Human Curling

Do you know what curling is? According to Wikipedia, "Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice towards a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles." A sport? That sounds more like a bunch of bored people on a Friday night, making up a game to entertain themselves. Just kidding!

When I was in high school my mom had a miniature curling "stone" on her dresser. It's probably still there. I wasn't sure why until I found out the sport was first played in Scotland. My mom is Scottish and rather proud of that fact.

Recently on Facebook I was reminded of "a special memory" that Facebook thought would be good for me to see again. It was from seven years ago when I was a youth leader at church. It was a video I filmed of a youth group game I invented called Human Curling.

That sounds crazy enough to be an AMAZING youth group activity all by itself, but my game also carried a message along with it. I equated the sport of curling to the lives we live while we are here on earth. There is a beginning point and an ultimate goal, and then, in between those two points, there is a whole lot of stuff that happens that can ultimately change our final resting spot.

After we our born (our beginning point) we are directed towards our destination. Often, those effecting our outcome in life are our parents, our teachers, our friends and family members. But we can also be directed by our experiences, our highs and our lows, and even by those who oppose us.

I have a young friend who, I'm sure, was an amazing child. Interactions with friends and foe shaped her early life. But one day her parents got a divorce. I'm sure my friend witnessed many a battle in the living room or the kitchen. How can a child witness those things and not be re-directed in life.

We all have had similar experiences, similar life direction changes. As we travel through this life, how can we possibly end up on our intended target? Where we always wanted to be?

I forgot to mention earlier someone else who has the power to re-direct our lives. His name is Elohim - God. Once we have veered off life's path, He is the only one who can change our ultimate destination. You name the sin, God has the power to overcome it.

Our ultimate target in this life is that, when we come to the end of it, we will have placed our faith in His Son, Jesus. It is by our faith in Him that we are saved and get to proceed to game #2 - eternal life.

The curling rink of life has seen many "stones" thrown down the ice. The side boards are littered with them. But only a few arrive at their final destination. Only a few stay on target or are directed there by our Savior.

Where are you on the ice of life? Has your aim strayed from the target? Is your life going some place it shouldn't be? If it is, it is not too late to call for assistance.

"In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:6

"Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you." - Proverbs 4:25

Human Curling

When Churches Bite

Have you ever been hurt or disappointed by your church? Has something ever happened in church that made you ask, "What just happened here?" Or maybe you read something in the Bible and then saw your church doing something different. What do we do? How do we react?

First, before I begin making people mad, let's set a few pitons in the mountain we're about to climb. Pitons are the things mountain climbers use to keep them from falling too far. In the church we call them truths. They are things we can depend on and trust 100%.

Piton #1 - Churches are filled with sinners. Jesus told us in Matthew 10 that "no one is good except God alone." That means your pastor is a sinner, the little kid running down the aisle is a sinner and the old lady pushing her walker up front to take communion is a sinner. We are ALL sinners. We all screw up. If you are looking for a perfect church, good luck. There isn't one.

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:3

Piton #2 - There is only one Church. According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, there are approximately 41,000 Christian denominations in the world today. Seriously? Why so many? Who's right and who's wrong? People have different interpretations about what the Bible says. Usually, the Bible is pretty clear but sometimes it can be a little fuzzy. Still, despite all of the differences we might have in our beliefs, there is really only ONE church. And check this,  it doesn't have a building.

^"13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body" - 1 Corinthians 12:13

Alright, let's start climbing.

Do you love Jesus? Most, if not all Christians, will answer yes. They will answer that question quite boldly too. Right up to the point when Jesus says this:

^"23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." - John 14:23

Are you getting scared yet? You should be. Because we're about to get hurt.

I saw a discussion on Facebook the other day about someone claiming that their church had hurt them. That may or may not be true. I have no way of knowing. This person claimed that they had been removed from a position in the church because of the way they dressed. If that is true, then shame on the church. This same person said they were removed from this position because they were in a same-sex relationship. If THAT is true, then shame on that person for living a lie.

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching."

Open your Bibles to Romans 1.

^"24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie" - Romans 1:24-25

It doesn't matter what our sin is, when we exchange the truth about God for a lie, and continue to live in that lie, that sin, then we are only hurting ourselves. If we are truly Christians, even though we sin, there is a shame that follows us as long as we are in that sin. And then it comes. The difference between Christians and non Christians - repentance. A turning away from sin to follow God. To . . . "obey my teaching."

Let's face it. Sometimes churches hurt us. We're all sinners, remember? But more often it is we ourselves who do the hurting. And the ones we usually end up hurting are ourselves.

Before we start accusing the church of hurting us perhaps we should examine ourselves to see if we aren't the ones doing the hurting.

Being a Christian means giving up our old way of life. Not wallowing in sin. Repentance is the key.

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

We will be tempted. We will be tried. But if we are TRULY Christians, if we truly have God's Holy Spirit inside us, we will never go back to who we once were. We will never give in. We will never give up the fight. Because we are His church. We are His bride. And we have been chosen by The King.

When your church hurts you, forgive. When things don't go as you think they should, ask yourself, does it really matter? We need to get beyond earthly entanglements and start living for Christ, sacrificially. We need to start loving , as Christ loved us, unconditionally. If we all do that there won't be any trouble at all.


How To Heal When The Church Hurts You
Ephesians 4

Cause For Divorce?

Before I get started let me just say that this story is NOT about divorce in the usual marital sense. It is, but it isn't. It is about our failure to live up to a commitment we once made, as Christians . . . to God.

In the Book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul describes our relationship with God as a marriage. Jesus is the bridegroom and we are the bride. Read these verses from Ephesians, not as they apply to earthly marriage relationships, but with the emphasis on our relation ship with Christ.

^"22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." - Ephesians 5:22-24

• First, we are to submit to The Lord (v22). Our will should be the same as His. We should conform to His way of thinking. Do we do that? Are we seeking His will in everything we do? In everything we say? What would He want us to do?
• Second, God is our "head", our boss, our commander, our leader (v23). We are to obey His commands, His decisions, His decrees.
• Third, we are to remember that Jesus died for us, paying the price for OUR sin. He is our savior (v23).
• Fourth, We must be subject to Him in everything (v24). There is a Greek word for that - panti. It means . . . everything.

Thinking of moving in with your boyfriend? If you submit to the Lord you won't. That's fornication. It's a sin and against God's will. Are you thinking of gorging yourself on pizza and sweets while others around you are going hungry? That's a sin. Watching the game instead of going to worship? That's a sin. You are placing your needs above God's. I could go on but you get the point.

According to a recent survey about failed marriages, the most common reason given for divorce(73%) was a "lack of commitment." Are we committed in our marriage with Jesus? Probably not to the extent we should be I fear.

Other reasons given as causes of divorce were arguing (56%) and infidelity (55%). Do we disagree with God's laws? Have we broken any of the Ten Commandments? I have. Have we been unfaithful to God? I already mentioned skipping a worship service to watch a Packers game. Are we unfaithful in other ways? Lack of service perhaps? Failure to pray as often as we should or to spend time reading The Bible?

These are all things our "Ephesians 5 husband" wants us to do. We are to be subject to Him, yet most of us are not. Here's the tough question. Based on today's top three reasons for divorce, does Jesus have a case against us? Sadly, I think He does. So, why doesn't He divorce us?

Well, that's easy to answer. It's His unconditional love for us. His desire that "none should perish" (2 Peter 3:9). His desire to "gather us to Himself as a mother hen protects her chicks (Matthew 23:37). God loves us so much He died for us (Romans 5:8)!

I need to work on my marriage with Jesus. I want to have that type of marriage where we love each other, encourage each other and do things for each other. We pray together, finish each others sentences and praise God for the marriage arrangement He has given us. It works well if we are devoted to one another. Are we holding up our end of things? In ALL things?

At The Cross - Chris Tomlin

Our Faith In Humans

Yesterday my wife and I watched the Packers game. By halftime I was out in the yard cutting down trees and my wife was raking leaves. We had such high hopes for the Packers but they disappointed us.

Did you catch the presidential election last Tuesday. It was hard to miss. Half of the voting populace voted for one candidate, the other half voted for someone else. So basically half of the people are disappointed with the elections outcome.

We humans tend to place way too much hope and trust in our fellow human beings. We always seem to disappoint despite our best intentions not to. We disappoint. That's what we do.

I was disappointed with the service I got at the local Sears store and also at the local tire shop. We humans tend to expect a certain result and, if we don't get it, we don't like it.

Have you seen the riots on TV? People were disappointed with the election results. Naturally, when we are disappointed in others we tend to trash them on Facebook, destroy their property, beat them up or threaten to kill them.

I have even seen people go on Facebook and say that they are disappointed with the people who were disappointed by something else. Seems like everybody's disappointed about something or someone.

Have we tried placing our faith in God? We should try that some time. We'll live longer. WAY longer. Take the election for example. Did you place your faith in God about the results? That He would place into power exactly who He wanted? We should have, because it's true. That's what He does.

"13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. ⁴ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good." - Romans 13:1-4

We should trust in God more. Maybe God placed Donald Trump into power because God wanted to do something through Him. Maybe He allowed Trump to win because God wanted to punish us. We shouldn't look at elections the way we do. God is in control.

Donald Trump is who God wanted in the White House at this particular time for some yet unknown reason. We should rejoice in that because we are getting exactly who we deserve. It is God's will!

Are we prepared for what God is going to do with this country? We should be. If He is our God then we should be placing our faith and trust in Him, not an earthly leader.

So, as we "get over" this past election cycle, let us remember that nothing happens without God allowing it and there is nothing that can happen without God getting us through it. We should be placing our trust in God and our faith in His Son Jesus. As long as we do that we will be just fine no matter WHO is in the White House.

Trust In Jesus - Third Day

The Faith of a Child

"Train up a child in the way they should go and, when they are old, they will not part from it." - Proverbs 22:6

My daughter and I traveled to Michigan last weekend to pick up a trailer. My wife normally would have accompanied me but she had promised to babysit our grandson. That's okay. I was looking forward to the time my daughter and I could spend together.

Time spent with younger generations can be a valuable teaching time as we older, wiser folks impart wisdom to the younger generation. However, it was us elders that got taught a lesson on Saturday by one of the youngest members of our family - my grand niece Hayley.

We were gathering around the table for dinner. My brother-in-law was sick, my daughter and I had been on the road for seven our and we all were tired and hungry. To make things worse, my sister made an amazing meal of chicken, stuffing, green beans and carrots. Mmm.

Suddenly, a young lady's voice could be heard above all the forks and knives.

"Hey! We didn't pray!"

Busted.

My family usually prays before a meal but we didn't do it that day. Whether it was our hunger or our tiredness, our sickness or our forgetfulness, it just didn't happen. And we had just been called out by a three year old kid. Nice.

So what does this short little story tell us? Well,  for one thing, my little niece clearly has been trained in the ways of the Lord. That's a good thing, like the opening verse said. But it also tells us something about us adults.

Were we only thinking of ourselves? Or our stomachs? Or were we forgetting who provided everything that was sitting on the table before us?

We as a family were thankful for the reminder of a child. We listened and we prayed.

"18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." - Matthew 18:1-5
Even the smallest child can teach . . . if we have ears to hear. May we ALL have a the faith of a little child. Never questioning, never doubting, always trusting.

May we take our time and pray.

The Words I Would Say - Sidewalk Prophets
Jesus Loves The Little Children

Of Kings And Men

I almost couldn't believe my eyes! My wife and I have been voting at the same polling station for the past 33 years and we have never seen the line that long. Ever. Not even close. We live five miles out in the country where the population is sparse and we had to wait an hour in line to cast out ballot.

I stayed up late watching the returns and, quite honestly, I was expecting Hillary to win. But when I saw Wisconsin, a traditionally Democratic state, go to Trump, I knew something was happening. Something not of this world.

My friend and I have been praying for our state and national leaders for months now but this outcome was not expected. Not by the pollsters, the media . . . anybody. Yet somehow Trump was winning!

I am not a Trump fan. He is not my idea of an "ideal" candidate. Whatever THAT is. But I think I know why Trump won. Open your Bibles to Exodus, chapter 10.

"10 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, ² and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” - Exodus 10:1-2

This nation has turned its back on God just like the Israelites did numerous times in the Old Testament. And God, just as we read in that verse, can harden and, by implication, soften hearts. I think that's what God did here, in our country.

I think God got tired of us killing babies. I think God got tired of the corruption and the scandals but I also think God answered our prayers.

^"14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Earlier this year Franklin Graham traveled this country holding prayer rallies. He encouraged us to pray and to vote. I think we did that. On my way home from work last night, Janet Parshall's show was filled with prayer - two hours of prayer!! Has God heard us from heaven? Is God beginning to heal our land?

Let us continue to pray for our nation's leaders. Let us pray for Hillary, that she might examine herself and the things she has done. May she repent and seek God.

May we as a nation return to God and lift His name high above ALL names!

I invite you to listen to this song. May we be grateful that God hears us and kings and kingdoms bow down. Amen!

Sing, Sing, Sing - Chris Tomlin

9-1-1

Family get-togethers are almost always fun, especially in my family. We always find ourselves staying up way later than normal, trying to fit as much family time into a few hours.

This past weekend my daughter and I were visiting my sister in Michigan. We stayed up late Saturday night. The term "late" seems to get redefined with each decade. Late for me is 10:30. Late for my daughter is midnight. Just wait kiddo! Someday. LOL!

Earlier that evening my niece was relating a story where she and my daughter got themselves into trouble at an early age by dialing 9-1-1 and telling the operator someone needed help. They apparently did this a few times, resulting in the police calling our house to investigate.

My dad answered the phone and told the nice officer that there indeed were two young ladies in the house but that no one was in need of assistance. The my dad informed me and my sister what our daughters had done.

I yelled upstairs where our daughters were "playing" and made it very clear to my daughter that she had done something very wrong. My yelling was having quite and impact on my niece. She confessed this past Saturday that it was SHE who called 9-1-1 and that it was her fault.

She said she felt so guilty when someone else was being punished for something SHE had done. Let that last sentence sink in for a bit as we reading this verse from the Book of Isaiah.

"5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,    and by his wounds we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5

When you found out that someone else (Jesus) was being punished for YOUR sins, how did that make you feel? I know I felt pretty bad. It was my fault that Jesus had to die!

Now, I know that everyone else's sins resulted in the death of Jesus as well but I took it personally. I think we ALL should take it personally.

What is the first thing we should do when someone else takes the punishment for OUR sins. I don't know about you but I apologized to Jesus when I learned that "²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21

May we all take the time to reflect on the things we've done in this life. The thought of someone else dying for something I did is a constant reminder of how much God loves us and the sacrifice He was willing to make for us. How do we answer that? We should offer our lives to Him.

Lord, I Offer My Life To You - Hillsong

Urgent - Foreigner

That Burning Desire

Deep within every human heart there is a hidden place where a secret identity lies. It waits, patiently, in a semi-dormant state until it is awakened by an unseen force. Few ever see its full potential, choosing instead to follow some other way of life - denying that burning desire within.

Our passion can sometimes be found in the simplest of questions.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

We seldom turn into the hero we want to be - an astronaut, a rock star, or a quarterback on a Superbowl-winning team. We often settle for much less. Dreams fade and get replaced by responsibilities . . . and ruts. It's time we asked ourselves some deep questions - about our future, about our purpose and about our calling.

"If you could be anything you wanted to be and money was no object, what would you be? What would you do?"

My friend at work has a deep desire to help young women. It eats at her. Her compassion for helping struggling young women is a deep, consuming desire within her. Where does that burning desire come from? Was she born with it? Did it develop over time through life's experiences? Or was it gifted to her from above?

I believe that each of us has something sleeping deep within us. Sometimes the desire surfaces and we find a job where we can release that passion. But otherwise it sits there inside us, undisturbed and unused.

Would you believe me if I told you that there is a way to access your hidden talents and live the life you've always dreamed? Go get your Bible and open it to the Book of 1st Corinthians, the 12th chapter.

^"4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. ⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all" - 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

God's Holy Spirit enhances our God-given gifts. When we place our faith in Christ and we receive His Holy Spirit, those divine seeds in us begin to grow. It's like a super power in many ways. A normal inclination towards something becomes manifested into something special - a burning desire to use that gift.

What is YOUR special gift? Are you using it? Have you received God's promised Holy Spirit? These are critical questions we all should know the answers to. We need to find what gifts God has hidden in us . . . and use them!

Are you willing to try something. It might work. It might not. There is a link to some music below. Click on it and close your eyes. Think about God and what you think He has gifted you with. In your minds eye, can you see yourself using that gift? Can you see yourself glorifying God with it? What do you see yourself doing? Are you doing that now in your current life? If not, why not? What are you waiting for? God gave you that gift for a reason. Shouldn't we be using it . . . for Him.

These Honored Dead - Luke Richards

Let's Party!

My wife and I have been having a little contest to see who can hit the mute button on the remote the fastest when a political commercial comes on. My wife has proven herself to be pretty quick. While I am slower on the draw, I do tend to use more force. It's been fun . . . unlike all of the political commercials.

Both candidates profess to be Christians. I don't believe it. Practicing Christians tend to think of themselves last. They tend to serve others instead of themselves. And they don't lie!

Here's a few words of advice for our politicians from the Word of God. Imagine what our political contests would be like if they only followed God's precepts.

"²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." - Ephesians 4:29

"love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you," - Matthew 5:44

^"10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." - James 4:10

I think we need a new political party in this country. Instead of the Tea Party we'll call it the Salt and Light Party. Instead of a donkey or an elephant as our symbol we will have a sheep. Or better yet, a lamb!

"When asked about the two current presidential candidates, the Salt and Light party chairman was quoted as saying, 'Baa.'" It would be so much fun!

Our platform will be that ALL lives matter (2 Peter 3:9). We will feed the hungry (Matthew 25:35), clothe the naked (Matthew 25:36), take care of the widow and the orphan (James 1:27). If you don't work, you don't eat (2Thessalonians 3:10), except for those who are unable. There will be shelter for everyone (Isaiah 58:7). We will give to one another as there is a need (Acts 2:45).

We will worship and pray to our Creator for it is only fitting that we give Him our thanks and praise. No more wars, no more lying and the only thing that will come out of our mouths is encouragement for others and praise for our King. Would you join a party like that? Can I get an amen?

Salt And Light - John Piper

The Cost of Our Faith

One of the reason I love my church is that our pastor tells it like it is. He doesn't sugar coat scripture. He gives us the precise meaning of the text and leaves the rest up to God's Holy Spirit.

There are some churches that alter scripture to make it appealing to their congregations. They change their theology to match the way of the world. (sarcasm alert) We wouldn't want to make anyone feel guilty. They might not come back.

There are also churches who feel they need to entertain to keep people's interest. They need to have the finest music and the right lighting. They tend to give topical sermons about things like counseling or divorce or, my personal favorite, giving.

What's wrong with God's Word just as it is? There are plenty of lessons in the Bible to provide years of teaching. Like today, Our pastor spent 60 minutes on six verses. Was it boring? No. Were we entertained? No. Were there video clips to drive the pastor's message home? No. We have the truth of God's Word and that is sifficient.

Yesterday's message for example was about the cost of our faith. Although we are currently going through the book of 1st Peter, the title of this blog's story came from Matthew. The words of Jesus.

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ ³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." - Matthew 10:34-38

Do we love Jesus more than anyone we know? Anyone? More than your boy friend or girl friend? More than our spouses? More than our own lives? I wonder. 

Here's another verse that could be used in conjunction with the verses you just read:

^"21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21

Is Jesus our treasure? Our our genie in a bottle?

So many of us want to keep living the lives we lived before we got saved. We want to keep our same friends. We want to do the same things. I have found myself drifting back at times.

Our faith will cost us. In some cases it will be loved family members because we have "changed." Which means, we don't like you anymore.

"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" - 2 Corinthians 6:14

These are hard sayings but they are in the Bible foe us to follow. Are you being picked on by your "friends" because you are a Christian? We need to love Jesus more than our friends. And if a friendship leads us into sin, we need to terminate that friendship. Jesus must come first.

Examine all that comes at us from social media, television, movies, newscasts. Is it worthy of God? No? Then why do we have it in our lives? Would we be better off without it? These are all questions each of us must answer for ourselves.

Personally, I am going to limit my Facebook use. I am going to limit my television consumption. And here's my challenge for myself. Beginning November 1 I am going to track my time. Facebook, TV and movies versus reading the Bible, praying and serving. I challenge you to do the same.

Jesus must come first. Or we will find ourselves running last in His eyes.

Churches Using Carnal Means To Attract Visitors - Paul Washer
The Growing Cost of Faith In America Today - Alliance Defending Freedom

The Resistance

The following video clip from the 1963 movie The Great Escape takes place in occupied France during World War II. The German army is the occupying force and they are enjoying the spoils of war at the expense of the French. There is, however, a small band of freedom fighters known as The French Underground or The Resistance that are fighting back. Their victories are small but they ARE fighting. They ARE resisting. Please watch.

Café Scene - The Great Escape

Do you think something like that could ever happen in this country? Most people would think that's impossible. We're far too civilized these days. And besides, our nation is too strong to be defeated by any army. Well, what if I told you that we are already being "occupied" and our enemy is getting stronger everyday. Need some evidence?

The State of Georgia is demanding that a pastor (Dr, Eric Walsh) turn over his sermon notes to them for investigation. According to the article, which you can read here, "the government was curious about sermons Dr. Walsh delivered on health, marriage, sexuality, world religions, science and creationism. He also preached on what the Bible says regarding homosexuality."

Bible-believing Christians are being persecuted in this country right now. The occupying force is our own government as well as the secular society in which we live. They are the ones removing the Ten Commandments from the courthouse square. They are removing prayer from our schools. They keep trying to remove the name of our God from our money, our schools, and even our sermons. Teachers are being fired because they mention just the "possibility" of creation rather than evolution.

It will get worse.

The time is coming, and has already come, that people will be imprisoned, tortured and killed because of their faith in Christ. It's only a matter of time before that level of persecution comes to THIS country. But it will come.

"When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been." - Revelation 6:9-11

Persecution of Christians will get worse in this country. Are we ready for it? Are we ready for a fight? Our battle is not with men but rather with darkness. Our weapons are not guns. We will fight with the Word of God and the love that is in our hearts. We WILL prevail. It has been foretold in God's Word. But are we ready for the coming battle?

I heard a new song by one of my favorite bands. Examine the lyrics as you listen to it.

I am a nation, I am a million faces
Formed together, made for elevation
I am a soldier, I won't surrender
Faith is like a fire that never burns to embers
(Who's gonna stand up, who's gonna fight?)
The voice of the unheard
(Who's gonna break these chains and lies?)
Love is the answer
I gotta speak it, believe it, that's how I feel inside
I, I, can't, can't sit here quiet

You can take my heart, you can take my breath
When you pry it from my cold, dead chest

This is how we rise up
Heavy as a hurricane, louder than a freight train
This is how we rise up
Heart is beating faster, feels like thunder
Magic, static, call me a fanatic
It's our world, they can never have it
This is how we rise up
It's our resistance, you can't resist us

Merciful Father, help us to remain strong amidst all the persecution that is to come. Embolden up to preach the Gospel, encourage us to stand and never back down. May we fight to the end; soldiers in your heavenly army. And may of weapon of choice be the same love you gave to us - mercy, compassion, grace. All honor, praise and glory to you, forever and ever. Amen.

The Resistance - Skillet

You're Putting Me On!

I have a friend who loves to go sky diving. He and his skydiving buddies like to ride up in an airplane until they are "two miles high" and then they jump out of the plane. Sounds like fun but it could be a little bit scary if they weren't wearing their parachutes.

Parachutes have the ability to save our lives but in order for that to happen we have to be wearing them. We have to actually put on the parachute before any actual "saving" can take place.

Do you remember the Biblical story of Noah and the ark? Or course you do. Do you remember why God told Noah to build the ark?

^"5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." - Genesis 6:5-8

God was so upset with the wickedness of man that He chose to kill us all . . . except for Noah that is. Noah and his family were given grace by God because Noah was obedient to God's command [That's an important thing to remember] and Noah was extended grace by God because of Noah's obedience. But before Noah and his family could be saved they had to . . . get in the ark. God gave them a means by which they could be saved.

Is any of this sound familiar yet? Here's a hint: Jesus is our ark!

As I look at the news headlines I cannot help but think that we are living in the times of Noah. There is evil all around us - ISIS, violence in our cities, we are killing each other and we are murdering our babies. Lawlessness seems to be reigning as we protest our police - the very people responsible for our safety. Our politicians are caught telling lies and they get away with it. Yet, despite our wickedness and our turning away from Him, God has given us a way to escape His coming wrath.  By placing our faith in His Son, Jesus.

My friends, we as a people, have exited the plane and Jesus, just like the ark and the parachute, is the only thing that can save us.

Have you got your Jesus on?

Parachute - Otto Knows
Noah Movie