All posts by Frank Becker

Blogs, John Grant

THE WALL

Week Seven, 2021

By retired Senator John Grant

Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit. Proverbs 25:28

The concept of the wall is prominent in the Scriptures. The Book of Nehemiah tells of the rebuilding of the wall that surrounds the city of Jerusalem. The Book of Revelation, when describing the new Jerusalem, places great emphasis on the wall that surrounds the holy city and on the twelve foundations of the wall.

There have been walls throughout, the most notable in our time was the wall that separated east and west Berlin. Its dismantling marked the beginning of the end of the “Cold War.”

I walked through the Brandenburg Gate only a few months after the beginning of the dismantling. As I took in the sight of the massive wall, I bent over and picked up a small part of the wall, and today, it sits on my desk as a reminder of how people and nations can become divided and ultimately reconciled.

Another wall needs to be removed as well – the wall between humanity and God. That barrier was built in the Garden of Eden when a man and a woman committed the first act of rebellion against God (Genesis 3). And we all have continued that rebellion ever since. Can you visualize that impenetrable wall? Isaiah 59:2 says: “your sins have cut you off from God.”

Jesus’ death and resurrection, however, has made reconciliation with God possible. All those who accept Christ’s sacrifice for sin will have the barrier of sin torn down and be reconciled to God. He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation. (Ephesians 2:14).

What are the walls in your life and how do they separate you from fellowship with God? We need to remove what we think we need and replace it with what we actually need.

God wants us to submit to Him by humbling ourselves and praying, as we seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. Then the wall between us and God comes down and He not only hears us and heals us, but He promises to forgive our sin and heal our land.

Of how our sins both individually and as a nation need to be forgiven and of how our land in these divisive times needs a healing. Remember it all begins with you!

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Some of the world’s greatest men and women have been saddled with disabilities and adversities but have managed to overcome them, observed author and evangelical leader Ted W. Engstrom.

Engstrom offered these illustrations to prove his point.

• “Cripple him, and you have a Sir Walter Scott.”

• “Lock him in a prison cell, and you have a John Bunyan.”

• “Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have a George Washington.”

• “Raise him in abject poverty, and you have an Abraham Lincoln.”

• “Subject him to bitter religious prejudice, and you have a Benjamin Disraeli.”

• “Strike him down with infantile paralysis, and he becomes a Franklin D. Roosevelt.”

• “Burn him so severely in a schoolhouse fire that the doctors say he will never walk again, and you have a Glenn Cunningham, who set a world’s record in 1934 for running a mile in 4 minutes, 6.7 seconds.”

• “Deafen a genius composer, and you have a Ludwig van Beethoven.”

• “Have him or her born black in a society filled with racial discrimination, and you have a Booker T. Washington, a Harriet Tubman, a Marian Anderson, or a George Washington Carver.”

• “Make him the first child to survive in a poor Italian family of eighteen children, and you have an Enrico Caruso.”

• “Have him born of parents who survived a Nazi concentration camp, paralyze him from the waist down when he is four, and you have an incomparable concert violinist, Itzhak Perlman.”

• “Call him a slow learner, ‘retarded,’ and write him off as uneducable, and you have an Albert Einstein.

All of these examples speak to the power of persistence and the quality of determination. It’s a trait we see in the apostle Paul, who overcame a “thorn in the flesh,” misrepresentation by false teachers, beatings, stoning, imprisonment, and numerous hardships in his missionary travels. We get a glimpse of his indomitable spirit from Philippians 3:13-14.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 11:25-26

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today. Abraham Lincoln

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 11:25-26

Let’s not make changes, let’s make only improvements. Wally Byam

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. Aristotle

At night we tie the dog up and let the kids run loose. Ken Whitten

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Blogs

“Blessed are those that mourn”

Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

“SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”—Beatitude #2

(Otherwise known as “Oh Happy Mourning!”)

Ok! We are well into our series on the “Sermon on the Mount” (remember our abbreviation? That’s right – SOTM). Our Savior is up on a…MOUNT, training His disciples, yet also being heard by the surrounding multitudes. He is giving instruction with a two-fold purpose. First, He is giving a vision for the end of times, the way life WILL be! And second, He is giving a challenge for the present day, the way life SHOULD be!

He begins His sermon with a series of nine teachings, each one beginning with the word “Blessed”. Remember what it is translated from in Latin? You bet! “Beatitude”. Last week we looked at “blessed are the poor in spirit”. ME, POOR? Almost makes you want to leave now, doesn’t it? But what is Jesus’ teaching? First, the poor in spirit is one who is completely dependent upon the One Who alone is worthy of his dependence! And second, the Lord Himself has his everlasting care upon the one who, although may be bankrupt from the world, is a treasure in God’s sight! Hey, now that is special to be considered a treasure – NOW!

Ok, so what’s next?

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

At first glance, this is a most morbid verse. All of us have experienced mourning in some fashion, haven’t we? The WORLD is experiencing tremendous mourning NOW, aren’t we?

We have all become way too familiar with the scientific term, COVID-19. We’ve learned about masks – place them over your mouth AND nose! We have learned the generic term about the sacrifice of a multitude of occupations, a term we may have never known before: FRONT LINE WORKERS.

And, yes so sadly, funeral homes have been most busy. In our area of central New York alone, one area funeral home set a record for most families it served in one month – in the entire history of that funeral home. And mind you, our area counties are not major population zones.

So when you hear that that mortician served the families of 24 people from ONE area nursing home during that month – well, that certainly is sorrow multiplied. Worldwide, well over 2 MILLION DEATHS since COVID-19 was first begun. With that became a familiarity with a new term – PANDEMIC – a term perhaps last used during the plague of…1918!

In the United States alone, over a period of just over 12 months, over 463 THOUSAND lives have entered eternity. Can we get a grasp on that total? And again sadly, some of those 463 thousand may be people you knew, even from your own families.

“THOSE THAT MOURN”. We understand that phrase all too well today don’t we?

BUT WAIT! How can the Savior possibly state that we are “BLESSED”?

Let’s analyze a few words. “Mourn”. What does it mean to “mourn”? It means “to lament, to be sorrowful, to show grief or to have sorrow – especially in referring to the dead.” Do people mourn in different ways? The Bible indicates that those who love Jesus as Savior can mourn in a way which is far different than those who don’t know Jesus. How can that be? There is a key two word phrase which makes the distinction! Both the Christian and the non-Christian alike sorrow, mourn for those who have passed away.

But the key phrase is “NO HOPE”. Listen to the pointed words from 1 Thessalonians 4:13: “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have NO HOPE.”

The Apostle Paul was confronting a very real problem in the new church at Thessalonica. In this young church, already a number of believers had died – perhaps some of them died as a result of being persecuted for their faith! So those still living believers were wondering, “where did they go? Is that all there is to life – when I die, I go into the grave, and that’s it? Even if I believe in Jesus?”

Paul wisely said, “well, it is true that when we die we usually have some kind of service for our loved one. But our hope doesn’t die in the grave! Our hope is in the risen Lord Jesus! Those that are “without Jesus” are “without hope”. But those that loved Jesus as Savior? Well, well! They are HOME WITH THE LORD! Can’t be better than that! And if we loved Jesus, too, one day we will be re-connected with them in glory!

But those that have not placed their eternal faith and trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus as their eternal hope – well, they are without God and without hope (see Ephesians 2:12). WITHOUT God. WITHOUT hope. An eternity with no God and no hope. Perhaps the only “hope” that an unbeliever has this side of eternity, when THEY are in the midst of mourning, is in their “circumstances”, in their “feelings”, in their baseless “hope”. So sad. Is there anything more sad than that?

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!!! “Blessed are those who mourn…FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED”!!!

OK class – what does it mean to be “comforted”? One Biblical professor wisely noted, true “COMFORT” means “God calling us, and literally holding us near to Him, turning desolation into consolation”. HOW does that happen?

It happens in at least one of two ways. The first way is that God Himself is our comfort! What is the ONE passage of Scripture that appears at most funerals. Of course! Psalm 23. Let’s look at a couple of its treasures. Verse 1: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” That’s the New Kin James Version. Have you read the New Living Translation lately. Verse 1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”

Do you remember Christmas time? I sure do. TODAY – almost 50 days AFTER Christmas 2020 – my wife and I put in tubs for storage downstairs the last of the Christmas 2020 decorations! (Only to put them back up in 9 months? Hmm.). But Christmas brings back one vivid memory which re-occurs every year! In our country, most of us are fortunate enough to receive MORE than one present. And when that LAST present is open, what ALWAYS happens? ALWAYS! There is that tug on the heart. There is that looking around. There is that non-verbal question: IS THERE ANY MORE? But when the Lord is my Shepherd, “I have all that I need”. Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” – and He wonderfully states in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” He comforts us because He is. He is my personal, comforting, ever present Good Shepherd.

And what does verse 4 say? “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they COMFORT me.” I remember when we once were the ones needing comfort. We were in line in front of our loved one’s beautiful casket. A dear friend from our first pastorate came through the door. She came up to me. She didn’t say a word. She wrapped her arms around me. And. She. Squeezed. We both cried. Only when both of us stopped crying, did she utter words of comfort. THAT’S what Psalm 23:4 is talking about. It is as if the Lord takes the shepherd’s tools – His rod and His staff which He wisely uses to lovingly care for His sheep – and wraps them around the hurting sheep and just holds them. He. Gives. A. Squeeze. He doesn’t need to say a word. His presence is our comfort.

And don’t forget verse 5a. The entire psalm, of course, is a comfort and blessing. But the beginning of verse 5 is often overlooked. It says, “You anoint my head with oil…”. That’s GREAT – but what does it MEAN? Throughout the day, the wise and caring shepherd is always looking over his sheep. And sometime during the day he inspects each sheep: for matted hair and for those ever present wounds. And then what does he do? Does he simply pat the sheep on the head, kiss the hurting sheep on the nose (like Momma did!), and say “poor baby – you’ll be ok soon.”??? No, NO! He anoints the hurting sheep’s wounds with an oily balm that is specifically designed to heal. And the Wise Shepherd of the sheep anoints His sheep with the healing balm of His Holy oil – the Holy Spirit – Whose daily anointing is the healing, not only of the wounds of the heart, but also the wounds of the soul.

The second way that “comfort” occurs? Those who are mourning get involved with the work that our deceased loved one left behind! Perhaps that one was a missionary. Maybe you can’t go to their field, but perhaps you can GIVE your financial “mites” to their work so that others can go! Perhaps there was an area in the local church in which your deceased loved one or friend served regularly. Perhaps you could take their place! Paul calls that being “baptized for the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:29). Or perhaps you could PRAY for those who are working in those ministries on the field or in the local church.

WHAT’S THE POINT? Those that MOURN will be COMFORTED! The church needs to understand that true comfort, true joy, comes not in circumstances or in wishful thinking, hoping that things get better. Rather, true comfort comes in an intimate relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd of our souls.

IS HE YOUR COMFORT TODAY?

Blogs, John Grant

WHAT OR WHO IS YOUR GOLIATH?

John Grant, Week Six, 2021

The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:37

These past few months have been difficult for all of us, one way or another. Some have had health problems and even death in their families. Others have lost employment or even the business they had worked so hard to build up.

Difficulties hound all of us throughout our lives and they have since Eve bit into the apple. As I have looked around and talked with people recently, I have noticed they face their difficulties in a myriad of ways.

How to face our difficulties is illustrated multiple times in the Bible, but no better example there is better than the story of David and Goliath.

David and Goliath

The Israelites and the Philistines were at war with one another. The Philistines greatest weapon was not mechanical. It was human… a great big giant named Goliath. He could kill anyone.

Here’s what we learn from this story:

▪ The battle is the Lord’s and He will provide.

▪ David ran into the battle and not from it.

▪ David used what he had and did not lament over what he did not have.

I can’t help but to think how David victoriously faced Goliath. Fighting this overwhelming giant in the name of the Lord. Fighting and winning for God’s glory. Fighting and winning in God’s strength.

As we face our giants, as we face our fears and our concerns, as we face what life throws our way, let’s try to stand as David stood. Stand with strength and confidence in the Lord. I know that it is far easier said than done. We can see that in the fear and trepidation of all the other warriors who heard and saw Goliath. But David stood strong. Strong in the Lord. An example of how we can and should face our Goliath, knowing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Remember to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”

As you face your Goliath, give Jesus your burdens and your fears, concerns, issues, illnesses… Trust in Him and He can and will give you peace beyond understanding and confidence, courage and strength to face your Goliath, with stones and sling in hand… “For the battle is the Lord’s.”

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

In America’s Expiration Date, Cal Thomas makes this prophetic statement: “Given the history of other empires and great nations, the decadence that now is tightening its grip on America almost guarantees our demise, or at the very least a radical decline that will leave the country devoid of the liberties we now enjoy, but are rapidly exchanging for a license to do whatever we wish.”

God destroyed the nation of Israel because of its sins (Amos 9:8). The less we fear divine judgment, the more we should (cf. v. 10). If a tiny virus can bring the world’s greatest superpower to its knees, what about the judgment of an omnipotent and holy God?

But as we discern and grieve for the sins of our nation, we must remember that it is always too soon to give up on God. And never too late to intercede for a mighty movement of His Spirit.

Methodist minister Samuel Chadwick wrote, “Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.”

Will you make Satan tremble today?

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Live by faith, not by fear. Ken Whitten

Waiting is like putting your gear in neutral when you feel like stripping your gears. Howard Hendrix

God doesn’t call a machine or artificial intelligence to do His work, He just calls people like you and me if we are truly His disciples. Dwight Short

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages. George Washington

While we were wishing for a return to the old normal, God wants to create a clean heart and a new normal. Why not let Him? Dwight Short

When the prayer police come through your neighborhood, will you be arrested for spending too much time on your knees?

Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential. Winston Churchill

Blogs, Jeremy Stopford

“SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

Beatitude #1: “Blessed are the poor in spirit”

Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

We will recall that Matthew 5:2 introduces the famous “Sermon on the Mount” (“SOTM” for short) with the words, “He [Jesus] opened His mouth and taught them…”. He was having a wonderful teaching exercise with His disciples.

But He was also challenging the “multitudes” (v. 1) who were perhaps curiously listening to what this so-called Prophet had to say. Jesus’ words were just as authoritative as when the mouth of the Lord was opened throughout the Old Testament, and the eternal wonderful truths were put to print. I am challenged! Do I treat Jesus’ words as “eternal truths that need my life’s attention”?

This is the “Sermon on the Mount” because, well, “He went up on a mountain.” OK, that’s easy to grasp. But what is the purpose of this sermon, and of these familiar sayings of blessings? The purpose of the SOTM is two-fold. First, it is designed by our Savior to give future direction for the coming “kingdom of heaven.” Throughout the gospel of Matthew, He is offering Himself to the nation of Israel as their promised Messiah. He is showing to them what such a “kingdom” really would be like with Him as their King of kings and Lord of lords.

We know from John 1:9, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” Jesus offered Himself to Israel as their promised Prophet, Priest, King, Messiah. Ultimately, they “received Him not” – they rejected Him and willingly allowed Him to be crucified on the cross. “We have no king but Caesar” was their cry. The SOTM is for the future “kingdom of heaven”, the millennial kingdom, so promised and will be so given to Israel.

Until then, the SOTM is for us! It is a guideline, an open view to Jesus’ heart. Remember Charles Sheldon’s book, “In His Steps”? The classic line of that book is the question, “what would Jesus do?”. I wonder if Mr. Sheldon’s estate gets any royalties for the use of “WWJD”? I doubt it. Each beatitude, each portion of the SOTM, gives Jesus’ heart toward how He hopes those who love, worship, and live for Him respond to the daily challenges of life. Do I live with the insight, “what would Jesus do?” Do I?

But why are these often viewed “pithy sayings” in verses 3-12 referred to as “Beatitudes”? The word of introduction to each line is “Blessed”. Its translation in the Latin is, you guessed it, “Beatitude”! In the Greek, the word “blessed” is a most unusual one: “makarios”. “Well,” you say. “That’s Greek to me!” Sure is! But the Greek language is a most beautiful language. It is often a most descriptive one. When we have ONE word to describe something, the Greek has words of imagery painting classical paintings to surround the subject with color!

“Makarios”. Doesn’t it just roll off your tongue? It means, simply, “happy”. But it is BOLDLY DIFFERENT from our English word for “happy”. Our English word contains the 3 letters, “hap”, which in itself means “by chance”. The English word basically means a creation of an attitude caused by the happenstances – or chance – of life! If I were to ask you, “are you happy?”, it might really mean, “by CHANCE is everything going all right in your life?”.”

Should the Christian be governing his life “by chance”? No, no! That’s why God created the wonderful word “makarios”. It is a GOD JOY! It is GOD’S kind of “happiness” which is not dependent upon “happenings”. It is dependent upon…GOD HIMSELF! Perhaps the BEST understanding for us would be JOYFUL! This “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) is a God-thing, as it were, created by Him for His purposes.

And each of those evidences of God’s guaranteed joy is seen in the 9 beatitudes of Matthew 5.

The first beatitude is POOR IN SPIRIT. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

We read this beatitude and we understand SOME of it! “Blessed” = God happy! A happiness which is created by knowing the true God and enjoying Him and His sweet fellowship each day. “The kingdom of heaven” = a kingdom to which a believing member of Israel would look forward to; but it is also a kingdom which represents the kind of attitude and people that God wants His children to be. “OK, I understand all that.” But “POOR in spirit?”. Who wants to be poor?

There are at least two different understandings of the word “poor”, aren’t there?

The first refers to someone who AIN’T GOT NOTHING! He’s so poor [“how poor is he?”]. He’s so poor that he is ABSOLUTELY poor! He is physically poor. He has no influence, will make no mark in society. He can’t even carry the load – his is a bankrupted life.

And the second? The second “poor” is someone who is “poor IN SPIRIT”! How is that different from the first poor? The one who is “poor in spirit” may have all the realizations of our first poor character. However, he has come to an amazing conclusion: “I may be poor. I may be bankrupt. I may have NO HOPE IN THIS WORLD. But I have a RICH GOD! I trust the everliving One Whose wounds for me plead.”

So if I’m “poor in spirit”, why am I described as “blessed”? Why am I described as one whose happiness, whose joy is found not by chance or good circumstances? Why am I one whose true joy is found not in myself but in the Lord Himself? Why am I blessed? What do the scriptures say?

“You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.” (Psalm 68:10b)

“He will bring justice to the poor of the people;

He will save the children of the needy,

And will break in pieces the oppressor.” (Psalm 72:4)

“Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,

And makes their families like a flock.” (Psalm 107:41)

“I will abundantly bless her provision;

I will satisfy her poor with bread.” (Psalm 132:15)

What unites each of these verses with our first beatitude? Is not not a two-fold fact? First, the poor in spirit is one who is completely dependent upon the One Who alone is worthy of his dependence! And second, the Lord Himself has his everlasting care upon the one who, although may be bankrupt from the world, is a treasure in God’s sight!

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.

Ask yourself: from where comes my happiness? My family? My trophy spouse? My good golf game? My sports team winning the Super bowl (go Dolphins?). Or is my true happiness found in the Lord…Himself…Alone!

And ask yourself: am I “poor in spirit”? Is my eternal and daily dependence upon the One Who alone is worthy of my eternal and daily trust, as evident by His dying love for me at Calvary?

Finally, ask yourself: am I living for THIS earthly kingdom? Or am I living for the “kingdom of heaven”?

“This World Is Not My Home”

Written by Albert E. Brumley, 1905-1977

This world is not my home

I’m just passing through

My treasures are laid up

Somewhere beyond the blue

The Angels beckon me

From Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home

In this world anymore

Chorus: Oh Lord, you know

I have no friend like you

If Heaven’s not my home

Then Lord what will I do

The Angels beckon me

From Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home

In this world anymore

I have a lovin’ mother

Just hovering up in Gloryland

And I don’t expect to stop

Until I shake her hand

She’s waiting now for me

In Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home

In this world anymore

Blogs, John Grant

JOY

January 3, 2026

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! (Psalm 100)

What could possibly be the right thing to give my bride for her birthday? I thought and thought and finally came up with a way-out idea. I decided to buy her a dog. I picked out a cute one at the dog store and brought her home. I hid her in a box and put a note on my bride’s desk that said my name is Joy and I love to play hide and seek. Come and find me. She did and they bonded instantly. They have been joined at the hip ever since and the little puppy has been every bit of her name, “JOY GRANT”

The Bible says a lot about joy, 155 times, in 38 books of the Bible. Joyful is mentioned 25 times. In the book of Job, one of Job’s friends utters some insightful words: “…the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?” (Job 20:5). There can be no true joy apart from God. Joy is a prominent feature of the true worship of God in the Old Testament. Wherever people know, love, and worship God, His love instills a joy, that only He can give, into the hearts of His worshipers (I Chronicles 15:16) Merriam-Webster defines ‘rejoice’ in this way, ‘to feel joy or great delight’.

Here are the five Biblical highlights on joy:

▪ Joy Is A Gift From God

▪ Doing God’s Will Increases Our Joy

▪ Circumstances Cannot Take Away Our Joy

▪ The Only Thing That Can Steal Our Joy Is Sin

▪ Christians Should Rejoice Always

What are you grateful for today? Will you take time to thank Him?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

A Baptist minister named John Harper was on board the Titanic when it sank in the Atlantic Ocean in April 1912. He had a seat on a lifeboat alongside his sister and six-year-old daughter, but gave it up so he could stay on the sinking ship to preach to its doomed passengers. He even gave his life jacket to another passenger, who miraculously survived the disaster.

Rev. Harper continued sharing the gospel on the ship as it sank and then with those in the freezing water before he died. His daughter, Annie Jessie, went on to become the longest-living Scottish Titanic survivor.

Before the Titanic set sail, Pastor Harper wrote a letter to another clergyman, dated April 11, 1912. He thanked his fellow minister for his kindness when they had been together recently and closed his note, “The warriors are with me here and are doing well so far on the journey. With kindest love, your loving auld Pastor, John Harper.”

The letter recently sold at auction for more than $55,000. Its author’s sacrificial service after he wrote it was beyond price. Jim Denison

— o —

At night we tie the dog up and let the kids run loose. —Ken Whitten

John 14:12 records what we have to imagine was one of the most shocking things the disciples ever heard Jesus say:

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Upon hearing this, the disciples must have been floored. They had seen Jesus give sight to the blind, feed the five thousand, and raise Lazarus from the dead. We’re going to do “greater things than these” Jesus? Yes.

— o —

We are called to…

… Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength

… Love Your neighbor as yourself

… Take up your cross and follow Him

… Go therefore and make disciples, teaching and baptizing them

… Love as you have been loved

… Forgive as you have been forgiven

… Do the work of Him who has sent you as long as it is day. For night is coming when no one can work

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

If being a Christian is a criminal offense, is there enough evidence to place you in jail or just enough for you to receive a warning ticket for acting like one?

Did you ever wonder what worship might look like if we began singing songs to God instead of just singing about God?

Moral Therapeutic Deism – worshipping a creator God who blesses people who are good, nice, and fair and helps believers be happy and feel good about themselves.

Jesus did not come into this world to save us from hell, rather He came to save us from sin. —Ken Whitten

One-time Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said, “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.”

We can’t learn from the problems of our past if we refuse to shine a light on them and acknowledge them. —Dineen Wasylik

Now go therefore and make a difference… Be a world changer and glorify God through it all. —Marty Stubblefield

Are you failing, surviving, or thriving? —Jim Denison

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

Blogs, Jeremy Stopford

“SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

Introduction, Part 2

Last week we began our study in perhaps the most famous “sermon” of all time, Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (SOTM). As you recall from last week, our Savior here is in the process of training His disciples – yet a “MULTITUDE” of people are listening in as well!

Did you catch how the “SOTM” (abbreviated, if you will) begins? Let’s read again Matthew 5:2, “Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying…” [my emphasis]. “He opened His mouth”! Isn’t this how all speeches of importance begin? Isn’t this how all professors begin their lectures? Isn’t this how all teachers begin their class? So then WHY is this so important?

We don’t have to go back too far in the Good Book to find our answer! You may remember that in the early part of Matthew 4, the apostle Matthew records the intimate details of Jesus’ temptation at the hands of our enemy, Satan. This is a most important recording! The Savior is showing that He came to earth as a Man – the God-Man if you will – to show that in addition to being our Savior, He was one of us, yet without sin. As such, how did He approach temptations? He approached them in the same way we must – using Scripture!

To each of the temptations He initially responded, “It is written”. And so should we! I’m particularly fascinated as to how He dealt with the FIRST allurement to evil from the enemy of our souls. We remember that Jesus had just spent 40 days in the wilderness WITHOUT food nor water. As we would be, He was hungry. He was famished. He was weak. Enter Satan. Enter Temptation #1: “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Could He have done that? Of course! BUT! He is now the “God-Man”! Remember what theologians would remind us in their understanding of the “kenosis” in Philippians 2:6-8:

6 “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

So while it is more than possible for the Savior to change stones to bread – or to steak or to MOXIE or to lobster or to any other most wonderful delicacy – He did not! Rather, He approached this temptation as He would want US to approach it: through the use of Scripture! As we could, He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, where Moses was instructing the next generation of the “children of Israel” as to how to live for the Lord:

“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

But WAIT, there’s more! Look at 2 Chronicles 6:4. In the context, Solomon, the newly crowned king of Israel, is sharing with his “congregation”, HIS “multitudes” of the people of Israel, that God is faithful to His Word! Listen to verse 4:

“And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David…”.

Solomon did not become king by CHANCE! No, no! His kingship was a direct result of the Lord fulfilling His Word to Solomon’s father, David. “Fulfilling His word” how? “WHAT HE SPOKE WITH HIS MOUTH”!

The Father of glory spoke by His mouth here to Solomon, He fulfilled His Word in the giving of a son to David to continue the kingdom – and in turn, all the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for an ultimate Kingdom which will never end.

IS THERE MORE? Yes, at least one more! Do you remember – of course you do – the descriptions of Isaiah 53? Along with Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 and the chapters before it give vivid descriptions of what our Savior would endure at the time of the cross. In the middle of all this description of the Savior “becoming sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21), is Isaiah 53:7:

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.”

[my emphasis]

Each of the gospel accounts gives a direct fulfillment of this prophecy concerning the Savior’s silence.

Listen to Matthew 27:12-14:

12 “And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.” [my emphasis]

The accounts in Mark and Luke are most similar to that of Matthew. However, the Gospel of John has a most unique emphasis which is typical of the gospel which is trying to show in vivid detail the Deity of our Savior. Listen to the interchange between Pilate and the soon to be crucified Savior, as seen in John 19:9-11:

[Pilate] “went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

[my emphasis]

In fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 53, the Savior was silent when questioned about His Humanity. BUT when questioned about His Deity, He was quick to share the proof of His origin. Did you catch the intent of John 19:11? The Savior was showing in no uncertain terms that the events of the cross were a direct result of the plans of His Father – and in NO WAY were being orchestrated by Pilate. That truth shook Pilate to his core.

Why is all this important? Because: Like Father, Like Son! The Savior, like His Father in the Old Testament before Him, spoke as it were “from His mouth”. The disciples in Matthew 5-7, along with the multitudes who as well heard, were listening to the Words of God right from the One Who is the Author of those Words!

The SOTM [remember what this means?] is more than just a bunch of nice words shared in the middle of a nice sermon which most of us might fall asleep in sometime in the midst of it! Rather, it is from the “mouth of God”, sharing His guidelines for the Kingdom – not only for Israel’s FUTURE kingdom, but also for the Kingdom of God lived on earth TODAY through those who love the Lord Jesus as Savior!

Are you ready to hear the Words of God from the mouth of God?

Why not spend a few moments this week reading – or perhaps re-reading – Matthew Chapters 5-7.

Better yet, ask yourself two important questions:

#1:“Do I love the Lord Jesus as my Savior and Lord, having trusted that what He did at Calvary was the payment for my sins, MY sins?” If so, rejoice that you belong to the King of kings!

AND #2: “IF I love Jesus as my Lord and Savior, am I walking with Him, intentionally spending time each day in His Word [listening to what comes from His Mouth] and in prayer [sharing with Him what comes from my mouth and heart]?”. Why not intentionally set aside those precious moments between you and the Savior! Someone once wisely observed, “if you read 3 chapters each day Monday through Saturday, and 5 chapters on Sunday, you can read the whole Bible through in one year!”. That may be an HUGE goal for you – but WHY NOT?

May the Lord bless your walk with the Savior this week. LISTEN to what He has to SAY!

Blogs

The Blue Jackets ManuaL

Week Four, 2021

The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God and fit him fully for all branches of his work (2 Timothy 3:17; J.B. Phillips).

THE BLUE JACKETS MANUAL

First published in 1909 it is like a time capsule of values. Now in its 24th edition, The Blue Jackets Manual helps U.S. Navy personnel know and exhibit obedience, knowledge, fighting spirit, reliability, initiative, loyalty, self-control, energy, courage, justice, faith in ourselves, cheerfulness and honor, but above all comes absolute truth, the final test of a man. It also stresses knowledge, energy, self-control, and justice. It is often referred to as the Bible of the Navy.

As Christ followers, we too have a manual. It is the Bible. It’s like God’s owner’s manual for your life. Like any good owner’s manual, the Bible gives you instructions to consult when you need help. It is our manufacturer’s instruction manual.

In the glove box of our automobile there is an owner’s manual (the least read book) telling you all you need to know about the operation and maintenance of your car. Most people have never read it, at least until they have a four-wheel crisis.

Eighty-seven percent of American homes have a Bible, but it too is seldom read until people experience a life crisis and maybe even not then. The Bible tells you what is good and what is bad. The Bible tells us what is right and what is wrong. These innate lessons on living fill the Bible. Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” reminds us God is in the driver’s seat of our life.

The Bible presents us with the history of decisions made by individuals and nations regarding the will of God … The Bible instructs every person to consider his or her personal way of life: “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

As you experience the events in your life, let the Bible be your manual for life and living. There is no match and there is no other. It contains word from God.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Historically, our cultural institutions—from government and military to media, education, business, religion, and civic groups—have served to mold the character of their members in line with their mission and values. Their leaders sought to serve the institution and its members and thus the greater good.

In recent years, however, leaders have come to see their institutions as platforms for personal advancement and status.

Government leaders have fallen victim to the cult of celebrity. Many in the media have sought to serve their personal “brands” through their reporting and visibility. Universities have become platforms for faculty and students to demand social changes aligned with their activistic agendas.

Business leaders have sought personal wealth and advancement to the detriment of their employees and society. Religious leaders, their authority undermined by clergy abuse scandals and personal ambition, have become celebrities rather than shepherds.

Social media is exacerbating the problem. Rather than molding us through engagement with contrary positions and experiences, it exposes us only to news and opinions with which we agree. It then serves as a platform for trumpeting our personal opinions and seeking as many followers and likes as possible.

Even the family, once the foundational institution for molding character, has been redefined as anything we wish it to be. We have become consumers who then use our choices with regard to gender and sexuality as platforms for personal expression. Jim Denison

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Come let us bow down. Come Let us worship the Lord of Lords and King of kings. Come let us bow down before Him.

When was the last time that you worshiped? I mean… truly worshiped? When you got so lost in Him. So, moved by the Spirit that you let your walls down, forgot about everything and everybody else and you worshiped? You bowed down before Him filled with joy and hope and trembling fear?

Let’s stop for a moment and worship. Stop for a moment and bow down. In our offices or cubicles. In our homes or dorm rooms. In our closet or other place where we pray, read, praise. Stop for a moment and worship the Creator of the sunrise and the sunset.

Worship His holiness and His glory. Praise His creativity, and His might and majesty. Praise Him and worship Him for who He is and what He has done. Take in His awesomeness and His magnitude… Sing of His great love. Listen for His still small voice. Enter His gate with Thanksgiving, bow down and worship. Marty Stubblefield

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

When people begin to witness our compassion, they will begin to care about our convictions. Ken Whitten

If you want to appreciate all the freedom that comes from owning less, you’ll want to declutter every room in your home. The Minimalist

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Watch your thoughts, for they will become actions. Watch your actions, for they’ll become habits. Watch your habits for they will forge your character. Watch your character, for it will make your destiny. Margaret Thatcher

And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31

Blogs, Jeremy Stopford

“A NEW LOOK AT AN OLD LOOK!”

Semi-retired Pastor Jeremy Stopford

I suppose when you get to be “our age” (whatever that is, eh, Dr. Becker?), it is possible to think “we’ve arrived” and we DON’T need to be taught anything new! They have words for people like that: “stagnant”! It’s kind of like having a really bad smell coming from the kitchen. After hours of tracking down that foul odor, to much surprise is found a very dead dormouse (or, to paraphrase O Henry, “how can a dormouse be dead?”). That description would be terrible if it happens to someone – like you or me – who says they love the Lord Jesus as Savior but are struggling to see Him afresh in one’s life.

Enter the “Sermon on the Mount”. I was a relatively young pastor in 1992 when I preached through this sermon series for my first and only time. As I’ve looked over my notes for the first time in almost 30 years, I am amazed at how scholarly I was back then. My fear is that such scholarship was probably a form of plagiarism – I found a good quote, wrote it town, and the people in the pew wouldn’t know the worse.

Which leads us to today! This series, now in 2021, could possibly be entitled, “A NEW LOOK AT AN OLD LOOK”. Catchy, huh? But maybe that’s what you and I need! A new look at an old look! We need to look in a real way at some most familiar words proclaimed over 2000 years ago, designed to show the world that Jesus Himself hungers to be REAL in those who proclaim Him as Savior. Lord willing, for the next number of weeks we will be making that “new look” together!

Let’s begin with Matthew 4:13, “And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali…”. Leaving Nazareth. For Jesus, HOMETOWN! A place of familiarity. A place where everyone knows Him as “the carpenter’s son”. In Matthew 13:55, a crowd most surprised by His teaching questioned, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?”. They KNEW who He was. They KNEW His beginnings – they were there! But now, after not seeing Him for who knows how many years, His public ministry – designed initially to point Israel to its true Messiah – was a shock to their familiar intellectual surroundings. Mark 6:3 dissects that the people of Nazareth “were offended at Him.” A friend once told me that meant, “they didn’t like the way He did things.”

So He moved on, to Capernaum [pronounced, properly, “CAP-ER-NAAAAAM” – kind of like a southern Texas drawl], which town would become His new “headquarters” as well as His disciples and His place of retreat. Do YOU have a “place of retreat”? It may be only the recliner in the living room! By the way, I saw a cartoon yesterday in which the doctor tells his visibly overweight patient, “no, you can’t count the recliner bar as a form of exercise”. Perhaps your place of retreat is the golf course, or digging into a good book, or a weekend away to a new scene. In any case, Jesus will be with you – you are NOT retreating from Jesus!

And His disciples were with Him! And so were the multitudes (verse 25)! God’s people are NOT to be isolationists! We may need to be recharged from time to time. But people – PEOPLE! – are not an interruption to ministry. People ARE ministry! Our Savior knew that, and the Scriptures teach that! Remember Acts 1:8: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [my emphasis!]. See also Acts 7:59-8:1, where after the stoning of Stephen, the writer declares, “At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” [again, MY emphasis!]. What’s the point? The Savior is preparing people to be purposely placed where HE needs a witness, a voice, an encourager, a challenger, a testimony. He needs HIS Word proclaimed! Evangelist D. L. Moody wisely said, “Preach the Gospel at all costs! And if necessary, use words.” Our lives and our words are to be used by the Savior to make an eternal impact wherever He wisely gives us HIS assignment! What is YOUR place of assignment today?

Finally, God’s people are to be taught, Matthew 5:2, “Then He opened His mouth and taught them…”. But wait, there is MORE! God’s people are to be taught BECAUSE they are God’s people! How about some familiar verses put together in one spot? Proverbs 22:6a, “Train up a child in the way he should go…”. Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” [MY emphasis]. 2 Timothy 4:16a, 17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable… that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

And God does look AT THE HEART! Remember when Samuel was called of God to choose out from all the males in Israel the “man after God’s own HEART” to be the next king of Israel? Jesse was sure that his oldest son – tall, dark, and handsome Eliab – would be a PERFECT candidate for the next king of Israel! What did God say to Samuel? 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Shortly afterwards, Eli anoints none other than Jesse’s youngest, “a boy named David.”

And with all this…enters the “Sermon on the Mount”. The Savior is training God’s people to be His instruments where He has wisely placed each one, so that each one can represent HIM and HIS heart!

My favorite song of all time, without question, is J.S. Bach’s “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring.” A man may play the song accurately. He may play all the notes mechanically perfectly. And yet, he may not really have played it accurately at all. WHY? Because he has missed Bach’s INTENT – that the mood of the music is to reflect the centrality of CHRIST in the desire of man.

Hence, the Sermon on the Mount is the Savior’s instruction to His people to do WHAT? To create the mood of the music of our lives to reflect the centrality of CHRIST in the desire and lives of His children.

How about YOU? Are you ready for the Savior’s challenge – to sit at His feet and learn of Him?

Blogs, John Grant

FEAR, FRIGHT, AND FELLOWSHIP

Week Three, 2021

We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, character and hope. Romans 5:3

Fear can be debilitating. It can tear us down and steal our confidence. It can bring great anxiety that has us feeling as if we are boxed in and the walls are moving closer.

Fear can cause us to freeze up, to not move or do. It can cause us to just freeze, being unable to help, unstable to think clearly. Fear can cause us to run, to flee, to take flight. Fear can cause us to fight, to become angry, to defend. Fear keeps men from rising up to greatness. Fear keeps men cowering in a boat, while the Savior beckons us to step out and walk on water, to trust and believe. Fear causes us to thrash about in the water, even after we’ve taken a few steps on that water.

Fear can also be healthy as it causes us to prepare, to strengthen, to fortify. Fear can cause us to plan and strategize. It can be the catalyst to help us think outside the box, help us become creative, help see things we may never have seen otherwise.

And then… there is the fear of the Lord. The great respect. The awe. The knowing of His great strength, His great knowledge, even His great wrath. The knowing of His history, His dependability, His promises, His character, His love. The knowing of the Greatest gift of all, His Son who He sent to live and die and live again so that we might have life.

As we face the fears of life, whether large or small or somewhere in between, let us not be afraid. For we know that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We know that we are never alone. Though I may fear… I will not be afraid, for I know from where my help comes.

We glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall, I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. Psalm 27:1-3

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Sometimes we just need a little straight talk. No fancy story. No Fluff. No paint. Just truth. And here it is:

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” – 1 John 5:11-12 NIV

Straight up. Grace, forgiveness and eternal life can be only found one way and that’s through God’s Son, Jesus Christ. There is no other way to the Father. No other way to Heaven.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6 NIV Marty Stubblefield

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Crisis is a call to faith:

Max Lucado points to the time Jesus walked to the disciples on the stormy Sea of Galilee (John 6:16–20) and then quotes verse 21, “They were glad to take [Jesus] into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” Then Lucado adds: “Follow the example of the disciples. Welcome Jesus into the midst of this turbulent time. Don’t let the storm turn you inward. Let it turn you upward.”

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Here’s the bad news: humans cannot change human nature. Here’s the good news: Jesus can. Jim Denison

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln

Don’t pull the clouds of tomorrow onto the sunshine of today. Ken Whitten

Our culture cuts the flowers off at the roots and then wonders why they die. Jim Denison

If your religion has not changed your life, then you need to change your religion. Adrian Rogers

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” Helen Keller

You can’t say that marriage is the union between one man and one woman. Until very recently, that’s what the vast majority of Americans thought. Now it’s considered bigotry. Jim Denison

Blogs

Too frightened to follow?

Frank Becker

I lived through World War II and a dozen that followed, always under the shadow of nuclear war. But in my 80 years, I have never witnessed so many challenges to the human race in so short a period of time.

Consider the saber-rattling from China, Russia, and a score of lesser nations. Factor in the Chinese Virus pandemic, the world’s faltering economies, America’s own vicious political infighting, the encouragement by the left of violent crime, and the corruption of our media.

While some properly recognize these as the methods Hitler and Stalin used to subvert their nations, these all have foundation in Jesus’ prophecies concerning the end times. Before his return, there will be wars, earthquakes, pestilence, and distress of nations (Luke 21:8-11). These are signs of the times.

But these are not times for Christians to bury their heads in the sand and attempt to avoid reality. Jesus warned us! “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day comes upon you unawares. For as a snare it shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” Luke 21:34-35).

Through my eight decades, I have seen good times and bad, but most Americans have chosen to try to perpetuate the “good times” and ignore the bad. And too often we have ignored the plights of others around the world who have suffered, and we have instead wallowed in our prosperity. It seemed a small thing to abort 60-million unborn, living beings, the very children who would be called upon to run our industries, fight our wars, and pay our Social Security, while donating countless millions to safe predators, both four legged and two. We have forgotten that we were a nation made great by the values and personal sacrifices of those who preceded us.

Americans allowed the mention of God to be removed from our classrooms. Our educational system was perverted, and entire generations of Americans grew up ignorant of their heritage and the issues that separated our free nation from the flawed systems of those gone before. Through all this, the practices of many was to remain willingly and blithely ignorant and to discount any threats to our nation—to eat, drink, and be merry.

Their education came from the media, and the media was, in large measure, corrupt. No, the United States of America weren’t perfect, but we were the best in history, and we continually working to improve. Our Constitution and the Bill of Rights provided for positive change. But we have been dismantling our Constitution, and as a result, our freedoms are nearly gone.

And with the vast immigration into the USA—legal and illegal—there has been a massive introduction of competitive systems of religion and politics, followed by the erosion of our system of beliefs. Others came here to benefit from the fruits of our freedom, but rather than embarce prove values, they insisted on bringing the evils of their own.

As a result of these things, our nation has begun a rapid decline.

A cloud is spreading over the earth, and it’s not ozone. It’s sin, and terror, and repression. Who do we punish? Those who want to examine events and make certain that things are properly done, rather than those who shut off all debate and crush their enemies.

Christian, you are not to be of that crowd!

For those followers of Jesus Christ who may feel overwhelmed by the speed and intensity of change, I point you to God’s Word. Those who have an ear to hear, listen again to the words of Jesus in Luke, Chapter 21.

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

This is my point: As things around us grow more and more evil, we should be increasingly aware that He will return soon. Even joyful and triumphant. For just as we know that the budding of leaves on the trees indicate that summer is coming, so we know that these signs point to our Lord’s return. Don’t be caught up in despair. Instead, rejoice, and stand firm in your faith.

Do you remember these words from the 23rd Psalm?

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Those paths don’t always seem pleasant, do they?

But if He is leading, we will only find contentment in following him.

Is this your prayer? Is this your life?

As Paul remarked, we are nearer the “end” than we were at the beginning.

“Even so, come Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:21).