Our minds are developed by the world and the way we live. The world lives separated from God. Our background, our parents and those who surround us inject into us a mind that thinks as the world teaches. Who we are, what we think, our beliefs and our behavior come from a worldly self-centered mind. Scripture tells us that once we become a Christian we are to change our thinking, our attitudes and how we live. We are to repent by changing the direction we have been heading. This takes developing the “mind of Christ”.

Romans 12:1 & 2 – “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

It is God’s plan for His children to have a new mind-set that will make life good, enjoyable and pleasing. He wants only what is best for us. We are to no longer conform to the world’s ways, their behavior and their customs that cause corruption. The world’s ways are being proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn and arrogant.

Therefore, it is God’s known will that we are to transform by renewing our minds. Many new Christian converts are unwilling to give up their pride and their self-control. Two things are necessary to renew our minds so we can be transformed to be more like Christ. We must know God’s will and His ways and that only comes from reading or hearing the Word. We are told that we cannot do it on our own it takes the Holy Spirit to transform us and change our thinking. It is a gradual and continual process and our minds will not be completely Christ-like until we are in Heaven. With our knowledge of Scripture, the Holy Spirit will renew, re-educate and redirect our minds. Little will happen if we do not surrender and give up control to the Holy Spirit and make a commitment to stop living a sinful life. We are not to become impatient and frustrated because it does not happen instantly.

I John 3:2 – “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

It is apparent that many Christians fail to establish strong convictions, to stand for something regardless of the consequences. A conviction is the unwillingness to compromise on pre-determined Christian principles. Having no convictions, you have no standards or limitations. Developing the “mind of Christ” causes one to have strong convictions. This is why obedience to God’s will is so important. Many Christians are more willing to be politically correct than to stand firm in what they know is right.

Other Scripture tells us that if we surrender, make a commitment and stop living a sinful life, the Holy Spirit will transform us and give us a new mind in a way similar to Christ. We then must live daily being focused on Christ. For example: Titus 3:5 – “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” We are not to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness once a week. It is a continual every day, all the time seeking. We know that Christ talked to God throughout every day and prior to every decision. We must realize that God gave us His Spirit to help us. Are we dependent upon His help? Do we take advantage of God’s Spirit being with us to help us? God says He wants what is best for us. Are you taking advantage of His promise? Do we want what God says is best for us or what the world says we should be or what we need? Do we think each time we pray that we need to surrender our worldly nature whose influence is to live worldly? Are we continually thanking God for everything He is doing in our lives? Probably not, if we are not even aware of Divine intervention that can occur daily and is not recognized.

Romans 12:3 – “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

It is important to have a healthy self-esteem but we must not over estimate ourselves. Paul is telling us the importance of being humble because of our commitment to Christ. We must never allow ourselves to become self-righteous. The stronger our faith, the greater our realization, what we have is a gift from God. We must never measure ourselves by someone else’s standards or let someone else set our standards. God has given each believer a standard of faith to measure ourselves and that standard is Christ. We are to measure ourselves according to our relationship to Christ. If Christ were our standard we would never have to worry about being humble. The “mind of Christ” is being humble, loving, obedient and the mind of a servant.

We have had two major disasters in the past two weeks. Throughout our lives we will be continually witnessing disasters: death, health problems, financials crisis or just plain fear. Why does God allow bad things to happen and how should we respond to them?

I believe that whatever happens, God either allows it to happen for a reason or He causes it to happen. There are a number of times in Scripture that God allowed evil to happen to serve His purpose. Israel was continuously being punished for lack of obedience. The story of Job is one example as well as Joseph. Evil caused both to suffer tremendously. Yet God knew about it, allowed it to happen and later results were very positive. Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Would you not imagine Job and Joseph going through their misery were wondering—why God? How could a young son who dies of an accident, “work for the good”? An illustration was used that a person early in life died and went to heaven. He was there just minutes. He looked around and saw the indescribable beauty. He was asked: “Would you rather stay here or go back to earth?” The answer was: “Stay”! Death does not have to be the end. To a believer it is the beginning. However, he returned to earth.

It is possible that God allows people to go through pain, suffering or problems to get us to respond and changes our ways. Scripture says that once we accept Christ as our Savior, God will make us more Christ-like. When a Christian goes through problems, suffering or pain, normally you immediately turn to God. Whatever it takes to drive us closer to a personal relationship with God is actually good for us. I wrote in “Miracle on the Hudson” that when a miracle takes place and a person realizes it, it can change the purpose and direction of their entire life as it did so many on that plane. I have read of service men in a life and death situation promise God that if He will save them, they will live for Him the rest of their lives. Go through serious medical problems and see if you do not become more concerned about life after death and eternity.

We will all have needs, whether they are physical, mental, spiritual or financial. God promises to meet those needs. Yet, we worry and wonder, why God? It seems there are many times God is not meeting our needs. I have prayed with a number of people who seemed to believe that everything looked hopeless. They had lost faith and were struggling with why God was not answering their prayers or reducing their problems. There is a reason for everything. If you ever find yourself in that situation read the following Scripture: Philippians 4:11b – 13 & 19 – “For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength… And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

II Corinthians 1:3 – 4 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

When disasters happen we have Christ as an example as to what we should do. He would respond to others with compassion and kindness. He would provide love, comfort and mercy to those suffering during His time on earth. When we are involved in types of disasters or hardship, we too should show sympathy and comfort to those suffering.

Disasters are the only way some will ever seek Christ and salvation. When bad things happen we are to realize that we have a loving God but also He is a just God. To those who may have caused the disaster, as we have seen in Boston, we realize that the two perpetrators probably will end up in Hell. God provides negative consequences to those who do evil.

We also know that God allows disasters to send warnings. Have we as a nation been obedient to His ways? The answer is: we have been doing everything to eliminate God from our society. America may be in its greatest danger in our history. How much is God willing to put up with us until He withdraws His protection completely? Up to this time He as possibly limited the amount of damage that could be done. Maybe it was He who stopped the two before they could bomb New York as they had planned.

One thing we must learn from disasters is our life is an uncertainty. We could be one who is killed at a future gathering of a large crowd. How are we living? Are we prepared for life after death? Christians are told not to be fearful but be courageous. How can we be if we are not prepared spiritually? Isn’t it best then to be spiritually prepared?

Who we listen to helps develop who we become. Those we associate with, we take on some of their habits, characteristics and attributes. Have you ever thought: who do you allow to influence you? We tend to listen to others and take their advice yet too many Christians fail to listen to the Holy Spirit. How mature you are spiritually depends on how important you have made the Holy Spirit in your life.

We may spend time Sunday listening to sermons yet fail to take even minutes to seek the advice of the Holy Spirit. When it comes to making decision, they are often made as the world makes decisions and not as a spiritual person should be making them.

So what can we expect from the Holy Spirit if we begin to listen? God put us on this earth for a reason and a purpose. We will never know for sure what that purpose is unless we hear it from God’s Spirit. We are created with a need to become achievers as we are made in the image of God. To feel that you have been successful you must realize what your purpose is and accomplish what God has planned for you. Have you asked God for your purpose and have you patiently waited for an answer? Realize that God will never ask us to do anything He will not provide the power or ability to help us accomplish any task.

We are told to have a personal relationship with Christ. That can only be done through the Holy Spirit. We need to make contact daily by loving, worshipping and asking how we might please Christ and serve others. We must be careful to develop such a close relationship with Christ that we can tell when we are listening to the wrong voices. Never underestimate the power of Satan to try and influence anyone of us.

We must at all times be aware that the Holy Spirit is continuing to provide direction in our life. We must remember what happened at Pentecost. It changed His disciples, giving them power, purpose and direction. From that point on they were completely different people. Have we had a similar experience and if not have we wondered why? We should expect a similar change in our lives. Matthew 18:4 – “Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” They can gain courage, develope servant hearts and live humble lives. Pride can be the greatest hindrance to Christians in having a spiritual experience.

It is not uncommon for men and women who have been Christians for some years to find themselves frozen in place. They have made a solid beginning…and stopped! They are not running, walking or even crawling. They are the embodiment of the Christians Paul criticized in his letter to the Corinthians. I Corinthians 3:1 – “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.”

Hopefully, we can see the difference between those having a poor relationship with Christ and those who have given their lives to Christ and serve Him daily and those who have little contact with Jesus. Whose life do you think is receiving the greatest personal satisfaction? Every time I think I am doing fairly well spiritually God always gives me an example of how much more is available. I know that God inspires me to write but He doesn’t talk to me. If we only knew what God has available for each one of us and we were able to take advantage of it, what a difference it would make in our life. What would you be willing to do for wealth, power or fame? Do you not think God can give you more than the world could ever give you? It’s possible your greatest reward will come in heaven. Look what Philippians 2:8 – 11 God did for Christ: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
But I must realize we are living in a world filled with greed, immorality and evil. The results of how the world lives can affect and to some degree influence every one of us. Isaiah 57:20 – 21 – “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’” If you do not believe wicked men and women have been in control for a long time, you are naïve. Is there any way, in today’s world, we could get rid of the wicked and select leaders in business and politics and get those who would listen to the Holy Spirit and become obedient to God? My contention is that we, as a nation, have fallen too far spiritually to make that happen.

If we realize what we are being taught and government policies being imposed, it certainly is not what God is telling us as Christians. Scripture tells us these many leaders have little peace, they cannot rest and they are leading us. Wouldn’t you rather have someone who is listening to God, as a servant, obedient to His Word and promoting love and kindness leading us?

For those wondering what we believe God’s purpose for life is; I like what Rick Warren wrote in his book The Purpose Driven Life:
• To worship God and develop a relationship with Him.
• To love and fellowship with other believers in our community.
• To know Christ and become like Him.
• To serve God through the church.
• To become a minister for Christ and share the gospel.
If God has a further purpose for you, I believe you will only know by listening to God through His Spirit that is within you. You may be one of those special people that God has a specific purpose, in addition to the above. Many Christians have been given specific callings and the talents to carry them out. God will never ask us to do anything He has not prepared us to do.

King David had his friend Uriah killed so he could have his wife. David already had a number of wives. Yet, God said King David was a man after His own heart. Acts 13:22 – “After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” What does this say about salvation? God does not look at one’s past; we can be saved regardless of what we have done.

Let us assume you invited a friend to church who had only been a few times in his life. It was a tremendous sermon on eternal life with God. There was an altar call and he came forward to be saved. He had been told the penalty of sin was death and separation from God for all eternity and he did not want that to happen. The preacher asked them to say a simple prayer and then told them according to John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Also he was told from Luke 11:9 – 10 – “ So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” If he would just believe in Christ he would be saved. So he did.

After a few days the emotion wore off and he continued to live just as he always had. He did stop swearing and for a while stopped watching pornography on the Internet. One Sunday he happened to listen to Dr. Charles Stanley who stated that once saved he would always be saved regardless. John 6:37 – “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” Dr. Stanley gives additional Scripture and he thinks he is “good to go”.
A few days later he goes to a bar with a number of employees and drinks too much and ends up committing adultery. He was glad he had listened to Dr. Stanley or he would be in serious trouble with God. However, King David did the very same thing and God was still true to him.

One day he opens his Bible and it comes up Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” He turns a few pages and up comes Luke 13:25 – 27 – “Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’”

Now he begins to have doubts and he thinks about it for a few days and then opens his Bible again. It just opens to II Peter 2:21 – “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.” He is starting to wonder what this all means. Again he opens the Bible and he sees Hebrew 5:9 – “and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” He thinks maybe he wasn’t saved because if he were he would want to obey him and he hadn’t. He then remembers the reason God said King David had a godly heart was because: “he will do everything I want him to do.” So he flips his Bible a few pages and reads I Peter 3:21 – “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” He thinks if he would have been baptized his life would have changed. So he calls the church and makes arrangements to be baptized.

A few days later he opens his Bible and he just happens to see I John 5:3 – 5 – “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Now he is starting to understand. It takes more than just believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died that we might be saved. If we wanted to be truly saved we must be obedient and stop living as the world lives and live as Jesus taught us to live. All of the mistakes King David made he was always repentant, he never made a major decision without prayer and he was obedient in all things.

He now begins studying his Bible and learns from Matthew 7:18 – 20 – “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” He studied more and found that there were fruits of the Spirit: 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.” He decided these are things he should be praying about and receiving if he wanted to have a real close relationship with Christ. He again turned his Bible and reads: Mark 12:30 – 31 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ‘The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

By now there was no doubt in his mind that he would spend eternity with God and Christ. He was not perfect and he did not have to work his way to heaven but he had a repentant heart and he was obedient to God’s commands that he love God with all of his might and others as his self. He then started looking for ways to please God and be kind to others who he met. Every chance he had he would tell them about what Christ had done in his life.

The moral of this story is: it takes more than just believing; it takes continual repenting and obeying.

I was watching TV and a USC professor was telling his students how racist and stupid, plus other names, Republicans were.   I then read an article stating that many young people, who attended church as children, were now leaving the church.  I questioned whether the reason they were leaving churches was due to what they were being taught in our public schools.  The Internet might give me the answer.

Research stated that 20% of Americans do not identify with any religion and 33% of those 30 and younger are not attached to any religious organization.  There is a large group, and growing, that rarely attend any religious services.  Religion just isn’t important to them.  Pew Research stated that 68% percent of Americans believe in God.  There were 37% polled who feel spiritual but not religious.  Only 21% say they pray every day.

It is believed that 70% of children raised in the church leave between high school and college.  The good news was that possibly 50% returned later in life.  Many blame it on the church and feel it is because they have not adopted the liberal culture changes.  It is true many church leaders are not confronting the liberal education being taught in our public schools.  If our children from grade one through college are being taught evolution and religion is for old people, you can understand why so many stop attending church.  It was noted that 39% of those no longer affiliated with religion were registered as Democrats and 24% are leaning that way.  Approximately 72% approved of abortion as we witness a doctor in Pennsylvania who is alleged to have aborted and killed seven live babies.  It stated that the poll showed 73% supported same-sex-marriages.  One theory as a reason for youth leaving the church was after  listening to liberal teaching for years, it isn’t hard to believe that young people can see the church as too conservative politically and do not want to associate with it.

Regardless of what a pastor or a Bible teacher might say, you can go on the Internet and find someone who says they can prove him wrong.  Access to information provided by atheists is available to destroy whatever Scripture teaches.

Research indicates religion is failing to have sufficient influence on today’s youth.  They are more inclined to listen to teachers proclaiming science is more important than one’s faith and superstition.  If church leaders do not confront the growing secular dominance over our young people, the church may continue to lose our children.

An example as how our children are being changed, a friend sent his conservative daughter to a public university to get an education to become a teacher.  When she graduated and came back, she was so liberal that it is difficult, he says, for them to have a decent conversation.

In a recent blog I reported that a young lady on YouTube had hundreds sign a petition banning dihydrogen monoxide.  Most signed, without asking any question.   Later we were told that dihydrogen monoxide was another name for water.  We have many uninformed people who are willing to accept whatever someone in leadership or a good salesperson tells them.  Evolution does not require morality or discipline.  Religion requires a repentant heart and treating others with kindness.  It is a completely disciplined life-style.

Science gives little hope in what happens once a person dies.  Normally as children we just grow up.  We go through grade school and enter high school.  We get a driver’s license, finish school and possibly get married.  We then start the cycle over again for our children.  How often do we stop and think: what is my purpose in life and what direction should I be taking? Why have I been put on this earth?   When our final day comes we can say we did our best to fulfill our purpose and helped others succeed while we were here.  I know some parents whose greatest achievement in life was raising their family.  Because of them, their children made the world a much better place.  You may find that many are not really too concerned about anyone but themselves and that is the result of evolution and science.  Those not accepting Christianity that I have met seem to be much different from those who believe and worship a God.  We have always believed: as a person thinks in their heart so are they.  If you think about only yourself and what turns you on, you may miss the purpose you could have been.  On your death bed what hope can you take with you?  They say there are no atheists in a fox-hole in time of war.  We need to drill into our children there is a God and parents need to set the example by worshiping Him.  We are facing a liberal media, academia and society intent on indoctrinating our youth that there is no God.  It is all about science and evolution.

A petition was presented to hundreds of people who signed banning dihydrogen monoxide.   They were told this substance is being used everywhere.  You can find it in rivers, lakes and even oceans.  Something needs to be done immediately to rid the earth of this substance.  Some companies are even using it on our fruits and vegetables and the government has done nothing to ban it.

We found that the majority signed without even asking what dihydrogen monoxide was.  We call them joiners.  They will accept what people tell them to do before asking questions.  There are millions of uniformed people who can be easily led astray and some become passionate and activists for a particular cause that they may not even understand.  I believe this is what is happening with global warming.  You see: dihydrogen monoxide is H2O or water.  If someone asked you to sign a petition banning water would you do so?

A number of things have made America one of the most prosperous nations in the world.  It was the invention of modern transportation such as airplanes, cars, etc. in the past 100 years and the creation of technology and the Internet.  Sixty years ago there were no computers, calculators, TV sets or modern medicine to name a few.

We are now sitting on a resource that could change America once again to even greater prosperity.  Millions of jobs could be created that would take people off of unemployment and food stamps.  There would be very few physically able people who could not find work if they wanted. It would affect our economy, the stock market and people would be able to do many of the things that were available to do in the 1990s.  We could leave our young people with a better country than their parents received.

However, the Devil has convinced some that there is going to be man-made global warming that will cause all of the north and south poles ice to melt causing New York and Los Angeles to be under water.  This global warming threat is keeping us from the largest accumulation of oil and natural gas of anywhere in the world.  If our government would open up off shore drilling, in Alaska, through Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and other states we could get gas under $2.00 a gallon.  At the present time the cost of natural gas in America runs about ¼ the cost in Asia.  With our technology and cheap cost of energy plus less transportation costs, there is no one who can produce products for America as cheaply as we could manufacture them.

What if everyone believed that God was in control and the weather depends on the laws of nature?  Can you see the potential prosperity that is possible?  So if you were the Devil and you wanted a Christian nation to fail, how would you do it?  You would find a way to take one of the greatest financial potentials and make sure it would not be used.  So the Devil must find a way to convince people there is no God or God no longer controls what happens on this earth.  He then gets leaders to buy into the concept that we must not take advantage of the resources available because of serious consequences.  Our leaders spread the word and it is easy to convince the uninformed what all of these autos and coal plants are doing to damage our environment.

I John 5:19 – “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

A leading scientist who had “initiated and predicted” a global warming disaster admits that he was probably wrong.  He now believes that it probably will not occur in the immediate future.  He had claimed that prior to the end of 1999, billions would die and only those living in the Arctic would survive.  He expected by now the heating of the earth would start to become unbearable.  But he noted there has been little change in the past 15 years and no evidence that CO2 emissions will heat the planet.  At least no one has been able to prove it.

What he believed just 25 years ago has not happened.  Therefore, they had to change the fear of global warming to climate change.  However, he stated that there are just too many things that are responsible for climate change or global warming and are not necessarily man-made.  My research did not allow me to determine how many evangelical Christian scientists believe in man-made climate change.  My interest is how many who have studied Revelations believe any of this is going to happen?  Could Christ come back to rule for 1000 years if the earth was too hot to survive?  Do we have a God Who, when creating the earth believed that what He made, man could destroy?  If that was the case why did He provide so much coal and oil reserves?  Would He not have given us other means to provide power if man could destroy what He created?

You may have heard all of the reasons it should be legalized.  However, I wish to approach it from a different perspective.  Before you read any further my opinion is it should not be.

From a democratic standpoint, 56% of those polled believe it should be legalized.  If you read newspapers, watch TV news or search the internet you will find every reason imaginable to agree that it should be legal.  However, there is one reason, rarely mentioned, for it not being accepted legally.  What does God think about it?

Ezekiel 22:7 – 15 –  “Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you.  You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest.  People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things. Men sleep with their fathers’ wives and have intercourse with women who are menstruating.  Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors’ wives, who defile their daughters-in-law, or who rape their own sisters.  There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign Lord.   But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed.  How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said.  I will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness.”  Verse 31 – “So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”  NLT   Pick up the local newspaper and you are apt to read the above.  What is different between how Americans are living today and How the Israelites were living in Bible times?

Do we as a nation think of God and His commands stating that if we do the things He says we are not to do, He will punish us?  Do you see any difference as to what has happened to America in the past few years and where we are headed?  The devil wants us to think things are changing due to man–made climate change.  Could it be that God is giving punishment for the way we Americans are living?  Flooding, storms, tornadoes, wild fires, earthquakes and draughts are being more prevalent than normal.  We as a nation are having economic and debt problems.  It seems we are in a continual war situation with fear of a terrorist attack at any time.  Is it at all possible that God has withdrawn His blessings and protection?

So why are we not questioning if same-sex marriage is something that the Bible finds acceptable?  Just how much or how far do Americans want to reject God?  What is happening to a nation that once all law was predicated on Biblical principles and these principles were taught in our eastern universities?  When polls are taken and 85% of Americans say they believe in God, how can we get a poll where 56% say same-sex marriage should be acceptable?  They may believe there is a God they just choose to ignore Him.  Are you still wondering why America isn’t doing better?  When we debate same-sex marriages, why don’t we ask ourselves: “Will God approve?”  I guess it depends on what kind of a nation in which you may want to live.  Do you want blessings & protection or God’s wrath?

Christians should think of death as a beginning and not an end. We are on this earth for maybe 80 plus years on average. Once we die our soul immediately goes to be in the presence of the Lord. We have an opportunity to live forever in a new heaven and new earth which is beyond our ability to describe its beauty.

John 14:1 – 4 – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” We shall reside in heaven until Christ returns and then there will be a thousand year while God prepares a new heaven and new earth.

Revelation 21:1 – 3 – “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

If we make the wrong choice we will live in torment throughout eternity as described is Luke 16:23 – 26 – “In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’”

What is the desire of every Christian? It is to live with God and Christ in eternity. That is our ultimate goal. To obtain that goal we must be willing to become completely obedient and submissive to God’s will and to live our lives as Christ instructed. Ask most Christians to describe eternity and what will it be like living there. The majority may have trouble describing it. Yet, Americans spend millions of dollars trying to find out what their lives will be like in ten years. How important is it for you to know what “forever” is going to be like? Scripture has made it very clear that if we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior we will spend eternity with the Trinity.

Our heaven, earth and seas will be gone. The apostle Peter writes that our present earth will be destroyed by fire. (II Peter 3:7) This will occur after the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth. The curse that has been on our earth and the evil that exists will be gone. Its atmosphere and surroundings are so different that it will allow our imperishable bodies to exist forever. Our diets will be different as we eat from the Tree of Life. Some believe it is the same type of Tree Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat.

In the new heaven and earth there will be no sun, no Satan, no sin or death, tears or sickness. Mankind will have made a complete cycle. We believe our new earth will be similar to what God had intended in the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve prior to their sin. Yet, the new earth has been described as being far more beautiful and more perfect.

We know that God walked among Adam and Eve in the Garden and will walk among us on the new earth as He describes in Leviticus 26:11 & 12. We will be able to live with no stress or pain and live a secure life of peace and complete joy.

John writes that He was allowed to view the new earth. It was decorated with pure gold as clear as glass and fine jewelry. It sparkled and its brilliance came from the radiance of God. There will be twelve gates surrounded by walls that are 200 feet thick. Each gate will be a huge pearl. The earth will be a perfect cube and was measured between 1400 and 1500 miles squared. There will be enough room for a billion or more people. It has no impurities. There will no longer be a need for a sun or a moon. Our light will come from God since sin cannot occur in the presence of God. There will be no need for darkness or a day and night to keep time.

Water will be provided from the Water of Life River. Beside the river will be twelve different types of trees each bearing different fruit. It is highly assumed everyone will be vegetarians. I can’t imagine anything being killed on the new earth in God’s presence. Should you cut yourself; the leaves from the trees will heal your wound. Therefore, we may assume that our bodies will be more than just spirits or ghost-like.

Our relationship to God in eternity means there will probably be duties that we will be required to perform. I don’t believe God would expect us to sit around all day drinking ice tea. We may have to pick fruit and pump water out of the Water of Life River. If we have bodies that require food and water that means there will be plenty of tasks to be performed. I am sure that everyone will have some requirements, even attorneys. God will find something else for them to do.

Our character and our behavior shall be the same as Christ. Can you imagine what life would be like if we all had a servant’s heart and had an unconditional love for each other? Then think of being with a God who wants to meet our every need and every desire. He wants to bless us, His children, beyond anything we could ever imagine. If He can create a universe and be everywhere in it, don’t we believe He can create a utopia that would be indescribable?

We leave you with one question. Is living a disciplined life, saved, totally surrendered and committed to Christ for how many years you are alive worth forever and ever? Many who are wise spend years preparing for retirement. Shouldn’t we spend even more time preparing for heaven and eternity verses the alternative of a place of torment?

Marriage is more than just falling in love and being committed to each other.  Staying married in an abusive relationship does not make sense.  However, there is something each can do to make a marriage last forever.  Let us start with some background information:

God created man and woman in His own image. (Gen. 1:27)  They had a spirit and nature that was similar to Christ’s.  They had a servant’s heart and a personal relationship with God.  They were told the garden was theirs to take care of and eat whatever they wanted except from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  (2:16) After eating from the tree of knowledge they became aware they were naked and different and afraid of God.  (3:10)  It was then that Adam lay with Eve and she became pregnant.  (4:1)

Let us suppose!  Before Adam lay with Eve God wanted them to know the difference between good and evil.  God knows all things even before they happen.  He wanted man and woman and all generations to worship Him out of choice rather than as an obligation as a robot would.   Man had to have the ability to choose.  It wasn’t until they had eaten that they took on a new nature that knew the difference between good and evil.  That nature was self-centered and selfish.  It is this nature that causes most problems in a marriage.  If we focus on ourselves and what we expect from our spouse we will find marriage less than what we expected.

Having been married over 50 years and raising four children we all are born with this selfish attitude.  It becomes most apparent from about the age of two.  It is this selfish attitude that destroys many marriages.  The more we focus on ourselves and our personal needs the more self-centered we seem to become.  It is at this point that we can become very difficult to satisfy.  There are times that no one can meet our expectations and we begin looking for different things or people to meet our needs.  In many situations we become difficult to live with.

You may profess to be a Christian but are not following Christian principles or living according to Biblical teaching.  You may behave little differently than an unbeliever. You may stay in a bad marriage because of children, financial reasons or for security but it is not a loving marriage.  So how can your relationship get back to the very beginning when your desire was to live with each other forever?

God says you need a heart as described in Ezekiel 36:26 – “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”  The new heart still has selfishness in it but it is a heart that is responsive and acceptable to change.  The self-centeredness part can be changed to a love for God and others just as much as our love for ourselves.

It was this stony, stubborn heart that we all received from Adam and Eve’s sin. The heart we were born with is a heart which causes marriages to end in divorce.  The only way our heart can change, as God planned, is to allow Christ to change it by accepting Him as our Savior. A process then takes place allowing us going back to having a heart similar to what Adam and Eve had before sinning.  The new heart and spirit that we receive from God urges us to no longer focus on ourselves, expecting to be served, but we are to focus on God and Christ with a changed heart that wants to serve others.  He told us the only way that would happen, would be if we followed His command: Matthew 22:37 – 39 – “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”  This is what many Christian couples fail to do.  They are not willing to take the focus off their self-centered selves because they reject the Holy Spirit making the heart change that God had planned for them.

Our marriage started with Ephesians 5:21 – “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  I read where it said husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church.  (Be willing to die for her.)  She needed to feel my love and feel secure that she was always going to be the only one.  She always supported me and gave me respect.  The point I want to make is the Bible told us how to treat each other and we did.

It didn’t take being married very long until we realized that we think differently.  How long does it take to realize that you have a choice: you can either argue to be right or you understand that being right does not always bring togetherness?  In most things how important is it to be right in marriage if you have totally surrendered your life to Christ. Isn’t it better to communicate and work things out and compromise?  We realized that our self-centered natures, not surrendered and changed, would cause more problems in a marriage than anything.  Scripture continually stresses we must die out to our old self-centered heart.  How many couples are willing to do this?  Those getting divorces aren’t.  Granted both must surrender and have hearts tender and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  It probably is very difficult being married to someone addicted and is driven by their self-centered nature.  This is why the Bible says we are not to get yoked together with a non-believer.  A person who has not died out to self can make the marriage a struggle.

Everyone will have disagreements.  How do we handle them?  If you love someone enough you will negotiate with respect.  Anger has no place in an argument with a spouse.  Most anger is a response to a threat to our self-centeredness, the ego.  If we are totally surrendered and committed to Christ our humility and servant’s heart can overcome our anger.

Every day the last thing I do before leaving home is hug my wife and tell her how much I love her.  The first thing I do when I come home is hug my wife and tell her I love her.  While I am home there is never a doubt in my wife’s mind that I love her and my heart has become more of a servant’s heart, thanks to the Holy Spirit.  As a result, I could not ask for a more supportive and respectful wife.  Scripture says my wife needs to know she is loved and I need her respect.  If you want a happy marriage do what the Bible says to do.  If you are in a bad relationship one or both of you are ignoring what the Bible teaches.   Study the Bible together and pray about your relationship.

In the beginning, God selected two nations to spread His message to the world as to who He is and how He wanted people to live.  The nations chosen were Israel and the United States.  Israel was under the Old Covenant and the laws and America was under the New Covenant of grace.  In the Old Testament God used prophets to teach and to warn Israel.  To America, God uses Bible prophecies and Israel’s history to teach and warn us.  I believe what happened to Israel will happen to the U.S. for the same reasons, rejection of God and disobedience.  Israel used the temple mount to dedicate the nation of Israel and the United States used ground zero in NYC.  

In the 1600s people came to America where “the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.  When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God.” 

Our founding fathers believed that they had come to America for religious freedom.  In fact, some believed that America was a new Israel and that God had given them a covenant that if they followed Christ’s principles God would bless them and protect them as He had Israel.  Our founding fathers believed that God would bless them as He had Israel if they continued to obey Him.  The constitution and the Bill of Rights were based on Christian principles.  The first right was: Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.  What they foresaw actually happened as the U.S., a Christian nation, became one of the most prosperous and powerful nations on earth. 

George Washington in his first inaugural address at ground zero, when the capitol was in NYC before moving to Philadelphia, stated: “it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being that rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes…”   

When we have plenty we take credit for our prosperity and believe it has all been done because of our hard work.  Like Israel we have a tendency to push God out of the picture.  Most Americans no longer believe that God gives us everything we have.  So what happened when the Israelites ignored God?  He punished them by allowing them to be destroyed in A.D. 70, pushed out of their homes and spread throughout the world until 1948. 

The more I study the Old Testament and the history of Israel; they refused to keep God’s Commandments and in fact rebelled and ignored Him.  They worshiped other gods and idols plus sacrificed their children.  As a result He withdrew His blessings and protection and Israel became one of the most despised and mistreated countries ever.  Reading Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the other prophets, Israel was devastated and totally punished.  They went almost 2000 years without being a nation.

Shouldn’t we learn from what happened to Israel?  In the 1960s we began eliminating God from our culture.  We prohibited prayer and the Bible in public schools.  Abortion became prevalent.  We began worshipping our idols of success, money, materialism and sexual immorality.  Too many believed they didn’t need God because we had become so prosperous.  Most of our needs were being met by our hard work or government assistance.  We are dependent on ourselves or government and no longer on God.  Is there any difference between ancient Israel’s predicament and the U.S.? 

Israel rejected the prophets and denied God and He withdrew His blessings and protection.  America is rejecting God and the Bible and is following the path of Israel.  It is apparent a sign occurred on 9/11/2001 when ground zero was attached by terrorists similar as to what happened on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as Israel lost its protection 2000 years previously. 

With North Korea threatening nuclear missiles and Iran close to developing a nuclear bomb are we left without God’s protection?  Will we have more incidences as 9/11/2001?  It could also come from hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, floods or fires.  There are many ways we could be punished just as Israel was.  Could America become bankrupt, suffer from famine and disease?  What if our money became worthless? 

As we approach the end times, according to Bible prophecy and signs, is the U.S. no longer needed as a superpower to keep peace among the nations and be used to spread the Gospel of Christ?  Is this why America is not referred to in the Book of Revelation?  In the end times, the only protection Israel will have comes from God.  What happens to America?  Will we be too weak to even protect ourselves? 

Wake up America!  We have a forgiving God able to give us a second chance.  Let’s not blow it.  However, it will take a leadership change in Washington, D.C. and throughout our nation to get back to practicing Christian principles.  The church has a tremendous responsibility to assist in the change.  We must be part of that change through prayer and lifestyle.  There is no better time to start than today.