compared to us - the backsliders, doubting Thomases, and the lukewarm. We become tainted by the world because we live in it day after day.

Children grow up and their innocence fades. Is rhere anything we can do to keep from fading away in our faith?

"The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” - Isaiah 40:8

And there's the answer. We can immerse ourselves in God's Word. Our love for God must be complete. 100% And how do we get there? Pray, read, study, surrender, worship, and quit wallowing in a world that tells us to do the opposite.

We need the heart of a child. Not one that is foolish and perishing.

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" - Jeremiah 17:9

"I've been wrong before, don't be wrong anymore." - Steve Perry

Foolish Heart - Steve Perry

Knees

Thursday night I had a dream. I don't remember too much about it but I do remember that it took place in a church. The building was unfamiliar to me. It must have been after service as only a handful of people were there. Maybe five or six. I was one of them, observing.

Two of the people were having a rather deep conversation. I think one was the pastor of the church. I didn't want to interrupt so I was just walking around behind the pews.

When the conversation ended, the one guy started to leave. Still talking, he was now in the back of the santuary. That's when something happened. I dropped to my knees and began crying. REALLY crying. Face in hands, on my knees. And that's when I woke up.

My first thought was that the Holy Spirit was in this man. But the Holy Spirit is in EVERY Christian. Why was this guy different? I have no idea. But I did come away with this one thought.

If the Holy Spirit resides in every heart, of every believer, why don't we treat that fact with the respect it is due? I mean, this is "God with us." Emmanuel!

“Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession - to the praise of his glory.” - Ephesians 1:13-14

After waking up, I thought about my dream. The scripture above says that we are SEALED, sealed with the Holy Spirit. But how can we tell? There are no doves decending on us from heaven.

Perhaps it's just that when we come to know that someone has the Holy Spirit, we should be humbled by that. When we are standing with someone who has the Holy Spirit, why don't we drop to our knees in the presence of our Almighty God? Not worshipping the person, but the Holy Spirit that resides in them.

There are several instances of people bowing down to the Apostles in the Bible after witnessing healing or some other miracle. Even John bowed down to an angel in Revelation. But in each of those situations, those on their knees were told, "Don't do that. Worship God."

"But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” - Revelation 22:9

So, maybe that's the end of my story today, and the meaning of my dream. Worship God. Bow down to Him in humble submission. And weep at the knowledge that we have been sealed, and chosen. And that, before the foundation of the world.

"For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." - Ephesians 1:4

I'm not sure where you're at this morning, but me? I'm on my knees.

To Know You

There is a place in Athens, Greece that is known as the Areopagus (aka Mars Hill). The Apostle Paul spoke there during his 

second missionary journey. This one account gives us all great insight into how to talk with others about our faith in God.

Open your Bibles to Acts 17 and scroll down to verse 16. We find Paul, waiting for his traveling buddies, Silas and Timothy.

"While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace, day by day, with those who happened to be there." - Acts 17:16-17

Athens is in Greece (1,802 miles from Jerusalem), and who did the ancient Greeks worship? Verse 16 says they worshipped "idols." These "idols" were their gods - Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Athena, Artemis, Ares, and Aphrodite to name a few. They had many gods.

So, what did Paul do here? Did he continue to wait for his boys before preaching? Or, did he get to work? He got busy! He didn't wait for a more opportune time. He shared the Gospel, wherever and whenever. 

I was at Walmart yesterday and I was wearing one of my VBS shirts (pictured above). I passed a dad and his two kids by the "Back To School" aisle, I noticed one of the kids staring at my shirt. Mission accomplished!

"My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:11

If we look at these Acts 17 verses, we can "observe" Paul's evangelical checklist:

Verse 16: He observed

Verse 16: He was distressed

Verse 17: He reasoned with them

Verse 19 & 22: He met with them

Verse 23: He redirected the conversation to Jesus.

Paul had mixed results in Athens, but some believed. Then it was off to Corinth! 

Paul was obsessed with sharing the Gospel. Are we? Or do we just blend in with the crowd?

It's A God Thing

Here's an interesting real-life story about how God works in our everyday lives.

I met with our local school this week and made my pitch for installing the last four holes on their disc golf course. They had been reluctant to allow it because they couldn't afford to purchase the baskets.

I told them about all the people who had come up to me during the past few weeks offering ideas for funding the basket purchase ourselves. All of those ideas were greatly appreciated.

I am a Christian and before my meeting, I prayed. I didn't pray, "Lord, make them let us do this!" Instead, I prayed this prayer. "Lord, whatever happens at this meeting today, let it be according to your will. I will be fine with it, no matter how it turns out."

At the school, the meeting began, and then this happened. I was introduced to the new building and grounds guy. A nice young man as far as I could tell. Then the business manager looked at his watch and asked me, "Would you have time to show us the course?"

That was unexpected but welcomed.

"Sure!"

As we got up to leave the conference room, I heard someone say, "Hi Bob!" from the lobby. It was a friend of mine. A little chat ensued and it was clear to all that we knew each other. Now, this is where one can see just how God works.

My friend in the lobby, who "just happened" to show up during our meeting, is the pastor of a local church. He is also the head of another local charitable organization that helps the homeless. And now, get this. He is also a member of the School Board. He is one of the bosses of the guys I was meeting with! Yes!

Was this a sign? An answer to prayer? It sure seemed like it to me.

On last thing. When I got dressed for the meeting that day I chose a disc golf shirt with a message. It reads, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Amen to that!

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." - 1 Timothy 2:1-5

The Worm

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Does that sound familiar? It should. Jesus said it while hanging on the cross. Want to see sinething that will blow your mind? Open your Bible to Psalm 22 and begin reading.

That's right. Jesus was quoting King David who was the original writer of those words. But David was only relaying what he heard from God (in this case, Jesus). The amazement continues. Verses 16-18. Notice that the person dictating to David is speaking in the first person tense. It IS Jesus!

"Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. ¹⁷All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. ¹⁸They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment." - Psalm 22:16-18

Nobody pierced David's hands and feet. But they DID pierce the hands and feet of Jesus. They also divided His clothes among them and cast lots for his garment! (Matthew 27:35)

You might ask, "What does any of this have to do with the title of today's story - The Worm? Psalm 22 verse 6 says this:

"But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people."

Are you ready?

The Hebrew word for worm in Psalm 22:6 is  tola'ath. It specifically refers to a "crimson worm" or "scarlet worm." This crimson worm is notable for producing a deep red dye and was used in dying garments and also the curtains of the Tabernacle. The story gets even more interesting when you consider the life cycle of this crimson worm.

• The mother climbs up a piece of wood, mainly a particular type of tree, in order to lay her eggs. (Jesus was hung on a "piece of wood" / tree)
• She then attaches herself to the tree, building a hard red shell around her.
• Inside this crimson shell she lays her eggs and keeps them under her body to protect them. ("How I've longed to gather you under my wings")
• The baby grubs are hatched and they feed on the mother’s body for 3 days. (Jesus was 3 days in the tomb)
• During this time a bright crimson red fluid oozes from the mother. (The blood of Jesus shed for His children)
• This red fluid stains the wood that she is attached to and the baby grubs are covered being permanently stained with it. (We are "covered permanently" by His blood)
• The young are ready to leave the shell after 3 days. (Just like Jesus left the tomb after three days)
• The mother, being still attached to the shell and to the tree, dies so that she can birth a family. (Jesus' death literally gave us new life)
• On day 4 the mother’s tail pulls up to her head making a heart-like shape and she is no longer red – she has turned into a snow-white wax. (Psalm 22:13 - "My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me")
• This snow-white body looks like a little piece of wool on the side of the tree. It begins to flake off and falls to the ground like snow. (Wool? You mean like that of a sacrificial lamb?)
  

This scarlet worm is a perfect representation of Jesus and His sacrifice for on the cross. God created this scarlet worm as a testimony and foreshadowing of what would one day take place. This is incredible! And still people refuse to listen.

The Scarlet Worm - Hebraic Heritage

We Are The Temple

Today's topic is kind of "out there," but I just ran across this verse in my reading again, and it made me stop and think. It concerns the time of the end.

"Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?" - 1 Corinthians 3:16

Each time I read that verse I think the same thing concerning "God's Temple," because right now God does not have an actual physical temple. As background, the prophet Daniel told us this:

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered." - Daniel 12:1

The first thing to note is that God is talking to Daniel when He says, "Your people." God is talking about the Jewish people here.

If we are currently living in the last days, everyone should be standing against Israel and condemning them, right? Isn't that happening now? Currently, it seems like the entire world is condemning Israel. According to Pew Research, 60% of Americans now have a negative view of Israel. And we are Israel's #1 ally!

Secondly, Daniel 1 says that there will be "a time of distress" happening on a scale that has never been seen before. Isn't that the situation now?

And lastly, it says "your people" will be delivered. "Everyone whose name is found written in the book." That's the 

Book of Life. All those who are going to be saved. Christians, and those Jews who have recognized Jesus as their Messiah.

God always leaves a remnant for Himself, dontcha know.

I believe that 144,000 Jewish converts will be raptured, along with all believers, at the time of the end. Why do I believe that?

“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” ⁴Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel." - Revelation 7:3-4

Now, getting back to the Temple. Like I mentioned already, there is currently no temple in Jerusalem. There are no sacrifices being offered. However, preparations for all these things have already been made (see link at bottom to The Temple Institute).

It is my opinion that the "abomination that causes desolation" is a resumption of animal sacrifices. Why is this an abomination? Because God Himself already made the ultimate sacrifice, when Jesus died on the cross - "once, for all."

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. ²Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. ³But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. ⁴It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

    but a body you prepared for me;

⁶with burnt offerings and sin offerings

    you were not pleased.

⁷Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—

    I have come to do your will, my God.’”

⁸First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. ⁹Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

¹¹Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹²But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool." - Hebrews 10:1-13

Since Israel was scattered 2,000 years ago there have been no sacrifices. There has been no "Nation of Israel" until 1948. But now, the nation of Israel is planning to resume sacrifices once again. And, in so doing, will declare the sacrifice of Jesus, meaningless. And THAT is what God will find to be an abomination. IMHO.

In the opening verse God said that WE are His temple and His Holy Spirit dwells in all who believe in Jesus.

Paul reaffirms this in his second letter to the church in Corinth.

"We are the temple of the living God." - 2 Corinthians 6:16

Keep this in mind as you consider:

"It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God." - Hebrews 10:31

Negative View of Israel - Pew Research

The Third Temple - The Temple Institute

The Jordan

I think just about every Christian knows that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. But "The Jordan" was involved in quite a few other Bible stories as well. And the connections are amazing!

"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan." - Mark 1:9

But let's go back into the Old Testament for a Jordan River scavenger hunt. The "first mention" of the Jordan is in the Book of Genesis. Lot chose "the plain of the Jordan" to settle when he split from Abram (Genesis 13:10).

The cities located there were Sodom and Gomorrah. God judged them and destroyed them. Yet Lot escaped. Why? Because two angels saved him. Was one of them Jesus. Hmm.🤔

How about when the Israelites wanted to cross the Jordan after Moses died?

"Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over." - Joshua 3:1

There are a few nuggets here. Let's dig. First, Joshua. Joshua is a Hebrew name meaning "YHWH is salvation" and is derived from (are you ready for this?) the name Jesus. 

And why were the Israelites crossing the Jordan? To get into the Promised Land! And "the Promised land" is synonymous with Heaven for the Christian.

And why didn't Moses get to take the Israelites across the Jordan? Because he disobeyed God (sinned) by striking the rock. Moses is synonymous with "The Law." And "The Rock" is another name for Jesus. And life-giving water came out of the rock, right? 

"Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” - John 14:4

The Jordan is synonymous with judgement. Moses was punished at the Jordan because he sinned. So will we be. Unless we have a Joshua (Jesus) to take us into the promised land.

One more. Where did Jesus raise Lazarus back to life? In a little town called Bethany. And where IS Bethany located? Across the Jordan.

"This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing." - John 1:28

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead right near the Jordan. Right where He was baptized.

There are SO many stories in the Old Testament that link to Jesus! All we have to do is read them and marvel at the cohesivness of God's Word.

Where Was Jesus Baptized? - GotQuestions.org

Once Your Enemy

Here's a free VBS lesson for you from this past week's teaching on Psalm 23. We'll specifically be looking at Verse 5. King David wrote this Psalm and, if you are familiar with the story of David, these verses can take on new meaning.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." - Psalm 23:5

David's enemy was Saul, the first King of Israel. Saul pursued David for 10 years, trying to kill him. Can you imagine being hunted down for 10 long years?

David was given several opportunities to kill Saul but refused to do so saying, "I will not touch the Lord's anointed." Saul had indeed been anointed as king by Samuel.

Verse five talks about how God kept David fed all those 10 years while Saul was pursuing him. David was "a man after God's own heart" and God blessed David.

After Saul was killed in battle and David became king, David asked this question:

“Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” - 2 Samuel 9:1

Jonathan was a close friend of David, and also the son of his enemy, Saul.

"Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” - 2 Samuel 9:3

That "son of Jonathan," the grandson of Saul, David's enemy, was named Mephibosheth.

When Mephibosheth was called into the presence of the king, he was greatly afraid. He was the grandson of the king's enemy. He had good reason to be afraid. But David did something unusual. He gave Mephibosheth all of his grandfather's property and arranged for it to be farmed. He also gave Mephibosheth a regular seat at King David's table.

Do you see what David did here? He flipped Psalm 23:5. Instead of "you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies," David prepared a table for his enemy in the presence of his king, the Lord God Almighty.

How amazingly merciful! David honored both Jonathan and God at the same time!

"So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame in both feet." - 2 Samuel 9:13

Jesus, Thank You - Sovereign Grace Music

Tornado!

Living in Central Wisconsin has proved to be pretty safe, catastrophic event wise. We're not on a major fault line so we don't have big earthquakes. We're far from the tropics so we don't get hurricanes or typhoons. However, upon occasion, we have our fair share of bad weather.

We've had blizzards with three feet of snow. We've also had days of 100° heat. Still, all those pale in comparision to what we had this past Monday - an EF-3 tornado.

We've had tornadoes before. We even had one touch down near our house. But this most recent tornado was different. It plowed through one of our larger cities - Menasha (18,000+).

I worked in Neenah for nearly 20 years. It butts up against Menasha. When I visited work yesterday, horrible stories were plentiful. They ranged from "we lost a few branches" to "a big tree fell on our house and we have no power." Some residents lost everything. A local friend was trapped on the 441 bridge as the tornado passed 500' in front of her car. She and her son watched cars and semis being flipped and feared for their lives. Had they arrived just a few seconds earlier . . .

Do you know Jesus? I hope you do.

All this makes me think of Job. He too lost everything, except his faith in God.

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” - Job 1:21

Catastrophic events like this tornado can really test our faith, but they can also enhance it. When our faith turns into action, it testifies to our God.

The Menasha Piggly Wiggly gave out free water. Christ the Rock church opened its doors to all who needed shelter. Donation sites sprang up and area residents brought supplies. People "gave to one another as there was a need" (Acts 2:45).

My prayer in this horrible event was for people to turn to God as a result. Like Job said, "Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Withdraw

Every once in a while, the Bible "experts" get things wrong. Am I saying that there are mistakes in the Bible? Yes, I am - in the modern-day translations. Not in the original transcripts. Here's an example about what I mean.

The story, A Paralytic Is Healed, in Luke 5, begins this way:

"So, He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed." - Luke 5:16

The word "So" references the previous story. Verse 16 does not belong to the story about the paralytic, in my opinionl. Here is the last part of verse 16 along with Luke 5:15 . . .

"However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmaties. So, He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed." - Luke 5:15-16

That makes more sense. One thing to keep in mind - the original manuscripts had no punctuation at all. There were also no story headings or paragraph indentations. These New Testament "books" were actually letters written to churches or individuals.

The key here, and what we're going to talk about today, is that when things got hectic and overwhelming, Jesus often went away by Himself and prayed to God the Father.

And, speaking of "being alone," does your church have prayer groups? Ours does. Do you attend? Nothing against them at all, but let's not lose track that Jesus always went off by Himself to pray.

When Jesus was nearing the end of His ministry He went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples. He then took Peter, James, and John further. A men's prayer group? No. He left them to go pray by Himself.

"Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray. ³⁷He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed." - Matthew 26:36-38

Again, Jesus was all alone. Here's a partial AI generated list of when Jesus withdrew by Himself to pray:

• After hearing John the Baptist had been killed, Jesus withdrew by boat to a solitary place (Matthew 14:13; Mark 6:31–32).
• After the crowd followed him, he went up a mountain by himself (Mark 6:46).
• Before choosing the Twelve, he went up on a mountain and spent the night praying by himself (Luke 6:12).
• After hearing of Lazarus’ sickness, he still could have spent time away, but the specific “by himself.".
• After a busy period with many people, he went away again to places where he could pray (Mark 1:35 describes him going out early “to a solitary place” before daybreak; the text emphasizes solitude).

It's safe to say that Jesus preferred being by Himself when He prayed.

" the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen." - Matthew 6:6

What do YOU think?

I think it depends on the situation. Praying in groups is fine, praying with an individual is powerful, and praying by ourselves is precious. The key is praying, wherever and whenever.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6

The Parable of The Lost Owl

Today's story is a double feature. The first part is amazing and absolutly filled with joy. Part two is full of anxiety and doubt. But stick around for the epilog. It's worth the wait.

PART 1 - The Gift

About a month ago I was approached by a young girl and her mom at church. This wonderfully caring kid stretched out her arm to me, giving me her toy stuffed owl, Austin. (Previously, my teaching partner and I had asked the congregation for a stuffed toy owl as a prop for one of our lessons.) So, I accepted the gift and took it home for safe keeping.

The more I thought about it, the more I wondered "Why me?" Did I make an impression on her during a previous VBS? I didn't even know her name (It's Kayley). Whatever the case, I was bound and determined to keep Austin the Owl safe until I could return him to little Kayley. 

PART 2 - The Loss

VBS week is very hectic. We had 49 kids and 25+ volunteers. People were everywhere, all over the church. Still, Austin the Owl was there, waiting. Thursday's teaching was his moment and he did a great job, for a stuffed owl.

Friday afternoon was cleanup day and we began disassembling VBS. That's when I discovered Austin was missing. What?! Oh, no!

"They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. ⁵As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my Lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!” - 2 Kings 6:4-5

I searched the church, my car, our house. He was nowhere. Saturday morning, I went back into church for another look. Nothing.

I began searching on Amazon for "Stuffed Toy Owls" and found one but it wouldn't be the same. I felt just awful. In despiration I sent a group text to all of the VBS teachers Sunday morning. Maybe they had seen something. Not likely. Then my phone lit up. A text from one of the teachers . . ..

"He is back with Kayley. No worries."

EPILOGUE

The first words out of my mouth were, "Thank you, Lord!!" Sunday morning, sitting in church, I was eagerly waiting for Kayley to show up. I had a Dairy Queen gift certificate for a free cone waiting for her. Then there she was. I walked up front and dropped to a knee.

"Kayley?" (she turned) "I want to thank you for trusting me with Austin. I'm glad he's back home where he belongs." She smiled and the story's over. Except for this:

The way this becomes a parable is that, when we give our hearts to Jesus, we are no longer lost. We become found. Saved.

"Did you not know that I would be in my Father's house?" - Luke 2:49

Did I pray for Austin's safe return? You bet I did! God is SO good! Even in the small things. One final thought.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23

If you are lost, if you don't have Jesus as your Shepherd, your Savior, pray to Him today and make that change. All it takes is repentance for your sins, believing in Jesus and making Him Lord of your life, and then you will forever receive His blessings. It is SO worth it! Your entire life will change.

The Gospel of You

On the surface, the title of this story sounds a little ridiculous - the Gospel of You. That's silly. Everyone knows that there are only FOUR Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It's not until we dig a little deeper that it begins to make a little more sense.

What IS "The Gospel?" It is the "good news," right? That's EXACTLY what it means. So any "good news" is "The Gospel." We must train ourselves to always say, "The Gospel of Jesus Christ." Now we're talkin'.

The Gospel of You, or anyone else for that matter, is simply the good news of how God changed our lives upon believing on the Lord Jesus. It's our own personal story. It's our testimony.

For me it was hearing a convicting word in a sermon that made me realize that Jesus was indeed real and active in the world today. A changed life testifies that our story is true.

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:18

I had the joy and privilege of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with 39 kids this past week at VBS. My prayer is that all would consider it and take it to heart, literally.

Everyone who believes in Jesus has a Gospel to share. Good news of hope and change. The question then becomes, "Are we sharing it?" Sadly, the answer is often "no."

I would challenge those who don't share the Gospel of Jesus with others by asking this: Have you really been changed? Scripture asks this very question.

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test." - 1 Corinthians 13:5

We DO NOT want to fail the test! Share the love of Jesus with everyone you meet!

There Will Be Signs

When Monday morning arrived, I knew it was going to be a good opening day of Vacation Bible School (VBS). How did I know that? Oh, there were signs. 🤟

Sign #1 - It was raining when I left the house. When I got to church, it was not. There were a few drops here and there, and then the sun came out. 😎

Sign #2 - The ASL hand sign for Jesus. Answers In Genesis uses hand motions in their videos for kids. Whenever "Jesus" is mentioned, they use the actual sign language for His name, alternately touching the palm of the hand with the middle finger of the opposing hand. A literal sign! That happened on Monday. Twice.

Sign #3 - My man Felix! Somehow, I was able to pick him up and give him a hug. He's getting big!

But Sign #4 was my highlight for Day #1 - Vicki, our pastor's wife. My teaching partner Chuck and I had a few minutes left over at the end of our lesson, so we went over the Gospel again. Chuck was speaking to the kids, on my right. That's when I noticed Vicki coming our way. She was clearly on some mission for someone. I glanced at the kids and then back at Chuck again. That's when I noticed Vicki had stopped and was just standing there, praying, just around the corner. I think I might have been the only one to have seen it. What a blessing! Vicki had stopped "doing" and was standing there, "praying," as Chuck delivered the Gospel. We leaders "do things," and sometimes, too many things. But God does the BIG things, and he let me see someone interceding on behalf of these children. What a blessing to behold!

"Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died, more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." - Romans 8:

There are many more wonderful "signs" yet to come. I'm sure! God is SO good!

[As I publish this story, Day 3 of 5 will soon be underway. Stay tuned!]

Lidocaine Jesus

Back in the day, my wife and I used to watch a lame old TV show called Emergency!  It fearured two paramedics saving people's lives in a variety of situations, all sprinkled with a dash of humor.

When they arrived at the hospital, doctors quickly took over. Often, they would have a nurse hook up an IV to the patient and say, "Lidocaine drip! Stat!"

A lidocaine drip is an intravenous infusion of lidocaine, a local anesthetic, used to manage acute pain.

You and I can also get into "times of trouble" occasionally. Jesus has told us we would.

"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

Jesus is our lidocaine, in a manner of speaking. He eases the pain in our lives and makes tense situations more peaceful.

The problem with my analogy is "the drip" eventually gets disconnected. That's not a good thing where Jesus is concerned. If anything, let us increase the flow!!

"Oh, precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow.

No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus "

Yes, please! "Jesus drip, only LET IN RAIN!"

And that reminds me of a worship song.

Lord, when times get tough, when we go through things that would break many, You rescue, you save. When those we love are sick or hurting, may your healing power rain down on us from heaven. You reign over sickness, death, and pain. Heal this land, Lord. Heal this people. Itvis your merciful name I pray. Amen.

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” - Revelation 31:4

Nothing But The Blood of Jesus

Let It Rain - Michael W. Smith

A Thousand Years

• God created all things
• 1,000 years later, God sent a flood on the earth
• 1,000 years later, Abraham
• 2,000 years later, Jesus crucified
• 2,000 years later (right about now), He will return and set up His millennial kingdom. A 1,000-year reign for the King of kings and Lord of lords

A thousand years. TWO thousand years. It seems like God likes to do big things in 'thousands of years.'

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

[Side note: the above list of events equals 7,000 years. Look up the number 7. What do you find?

"the number seven connotes such concepts as completion and perfection, exoneration and healing, and the fulfillment of promises and oaths."

Seven days to create all things in Genesis. The Seven Churches of Revelation 1, Seven Golden Lampstands, gold refined 7 times (Psalm 12), the seven spirits of God (Revelation 3), etc. "Seven" appears 518 times in the Bible.

I heard a song recently and was reminded of the Lord's millennial reign. A thousand years in the presence of our King! This is from that song (link at bottom):

"Watching you stand alone,

All of my doubt suddenly goes away."

Jesus will stand alone on the Mount of Olives one day soon. And it sounds like there will be a rather large earthquake as well.

"On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south." - Zechariah 14:4

Have you noticed the increase in seismic activity recently? Venezuela comes to mind, with two quakes in the 7+ range on the same day. Still, a bigger quake looms in Jerusalem. But let's not get sidetracked.

The thousand-year reign of Jesus. What will that be like?

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” - Revelation 21:1&4

Personally, I can't wait. To actually see Jesus! It will be well worth the wait . . . a thousand years . . . two thousand years . . . none of that will matter. We get to spend ETERNITY with our King!

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri

Come!

"The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." - Revelation 22:17

I never really thought much about it before but "the Spirit and the bride" has meaning beyond just those five simple words.

The Spirit, of course, is the Holy Spirit (see how it is capitalized?). And all believers are "The Bride," according to scripture. That much I've noticed before. But what caught my attention THIS time around is the word 'say' that comes afterwards. So, is this verse is about evangelism then? No. This is Revelation 22, the last chapter in the Bible. It's too late ti evangelize. The Spirit and the Bride are calling to Jesus.

As soon as you and I came to believe, we received the promised Holy Spirit. We literally became part of the collective "bride" of Christ. The verse tells, in this final chapter, that we, currently, should be DOING something with our faith. We should be TELLING others about our hope and, in so doing, inviting them to 'come' to Jesus.

We can do this visibly through our actions towards others and in our communities. But the verse specifically says 'say.' We are called to speak to those around us about our Lord and Savior. Are we doing that?

Have you watched the news lately, and seen the events that are happening in the world these days? Much of what we see has prophetic implications, and many biblical scholars believe we are living in "the last days" before the return of Jesus for 'His Bride.'

When we speak with others are we asking ourselves, "How can I direct this conversation to include Jesus?" We should be. That's part of why we have been given the Holy Spirit to begin with.

Why do we go to church? Has it become a "box to check" at the end of each weekend? Or is it to edify ourselves and equip ourselves to share the Gospel.

Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few" (Matthew 9:37). WE are the workers!! Are we workin', or just sittin'?

Every true Christian wants to hear Jesus say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:23). How can we hear "well done" if we HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING with our faith?

I sit in my living room chair and write these stories each week, but what am I DOING beyond that? Am I engaging others around me and asking them leading questions that will take them directly to Christ? Not enough, I fear. Not NEARLY enough.

When Jesus said "the workers are few," He wasn't kidding - both then and now. And let's not skip over the word 'work.'

"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - ³⁴and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man." - Proverbs 24:33-34

Trust and Submit

The Bible is literally filled with great advice for how to live a good, God-honoring life. So why do people ignore it and not read it?🤷‍♂️

Here's some Old Testament wisdom from King Solomon:

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

TRUST - Do we trust God? And do we trust Him totally and completely, with all of our hearts? Think about it.

YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING - our understanding is often flawed. Why? Because we live in a world filled with lies. There is only one truth - God and His Word.

SUBMIT - Submitting to the lordship of Jesus is one of the most difficult things for the Christian. As God once said through the prophet Isaiah, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways." - Isaiah 55:8

That's pretty straightforward. All we have to do is obey. And that is difficult for the Christian who wants a say in what he or she believes in. And there we have it. These "conditional Christians" are making themselves out to BE a god by creating beliefs outside of those of the one TRUE God. And they are breaking the very first commandment in the process.

"You shall have no other gods before me." - Exodus 20:3

We must trust and submit and keep our own opinions to ourselves. No, that's wrong. We must eliminate ANY opinions we may have in favor of God's Word and what He says.

"In ALL our ways, submit."

Do we do that?

Weight A Minute

"Do not have two differing weights in your bag - one heavy, one light. ¹⁴Do not have two differing measures in your house - one large, one small. ¹⁵You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁶For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly." - Deuteronomy 25:14-16

Well . . .Did you hear about our local grocery and big box stores? The following is from StateofSurveillance.com

"Kroger announced plans to use facial recognition for "targeted coupons": personalizing prices based on who you are. They backed off after public outcry, but their electronic shelf labels (slated for 2,600 stores by 2026) make the infrastructure for personalized pricing trivially easy."

Walmart piloted facial recognition to spot shoplifters. They won't confirm current use."

Interesting.... Lowes also uses it. Many, including Home Depot, refused to answer the survey, citing "competitive reasons."

Stores are using facial recognition cameras and software to determine who you are as soon as you walk into their store. They can also adjust prices for you accordingly as well. How nice. And they can do it immediately.

This system, currently in use by many retailers, could be perverted into a prophetical biblical system where the Antichrist could prohibit anyone from buying groceries, simply by knowing who you are, or aren't, and you will not be allowed to buy. That system....

"forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name." - Revelation 13:16-17

The Bible is coming alive my friends. We are living in the last days. One last tidbit: 

Wegmans, a NYC chain, uses facial recognition this way:

• Parking lot cameras capture license plates as you pull in
• In-store cameras track your movements through the aisles
• The Wegmans app and store WiFi collect IP addresses and geolocation
• Browser cookies track your web activity before and during shopping
• Credit card numbers, purchase history, and SNAP benefit usage are logged

So.... we ARE being watched. And scanned. This is not a conspiracy theory.  It is happening right now.

Are you ready for the return of our King? Maranatha!!

Your Grocery Store is Scanning Your Face

Job On Jesus

In the Book of Job, supposedly the oldest book in the Bible, there are a few verses that made me stop and contemplate them again this past week.

Job was talking with his friends about God...

"If only there were someone to mediate between us (God and man), someone to bring us together, ³⁴someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more." - Job 9:33-34

Well, Job, let me tell you about Jesus. That's exactly what He does. He is a mediator between God and mankind. Jesus intercedes for us with God the Father. He also removed "God's rod" from us by sacrificing HIS life for ours, taking God the Father's punishment upon Himself.

 Here's another verse from the Book of Job.

"I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth." - Job 19:25

That's right, Job. Our Redeemer surely does live. He rose from death to life on the third day. And you are right again when you say "that in the end He will stand on the earth."

All this stuff is from the oldest book in the Bible! And it's talking about Jesus!!

"I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, ¹⁰Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’" - Isaiah 46:9-10

God is simply amazing! He knows our hearts. He knows what we are thinking before it comes into our minds. The sooner we repent and seek Him, the better off we will be.

"To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Timothy 1:17

Peace and Love

It is easy to feel unloved in this world. Everyone is so busy with their own lives.  We live in a consuming culture. Buy this, buy that. Who has time to love when we are told to indulge ourselves in the world around us? Spend, spend, give in to your desires.

Another thing that's hard to find is peace. Because we are encouraged to "have things our way," someone else's way can be hard to swallow. I want, I want, give, give. We desire peace, and, if you don't give it to us, we will kill you.

Love and Peace. Just two small things, right? But they are everything. So, how do we get them? And where do we find them? Logical questions. I would suggest that neither one can truly be found on our own. Both of these things require someone else being involved. And they cannot be fully received until we give them away. Check out this Bible verse:

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid." - John 14:27

"MY peace?" Does Jesus really offer a peace that is different than OUR version of peace? I would say yes, yes He does.

And what about love? Does Jesus offer a different kind of love too? Let's take a look.

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

As Jesus has loved us, that is how we are to love one another. Are you kidding? That's impossible! He DIED for us!

Yessss..... 

Think about that for a moment. Jesus died, and through His death, our sins were paid for.

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, IN Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23

In order the fully receive the peace and joy we desire, we must be "in Christ." So, how we become "in Christ?" What does that mean? Well...

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

So, in order to be "in Christ," He has to be "in us."

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." - Ephesians 4:30

And there it is. The conclusion of the matter. In order to have peace and love, the way God intended it, is to have The Holy Spirit's seal. The Holy Spirit living in you.

"On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ³⁹By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." - John 7:37-39

My Peace - Maranatha Singers

Watermelon Time

Sometimes there are things that happen in this world that are beyond explanation. That was the case yesterday. I am STILL amazed by this particular example as I write this.

Have you ever lost one of your most favorite things? I have. I'm sure you have too. What we wouldn't give to have that lost treasure back again.

Last year I was teaching a kid's disc golf class in the community where I live. We were on the last hole on the last night of class. Long story, short, I left my favorite disc on that hole, and it was gone. I was pretty sad.

That disc did whatever I asked of it. Plus, it was a fundraiser disc for a friend of mine.

It took a while to recover from that loss. Long enough for my wife to notice. As Christmas rolled arond, she went on Ebay and found a replacement. How sweet of her to do that! I had another watermelon 🍉 disc in my bag for this year. Still, everytime I looked at it, I thought about the one I had lost.

Our salvation is like that watermelon disc, only it's far more valuable. When we repent of our sins and place our hope in Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit. We become saved.

I've seen some videos where people are wondering if they can lose their salvation. Wouldn't that be a terrible thing to lose? It's absolutely priceless!

Thankfully, we cannot lose what God so freely gave to us.

"When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession - to the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:13-14

Amen!

Yesterday, I was working at our local course when two players came through. They were both league players and friends of mine so I stopped working to talk with them. That's when I noticed that one of them was carrying, you guessed it, a watermelon disc, just like the one I had lost. 

"Is that a watermelon disc?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Where'd you get it?"

"Oh, I found it out here."

"Where? Was it on Hole 18?"

"Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"I think that's my disc!"

My friend gave me the disc right then and there. In return, I've got a few drivers I'm going to be giving him. 🥏 The original watermelon disc, the one that came back home to me, is back in my bag. And the one my wife gave me? It's on the wall in my office, to remind me just how much she lives me.

I lost that disc almost exactly one year ago. Yet, it wasn't really lost, was it? No. God was just waiting for the right moment to reunite us.

Discs are a thing of this world. They can provide both happiness and sorrow. "But the gift of God is salvation through Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). We can NEVER lose that, if you believe with all your heart and submit to His lordship.

Our salvation is a gift from God. It is nothing that we have done. It's always been Jesus. Place your faith in Him today. Then have a slice of watermelon today and celebrate this great country of ours.🇺🇸 Another great gift from God. 😊❤️🙏

And . . . Action!

Have you noticed how quiet things have gotten with China and Russia lately? Yeah, there's occasional news stories about Russia vs. Ukraine or China tormenting Taiwan, but other than that, all is quiet. TOO quiet.

Some things we need to remember: 1.) Both China and Russia are allies of Iran. They cannot be pleased with what's going on in the Middle East. 2.) China gets (got) most of their oil from Iran. Trump's blockade denied several Chinese ships access to much-needed oil shipments. 3.) Both China and Russia are nuclear powers.

Here's a sci-fi, action, end-times movie plot for you, made up from my own demented mind:

Iran makes a deal with China and gets a nuclear weapon. China gets lots of oil in return. LOTS. China also promises to help Iran against Israel and the U.S. (they're already doing that. So is Russia).

Iran would like to use their new weapon against Israel but Israel is too close, and with the prevailing westerly winds, it would be unwise as Iran lies to the east of Israel. So, the target becomes the United States. But when?

This Saturday is the 4th of July, America's 250th birthday. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Why does Iran keep delaying the peace talks? 🤔 It is not in their nature to make peace with their enemy. It's victory or death for them. They have become experts at dragging things out. They are simply re-arming themselves and licking their wounds.

Meanwhile, back to my movie plot. Russia is not just waiting in the wings. With the U.S. cleaning up Washington D.C. after the blast, Russia will invade Latvia. That will give them a much needed sea port, and it will isolate Estonia, their next target. They will be satisfied with what they have gotten from Ukraine to date. For now.

NATO will do absolutely nothing. The U.S. will drop them like a hot potato. Russia has already fired drones into Poland. Putin will be licking his chops. And then there's Turkey and North Korea, but that will be in the sequel. 

The thing that China and Russia will be forgetting of course is the God of Israel and the followers of the Lord Jesus.

The climax of the movie begins when Jesus takes all of His children out of here. The restrainer will then be removed and the lawless one revealed. The seven year tribulation period will begin. And then things will REALLY get ugly.

The thing about scary movies that makes them REALLY scary is when the story is something that could actually happen.

Back in the 70's two sci-fi movies came out - Star Wars and Close Encounters. Both were good entertainment, but only one was actually believable. Like it could actually happen during that time period.

Hopefully my movie plot will never come true, but according to the Bible, some of it will. And the scary thing is, it COULD happen. Would anything surprise us anymore?

We were surprised on September 11, 2001. No one ever dreamed that could ever happen. Yet, it did.

“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book." - Daniel 12:2

And should this movie plot ever make it to reality, there is one way to survive the coming wrath: Repent, Believe, then Forever Receive.

All of us were sinners at birth. We need to acknowledge that, and believe in the one who sacrificed Himself on our behalf - satisfying our Just Judge. Only then can we enter in to the promised land and receive all of the blessings that God has promised.😊❤️🙏

Earthquakes

In the Book of Matthew, in the 24th chapter, Jesus is asked by His disciples, "Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus then gives them an entire checklist of things that will happen.

"Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 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 pains.

⁹“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹²Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." - Matthew 24:4-14

Are any of those things happening now? Well, all of them are. This past week there were two earthquakes in Venezuela over 7 (7.2 and 7.5). One right after the other. They are still sorting through the rubble, but there are already over 1,400 among the dead, with tens of thousands more among the missing.

To be clear, there are measurable earthquakes every day, but big ones like this stand out. And Jesus said these are just "the beginning" (v8).

Then he said this in verse 9:

"You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me."

Who is the "you" in this verse? Well, Jesus is talking to the disciples, but as history has shown, ALL Christians will suffer because of their faith in Christ. The key words are "because of me."

As of Saturday night, there were 40,000 people still missing after this week's earthquakes in Venezuela.

When there us unrest in the Middle East, and things like this begin to happen, it's always a good idea to pray and then wait anxiously for His return. Wars and rumors of wars, peace, peace, when there is no peace. It's all happening.

Yet, come, Lord Jesus!

"He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" - Revelation 20:20

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” - Luke 21-28

Choose

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." - Proverbs 14:12

Life consists of a series of choices. Left - right, up - down, in - out. We make a choice and go on from there.

Sometimes we choose poorly. We turn left when we should have turned right. That particular bad choice will most likely have bad consequences. We may be late for a meeting, or, worse yet, become completely lost.

Some choices can have rather long-lasting consequences. While a wrong turn on the highway can be corrected, other choices in life can lead to dead ends. Literally.

A woman makes a choice to have unprotected sex. That "choice" has consequences - a sexually transmitted infection, or an unintended pregnancy. And infection can be treated, but a pregnancy? Either it comes to fruition, or it is terminated.

Everyone must make a choice when wrestling with the question of God and/or Jesus. Either you believe, or you don't. And, in the case about Jesus, even doing nothing has consequences. As someone once said, "Not to decide, is to decide."

Whether we decide to follow Christ or not, our decision has lasting consequences. 

There is one single verse, found in the Book of Romans, that lays out our choice options when it comes to our faith, or lack thereof. 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23

The choice is right there. If we choose to lead a sin-filled life, we will surely die. But a life "in Christ" promises eternal life. All we have to do it repent of our sins and believe. It seems like a no-brainer. The choice is obvious. Choose Christ and live!

Come To Jesus - Chris Rice

A Spiritual War

Have you ever had one of "those days"? A day when nothing seems to go right? Well, take heart. There's a cure for that.

Monday was such a day for me. Just feeling down, for no apparent reason. "What's going on?" I asked myself. The answer, as per usual, is in the Bible.

The final straw, the thing that pushed me to take action, was when my wife and I were watching the news at supper time. It was a story about Iran.

"What is with those guys?" she asked. A very logical question. In my mind, there was a very logical answer, so I offered it.

"It's a spiritual war."

"And why does everyone hate Israel?" Another logical question. Because it certainly seems that way.

"And what's up with Tucker Carlson? What happened to him?" She's making good observations and asking the appropriate questions. So, what's happening? What is causing all of this turmoil? What is the root cause of all this grief, unrest, depression, anxiety, and angst? Let's take a look.

"We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." - 1 John 5:19

"In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." - 2 Corinthians 4:4

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ²in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work." - Ephesians 2:1-2

Satan, "the evil one" in the 1st John verse, is now at work in the world. He has been working since Eve gave Adam some fruit to eat. HE is the cause of all this trouble.

The next two words after that Ephesians 2 verse above are, "But God." Oh, those two beautiful, wonderful words! God is the cure!

I got up out of my living room chair, went downstairs to my office, and played some worship music. After that, I slept like a baby.

What is the answer to all of Satan's evil schemes? The pain and suffering he causes? It's Jesus! Embrace Him, receive Him, love Him. Submit to Him, abide in Him, and worship Him.

When we do that one thing, worship, with all of our heart, all of our problems fade away. Thank you, Lord! Our wonderful, merciful Savior.

Wonderful Merciful Savior - Selah