Puzzles

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

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

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

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

Life is a lot like assembling a crossword puzzle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Embrace the puzzle!

F.R.O.G.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FROG is an acronym for Fully Rely On God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fully.

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

Trust in the Lord.

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

God Reveals Himself

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prepare Yourself

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

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

* * * * *

Welcome to the future and nuclear winter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Woman In The Red Dress

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Woman In The Red Dress - The Matrix

The Word - Sara Groves

The Four Horsemen

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

Verse 2 - "a white horse"

Verse 4 - "a red horse"

Verse 5 - "a black horse"

Verse 8 - "a pale horse"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ha!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sweet Dreams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ask Him.

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

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

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

The Boys In The Boat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus Walks On Water - All Four Gospels

Understanding Peace

The text came Sunday morning while my wife and I were getting ready for church. It was short and to the point.

"Paul went to be with the Lord Friday night."

My friend Paul had died. What struck me that day was my reaction upon reading his mother's text. I wasn't sad at all. I would have to say that my feelings didn't change. What an uncaring 'friend' some would say. It gets worse.

While is WAS sad for my friend's mother and brother, who I knew would be missing him, I was actually becoming calmly happy for my dead friend. Why?

My friend Paul had been battling brain cancer for over three years. Many surgeries, lots of pain, partial paralysis. A long, difficult battle that was now over. 

One time he and I sat at his dining room table and talked. We went on for a few hours. Then came this.

"I'm just ready to go home."

And that he did. And I'm glad. No more pain or suffering, for him OR his family. Yes, they have the pain of loss and of not seeing him again in this life. BUT . . . the mom's text.

"Paul went to be with the Lord."

"We are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

This is something the unbeliever cannot comprehend, this rejoicing at someone's death.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4: 4-7

And there it is. "The peace of God."

His mom has that peace now. So do I. Yes, we'll miss him. But my friend is with the Lord!! Would twer that I were! Jesus is why we rejoice. Jesus is why we have peace.

Scripture just told us that the peace we have in our hearts is from God. We cannot understand it, yet we receive it. Paul has it. Do you?

To God be the glory.

"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

To God Be The Glory

The Co-Op

Today's story is about sacrificial love. It's about placing other's needs above our own. It's about what God commanded us to do.

In the Book of John, Jesus tells us that He will return and take us out of here to be with him.

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." - John 14:3

Not everyone however will get to go. Some of us, the non-believers, will be left behind. These may be family members or friends of ours. Loved ones who have not chosen Christ.

How it must ache the heart, knowing that these people will be going through seven years of tribulation, unlike anything this world has ever seen. Can we do anything to help them? Yes, we can.

When all of the Christians go to be with Jesus, there's going to be millions of people wondering what happened. And what to do. Some will realize their error and seek God. Sadly, some will not.

Have you ever read the Left Behind series of novels? It is a fictional portrayal of what it will be like in a post-rapture world. The story follows a group of 'late blooming believers' and their struggles to survive.

One of their members is named Cloe. She did something pretty cool. She started a cooperative where people can barter and exchange services for food and other needed items. She called it The Co-Op.

What would you leave behind for your unsaved family members? A letter? A video? Some cash? Food? A Bible?

Of course, this co-op concept is not a new one. The early church was a living example of it.

"All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." - Acts 2:44-47

Persecution of Christians and Jews is on the rise throughout the world. What will we do to help our brothers and sisters? What will we do today?

Share the Gospel, love God, love your neighbor, and remember this somewhat obscure verse:

“Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher." - Luke 6:39-40

We need to be like our teacher, Jesus, to the lost, blind, and hurting. Have we been fully trained? We'd better be. He is coming soon. And we have just what lost souls need. Remember that passage from Acts. "They gave to anyone who had need."

Be the Co-Op.

"Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest." - John 4:35

The Rabble

Trivia question: How many Israelites left Egypt for The Promised Land? Let's look in the Book of Numbers!

In chapter one God told Moses to count all of the men, 20 years old and above. That number came to 603,550. That's a lot of people! But there were also a great many women, children, and men under the age of 20. A total number is not known. God knows.

Let's assume two million. Two million people walking through the desert. Where did they eat? WHAT did they eat? McDonald's? Nope. God fed them. All two million of them, for 40 years.

After they all left Egypt, it wasn't long before the people complained about having no food, so God gave them manna to eat. Then they got sick of that and complained some more. So God gave them quail to eat. Lots of quail.

"Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” - Numbers 11:4-6

God had provided food to eat for two million people and yet they complained. What's that old saying about biting the hand that feeds us? God was not pleased. At all.

"Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”" - Numbers 11:18-20

God sent the quail. "Two cubits" deep a day's walk in any direction around the camp. And then he sent a plague. A very specific and targeted plague.

"The anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth- hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving." - Numbers 11:33-34

God provides many things for us, even today. And yet, we still complain. We don't like the style of worship music, the off-key singing, the brand of coffee used in the fellowship hall, or the color of the carpeting.

We should be grateful for every gift we receive from above, and most of us ARE grateful. But woe to those who God calls "the rabble." And He knows exactly who they are. Don't be part of the rabble and so not complain against God.

Kibroth-hattaavah in the verse above means "Graves of Desire."