Born to Die!

Practically everyone has heard about some "civilization" that sacrificed children to their evil deity. The feeling of disgust it creates in us is nearly universal, and rightly so.

Thousands of years ago, the son of the greatest king ever, was destined to die a horrible death. The king's subjects had been told it was coming for quite some time, most of them discounted its importance.

Put this into the proper perspective... is there ANY WAY you'd agree to sacrifice YOUR child? I don't care what the benefit to ANYONE is! Under NO circumstances would I ever let any slimeball hurt my kid, nor any other child I care about, either! I'd proudly die to protect that child!

But, I'm talking here about Jesus, the Son of the living God.

The Father loved the Son much more than we are capable of loving... and yet, He loves each of us so much that he allowed the sacrifice of His Son to pay for all of our sins!

What does the Bible have to say?

"God is to us a God of deliverance. To Yahweh, the Lord, belongs escape from death." (Psalm 68:20) wev

"Death" here means eternal damnation.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." (Rom 5:8-10) kjv

We do not deserve salvation. Nothing we can do by ourselves will pay for the sin we have committed. Only the death of Jesus can suffice, His sacrifice paid the cost!

"Have no feeling of shame, then, for the witness of our Lord or for me, his prisoner: but undergo all things for the good news in the measure of the power of God; Who gave us salvation, marking us out for his purpose, not on account of our works, but in the measure of his purpose and his grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal, But has now been made clear by the revelation of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who put an end to death and made life unending come to light through the good news." (2Tim 1:8-10) bev

Eternal life - that is the incredible gift, available to us only because of Christ's sacrifice!

"For Jesus during his earthly life offered up prayers and entreaties, crying aloud and weeping as He pleaded with Him who was able to bring Him in safety out of death, and He was delivered from the terror from which He shrank. Although He was God's Son, yet He learned obedience from the sufferings which He endured; and so, having been made perfect, He became to all who obey Him the source and giver of eternal salvation." (Heb 5:7-9) wnt

Jesus prayed, wept and begged God for safety and deliverance. He knew the terrible fate of those who will not accept salvation. He is God's Son! Yet He accepted the awful death he knew was coming. His obedience to the Father made Him the reason we can look forward to eternal life.

He was Born to Die!

...for us!

...in our place!

If you've never done so before, pray earnestly and accept His sacrifice! "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved." (Rom 10:13) drv

See you soon, in Paradise!

Power, Faith or Pixie Dust?

I am fairly sure that most of us have heard of the differences between the path to heaven and the one to hell.

..."You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it." (Mat 7:13-14) nlt

I think it may be easier to visualize this as struggling up the side of a steep mountain. Going down is a LOT easier than going up, we have to put a great deal more effort into the ascent than the descent. You are aware that many will spiritually give up and leap to their doom. Why don't we all? Because we've chosen to be with God in the next life.

Thanks to Jesus, we have that option. He gave up His life for us, and took the blame for all the foul, evil things that everyone has ever done, just so we could have the chance for salvation. Of course we still have to do our part. We have to recognize our misdeeds AND accept His sacrifice.

Tough, isn't it?

Sometimes, the hardest part (for us) is being able to put our trust in someone other than ourselves. That is exactly what faith is all about.

Growing up, we've all heard the expressions;

-"Give it your best shot!"

-"Put your back in it!"

-"A 110% effort is required!" &

-"We're all counting on you!"

Athletes and sportsmen hear these comments so regularly that they have nearly religious significance.

So, what's wrong with that?

They teach us to put our faith and trust into ourselves, alone. No matter how good any of us thinks he or she is, no matter how successful we may have been, and no matter if you or I have shown forth as something of a "superstar" in ANY field of endeavor... we just are not good enough! Remember, "for all alike have sinned, and all consciously come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23) wnt

What are we supposed to do, instead?

Imagine this... you are standing in front of the judge in a court of law. All the evidence is clearly against you, and you know you'd committed the crime. Then, out of the blue, the judge's kid tells you he will take the blame, go to jail in your place, pay your fines, and completely clear your name. All you have to do is agree.

Would you do it?

It’s a trick question, right? Who wouldn't, you ask. Sadly, most of us will blow this opportunity. Get back to the steep mountainside, and your efforts to reach heaven up that narrow, difficult path. What would make the task easier?

If you've ever done any cliff or mountain climbing, you look for handholds and footholds. Whenever the going really gets rough, you need something you can bet your life on. Good, solid, rock... that is what you really wants to keep you from falling to your death.

Perhaps you remember this song...

..."On Christ, the solid Rock I stand,
......All other ground is sinking sand.
.........All other ground is sinking sand!"

It will never be an easy climb, up that narrow, rocky pathway! Faith in Jesus will help us find those solid rocks we need to make it. Here are two biblical examples of faith that I think should be an inspiration to us all.

-First-

..."Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?
...Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.
...And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
...And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Mat 16:15-18) drv

-next-

..."A woman from Canaan who was living there came to him, pleading, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, King David's Son! For my daughter has a demon within her, and it torments her constantly.'
...But Jesus gave her no reply - not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. 'Tell her to get going.' they said, 'for she is bothering us with all her begging.'
...Then he said to the woman, 'I was sent to help the Jews - the lost sheep of Israel - not the Gentiles.'
...But she came and worshiped him and pled again, 'Sir, help me!'
...'It doesn't seem right to take bread from the children and throw it to the dogs,' he said.
...'Yes it is!' she replied. 'For even the puppies beneath the table are permitted to eat the crumbs that fall.'
...'Woman,' Jesus told her, your faith is large, and your request is granted.' And her daughter was healed right then."
(Mat 15:22-28) tlb

Two examples of faith... both show us that we need to have an absolute trust in God. Money, land, possessions, luck & political power are not mentioned, nor even pixie dust!

Just faith...

The handholds and footholds we all need are already there! God wants us to be with Him! He knows how hard the journey will be. He sent His Son to show us the way, pay the price and be our inspiration!

Have a little faith!

Stretch out your hands and start climbing.

See you soon, in paradise!

Were You There?

Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Sometimes, it causes me to tremble... tremble.
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?

Imagine, if you can, being THERE on the day Christ died for us.

God's anger would truly been of "Biblical" proportions! Only His love for us kept Him from destroying the entire earth, but I would still be willing to bet that He had to restrain Himself from doing so.

Some people ask why it is that we do not see God being as active in our world, as they did back in Old Testament times... perhaps Jesus' death is the reason. Seriously, if somebody killed YOUR kid, would you REALLY want to hang out with his/her family?

This Christmas season, celebrate the birth of Christ, enjoy the happiness you see in your kids' faces and have fun passing out gifts. Just remember the most important thing...

Jesus was born to die in our place, so that we could get to heaven.

Sobering, isn't it?

See all of you soon, in paradise,
and have a Merry Christmas!

Living in a hog-wallow?

Are you going to heaven?

Are you really sure?

Most, who consider themselves to be Christian, would respond like this... "I go to church when I can, I try to behave myself, and I think I look pretty good, well... compared to most people, anyway. I'm convinced I'm good enough to get into heaven."

This belief is fairly commonplace, and totally wrong!

"And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets, and the righteousness of God [is] through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing, -- for there is no difference, for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:21-23) ylt

Not one of us is anywhere good enough to get to heaven on our own; we're not even close.

Think of it like this...

Living in our world is a lot like hanging out in a hog-wallow. If you roll around in the filth you WILL get covered in it! The problem is that even tiptoeing through the sludge will NOT keep you clean! No amount of being careful will keep you clean. It cannot be done!

Worst of all, any amount of this world's foulness will keep you away from God, and out of heaven! Sin is NOT allowed in God's presence! Even the slightest trace of sin, no matter how small, will forever prevent you from entering heaven.

So, how can any of us get there?

God loves us enough that He made a way for us to get clean again! A way to get into heaven despite our sin... but how could this be possible? He sent His Son, His only Son, to pay the price on our heads, to redeem us, just so we could join him in heaven!

Look at it from your own perspective. How many people do you know, who've done terrible things to you... for how many of them would you be willing to sacrifice your own child's life?

Yeah, I know! I feel the same way! Yet, God thinks we are worth it! So, what do you need to do?

First of all, you must admit you are a sinner. Shouldn't be too hard, not if you are honest with yourself (and think about the hog-wallow).

Second, you must believe in your heart that Jesus' death on the cross was for your benefit. Even if you were the only one that He'd died for, He'd still have sacrificed Himself, just for you.

Lastly, you must tell others about it. God's gift of His Son's life for all of us is the most important news anyone could ever hear. Spread the word. Confess your faith!

These three steps are often called the "A-B-Cs of salvation."

Sometimes people wonder why it is that God placed us in a situation wherein we'd need salvation. The truth is, we did it to ourselves...

Imagine a beautiful place where heaven and earth came together, a wondrous place where the joy of being in the presence of God co-existed with the happiness of life among the incredible beauty of His creation. Such a place would be a garden of infinite delight, right? We call it the "Garden of Eden." Heaven on earth might also be a good description, don't you think?

Humans fouled it up, and brought sin into the garden. Remember that sin cannot be in the presence of God, so humanity had to be banished. We've never been back.

We brought it upon ourselves. We've all sinned, and we know it. God has offered us a way back into His grace, and yet He loves us so much that He will not even force us to take the necessary steps. He leaves that up to us.

Nobody has ever loved you so much!

Nobody!

Take the steps! Remember...

A - B - C

See you soon, in paradise!

Are you a "Stick in the Mud?"

Are you a Christian? Have you given up sin?

As Christians, we are supposed to be trying, with all our might, to overcome the urge to sin that is a part of everyday life. There is no way anyone could be totally successful, but we ARE supposed to make every effort.

Nobody is perfect. In much the same way that you cannot expect your kids to score 100% on every test in school, God knows you will not "ace" every test the devil throws your way. David, the "man after God's own heart," messed up in some major ways. But he repented, he was remorseful. He promised God that he'd never repeat his mistakes. This, in effect, is what God expects from us. He doesn't want us making excuses, He wants our best, and our apologies when our best isn't good enough. Follow that with a promise to never "mess up" again. He will give you all the help you can stand, you might not recognize it as help, when it comes.

We often take this as an easy way out. OK, we say, I blew it again, at least I'm saved, right? And then we often go back to sin.

So, are you "a stick in the mud?"

Are you usually slimed with sin, even if it is of a type you consider to be "minor?" Can you see that this isn't what God wants from us?

I was raised in a religion that believed that membership in that particular religion was the only requirement for you to reach heaven. Every so often, you tell God "Oops, I sinned again," and all the blame was washed off. If you happened to die without your "oops" session, you'd spend some time in an "almost" hell, getting all the "ouchies" burned off, then you'd head for heaven. They referred to this almost hell as purgatory. Interesting idea, but it is one that has no basis in the Bible. Although there are similar beliefs in a number of pagan religions, there was none in any Christian religion until the Council of Florence, around 1440 AD, declared it to be a part of the Catholic religion. The Council of Trent, around 1550 AD, confirmed this belief within the Catholic church. Jesus made the greatest contra-indicator of this belief with his statement to the thief being crucified to His side, "...I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."
(Luke 23:43)nlt

The word "purgatory" comes from the same root as does "purgative," and is supposed to serve the same purpose, flushing out and away all that is harmful. It is an interesting idea, though, isn't it? Sin some, suffer a little, then go to heaven! But, what does the Bible say?

" The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where are also the beast and the false prophet. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire."(Rev 20:10-15)web

Nope! No "penalty box" mentioned here! All the dead, those who were great in life as well as those who were completely insignificant, are judged "by the book." If you don't measure up, eternal torment awaits. So, how do you know your fate?

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (Jas 2:14-26)kjv

I can already hear some muttering angrily that it is only by salvation can anyone be saved. You must follow the "ABCs," accept Christ's sacrifice, believe it is the only way to heaven & confess to others. Yet, if we are to believe that which James has said, "faith without works is dead!" Yet another apostle has included something noticeably similar in his works...

"And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me. Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee? Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee? And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me. Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me. And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting." (Mat 25:31-46)drv

Remember what Jesus said to the church at Sardis; "Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep [it], and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." (Rev 3:2-6)asv

You see, you are NOT saved by your works, BUT, you are defined by them. If you show no evidence of your salvation, then you have NOT been truly saved! Those who are saved, WORK to show their love for God! They never stop trying to better themselves and help others. They strive tirelessly to rid themselves of Satan's influence on their lives, to cleanse themselves of the mud and filth that is the devil's domain. A true Christian is NEVER satisfied with "life as usual." He or she will never accept a lifestyle of "kicking back and taking it easy!"

Do you believe that faith is dead without works?

Or, are you a "stick in the mud?"

But, what if you've "missed the boat?"

There are some churches, and quite a few preachers, who maintain that missing the rapture means you've forever lost your chance at heaven. I have never understood whether this opinion is an error on the part of those who should know better, or an out-and-out attempt to cause resignation on those who have missed the opportunity. Regardless, those who support that idea are doing Satan's work in your church.

They claim that, with the rapture, all that is good is removed from the earth, therefore, God is also no longer here. There is a lot of proof to the contrary contained within God's word. We will look into some.

Revelation, chapter 6, ends with, "For the great day of the wrath has come, and who will be able to survive?" nlt This occurs between the opening of the 6th and the 7th seals, during the Tribulation. Four angels have been given the power to wreak havoc on the land and sea. A fifth angel appears before them, and shouts, "Wait! Don't hurt the land or the sea or the trees, until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of His servants." (Rev 7:3) nlt

Consider, please, if there were no Christians on the earth at this time, there would be no need for the seal of God on anyone's forehead!

"After this, I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne, and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white, and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, 'Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!' " (Rev 7:9-10)nlt

Who are these people? The apostle John was asked this question, and was told, " '...These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.' " (Rev 7:14b)nlt

If they came OUT of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb (accepted salvation and become Christians) during this period of time, then the Holy Spirit is still hard at work upon the face of the earth!

Please also notice that chapter 7 of Revelation also mentions the 144,000 that came from the 12 tribes of Israel. If God were not active on the earth at this time, what possible purpose would these individuals have? There is another counter-proof against the erroneous claim of hopelessness after the tribulation starts. "And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will be clothed in sackcloth, and will prophecy during these 1,260 days." (Rev 11:3)nlt

There is no need of sending witnesses into hell. Those souls are forever lost. If God sends two witnesses to the earth to prophecy, He is NOT sending them here to preach to those already condemned! He wants to offer a last chance to those who have not yet accepted Him.

The tribulation will not be fun, and the great tribulation will be torture to those who have to endure it. Don't wait to accept God's gift of salvation, but, whatever you do, don't let some (lower-case) antichrist convince you to give up. You don't lose your chance for salvation and heaven unless you accept the mark of the beast. "So the first angel left the temple and poured his bowl over the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped his statue." (Rev 16:2)nlt "And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast - miracles that had deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and had worshipped his statue." (rev 19:20a)nlt

***Every once in a while I notice that I've made mistakes in typing. If you find one I've missed, please let me know. Thanks, I feel it is critical to make no mistakes while representing Our Lord!***

Till we meet, in Paradise!

Limited Time Offer!

Who hasn't received a flyer in the mail that reads something like this;

Act Now!

You have been selected from millions world-wide to receive one of the following free gifts!

...1 All expense paid vacation for a family of four to
......the Andromeda Galaxy!

...2 Title and ownership to the planet Mars!

...3 Your choice of a solid gold Rolls-Royce or Cadillac!

But you must act quickly! This is a limited time offer, and will not be repeated. To activate your account, please call 1 (800) 2ST-UPID.

Not many fall for gimmicks like these, but obviously some must, otherwise they would never keep being sent out. Teaching ourselves to NOT react to this type of garbage makes us skeptical of all free offers.

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)kjv

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils; freely ye have received, freely give." (Matt 10:8)kjv

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness; that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Rom 3:23-26)kjv

Wow!

You've already won!

And, unlike those fliers that promise to give you the sun, moon, and the stars, there are no sneaky gimmicks. All you are required to do is to acknowledge you've sinned, hold out your hands and receive salvation, and then tell everyone else. They are all winners, too, but somebody has to let them know. And nobody ever has to dial 1 (800) 2BS-AVED.

See you soon, in Paradise!

Before time passes on...

I ask you to consider that our time may be unbelievably short. If you have not been saved, and wish to do so, please pray this simple prayer;

Father, I know Your Son died for me, because of my sins. I accept His sacrifice, though I am not worthy. I will tell others about this incredible gift.

Then watch your values change! You will on fire to spread the word!

But, what if you are not sure of what to believe? I was once in that boat. I often wanted those Christians to just leave me alone. One day, more in desparation than anything else, I prayed; "God, I don't know what to believe. If You're really there, please help me."

I don't know that I expected anything to happen, but, in a little while, I began to find it was easier to believe.

I do not think anyone can believe in God without His grace, but He gives it freely.

Ask Him!

Do you believe in the coming tribulation?

... or, are you hoping it is only a "myth-take?"

A lot of people, and a lot of religions, hold that the tribulation, mentioned in the Bible, is merely an error in understanding. Some maintain that it is only symbolic. A surprisingly large number believe (hope?) that it is far away, into the distant future.

How do you feel about it?

Allow me to point out that NONE of the predictions in the Bible have EVER been proven to be false. Not one! In all of history, it has never happened. God sees the future, the present, the past... all are within His now.

Part of our problem here is that we experience time as a point-by-point travel along one line (our time-line). We cannot see even the very next instant of time, otherwise, we'd never be taken by surprise. Most of us are not too good at remembering the past, either. I know you've met folks who also didn't seem too aware of the present, you know, the ones whose permanent address seems to be "La-La land."

Since God invented time ("the evening, and the morning, were the first day." - remember?) why should we be so disbelieving that He sees the future?

Over and over, throughout the Bible, He has foretold of catastrophe, trying to get people to get their act together, and to get back on His page. All too often, He has gotten blamed for the very disaster that He said would come if folks didn't turn back to Him! I'm sure you know someone who blames cops for speeding tickets, its the same attitude problem. People have always wanted to "do their own thing" and "go their own way." Pretty much the same thing, isn't it?

See if this sounds a lot like our country today; "When the skies are shut and there is no rain because of our sins, and then we pray toward this Temple and claim You as our God, and turned from our sins because You have punished us, then listen from heaven and forgive the sins of your people, and teach them what is right; and send rain upon this land which You have given to Your people as their own property." (2 Chron 6:26-27)tlb

No, it wasn't written to us in our time, but, have you noticed that many people are praying for rain. God want us to turn back to Him in our time of need. There will always be those who say, "Big deal! There have always been droughts." They want only their own way.

In a similar way, what is coming for us has been predicted for quite some time.

"Sound the alarm in Jerusalem! Let the blast of the warning trumpet be heard upon my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear, for the day of the Lord's judgement approaches!

"It is a day of darkness and gloom, of black clouds and thick darkness. What a mighty army! It covers the mountain like night! How great, how powerful these 'people' are! The likes of them have not been seen before, and never will again throughout the generations of the world! Fire goes before them and follows on every side! Ahead of them the land lies fair as Eden's garden in all its beauty, but they destroy it to the ground; not one thing escapes. They look like tiny horses, and they run as fast. Look at them leaping along the top of the mountain! Listen to the noise they make, like the rumbling of chariots, or the roar of fire sweeping across a field, and like a mighty army moving into battle.

"Fear grips the waiting people; their faces grow pale with fright. These 'soldiers' charge like infantry; they scale the walls like picked and trained commandos. Straight forward they march, never breaking ranks. They never crowd each other. Each is right in place. No weapon can stop them. They swarm upon the city; they run upon the walls; they climb up into the houses, coming like thieves through the windows. The earth quakes before them and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon are obscured and the stars are hid.

"The Lord leads them with a shout. This is His mighty army and they follow His orders. The day of the judgment of the Lord is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can endure it?" (Joel 2:1-11) tlb

"That is why the Lord says, 'Turn to Me now, while there is time! Give Me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don't tear your clothing in your grief; instead tear your hearts.' Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you." (Joel 2:12-13)nlt

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.' " (Rev 14:6-7)kjv

I think it is important to take note that, the greater the calamity that we bring upon ourselves, the greater the prophecy God sends our way to get us back on the right path. If He didn't love us so much, He would not warn us that it was coming! Think about this, have you ever seen a portable sign on the side of the road that said, "Slow down! Speed trap ahead!" Of course not! Traffic laws exist, and enforcement is mandatory. You'll never see cops out on the corners of busy intersections carrying signs that read, "Drive slow or die in a horrible accident" either.

The difference? God wants to protect all of us! Civil laws exist to protect everyone from careless stupidities, as well as from evildoers. The Bible is not crammed full of "sin-limit" signs, either, just lots of warnings that sin has its consequences.

So, get your life in line with God's will. The end is coming!

...and wear your seat belt, we call it salvation!

Salvation Airlines

There is a ticket and boarding pass waiting for you at the counter. It is for a permanent vacation at the greatest resort, ever. The price is so high that all the people in the world could not collectively buy even just one ticket, but yours is already bought and paid for. And there is one for everyone who asks for one.

The problem is, nobody knows just exactly when the plane leaves, but we think it is very soon. The owner of the resort feels that, if the departure time were posted, a lot of folks would wait until the last minute before they showed up at the airport.

He's probably right, isn't He?

Believe it or not, there are a lot of jerks who want you to skip this vacation, on the grounds that you can have a lot more fun here. They don't tell you just how bad that will be, they just count on you not checking up on their lies.

"As Jesus was leaving the temple grounds, His disciples came along and wanted to take Him on a tour of the various temple buildings. But He told them, 'All these buildings will be knocked down, with not one stone left on top of another!' 'When will this happen?' the disciples asked Him later, as He sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. 'What events will signal Your return, and the end of the world?' Jesus told them, 'Don't let anyone fool you. For many will come claiming to be the Messiah, and will lead many astray. When you hear of wars beginning, this does not signal My return, these must come, but the end is not yet. The nations and kingdoms of the earth will rise up against each other and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come. Then you will be tortured and killed and hated all over the world because you are mine, and many of you shall fall back into sin and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and lead many astray. Sin will be rampant everywhere and will cool the love of many. But those enduring to the end shall be saved. And the good news about the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then, finally, the end will come. So when you see the horrible thing told by Daniel the prophet standing in a holy place, then those in Judea must flee into the Judean hills. Those on their porches must not even go inside to pack before they flee. Those in the fields must not return to their homes for their clothes. And woe to pregnant women and those with babies in those days. And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For there will be persecution such as the world has never before seen, and will never see again. In fact, unless those days are shortened, all mankind will perish. But they will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen people. Then if anyone tells you, The Messiah has arrived at such a place, or has appeared here or there, don't believe it. For false Christs shall arise, and false prophets, and will do wonderful miracles, so that if it were possible, even God's chosen ones would be deceived. See, I have warned you.' " (Mat 24:1-25)tlb

We can see that the world is bad. Jesus has warned us that it is going to get worse, much worse!

Do you remember the "Ghostbusters" movie from some years ago? The theme song said, "Don't go out alone, Oh No!" Take Christ with you, in all you do.

Pick up your ticket and boarding pass from Jesus at the counter. It is unbelievably easy; Confess your sins. Believe Christ died for you. Tell others.

Jesus paid the price! Get your ticket on Salvation Airlines!

See you soon at the Paradise Resort!

Where is the evidence of your Passover Lamb?

"Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, 'Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your house to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an accordance to thee and to thy sons forever.' " (Ex 12:21-24)kjv

"Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people." (Luke 22:2)kjv

"Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed." (Luke 22:7)kjv

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bead of sincerity and truth." (1Cor 5:7-8)kjv

"Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them." (Heb 11:28)kjv

Christians have been adopted into (or grafted onto, if you prefer) the Jewish faith. We have inherited salvation, not because we deserve it, but because we have accepted Jesus' death for us, confessed our sinful nature, and proclaim our beliefs to others.

Jesus was, and is, our Passover Lamb for eternity! In no way have we ever done anything deserving of His sacrifice! Yet He freely offered Himself up for each of us!

Does the blood of our Passover Lamb show on your lintel and side posts? Do you proclaim Him as your Savior?

Or have you scrubbed all evidence off your doorway, so as not to be different from everyone else? To be "politically correct?" To not "offend?"

Jesus offered Himself up as our Passover Lamb! Wear His sacrifice with pride! He said you were worth it.

Prove Him right, and ask everyone to join us in Paradise!

Hey! Who loves ya?

I've heard this as a greeting, quite a few times. It was much more common 40 years ago, but I still hear it occasionally today.

Who loves you?

Without thinking about it, we Christians always say, "God loves us..."

It is time to think about it. God, our Lord, our Creator... He gave up His only Son for us, for you, for me! Think of it this way. Whom do you care enough about that you'd willingly give up your child's life for that person?

Anybody?

My kids have all been grown for some time, so for me, the question has always been a bit blurred. For some reason, today, I considered this question from the standpoint of my feelings for my granddaughter.

Wow! Boy, did that ever put it into perspective for me! There is nobody on this planet I value anywhere near as much as one scratch on my Princess! Nobody! Not even if you put everyone who's ever lived onto the other side of the equation! If anybody ever hurts her in the slightest way, he better get struck by lightning before I get there! Could God possibly care any less for His Son? I think not!

And yet... He did sacrifice His only Son. And He did it to save countless people who showed Him no respect, no concern and no love. It really boggles the mind. He loves even people who live an evil lifestyle, & loves them enough that His own Son was not too big a price to pay!

Look at how He's been paid back. Crime, lies, filth, and various forms of unspeakable vileness are commonplace today. A large percentage of people don't want to even be bothered with God. Who among us would have been capable of enduring all this satanic back-stabbing?

"And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." (Deut 30:6)kjv

"...and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, thou art my God." (Hos 2:23)kjv

"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will rejoice over thee with singing." (Zeph 3:17)kjv

"But God commanded his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
(Rom 5:8-10)kjv

Almost puts tears in your eyes, doesn't it? And it should! God loves us all with a love that infinitely exceeds anything we are capable of! Jesus died for each one of us. My sins killed Him, so did yours, so did the sins of each and every person who's ever lived. He died on the cross to save each of us.

Separately...

Individually...

Completely...

There is no way to respond to a love like that, except to hit your knees, thanking Him with all that you have, promising to do better, and meaning it.

Then get out and tell (or remind) others; after all, He values each of them that much, too.

See you soon, in Paradise!

Just what is it about kids that Jesus loves?

What was it about children that made Jesus love them so much? Why did He instruct His apostles to let the children come to Him? Is there something here we are overlooking?

Almost everyone loves little babies. As children age, they go through the "terrible twos" and eventually reach their "terrifying teens." Still, most people like most kids (of any age) better than their own-age peers. What is it that is so different about kids?

There is no doubt that there is a lot that is evil about our world, and all of it is a corrupting influence on our lives. Kids have been exposed to less of it (so far), and are therefore less corrupt and more pure than are most adults.

Hmmm...

From the book; "Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.' "(John 3:3-7) kjv -and- "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believed not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?"(John 3:12)kjv

Here is the problem, in a nutshell.

Our understanding is shaped and influenced by our exposure to things that have happened to us, here on this earth, and in our lifetimes. Little children take almost everything on faith, because people they trust tell them it is so. God wants us to take His Word on faith, because He said so. He wants us to place our trust in Him!

As our kids grow older, their willingness to believe is whittled away by being hurt, by being lied to and by being ignored. In short, what is good is steadily eroded and eaten away by the evil of this world.

Jesus loves the innocence of children. He loves their trust and their hunger for His friendship. That is the goal we have, in our relationship with God. We must be reborn into the childlike trust in Him that is the hallmark of children! As a little child trusts mom and dad to take perfect care of him or her, so must we put our trust in Our Lord to take perfect care of us.

We must be born again!

"And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." LUKE 22:41-44 kjv

I have been "adopted" by several children. In each case, the kid said something like, "I wish you’d been MY grandpa. Could you, would you, be my grandpa?"

The emotional overload is incredible! My eyes watered up. My heart pounded! A wave of nearly indescribable feeling washed over me! I could not have said "no" to any of them any more than I could have flapped my arms and flown to the moon!

(A by-product of this is that I now understand how important it is to a woman to have someone ask for her hand, in marriage.)

Each of these children occupies a permanent, special place in my heart. Each is the subject of a great deal of prayer-time. I love them all just as if they had actually been my kids or grandkids. In some ways, perhaps a bit more, just because they asked. Because they are neither relatives, nor dependants, I can do nothing for them from a legal standpoint, so I worry about them even more.

When problems arise in their lives, especially because there is absolutely nothing I can do about those problems, it feels as though a tremendous weight has been dropped heavily onto my neck and shoulders. I wish I could take on their burdens. I wish there were some magic button I could push to fix everything instantly, but, of course, there is not. (A good friend once told me that I have the worst case of "White Knight Syndrome" he’s ever seen.)

When all you can do in this world is to hurt for someone you care deeply about, prayer is the first and only answer. Most guys aren’t made this way. We want to grab the problem by the horns, do battle, and emerge victorious!

All of us who are Christians are "adoptees" of Christ. By virtue of our asking Him to be our Saviour, and accepting His sacrifice, we have become His. He loves each and every one of us far more than I ever could any of the children who’ve "adopted" me. I know of no limit as to what I would do to protect any of "my kids," but Jesus did so much more!

What a matchless example of love our God is! Kneeling, praying in the garden, Jesus knew the trouble we would get into. He knew that many would fail and never make it to heaven. He knew the endless pitfalls that Satan has laid out for us, and He knew we would fail Him repeatedly. He still paid the price.

Are we worth it? Any honest person would have to say that not one of us is. Yet, He still paid the price! He carried our load of guilt, took the blame for us, and died in our place!

All you have to do is accept this incredible sacrifice, knowing that sin has made each of us unworthy, but He did it anyway! Then, get out and tell everyone else. God wants us all to be "adopted."

See you soon, in Paradise!

The Tower of Babel, Today

It has been an intense several months. I had another heart attack (mild, thanks be to God!), while still enjoying several blood and breathing disorders, as well as bone-spurs growing in various places (ouch!).

Being forced to kick activity down for a while, I decided to read a book entitled, "Babylon is Everywhere" by Wolf Schneider, subtitled "The City as Man’s Fate." Very dry reading, to say the least.

This book is NOT Bible-based. It uses the Bible in much the same way as a book about the old west might use the legend of the gunfight at the OK Corral. Just the same, it gives one a greater understanding as to what God’s point-of-view may be about cities in general, and why He destroyed the Tower of Babel.

Consider this; God made man (male and female) to be His companion(s). He placed us in the Garden so that our needs were met. The situation was not unlike having a canary in your house. You provide it with a cage, food and water. You enjoy its company, listen to it sing, care for it, and feel some affection for it. Your home feels more cheerful, right?

Suppose it began finding a way out of its cage, flew around your home, leaving "presents" in inappropriate places, tore open your loaves of bread and began acting aggressively toward your children. How long before you "invited" the bird to leave? You might just toss cage and all out the back door.

Now suppose that bird brought thousands of other birds to your front yard and began erecting a 400 foot tall bird house that blocked your view of the neighborhood. They leave hundreds of pounds of their "presents" all over your yard, home and car, AND start attacking you every time you attempt to enter or leave your home. How long do you think it would take you to get angry enough to begin some form of "pest control?"

You see, God wants us to choose to love Him, but, He lets us do the choosing. He will not force us. He wants us to rely on Him, giving Him the credit for all He’s done, asking Him for His help when times are rough, thanking Him for the good times and seeking solace in Him whenever the bad times come.

Do we do this? Any of this? For the most part, NO! We tend to blame Him for all of our hardships, and credit ourselves for all of our accomplishments. The tower of bab-el came about because people were trying to prove that they were like God, and could reach up to the heavens in a showy display designed to prove that mankind was as great as God.

Lets back up, just a tad…

Adam and Eve were evicted from the garden because they wanted to do things their own way, instead of God’s way.

Abel relied upon God’s bounty almost entirely, as does anyone who hunts or herds animals. He was very aware of his need and reliance upon God.

Cain, being a farmer, was much more likely to see himself as the author of his own good fortune. After all, he saw that his own efforts, his sweat, his vision, his planning, etc. resulted in his betterment, and was much less likely to thank God for His part in it. Sounds a bit like people today, does it not?

Cain killed his brother, Abel, but God did not kill Cain. Why? Perhaps it was partly to be a lesson to us as to the value of human life. Consider this when someone you know discusses abortion.

Cain invented cities, naming the first one "Enoch" after his own son. Farming, murder and cities, what an inventor Cain was! Since neither farming, nor murder gave honor to God, perhaps God had good reason to dislike cities, as well.

But, what can be wrong with a city? Look at Genesis 11:1-4 "At one time the whole world spoke a single language and used the same words. As the people migrated eastward, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They began to talk about construction projects. "Come" they said, "lets make great piles of burnt brick and collect a natural asphalt to use as mortar. Let’s build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies - a monument to our greatness! This will bring us together and keep us from scattering all over the world." (nlt)

How do you suppose God felt about this? Remember the canaries in your front yard? Do not cities today build grandiose architectural endeavors that seem to only glorify those who claim that city as home? Are we not leaving God out of our lives today to an unprecedented degree? Why do you suppose there is a Tribulation coming? God wants us to rediscover our need for Him, yet we keep pushing the boundaries, trying to prove the opposite is true. Throughout history, God has allowed disasters of varying degrees to remind us that we MUST look to Him for everything, but we keep stubbornly trying to prove otherwise. In many ways, we are like those children, who must receive a swat on the rear every-so-often to keep them from mischief.

Remember, God sees all time as "now." He calls Himself "I AM" as an illustration of this. We do not see the future, we seem to forget the past, and ignore the present. God wants us to recognize our need of Him. He gives us chance after chance after chance after chance… But, there is an end coming, and it is coming soon. Don’t get your dander up, and say, "You don’t know when it is coming!" Of course I don’t know. Matthew 25:13 says, "So stay awake and be prepared, because you do not know the day or hour of my return." (nlt) None of us knows. God does not want to be our insurance policy. He does not want us flipping on the "salvation option" at the last instant before doomsday. He simply wants all of us to CHOOSE to serve Him because we WANT to. Don’t look to civilization to save you from the Tribulation. Don’t count on "having lead the good life." Don’t trust your soul to a religion, no matter which religion. Entrust it to God. He made you. He earned your trust by Jesus’ sacrifice, which paid your way to heaven.

I cannot pretend to understand why God thinks we are worth it. I just know He says it is so. Know in your heart that He loves you, even when you sin. Love Him back! Acknowledge your sinful nature. Cling with all you have to His Word, His Promise, and His Love. Then get out and help others to understand. The time is very short, the time of the rapture draws nearer every day. God loves you! Show Him a return on His investment in you!

See you soon, in Paradise!

Who am I?

Who am I? I look at the awesome vastness of God's creation, and ask myself this question. From my perspective, I am just one small, insignificant speck in what appears to me to be an infinite universe.

Who am I? I'm not famous. I'm not rich. I am not a force to be reckoned with, in any field. I have no interest in holding political office, nor would I accept such a position were it offered. I can't sing. My eyesight is poor. There is nothing about me that anyone would envy, except a wonderful wife and some beautiful grandkids, and God alone gets the credit for these blessings.

Who am I? There are days that I feel great, that I am making a difference, that I am really doing what He wants. Other days, it seems as though every attempt I make is wasted. Poor health and age do their part in sapping my efforts, and I know Satan interferes wherever possible, making me feel unworthy to even try.

Who am I? One way or another, we have all asked this of ourselves at some time. How we answer depends upon our understanding the value our Creator sees in us. We mean so much to Him that He sent His Son to die in our place, for the crimes we've committed against Him! It would be impossible to accept, had He not told us so. And yet, the vast majority choose not to obey Him. Still, His love for us is so great that He will allow us to choose eternal damnation instead of an eternal reward.

So, when you ask yourself, "Who am I?" God has already given you His answer; "You are somebody worth dying for!" Live accordingly!

Where did the magic go?

You bought that new car you've been wanting. It has everything; built-in entertainment system, rich Corinthian leather interior, auto-parking, whatever... Three years and 50,000 miles later it has become "the old jalopy."

You married the "perfect" spouse, the man or woman of your dreams. He makes a ton of money and can bench-press a Lincoln Town Car. She is a "beauty-queen", an absolute 12 on a 1-10 scale, and can cook anything Betty Crocker ever dreamed up. Five to eight years, a couple of kids, and some "disagrements" later, he/she has become the other half, the "ball and chain," or maybe just a tax deduction.

You met God, came to realize your need for, and you accepted, salvation. You were on fire for God, wanted to bring the whole world to Christ, wanted to bring Him a return on His "talent." A few years later you've become a "most Sundays" church-goer. Give what's affordable, attend when its convenient, but leave me alone, otherwise.

Where did the magic go?

"Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature. Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other and when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves. If you are angry, don't sin by nursing your grudge. Don't let the sun go down with you still angry - get over it quickly. For when you are angry you give a mighty foothold to the devil." EPH 4:23-27 (tlb)

Our relationship with God is a result of what WE do, and don't do. If we are to keep this relationship alive, we must put forth the effort. God's love is never-ending. He never defaults on His part of the bargain.

A married couple must both put forth the effort, each remembering how much the other really means, and should always mean.

As for the car, keep it, trade it, or junk it.