Once the war of Armageddon is over and Satan is sent to the Abyss for 1,000 years along with all others whose names were not in the Book of Life. Jerusalem becomes the world capital. Poverty is unknown and prosperity is evident everywhere. Most people will have every need met. There will be no prisons, no hospitals, no mental institutions and few graveyards for some may live to be as old as Methuselah. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of God. Jesus is Lord and rules with an iron rod. His reign is righteous and the nations obey His directions. Depending on our relationship with Christ, prior to that time, depends on what our life will be like and the rewards we will receive during those years if we are a true Christian.

We believe generation after generation will be born and the earth flourishes as it did in the Garden of Eden before man’s sin. To live longer lives we have been told we will have a new body. A body that is not as lustful and carnal as our present ones. We will have a different mind-set and most likely stress and fear may not be a factor. When Christ chooses us to do a job, would we question whether we could do it or not? Would Christ ask us if He knew we couldn’t do it? What would it be like with everyone having a positive, can do attitude?

Some believe whether they are born during the 1,000 years or those resurrected who believe God has not given them enough, will deny Christ later in this period. These unbelievers on earth are allowed to experience the reign of Christ. They will continue to rebel against God even without Satan’s deceptive influence. The moment Satan is let out of the prison or Abyss, at the end of the millennium; these people will flock after Satan and go to war against Christ seeking a better life or more material things. It happened in Heaven and is possible on earth also. This will prove their absolute depravity and the necessity of the final punishment in the Lake of Fire.

God cursed creation because of the sins of Adam and Eve. It is believed that once Christ returns, the earth’s ecology and environment will be as it was prior to the flood. No one knows how this will happen but the Apostle Peter said, “If God promised it, then He knows how to do it.”

Micah 4:4 – “Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies have made this promise!” Revelation 11:15 – “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

History tells us that the early church leaders believed, without exception, that Christ would return after the Tribulation to reign. In A.D. 375 Augustine taught that the 1000 year Millennium began with the birth of Christ. Many continue to believe that it is between the resurrection and when Christ returns the second time. They believed the reign of Christ is in the hearts of Christians until Jesus’ return. They also believe the Tribulation occurs throughout history and that we have been going through it since Christ’s death. They do not believe that Christ will rule on this earth for 1,000 years. I continue to believe that when Christ returns, believers will be raptured and those saved in the Tribulation period and the Old Testament saints will live to rule with Jesus.

Revelation 19: 15 – 16 – “From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a wine-press. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.”

Christ, in His second coming, has a different ministry. In previous Scripture it describes miracle working demons causing all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord to a place called Armageddon. The sword in His mount is God’s Word. As the universe was spoken into existence, one Word and His foes will be killed where they stand. Isaiah 11:4 says: He will strike down the nations with the breath of His mouth. At this point God’s anger destroys all sin and evil. At the end of the War of Armageddon, then begins the millennium, the 1000 years of Jesus’ reigns.

Isaiah 9:7 – “His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

The Jews expected their Messiah would come as a world leader as Scripture predicted. This is why they could not accept a spiritual Jesus as their Messiah. Therefore, we believe the Old Testament and the New Testament agree that there will be 1000 years when Christ actually rules as a benevolent dictator on earth and it hasn’t happened yet. The first time He came was to die for the sins of man and the Jews did not understand He would come a second time.

Revelation 20:1 – 3 – “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.”

Once the 1,000 years are over, Satan, non-believers and this earth will be destroyed by fire. There then will be a new heaven and a new earth that we will live in forever, a paradise greater than anything man could ever imagine. It will have the capacity to accommodate over one billion people. What on this earth could be more important than living God’s ways planning for eternity?

Success according to the world may be defined as achieving certain material goals. The Bible defines success differently. God says success is adequately preparing for eternal life. It is very clear, the Bible says to be successful in the world and in planning for eternity, it takes both faith and confidence and the power of the Holy Spirit within.

Faith comes from the basis of a spiritual life and living that spiritual life. To understand what God had intended when He put the Holy Spirit into the life of a believer, was to see that person completely change from who they were to how they are to live in the future. The Bible gives us numerous examples of people prior to receiving the Holy Spirit and the changes that took place afterwards. Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Shouldn’t we expect to become more confident when we have been given power from God’s Spirit?

Are you not aware that when non-believers see you they are supposed to see Christ in you? That means they should see a very positive person. If they don’t, isn’t it time to take inventory as to why you are more negative?

I found the American dream was available to those who realized that it won’t be given to them; it had to be earned. I read many books on the power of positive thinking. I studied management principles and went to numerous seminars to improve my skills. The one book that has helped me the most is studying the Bible. One thing I learned was preparation. It was the key to success both in the world and in preparing for eternity. I learned the importance of trusting in God’s promises. I became aware that the Holy Spirit was given to us that we might have comfort, guidance and a purpose in life. The Bible taught me to become free from the ways of society and our worldly, self-centered nature.

Malachi 3:10 – “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

I found a number of things that I could do to receive God’s blessings. First I had to trust God through giving. Next, I found that preparation and trusting God was the key to success, it changed everything. I have used the illustration that professional basketball players often would shoot five hundred baskets a day, every day, to become proficient and successful. Success is not something that is usually given to you it must be earned. The key may be to know what must be done to earn it.

Deuteronomy 8:18 – “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” I heard a sermon on Ephesians 6:5 – 9 and it changed how I worked. I have changed what Scripture says: Employees, obey your earthly bosses with respect and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as employees of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do. And bosses, treat your employees in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
As Christians we are to be different from the world. We are to be obedient, cheerful and loyal wherever we work. We are to do our best by being dutiful, polite and dependable.

Employers can easily see the difference between excellent employees and so-so employees. Guess who got the raises, the promotions and success?

We should not have to stand in fear and trembling before anyone other than God. The Christian employee must not be afraid of their superiors but afraid of disobeying the Lord. If he/she does not show total respect for his/her employer, be afraid of disobeying our Lord Who helps us toward becoming successful. Paul says we are not to do our best only when we are being watched but remember God is watching every second through the Holy Spirit that is within us.

You may work for someone who never gives you recognition, reward, promotion or praise. But remember that will come when we get to heaven. The Lord’s payday doesn’t come at the end of the week, month or year. But it will come, if you work as Scripture teaches. We often only think about the here and now but our treasures are being stored up in heaven.

If you are a supervisor, realize that God is not impressed with a person’s position. He is only interested in what that person does in that position. Don’t think that God doesn’t notice when one abuses their position or causes injustices to be done. The Lord always knows what is going on. The day will come when He will come, when He squares up all accounts. God will have the last word.

I believe those possessing the fruits of the Spirit have a better chance of being successful than those who are not. The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22 – 23

When a person lives the life of the Spirit, an individual is truly different. The fruit as described above is an outward expression of Christ living inside that person. Everyone having the Holy Spirit can and should receive these fruits. They don’t seem to grow adequately unless we are willing to die out to our self-centered worldly nature. This is difficult for many people as repenting or changing life’s direction can be a struggle also. Old habits are often difficult to break. Changing one’s previous worldly comfort zone is like dieting to an obese person. Dieing out to our old nature is not easy and requires surrendering that people with strong, controlling personality find difficult to give up and give in to living by Christ’s ways.

It may start with a trust factor in not believing God really has a purpose or plan for them. To fulfill that purpose usually requires a change in thinking, a renewing of one’s mind that is open to new concepts. A person unwilling to change direction may block the working of the Holy Spirit and find success nearly impossible. Christ will allow a believer moral agency to make their own choices and usually will not overrule that decision. Choices we make without the Holy Spirit’s guidance may not come from heavenly wisdom but from one’s knowledge. We must have the faith to believe that God wants us to succeed. We then must find something we enjoy and have a passion to pursue and then prepare for success.

Set goals and make a plan to achieve them. Work hard and be tenacious. It probably will require thinking differently. Learn to communicate and motivate others. Don’t ever be afraid to fail. Be honest and accept responsibility. Be a humble leader, be kind and have self-control over one’s emotions.

There are certain inner qualities that can make us more attractive in the eyes of others. My cousin participated in sports in high school, college and semi-pro. He was a very aggressive athlete. He was popular and had many friends. I often wondered why he had so many close friends and wanted that characteristic and to emulate him. It took me years to figure out what it was that made the difference. He was a kind person and we like people who are KIND.

Galatians 5:22 – 23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

These are given to Christians who live a Spirit-filled life. These are natures that Christ had and we are to become Christ-like by imitating Christ not men or women. We are told that if we are living a holy life, the Spirit will produce the fruits in you. It is also an indication of one’s salvation. It gives an outward expression of Christ dwelling in the life of a believer. This is why we believe Christians should have a life of love, joy and peace. Yet, so many Christians fail to live with these fruits. Yet, we all have at least one.

Kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirit that makes a tremendous example to others. Just think how attractive we would be to others if we had each fruit of the Spirit. What is your reaction if someone does something to you that is unkind? Are you critical, wanting to get even or do you want to react like you believe Jesus would? Often time others are watching our reaction to negative situations. How we react could encourage them not to be a friend or to be one. As a store manager, handling an abusive customer complaint, I had to be aware that my employees were watching how I handled it. I have had them say: How were you able to keep your cool with that customer? I was not to get defensive or even, but to let God handle any judgment. My job was to correct the complaint.

Charles Stanley gave the best definition of a kind person that I have heard. A kind person is a giving person, a happy person who is not self-centered. They enjoy pleasing others and they have a pleasant personality. They care about others and enjoy pleasing people. They are gentle and warm hearted, unselfish and generous. They are understanding and considerate. They are thoughtful and merciful and use kind words. They are helpful and courteous and excuse the mistakes of others. They treat everyone equally as they would like to be treated. There will be times when we must be stern or discipline others; it can be done in a kind way. Kindness will make us appeal to others. Wouldn’t you want a friend like that; then be one?

Luke 6:46 – “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” James 1:22 – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

The Bible says: They heard the things He (Jesus) said but they would not do them. How then can you be considered a disciple or a follower? Jesus set an example as to how we were to live and treat others. He gave parables such as: Luke 25 – 37 – A Jew was beaten by robbers and left for dead. A priest and a Levite ignored him. However, a Samaritan was hated by the Jews, but the Jewish man stopped put oil on the wounds and took him to an inn to recuperate. Which one showed him kindness? I believe in eternity, the fruits of the Spirit will be given freely to everyone. Man that was cursed by sin will have the curse removed. Won’t that be worth being a Christian and living with everyone having all the fruits?
Acts 20:35 – “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

We should do things for others without expecting anything in return. To develop friends we must become a friend. If you are making a business dealing with another, would you want it to be a friend rather than someone trying to take advantage of you? Everything we do, we are being watched; sometimes by others, but all the time by God. Don’t you think God wants us to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit now? We can and we must develop the mind of Christ. We can’t do it by living as the world lives. We must do as Christ taught.

According to a recent ABC News’ poll, 65% of Americans fear a widespread outbreak of Ebola in the U.S. When we cannot control something it creates anxiety. When the government cannot control it, the results are near panic. Many times we are more stressed out about what could happen than what is actually happening. How do we overcome being stressed out over what’s in the future or the present?

From the beginning of time, the world has been in a mess. Wars, murders, deviant acts, stealing, etc. It is no different today. God has punished and disciplined, people repent, but it did not last long until evil crept back into people’s lives. God sent His Son to show mankind how God expected each of us to live. Through Christ, prophets and Jesus’ disciples, He gave us a manual on how each of us was to live. Man didn’t want to know what was expected and mostly ignored God’s guidance. So the world continues to be a mess. How do the world’s gigantic problems affect you? Have you forgotten that God is in charge?

It seems everyone has some degree of stress. I posted a blog on stress in 2011: “How Scripture Tells Us To Deal With Pressure”, it was one of the most read blogs, so I recently reran it on Facebook. The Bible emphasizes that we are to live happy and stress free lives. We are told to condition ourselves in order to have self control over our emotions and feelings. The way we do that is by increasing our faith and gaining heavenly wisdom. The greater our relationship with God, the more assurance we will have that He will allow only what He wants us to have and He will be with us no matter what!!!

The Bible gives us an example of what the Apostle Paul went through and he was filled with joy and taught that we can handle all stress and remain confident and happy. We are told that the more we feel blessed by God, the more happiness and confidence we will find in life. You may have met individuals who have been Christians for many years and yet, they are extremely negative and have problems coexisting with others. Their lives seem to be miserable.

Every serious problem Paul endured was not self inflicted. Every beating or injustice was not self caused but what he knew God wanted him to witness. Whether it was as an example for others or to build Paul’s faith, he knew God was allowing it for a reason. At all times, Paul was a positive thinker, never down on himself or feeling it was happening because he was unworthy or God was punishing him.

Most Christians that had Paul’s problems would be thinking: What did I do to deserve this? They would be thinking: Why is God punishing me rather than, God, what am I to learn? We should be filled with joy realizing that God would not allow it if we could not handle it. God loves us and it is happening for either our benefit or as an example for others, now or later on. Every problem we would see as an opportunity, realizing that God is allowing it to make us better. Maybe it is not for this life but for our life in eternity. This is a major reason that Christ came, to show us how to handle life and still be free of negative thinking and living.

Proverbs tells us that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. We must learn, no matter our circumstance, our thinking determines whether we will be sad, depressed or enjoy a happy life. Our attitudes will determine how we will handle a particular circumstance. The more faith we have, God will help us deal with every situation and it can be solved in a positive way. The more problems we deal with successfully, the more wisdom we will obtain. If we lack confidence and suffer a poor self-worth, stress and life’s pressures can become unbearable. Thus, the more faith and confidence we have, the more capable we are of controlling our emotions and feelings in every problem faced.

Negative thinking can cause destructive behavior by overeating, drunkenness, lying, stealing or sexual misbehavior. Too many Christians try living life on their own without the guidance of the Holy Spirit that God placed in them. The Devil is the world’s great deceiver and he tempts us with the pleasures of the world. Self caused problems are harder to deal with than those that come from outside our control. We must not be tempted if we want peace, joy and to be blessed. If problems happen, for reasons beyond our control, we will know definitely that it was allowed by God and God truly loves us. It is for a reason!

We will become the person we tell ourselves to be. If you think like a junkie, you will become a junkie. If you think like Christ, you will become more Christ-like. How we think determines what kind of a life we are going to have. How you see yourself is who you are. How others see you, should not be who you end up being. You can allow your background to establish your character or you can make the future whatever you want it to be.

God allows problems to build our faith and give us wisdom. We should not pray for God to take this problem from us immediately. Our character is built by how we deal and face what is confronting us. I am often reminded of what the Apostle Paul went through and then wrote much of the New Testament telling us how to have joy and happiness in our life. Would you trade places with the Apostle Paul?

II Corinthians 11:23 – 26 – “I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.”

Too many Christians do not believe they can change who they are; even knowing what the Bible says: We are to become a new person once we accept Christ as our Savior. We can always change what we believe about ourselves. However, unless you can believe you can change, you won’t. No matter what our circumstance may be, we must determine whether we will be happy or become stressed out.

Happiness and freedom or stress is yours to choose. You must have the faith that what God promises is meant for you, His child. He tells you He will meet your needs if you follow His Ways. We are told the way we think is also the way we will feel physically. The Bible tells us what we read and what we think and believe will determine the life we will live. Scripture says if a man changes his beliefs it will change his feelings and behavior. Our attitude tells us how a particular situation will be handled. Negative attitudes create destructive behavior. Too many Christians try living life on their own without allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to guide them.

Do you want a joyful life, a life of happiness free of stress? What you tell yourself or what you think about yourself is who you are or who you will become. If you are not thinking right, you can become so depressed that you believe life is hopeless and it has little value and meaning for you. No matter what: God loves us.

God is using ordinary people, every day, to perform His signs and miracles but the world is looking for that super spectacular experience. God does not approve of the arrogant and loves those who are humble. Christ chose ordinary workers to spread His Gospel. The problem the world misses, they are looking for signs in the wrong places and from the wrong people.

Even Christians miss the miracle of receiving the Holy Spirit into their lives once they accept Christ as their Savior. We then ask God: How could You use anyone of us? There are more people with more talent and abilities than us. To prove my point how God uses ordinary people, in 1962, 26 people, very ordinary, met for the first time in the Odd Fellows Hall in Las Vegas, NV to worship God. It immediately grew to 43 attending. Who would ever have envisioned that this small group, over the years, could affect over 100,000 people for Christ? Keep in mind; these were not hand-picked super humans capable of gigantic personal powers for spreading the Gospel. In fact, it has been told that no one was Biblically qualified to be an Elder and on the board. Yet, a board was selected.

Why would God start a church in a city supposedly run by mob bosses having access to the city from behind the scenes? The city believed to have radiation fallout from Area 51, a rumored base for UFOs, a shortage of water with not a too promising future. The spreading of casino gambling around the country threatened the city’s growth.
It is nothing short of a miracle that Central survived the first few years. It went through a number of self-induced calamities that might very well have brought about its early demise. But it survived and grew. There were times of unity and times of turmoil. What charter members will tell you is the fact that God could do so much with so little.

This was a time when many were proclaiming God was dead and the Bible was a myth. Noah and the flood were not true and the Old Testament was declared a fairy tale. Some also believed that the miracles committed by Jesus were not true. If something could not be explained it had to be untrue.

In 1970 the church moved into its new building at Mojave Rd. It was surrounded by desert. They were not there long until they had out grown the new church. In 1977 they voted to build an additional church of 12,860 square feet estimated to cost $394,320 across the street from the present building. Getting a bank loan was almost impossible. The small group had to raise, from members, $300,000 to start building and they did. November 1980 the building was completed and dedicated. In 1989 an additional 45,000 sq. ft. was added to the present church and the gym was used as the new sanctuary.

I became an Elder in 1983. We had approximately ten on staff. I was surprised to hear the staff was told not to cash their checks until Monday so we could make sure adequate money was given in Sunday’s offering to cover the checks. In 1987 I was asked to become chairman to change our church’s bylaws. We went from a traditional church to a seeker friendly one. We reversed centuries of tradition and had it pass with no more than a whimper of protest. Do you realize there are people who despise change?

I was board chairman in 1988 and 1989 when we added to our building. We did not have the money to build it and if we did, we could not afford to maintain its upkeep. We learned it was not about how big our problem was; it was how big our God was. By 1991 we had a staff of over 40 and ran out of space. We had out grown our building and parking area and had to consider moving again. I was asked to chair the Relocation Task Force to purchase 80 acres and again, we did not have the money to do so. We purchased the land and it just happened that a member loaned us the money. In 1998 we began building a 150,000 sq. ft. building and we didn’t have the $21 million to complete the building, but God did.

Every problem that could happen seemed to occur. Contractor problems, problems with the city and church members who seemed to know more than the contractors, all had to be addressed. We had a prayer group that we asked to pray and surprisingly, every problem got solved. It happened so many times that we began saying: “It’s a God Thing”.

The church has always had financial problems since I have been a member. We never had enough to pay for what we believe God wanted us to do. We finally learned that God did not step in and correct financial problems until the very last minute. How else would we have realized that it was God that was making things happen?

We also learned that God seems to mostly use just ordinary people who He can bless without it going to their head. When everything was completed and it was good; everyone involved realized that it was God Who made it all happen. We kept wondering, why we were selected; we are just a bunch of ordinary people who love serving God. We guess it was because of faith and trust that it was what God wanted done and we were willing to do it.

We are presently expanding again. I am sure those involved will witness the supernatural signs that God provides. I write this hoping that you will look for and realize that God is in it. When you finish, your faith will have increased tremendously!!! For everyone else, don’t miss the signs that God is giving you possibly daily. Be sure and continually look for God’s signs. He wants to increase your faith too.

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times came from Charles Dickens. How we handle good times and bad times depends on where we are spiritually. If you are weak spiritually you will react one way. If you are spiritually mature, you will probably handle things differently. Where we are spiritually depends on the strength of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit and if so, do you allow God’s Spirit to guide you? The Bible tells us God will speak to us if we are listening. How often we hear and what we hear will depend on the importance of our daily prayer life and our relationship with Him.

Do you consistently obey God? No matter what we face, a mature Christian will deal with it from a Biblical perspective. To make correct decisions comes from how disciplined we live our lives. Do we have the proper diet, have a regular exercise program and live a Godly life? Are we disciplined to daily read our Bible and pray and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct us? What are our goals and what direction do we want our life to go? What are we trying to accomplish in life? Do you have a mission and a ministry? How seriously are you taking Christianity? Do you attend church and then live like the world the remainder of the week? If so, what kind of blessings do you expect God to give you?

If you are serious about living the example that Christ set for us, you will encounter problems throughout life. God allows major problems to build our character and our faith. The Apostle Paul had tremendous problems. Yet, he matured more spiritually and built an inner strength to meet each one. As he matured, he was able to do more and more for Christ Who gave him the strength to do so.

We must continually be seeking God’s purpose for our lives. If we don’t, chances are we will miss many opportunities that could be ours. The more we seek our purpose, the more we grow and the result will give us courage and the more positive we become. We must live our lives representing Christ.

We must express love for others and have a desire to help them. We must learn what our spiritual gifts are and use them. Are we an encourager or a complainer? As a mature Christian we find it easier to forgive others than a weak Christian who may have a problem doing so. Have you not learned you cannot get ahead by getting even? Do we allow bad times in our past determine our future?

Having spiritual gifts gives us an advantage in life. It provides the joy and peaceful living that the Bible promises. How we live our lives affects how we look physically. Have you looked at certain people and thought they must have had a hard life?

Where we are spiritual can affect how we handle our finances. Do you create problems for yourself or are your needs being met? A spiritually mature Christian doesn’t get into debt buying luxuries they can’t afford or doing unnecessary things as expensive vacations. They live a lifestyle based on their net worth and current income. We will encounter enough problems without making our own.
We can defer problems by building a strong family. We must set examples for our children and grandchildren. We are to have a servant’s heart. We must be givers and not be takers. We must set work standards and not depend on others or the government to take care of us. We must as parents help our children find their purpose in life. We need to build their confidence and develop self-assurance by teaching Christ’s example and letting them know that God wants what is best for them and for them to be successful. Christians must set examples that others would want to model their life after. If others can see Christ in us they may want the same results in themselves. We must ask ourselves: Do I live for myself or do I live for my family and others?

James 1:2 – 4 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

As we have our good days and bad days, the Bible teaches us how to live through each. God knew we needed the power of the Holy Spirit to get us through various situations. It is very important how we approach each. We can allow problems to ruin our day or longer, but we can realize the problem may be there for a reason. We often learn more in defeat than we do in winning. As an athlete, winning we thought we had arrived. In losing, we learned how to solve problems and deal with our emotions. It seemed we gained more experience by losing. When was the last time you thanked God for allowing a problem to occur in your life? I have always asked God when negative experiences occur, what am I to learn?

How we handle life also depends on our faith. Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

We can overcome our problems by faith. A good example is that the founding fathers of America lived for others, because of their faith. Today’s politicians live for themselves, because they lack faith. Have you noticed a difference?

Whatever happened to the nation I grew up in? We were A Christian nation and our Sundays were spent in church and we didn’t work or shop on the Sabbath. After World War II we became a superpower militarily, economically, technically and assisted building a war devastated Europe back to health and helping Japan, who tried to destroy us, to get back to being a country. We were loaning money to other nations, helping them to have a better standard of living, improved the world’s health system and assisted the world economically. We put a man on the moon, we built interstate highways connecting all states and our military was powerful enough to stop Russia from putting missiles in Cuba. What happened to that nation that was capable of doing anything it wanted?

The United States today has the greatest potential of any nation and they can affect the whole world for the better if they wanted, once again. Thanks to horizontal drilling and new technologies that exist for obtaining natural gas and oil. We have discovered that America has an almost unlimited amount of these fuels. A few states, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia and Pennsylvania have helped increase oil produced by 65% over the past five years. As a result, with all of the chaos in the Middle East when gas prices go sky high, they have been even lower. Now that we are the number one producing nation in the world, OPEC countries must continue producing their normal amount to keep America from dominating the industry. This means we are producing more oil than Saudi Arabia and more natural gas than Russia.

In the past few months the price of oil has dropped approximately $25 a barrel. This is financially hurting Russia, Iran and Venezuela. If our government wanted to, they could destroy the OPEC nations who have controlled oil and gas prices for years and many have supported terrorism. We could put people to work, improve the average pay check, pay off our national debt and give our nation a savings of approximately $75 billion a year in lower energy and gasoline prices. All we would have to do is stop this man-made climate change and realize that God controls the weather and everything in the universe. We then need to open public land to additional drilling under strict supervision from the EPA, under new management. We need to reduce the taxes on business and stop these ridiculous regulations that are causing businesses one trillion dollars annually to comply. We need to reduce the national government’s size and allow the states to decide what their people want in the form of government.

Would you please pray for our nation, before Election Day, Tuesday, November 4th, that we would elect people who would put America and its people ahead of their getting re-elected? If we could just get America slightly back to where we use to be and repent, God would be pleased and America would again prosper.

Some Christians think the biggest mistake President Obama has made since being in office has been withdrawing support and protection from Israel and showing more partiality toward Israel’s enemies. This has made the situation in the Middle East more precarious. He has tried to get Israel to give up covenant land and accept a peace treaty with Palestine. Muslim leaders continue to call for an annihilation of Israel.

Genesis 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

WHAT I HEAR! If America was established by God for the protection of Jews, Israel and Christians as a few believe and the U.S. is no longer willing to support or protect Israel and Christians have not kept our government from its actions, is America no longer serving God’s purpose and is no longer needed in God’s plan? I hope none of this is true!!!

Seeing new churches started and existing churches expanding seems like we are getting ready for a spiritual revival. Therefore, I thought I would report the following as to what I have been reading and hearing. I am not a prophet only a reporter!

Israel was brought into existence by God when He asked Abraham to move to a new land. Historical evidence indicates that America was a creation of God also. God established a nation to provide a safe place for Jews and as a nation that would provide them protection. Columbus was an Italian Jew and he was financially supported by a number of Jewish men, in addition to the Queen, to look for a safe haven for Jewish people. In Spain, the Jews were told to convert to becoming a Catholic or leave the country. Of those that stayed, many were killed. If America was established to provide a safe place and protection for the Jews and we are not; is the U.S. no longer necessary and therefore not in the Book of Revelation? You will not find this in your history books.

America was formed after ancient Israel and is following the same moral and spiritual guidance as they did. Over the years, the same prophesies that applied to Israel appear to be applicable to America. We see in Scripture, as Christians, the same judgments that were given to the Jewish people. America is denying God just as the Israelites did. We know the discipline and judgment that God placed on them. I believe He has been warnings us as well.

Some believe the lost tribes of Israel migrated to the United Kingdom thousands of years ago. It is possible that some of our founding fathers had Jewish backgrounds and were unaware of it. Some believed America was an extension of ancient Israel. Our legal system was based on the laws given to Moses by God. They also designated Sunday, the day Christ arose from the grave, as the Christian Sabbath. Thanksgiving was based on the Feast of Tabernacle. Many of our cities were named after Jewish cities. Many children were named after Bible characters.

America’s founding fathers believed our nation would obey God’s ways. They also believed we would receive the same blessings as Israel received, if we followed the Bible as Christians. Evidence of America’s prosperity and superpower status confirms what they believed.

History books don’t tell you that in the beginning of America, education was established to teach the Word of God. In fact, some schools taught the Hebrew language. In my public grade school, the Bible was referred to and occasionally Biblical stores were told.

We believe what happened to Israel in the past, for rejecting God, similar discipline and punishment could occur in America. God used draughts, floods, other natural disasters, epidemic outbreaks and wars to punish the Israelites. His purpose has always been to urge Israel and America to repent and return to worshipping Him. When they don’t, in America, since many do not believe there is a God, they call it man-made disasters and not God’s discipline. The Bible said God prospered Israel by providing rain and abundant crops as He has America when He was being worshipped.

If you do not believe Israel and America were established by God, then you may not accept that America is under the same commandments and requirements as Israel as described in the Bible. Signs and warnings that were given to Israel, we believe are now being given to America. We believe one of America’s warnings happened on September 11, 2001 when the two towers were destroyed. We believe we are in the middle of another warning of judgment.

There will be four blood red moons, each appearing on a Jewish holiday, when a major event could occur. (See blog: OCTOBER 8th IS A SPECIAL DAY IN GOD’S PLAN.” On April 15, 2014 and October 8th, 2014 there was a blood moon or lunar eclipses on each of those dates. The first occurred on Passover. Another blood moon appeared on October 8, 2014 on Feast of the Tabernacles. Then again a blood moon will happen on April 4, 2015 on Passover and again on September 28, 2015 on Feast of the Tabernacles. Anytime there have been four blood red lunar eclipses in a row on religious holidays, there have been major events. In 1492 Columbus discovered America. In 1948 Israel became a nation. The next time this lunar eclipse phenomenon occurred was in 1967. Israel was attacked by Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon and they repelled their enemies. The war lasted six days and Israel captured Sinai, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and the West Bank. They were able to unify control over Jerusalem their covenant land. The next time there will be four blood moons in a row, will be in 100 years, according to NASA.

Judgment can come from sun flairs, starvation, nuclear power plants, hurricanes, floods, volcanoes erupting, major earthquakes, terrorism, Ebola, etc…… Since the blood moons are seen in America and not in Israel, we believe they are meant for America. It could be possible that sometime in 2015, around September or October or before, God may be sending another warning of judgment. We must wait and see if the blood moons are a warning for America, Israel or the world. Will Americans repent and return to God before then? If not, are you ready spiritually to handle what may come?

Many families in the Bible were dysfunctional and many are today. Adam & Eve, Abraham, Jacob, King David and so many others had numerous spiritual problems. If you teach your children the promises of God and what it takes for them to receive those promises, they will be with you in eternity. Our nation was built on the Bible but our leaders in the 1960s decided the Word needed to go. Since then, it is up to parents to teach their children God’s ways.

God create each child with a plan and a purpose. As parents we need to help them find that purpose. If they do not accept God’s plan they will chose their own. Which do you believe would be the most fulfilling? As you pray with your child or children pray that you find God’s purpose for them and help them find God’s agenda for their life. We need to teach them to base their lives on Jesus Christ and they will become what we teach them to be. If we fail to teach them, we are allowing others to establish their character. Christ’s parable was to build your house on the rock and not on sinking sand. If we do not teach the Word to them, it is very possible that they will build their life’s foundation on sinking sand. The waves of life will come and how they handle them, depends on what their life was built on.

Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” As parents, we must be a good listener and consistent. We are not to play favorites and make examples of each other. Pray and read the Bible together. Don’t make a promise and then fail to follow through.

What our children are learning in school and from political leadership is not necessarily what we want them to learn. It is more important now than any time in history that parents need to teach their children. We need to develop their confidence. Those who lack confidence blame everyone or everything for any problem they have. A confident person will admit their mistakes and make a plan to fix them. They need to learn how to be a person who unites others. I think Abraham Lincoln said it best:

“You cannot further the brotherhood of men encouraging class hatred.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”

How we live our lives as husband and wife in front of our children can be a great teacher. Husbands are to loves their wives and wives are to respect their husband. My wife and I have learned that if we serve each other rather than being served, we did not experience the major issues and problems many deal with when working from a selfish perspective.

The devil causes many problems in a marriage because it has been Satan’s goal to destroy the family. The devil is the great deceiver and he will attack and influence our attitudes and emotions. He stresses our self-centeredness needs to be fulfilled and wants us to live by the world’s ways: We come first at all times. He wants families to deny there is a God and believe in evolution as our schools are teaching.

As important as technology has become, it can separate the family. Children are so busy texting that they don’t have time to pray or read the Bible with mom and dad. Mankind went more than 5000 years without the cell phone. Do you believe God allowed it because the end time is near? As a child, we spent much of our free time outside playing with the neighbor kids. Most children today probably spend more time in their bedrooms than any other place in the home.

There needs to be more discipline in our families as we get nearer to the rapture. I want our entire family to spend eternity with us forever.

I wish we knew the above prior to our children being born!!!

Exodus 34:6 – 7 – “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

I was recently reminded that we went thousands of years believing no one could run a mile in under four minutes. An athlete from England, Roger Bannister, on May 6, 1954 ran a mile in 3.59 minutes breaking the impossible barrier. It wasn’t long until 16 runners ran in less than four minutes. The record is now 3:43.13 minutes. What made the differences? Someone believed it could be done. Believing, having faith and confidence is very hard for most people.

Do you believe that God loves you? Do you think God created you to be a failure? In the Bible, Jesus picked out very ordinary people to be His Apostles. He picked out fishermen and common people and not the religious leaders to illustrate that we can become more than we believe possible. Success is not about how much material wealth we accumulate or how much we know. True success is about whom we become, our character and the positive influence we have on others. Wealthy people tell us that wealth does not guarantee happiness. Would you consider a very unhappy person a successful Christian?

One thing Scripture tells was that the men Christ picked did not become successful until they had received the Holy Spirit. Before that, they were slow learners, lacked faith, they were fearful, denied Him and were little different from others. Their success was a result of living their lives according to what God wanted, what the Holy Spirit told them to do and gave them the power to do it. They lived their lives in accordance to what God and Christ wanted and not what they wanted. Of course, they had a different mission and plan than we have been given. However, we should be just as dedicated in accepting God’s plan for us over want we think is best. That doesn’t take away our free moral agency to chose. Regardless of what we choose, will it allow us to be available to be His servant in His ministry?

The Holy Spirit can do for every Christian what He did for the Apostles and Christ’s disciples described in the Bible. It takes surrendering of our self-centeredness and living the example Christ set for us. We have been given the same Holy Spiritual power that they received. That power in many Christians is power that is misdirected and unfocused and this is some of the difference between the Apostles and us.

What if God made every Christian successful and prosperous? Churches would be overflowing. The Devil does not want you to feel successful and live in obedience to God’s ways. He wants us living his plan and knows what it takes to tempt people and cause them to reject God’s plan. So welcome to the real world. Many Christians seem to ignore the Holy Spirit that is within them and could listen to the wrong spirit. Thus, many Christians will never be prosperous and some will be negative and unhappy. So many non-believers think the church is full of hypocrites and they think the world’s way is better.

What made individuals like Steve Jobs at Apple or Bill Gates at Microsoft successful? I believe there may be millions smarter and just as capable. Attitudes and confidences are not something we can teach. They must be something we get from something or somebody. One’s attitude is a personal thing. It is how we see ourselves. Do we believe in the impossible? Do we see ourselves as having successful careers? How often do we think outside-the-box? Are Christians aware of an inner power that is willing and capable of helping them succeed in the workplace? You many think that you have the Holy Spirit but He has never helped you. The Christian who depends upon the Holy Spirit is sensitive to His leading and is like the athlete who listens to an experienced coach. The coach can’t guarantee an athlete’s induction into the Hall of Fame, nor can he guarantee a gold medal for the athlete, but he can train him and teach him everything he knows, giving him every advantage, allowing him to consistently do his best. The Christian’s advantage, having the Holy Spirit, does not guarantee presidencies, chairmanships, wealth, achievement awards, fame or recognition, but He will lead the Christian into the direction that fulfills his God-given purpose and with it, success and prosperity if living by God’s ways.

The following Scripture changed my attitude and how I approached every job I had from college on. Ephesians 6:5 – 8 – “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.” It is working with the attitude of not what can the employer do for me as much as what can I do for the company to make it better. The Golden rule principal!

On January 20, 1961 President Kennedy said: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” He was for equal opportunity for everyone. From Washington we now hear: Ask not what you can do for your country—ask what your country can do for you. The new policy is for equal income for all and not the equal opportunity for everyone. There is something about the old policies that created motivation whereas, the new policy causes idleness. Why work if the government is going to take care of me if I vote for them.

The Bible teaches we are to give our all when we are at work. Our government seems to tell us that it is not necessary anymore and we need to depend on them and not on God. What kind of success should we be looking for?
We are all made differently. Some were created with certain abilities, some handicapped and most of us average. God had the knowledge and ability to put the universe together; and He knew everyone of us prior to our birth. Then can’t He give each one of us a plan for our lives with the abilities to be successful? However, Satan is not pleased when Christians do things out of the ordinary. Have you been told you will not amount to much? Have you been convinced? I found the American dream was available to those who realized that it won’t be given to them; it had to be earned.

As Christians we are expected to be different from those who live by the world’s rules. We are told by Scripture to be conscientious and loyal and we are to be positive and encouraging servants. We are to do our best by being dependable and considerate of others.

Most of us living in America would be considered in the top 8% of the world’s wealthiest people. Prosperity is having a home, clothing, food and savings in comparison to the world. Success is also setting a goal and achieving it. Our goals are to be debt free and have sufficient savings to last a life time when we retire. From the world’s view, many of us are successful and prosperous. Are we giving God the glory and thanking Him for allowing us to be a Christian, with His power within us, living in America?