Self Betrayal

"The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes." - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

That's the typical passage of scripture that churches us when they take communion. But the last time our church did this, our pastor pointed out something interesting. Verse 23 above says "on the night he was betrayed." One of the men Jesus was praying with and breaking bread with that night, had betrayed him, and the other 11 would deny they even knew him before the day was done.

Our pastor encouraged us to pray for those who have betrayed us. Question: Has anyone ever betrayed you? I'm sure there are a few for everyone.

I began to make my mental list of the betrayers in MY life, but then I stopped and thought, "What about me? Haven't I also betrayed God through my sin? Haven't I betrayed myself?"

Ooo. Ouch. That was pretty humbling, and that was just how I prayed. A different kind of prayer comes out when you think of yourself as a type of Judas.

Does God look at us as "a Judas?" "A blasphemer?" Yes, He would - without the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. I personally am SO grateful for Jesus and what He did! We ALL should be.

"We ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23

"We ALL sin," the Bible says.

Quite rightly, those following Jesus once asked Him, "Who then can be saved?"

"Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”- Luke 18:26-27

The world tells us to "forgive ourselves" for the sins we have committed. According to verse 7 that we just read, that is impossible. Maybe it is IN OUR OWN EYES but not in God's. However, God HAS provided a way for us to be totally forgiven. His Son, Jesus.

If one scrolls back up and reads that opening passage again, it kind of makes us want to eat some bread and drink some wine, and pray, as we remember what Jesus did for us.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." - Psalm 103:12

Peace?

The day is Thursday as I am writing this. Everyone is talking about the new peace deal between Hamas and Israel. Trump has announced that he will be flying to Israel for a signing ceremony. The people of Israel are already celebrating in the streets.

If all this indeed comes to pass it will be absolutely wonderful. However . . . let me show you something.

‘"Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace." - Jeremiah 6:14

There will never be a lasting peace until Jesus sets up His millenial kingdom. We have become distracted by the very thing we have been praying for.

What crosses my mind about this is not good. Isn't this a perfect opportunity for Iran to strike both of its enemies at the same time? Trump and Netanyahu BOTH will be in the Knesset on Monday. Iran must be salivating loke a dog waiting for its dinner.

Of course, it's possible that nothing will happen, and probably won't, but think about the possible dangers in this.

I am reading through Ezekiel right now, speaking of things that could happen. It's not very comforting.

"You will look for peace, but there will be none." - Ezekiel 7:25

I do not trust Hamas. I don't think that Israel does either. The only reason that Hamas agreed to the ceasefire is because Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey told them to or they would not back them in the future.

This war is not over.

As Christians though, we still have hope. This is not our home. We look forward to the day when our Lord and Savior returns and DOES set up a lasting peace.

In my opinion, NONE of the people in this whole peace thing knows Jesus. And that includes our president. Yes, I cannot tell what's on someone's heart, but I am a certified Matthew 7 "fruit inspector."

"Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." - Matthew 7:17-20.

As the song says, "In Christ alone, my hope is found."

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My comforter, my all in all

Here in the love of Christ I stand

A Time For War?

"A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." - Ecclesiastes 3:11

Right now, negotiations are taking place in the Middle East to end the war in Gaza. It seems as if the entire world is against Israel, doesn't it? And that is the way God intended it to be. But that war is insignificant to what is brewing elsewhere and in the future.

If we zoom out from the Middle East it's not long before we can see Ukraine and Russia. They too are in the midst of a war.

Keep zooming out and we can soon see the NATO countries. And China. And North Korea. There are plenty of antagonists out there. And plenty of egos to satisfy.

Trump has had some success at stopping small wars but he will not have success with Russia, nor China. This is just my opinion. "Change my mind," as Charlie Kirk used to say.

Russia has already "accidentally" flown drones into Poland and Denmark. Three Russian war planes entered Estonia's airspace. Putin is testing Nato's reaction. Even NORAD had to scramble some planes to intercept Russian jets that were approaching Alaska.

Jesus tells us in the Bible (Matthew 24) that a BIG war is coming. There are also other references in Ezekiel and Revelation. It's going to be bad. Very bad.

"For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again." - Matthew 24:25

We who confess faith in Jesus do not need to concern ourselves with this. We should be gone from here by then. Time will tell.

Christians have hope. The rest of the world does not. And that's sad. Many of those we know and love are not going to make it. Though we try to tell them, they don't have ears to hear.

For the Christian, this is a very interesting time. We are seeing the Bible coming to life as we wait for Jesus. But God did not give us a Spirit of fear. As Jan Markell always says, "Things are not falling apart, they are falling into place."

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control." - 2 Timothy 1:7

So, be encouraged! We are not of this world. We are IN it, but not OF it. Our hope is in God.

There is a single Hebrew word that means "the Lord saves." That word is 'yeshua.' In English-speaking bibles and languages we use the word Jesus in it's place. It also translates as Joshua.

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:21

The point being that Jesus saves. His death and resurrection saved us from our sins. Would he not also save us from the coming wrath of the Lord God Almighty? I believe He would.

Russian Drone Flights - AP

Youth Group 3.0

Well, here we go again.

Shortly after coming to faith in Christ 19 years ago, I joined a youth group as one of the adult leaders. That was an absolute blast. It became rather clear to me that I had found my calling. Sadly, the teachings of that church strayed from God's Word so I departed "with weeping and gnashing of teeth."

God provided a new wonderful church to pour myself into, which I did. Another youth group and many more teens to love and minister to. That was an amazing time of doing what I felt God had wanted me to do. But then the lead pastor left and the new replacement pastor led the church in a different direction. Many people left that church, including me.

Again, God provided a new church, my current church home. The teaching is excellent. Right out of the Bible. Just what I was looking for. However, there was no youth group. No opportunity to serve as a youth leader. That was fine with me.

But then the church began a Vacation Bible School program. I joined that and was made a teacher. I absolutely love serving the Lord in that capacity. However, VBS only lasts one week. Still I was okay with that. I love the people AND the teaching.

Recently however, I felt led to create a young men's Bible study on Biblical Manhood. I've written about that before in this blog. Near it's completion, I approached the pastor and offered it to him. That's when God's plan began to show itself.

He told me that two of our parents had asked to start a youth group at our church and wondered if I would be interested in being the teacher. Hmm. What do YOU think I said? Lol!

[pause]

Think about this now. Within two weeks' time, three people approached the pastor about starting a youth group / bible study. I'm beginning to think that God wants us to pour into the lives of some teens in our church, in His name.🤔 Well, that is happening October 24th.

I'm just a little excited to see what God will be doing.🙂

"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

"Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord." - Psalm 24:11

You Decide

I am currently writing a Bible study for our church's new youth group. It features three biblical teens - David, Mary, and . . . Manasseh? Who is Manasseh? And why him?

David and Mary we know. David was "a man after God's own heart." And Mary, well, she was the mother of Jesus so, you know . . . yeah.

Manasseh was King Hezekiah's son. He became king of Judah when he was 12. He was also in the lineage of Jesus.

"¹This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: ¹⁰Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, . . ." - Matthew 1:1, 10

That's good, right? Let's turn to 2nd Chronicles 33 and find out.

"Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. ²He did evil in the eyes of the Lord." - 2 Chronicles 33:1-2

Uh-oh. That's not good.

Let's keep reading. Verse 11

"So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon." - 2 Chronicles 33:11

Oh boy. That's REALLY not good. Let's keep going. Verse 12

"¹²In his distress he (Manasseh) sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. ¹³And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God." - 2 Chronicles 33:12-13

The point of this lesson is that we all must decide which path to take in life. Each decision we make effects our future, even our future decisions.

Here's a prayer from King Solomon, who also was in the lineage of Jesus.

"When they sin against you - for there is no one who does not sin - and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; ⁴⁷and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; ⁴⁸and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; ⁴⁹then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. ⁵⁰And forgive your people, who have sinned against you." - 1 Kings 8:46-50

Smart guy, that Solomon. He wrote that 10 generations before Manasseh. It almost sounds like Solomon knew his distant descendant was going to sin badly. Perhaps Manasseh should have studied the writings of his ancestors.

You decide

(Who will you run to?)

Wrong or right

(There is no reason)

For you to hide

Only love can change your life

You decide

God is calling out to you again

Let him pull you, let him take you in

From the fear that swallows up your life

Will you stay the same or will you fight?

You decide

You Decide - Fireflight

The Mark of The Beast?

Open your Bibles to Revelation 13. I'd like you to read something. The entire chapter is about two beasts. First one, then the other.  Pay particular attention to verse 16 and 17. John is writing about Beast #2 here.

"It causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, ¹⁷so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name." - Revelation 13:16-17

Does that sound like a recent news story from the United Kingdom? It was announced last week by Prime Minister Starmer, regarding his plan for each citizen to be given digital identification, stored on their phone.

The plan is supposed to cut down on illegal imigration by not allowing illegals to work, or buy or sell. Hmm. Same wording.

On the surface it sounds like it might work. I mean, why would you enter into a country if you couldn't buy food or get a job or an apartment? In reality though, would it really work? Hard to say.

But the point of this story is the general concept of the idea. Is it, or something like it, the actual "mark of the beast" system? Again, hard to say. But it DOES raise the eyebrows of those who read their Bibles and study their eschatology.

But how would that function? Could the system be abused? Of course it could. With AI gathering data on people the government could easily create profiles for every citizen - their race, religion, every purchase made, plane tickets purchased, weapons, drugs, political affiliation, the list goes on.

Imagine all of that power in the hands if Satan. It WILL happen.

The Antichrist is the FIRST beast, along with the rebuilt Roman Empire, which many see and the European Union. The False Profit is the second beast along with his "beast system." All these are, or will be, controlled by Satan.

Things are starting to fall into place more and more. When we see the temple being rebuilt. . . . watch out then!

Yeah, this stiff might all seem a little "out there" to some, but the basics are all written in the Bible and they are ALL told to us by Jesus.

If you think of yourself as a Christian yet give these things an eye-roll and quickly dismiss them, are you REALLY a follower of Jesus? He dictated these things to John. They are written in the Gospels. It's your call.

Starmer on Digital ID - BBC

Watering Others

Well, here we go again. I am getting ready to do my morning reading when a song pops into my head - 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman. Listen to it (link at bottom). What are the first words you hear?

"Bless the Lord, O, my soul. O, my soul. Worship His Holy Name."

Okay, then I opened my Bible to Psalm 101 and begin my reading for the day. 101, 102 . . . Then I arrived at Psalm 103 . . . Guess what?

"Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name." - Psalm 103:1

Coinky dink? I don't think so. [Does this happen to you? I absolutely love it!]

So, how do I "worship His holy name?" I write stories. But I also take the text I am reading, or the song I am listening to, and apply it to the day I am about to embark on. The answer is also found in the song.

"The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes"

So, the answer is to worship and praise God all day long, in whatever we do.

I therefore will sing this song in my head all day long as a reminder to myself.

But there's more to it than that. We are not here to bless ourselves, but to bless others.

Look at the watering can in the picture above. It's sole purpose is to serve and bless others. In so doing it will bless God by its very actions.

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

Who will you water today?

10,000 Reasons - Matt Redman 

Influencers

We all have "influencers" in our lives. Some people find them in their own household. A mom or dad, or maybe a brother or a sister. Other people turn to social media and are influenced there. Tiktok or YouTube or Instagram are their sources when seeking input into their lives. "Whatever turns you on," as my generation used to say.

Who are the "influencers" in YOUR life?

Before you answer that question, there needs to be a distinction between an "influencer," and a "teacher."

An influencer tries to get you to do or think  something, like in a Bud Lite commercial, while a teacher educates you in a certain way and shows you how you can accomplish something or instructs you in a certain area.

That's not to say that teachers can't influence us. They do. But the term "influencer" is a more modern day thing, and lately, more derogatory.

One of my teachers died on Thursday - Voddie Baucham. I first learned of Voddie's teaching and wisdom at a No Regrets Men's conference in the Milwaukee area. I was impressed with his speaking eloquence. He was also very knowledgeable about his usual topic - the Word of God.

My favorite sermon of his that comes to mind is about the nature and character of Jesus. There's a snippet of it below. In it he commented about certain churches and pastors who have strayed from God's Word and have begun teaching about Jesus in ways that are untrue. False teachers, the Bible calls them.

Voddie Baucham has "influenced" my life but only because he speaks the truth found in the Bible. He does not offer "opinions."

I will miss my brother in Christ, this gifted teacher of God's Word. Thank you for your teaching and for your example. Well done, good and faithful servant.

Needy Jesus - Voddie Baucham

I Thought I Knew You

Do you remember going to Sunday School? What was that like for you? I can remember making a mosaic picture of a cross out of old vinyl floor tiles that my mom and dad had cut up. I remember pictures of Jesus on the wall in the classroom, and the 12 apostles.

I can remember singing songs like 'Jesus Loves Me, This I Know' and 'Jesus Loves The Little Children.' But that's about it. No doctrine whatsoever.

My next "religious" childhood memories were of confirmation class in high school. We met once a week and talked about stuff. I don't remember what. I remember memorizing a bunch of things so I could "graduate' and get out of it. But that was about it.

I don't remember hearing The Good News about Jesus at all, the 'Romans Road' of salvation, or my need for a savior. There was no connection, no real meaning, no knowledge of who Jesus really was, why He had to die, or ANY essential truths of the Christian faith.

It reminds me of a line from an old Beatles song from their Rubber Soul album (link at bottom).

"I thought I knew you. What did I know."

Ain't that the truth! There's a lot of that going around. And the key really isn't us knowing Jesus, it's Him knowing us.

“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

How do we know then that Jesus knows us? The Holy Spirit dwells IN us, and Jesus KNOWS whether or not that is true. It's like another line from that same Beatles song . . .

"You don't look different but you have changed."

And another . . .

"You're not the same."

Have you been "changed" after your encounter with Jesus? You should not be "the same."

I'm Looking Through You - The Beatles

Approaching The Mountain

"Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.” - Exodus 19:13

That was an instruction from God to Moses for the Israelites. So, what does it mean, other than the obvious?

I have highlighted a few key words to examine.

Only - the Israelites were strictly prohibited from approaching the mountain on any normal day. Only when they heard the ram's horn. Why? That's where God appeared. It was therefore holy. The punishment for anything unclean touching the holy mountain was death.

"And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death." - Exodus 19:12

Alright then. Touching the mountain is NOT going to happen. Unless, of course,  someone blows a ram's horn.

Ram's Horn - that's called a shofar.  An ancient musical horn traditionally blown on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year - aka Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement).

Rosh Hashanah celebrates the day that God created Adam and Eve. This year it begins at sunset on September 22 (tomorrow) and ends at sunset September 24.

Yom Kippur begins October 1 and ends October 2. It is the holiest day of the year.

A Long Blast - this is called 'tekiah.' There is usually a long blast followed by three short blasts (shevarim) and then another long blast (teruah). This last blast represents God hearing and answering our prayers.

The Mountain - this is where God resided when He came to earth back then.

Why am I telling you all of this? Rosh Hashanah is this coming Tuesday. Jesus said we "will not know the day or the hour of His coming." But He WILL come back. And He's right, I don't know the day or the hour. No one does. But I REALLY think it's going to be during Rosh Hashanah. Which year? I have no idea.

But look at all the events taking place in the world right now. Would the Lord remove His children from this evil BEFORE He punishes this world? He put Noah on the Ark before the flood didn't He?

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." - 1 Corinthians 5:52

Whenever the Lord returns we who believe will become changed. Physically changed. I'm not sure what that will be like or what we will look like but we will hear the shofar and we will get to approach the holy mountain! AND we will get to see Jesus!!

The Feast of Trumpets Song

Psalm 22

Everyone has heard of Psalm 23, right? "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want," and so on. But Psalm 22 should sound pretty familiar as well . . .

"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (v1)

Yeeees, those are the very words that Jesus spoke on the cross, just before He died. They were His "father" David's words, a thousand years before the crucifixion.

As one continues to read this Psalm it will soon become very apparent that this entire chapter, written by King David, was about Jesus. It depicts Him was on the cross, dying for all of us. David wrote what God placed on his heart.

I encourage you to read the entire chapter and see how many New Testament verses you can find. There are several.

Psalm 22

But the one phrase I want to talk about today is found in verses19-21

"¹⁹But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.

²⁰Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.

²¹Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen."

David isn't talking about animals here. He is referring to people who act like these animals. He's not talking about fuzzy little puppies when he mentions "the dogs." Back in David's time, dogs were mostly vicious feral scavengers.

In David's day these "animals" in Psalm 22 were probably referring to Saul and his army, and the Philistines. In Jesus' day they were the Pharisees and the Romans, AND even the Gentiles. Yep. You and me.

"²⁵The woman (a Canaanite woman - a Gentile) came and knelt before him (Jesus). “Lord, help me!” she said.

²⁶He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁷“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” - Matthew 15:25-27

So, who are "the dogs" of today? Hamas? Hezbollah? Russia? Unbelievers? Charlie Kirk's shooter? Could be. Yet even these would be welcomed by Jesus if they repented and came to Him on their knees.

To learn more about these dogs and what all of this means, click on the link below. It's short.

The Power of The Dog - GotQuestions.org

A Turning Point?

Am I the only one who thinks that Charlie Kirk's organization's name - Turning Point USA - is prophetic in nature? I don't think so. Look at the arrow in their logo. It's turning 180°! And to the right!! His recent assassination HAS to become a turning point for our country, and us as individuals, or this nation is doomed to destruction.

"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." - Ecclesiastes 10:3

There was a prayer request made on the floor of the House last week - a prayer for Charlie Kirk's family. Yet many not only refused to pray but audibly voiced their decent. What's wrong with praying for someone's family?

The Utah governor gave an update the day after Charlie's death. In it he praised the people of his state noting that there was no rioting, or looting, or setting buildings on fire as a result of Kirk's murder. Interesting. Why do you think those things didn't happen? 🤔

This incident needs to become a "turning point" - a repentance. Repentance literally means turning one's life around. Merriam Webster describes it this way:

Repentance - "the action or process of repenting especially for misdeeds or moral shortcomings."

And what does 'repent' mean? "To turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life. To feel regret or contrition. To change one's mind."

"Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." - Luke 13:3

If you are reading this, and are pleased that Charlie Kirk died, it is YOU who needs to repent.

"Oh, you're just a fascist. A white supremacist."

Really? I'm a Christian.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:43-45

If Charlie Kirk's killer repented while in prison, Charlie himself would want to be the first in line to congratulate him.

I pray therefore for those in our world who hated Charlie Kirk and refused to pray for THEIR enemies. In the end, THEY are the ones who will perish. So says the Lord our God. Charlie Kirk is alive and well and with Jesus right now. Who then is the victor?

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” - 1 Corinthians 15:55