Two often asked questions are: Must you talk in “tongues” to receive the Holy Spirit and do I believe that a person “Slain in the Spirit” is from the Holy Spirit?  When asked such questions I try to do as much research as possible before providing an answer.

In the early church and some churches today speaking in “tongues” was a very sought after gift.  Many times those speaking in “tongues” developed a certain spiritual pride.  Paul does not deny speaking in “tongues”.  However, he asks: “If I come to you and speak in “tongues” what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge?”  Paul uses the argument of “tongues” was meant for a hard-hearted and unbelieving people.  I Corinthians 14:20 – 22a – “Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.  It is written in the Scriptures: ‘I will speak to my own people through strange languages and through the lips of foreigners.  But even then, they will not listen to me,’ says the LORD.  So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers.”

I believe I Corinthians 14:18 – 28 – Is very clear that speaking in “tongues” is not a necessity.  In fact, Paul says that no one should ever speak in “tongues” in public unless there is someone who can interpret what the “tongues” is saying.  Paul says if an unbeliever were to enter a church where people are speaking in “tongues” they will think the congregation is out of its mind (or demonized).

For those not familiar with being “Slain in the Spirit” it is when a church holds an altar call and a minister puts their hands on a person’s forehead and the person falls over and they either become unconscious or remain conscious.  This is a much debated movement whether it is from the Spirit or of the Devil.  I believe it can be an emotional response or a demonic manifestation.

In my study of the Bible for more than 50 years I find no place that it talks or illustrates about being “Slain in the Spirit”.   Luke 10:17 – “When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” Luke 10:20 – “But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” I am more inclined to believe what Scripture says in II Thessalonians 2:9 – “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,” The Bible gives many examples of false teaching to deceive people concerning demonstrations of spiritual power.

I Corinthians 12:8 – 10 – “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” The Bible is very clear what gifts of the Spirit are given to Christians.  Just because you see or hear something seeming supernatural doesn’t necessarily affirm that it is from the Holy Spirit.  The Bible points out that the Devil, with his magic and supernatural powers, is the great deceiver.

Paul says that special gifts come from God and they were to be used in the ministry of the gospel.  Any believer could receive a gift.  In the early church healing occurred often as Paul wrote.  A Jew would go to a Rabbi rather than a doctor.  Greeks would go to their temple to be healed and sometimes were.  There is not the slightest doubt that people were healed through faith.  It could be of God or it could come from the Devil.  Possibly, faith to believe and a confident attitude could heal one’s body.  All healing, according to Scripture and history, was not always a result of the Holy Spirit in the early churches, synagogues and temples.  I believe that a person who was “Slain in the Spirit” and healed does not confirm that it was necessarily from the Holy Spirit.

My personal opinion is that I do not have the gift of speaking in tongues and I would not accept being “Slain in the Spirit”.  There is no doubt in my mind that I have been healed by the Holy Spirit, having had two times heart-bypass operations and having cancer.

Why I have been interested in the last days, as depicted in Scripture, is because I see things occurring that have been prophesized and are happening.  As I read that Iran and Russia have become allies for the first time in history I have become concerned.  As I studied Ezekiel chapters 36 through 39 it sounds like a war against Israel could breakout anytime.  Should that happen, Scripture says that God will destroy the armies and everyone will know that it was a “God Thing”.

Ezekiel 28:21 – 23 – “I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.  I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.  And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

I recently read about the war in 1967 when Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq attacked Israel. They had 2,000 tanks, 700 combat aircraft and had 1500 artillery pieces.  They had approximately 550,000 troops at that time.  Today Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon have 942,000 troops, 10,300 tanks, 1,150 combat planes and 5,600 artillery pieces. This does not include surface to air missile sites.   It does not account for the other Persian Gulf nations who are anti-semantic having weapon buildup.

If you are interested in God’s promises to the Jews to give them the land they now possess and how He plans to protect them it is very clear in the O. T. Book of Ezekiel chapters 36 thru 39.  Therefore, Israel’s war with the surrounding nations and Russia is just a matter of time.  Read these chapters, study the history of the 1967 war, see what is transpiring today and then wonder why anyone would doubt there is a God who foretold all of what would take place.

However, Scripture describes how blind people can be.  We are told of the time when God chose Moses to confront Pharaoh to free the Egyptian slaves.  The people were so hardhearted that no supernatural sign caused them to believe in a God or a need to repent.  When people allow evil to take over their hearts and lives, there is little chance they can understand or be changed. At the Day of Judgment everyone will have been given a chance to accept God and God’s ways but the majority will have refused to do so.  The devil is the great deceiver and most just could never grasp, accept prophecy or see the signs of God.  Satan and his emissaries have blinded the world.

If you follow current events you may be aware that Moscow has aggressively pursued political, economic and military ties to Iran in defiance of U.S. and European protests.  They have authorized the sale of nuclear technology to Iran.  They are in the process of training approximately 1,000 Iranian nuclear scientists and approved a billion-dollar arms deal with the latest high-tech arms and air defense systems.   Until March 21, 1935 Iran was called Persia.  The Russians had always hated the Iranians and the Iranians hated the Russians.  In the past, many believed the Bible was full of errors, as the two would never form an alliance against Israel or anyone else.

We read in Ezekiel 39:2 & 4 – “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him…..I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.”

Russia leads Iran, Turkey, Libya, Ethiopia and parts of Eastern Europe.  Magog is identified as Russia and Meshech is Moscow and Tubal is Tubalsk.  Consider Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Russia, seems to be in trouble politically and elections are coming up.  In the past, when heads of state are in trouble they start wars to defer the criticism.  Normally, countries do not vote people out with a war going on.  Could Russia and allies attack Israel prior to Israel bombing Iran to prevent that from happening?  Or, if Israel does bomb, maybe it happens afterwards?  This is the kind of world we are living in.  Anything is possible even though it doesn’t seem likely.

Also remember that Palestine was never a nation.  They last resided in Lebanon and they were forced out in 1920 and came to Israel’s covenant land.  One claim the Palestinians has is that they got there 28 years before Israel was mandated as a legitimate country.  The Palestine people were descendants of Abraham’s son Ishmael and Jacob’s brother Esau.  From Jacob came the twelve tribes of Israel.  To some degree Ishmael and Esau, descendents of Abraham, are fighting against their relatives that came from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.   This makes Jerusalem and the covenant land a vital part of each family’s heritage as both Ishmael and Esau were first born sons entitled to but lost their birthrights and the covenant land.  But other nations having a large population of Muslims want to destroy Israel to prove that Mohammed and the Quran are correct and Jesus and the Judeo/Christian Bible are not.  Muslims believe destroying Israel will allow the twelfth Imam, Mahdi to come back and rule the earth.   Whereas, we believe Jesus will come back to rule the world for a 1000 years.  Then there will be a new heaven and the new earth.  Our present earth will be destroyed by fire according to II Peter 3:7 – “By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

Before the war led by Russia and Iran against Israel begins, there must be a time of calm and the Jews must accumulate significant wealth.  Drilling deep below the seas off Israel’s coast, foreign energy companies are discovering gas estimated at five trillion cubic feet of proven reserves.  They also believe to have found, just recently, upward of a billion barrels of oil.  Is Israel like Iraq sitting on enormous oil reserves?  As we get into the war, Scripture will tell us the world’s armies would meet to fight for the spoils.  Isaiah 45:3 – “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”  Some believe the Bible indicates Israel will find one of the world’s largest oil and gas fields before the Messiah returns.

Based on information from Ezekiel, Russia’s influence will continue to increase among the Islamic world as the war against Israel nears.  Putin has been co-operating and supporting almost every middle-eastern Islamic nation to the detriment of the United Nations and the U.S.’s resolve to boycott Iran and force the closing of its nuclear facilities.  Despite international efforts to isolate Palestine’s Hamas party Putin is supporting them.  Putin has aggressively and systematically built alliances with the countries specifically cited in Ezekiel 38 & 39.  We need to watch as efforts intensify as to the time when Ezekiel’s vision comes to fulfillment.

Ezekiel’s war is not the end; it is only the beginning.  This will lead to the rise of the Antichrist and a period described in the Book of Revelation and the worst is yet to come.  The Antichrist will want to take over all of the oil-rich countries of the Middle East.  However, the nations of Asia will desire these countries just as much.  Out of all of this there is a one-world government and a one-world religion.  The Antichrist will promise peace to Israel and they will have it—for three and one-half years only.

Students of history who have studied the Civil War know that it was fought over whether to maintain or free the slaves.  Once the war was over, congress adopted the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.  On December 18, 1865 slavery was officially abolished.  All slaves were released from slavery.  What was unexpected, most slaves continued to work as if nothing had happened.  Their lives remained unchanged.  Why had freed slaves stayed as slaves to cruel owners?  In most cases they had no place to go.  There were few alternatives. How would they have supported themselves? Or, was it because of having a poor self-imagine and afraid of taking risks?  Self-worth can be developed at an early age and then most difficult to change as one grows older.

Paul’s letter to the Romans tells us that all were born into bondage and are slaves to sin.   (Romans 6:6 – “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”) Some Christians, once saved, continue to allow past sins to be their master.  There could be a number of reasons.  They feel unworthy, they continue to be negative, pessimistic and they live with little hope.  They have allowed Satan to steal their independence and remain as slaves to sin and negative self-imagines.

If we are not careful we could lose the next generations.  The world that grandparents were growing up in is quite different from what children are confronting today.  We are living in an electronic world.  Our young people are playing electronic games, twittering or watching TV.  What they watch on TV is often dramas that indicate that almost anything is acceptable and enjoyable.  It is indicated there are no consequences to sin, just don’t get caught.  Then I read polls indicating that those 13 thru 21 have little desire to become a Christian and want to live lives with few restrictions.  How do we get them to see the advantages of being Christians?  We certainly do not want them to grow up having a negative self-worth problem as most adults do today because of teenage addictions or having been permissive.

The majority of the world’s older population suffers from guilt and unhappiness.  The way we were raised, the teachers who taught us and the people we associated with have a tendency to develop who we are.  The things we heard, the way we were treated and the things we did all became a part of us.  How much baggage do we carry?  Did we feel accepted, were we praised or were we encouraged?   Words are powerful!  What we did, the things we said or what is said to us can make an impression and may affect who we are and how we behave as adults.

Some of us will say, it’s not my fault, if you knew what I went through you would understand why I am this way.  If you think you cannot change you are only fooling yourself.  As a child we may have felt rejected, unloved or even inadequate.  If not one or more of these occurred in your life, you may be one of a very few.  If we suffer from a sense of not belonging or we have a problem with feeling unworthy; we may suffer from a negative attitude or are hesitant to take risks.  We may need to start life all over again.  And that is a major reason God sent His Son that we might begin again as a new person.  Have we accepted His promises and have we gotten rid of the baggage that as Christians are holding us back from becoming a new person free from guilt?  We need to teach young people what we have learned and the importance of developing Christian principles at an early age.

II Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”  How many Christians do you know who have failed to become totally new?  Most believers have read Scripture, John 8:32 – “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  To me this means if you believe in God’s promises, you can be set free from all of the baggage that anyone has   been carrying around.

From their own experiences and what they know, parents must share that the Holy Spirit can completely change a person’s life and their future can become more rewarding.  Look how many high school dropouts there are mainly because of having a poor self-worth.  We live in a world that requires skills to obtain better paying jobs.  Something must be done to change young people’s attitudes, behaviors or confidence or they will never improve and in the future they will not obtain their full potential. I believe God is selecting role models such as Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin as examples for young people to follow.  These are who kids should be watching and not those groupies from New Jersey.  The following is what God promises that will assure a positive adult life:

• Hebrews 4:5 – The Holy Spirit was given to testify that Christ came to give us a New Covenant and told us God would put His laws in our hearts and write them on our minds and our sins and lawless acts would be remembered no more.
• Luke 11:13 – God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
• Ephesians 1:13 – The Holy Spirit will mark you with a seal to guarantee your redemption and salvation.
• Hebrews 2:4 – The Holy Spirit will give us signs, wonders, various miracles and gifts.  If we have seriously surrendered our lives to Christ the Holy Spirit will make us aware that He is with us.
• II Timothy 1:13 & 14 – The Holy Spirit will help you live a holy life by giving you faith and love in Christ Jesus.
• Luke 12:12 – The Holy Spirit will tell us what to say.
• Acts 1:8 – We shall receive power from the Holy Spirit.
• John 14:26 – The counselor, the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and will remind us of what Jesus taught.
• Acts 13:12 – The Holy Spirit will speak to our spirit and give us directions and where to go.
• Acts 20:23 – The Holy Spirit will warn us of potential problems.
• Galatians 5:23 & 24 – The Holy Spirit will give us joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Instant gratification is not the answer.  Our future is not here on earth but heaven.  We are here for only a short time but eternity is forever.

We are told America is no longer a Christian nation.  However, the Gallup Poll tells us that out of a poll of 800,000, 78% claim to be a Christian.  However, only 43% say they attend regularly or weekly.  We realize that many are not honest when they are polled but we still believe more than 50% of Americans believe they are Christians.

The poll reported that 43% of Americans attend weekly.  Those living in Mississippi, 63% attend church weekly whereas; only 23% attend in Vermont.  Nevada’s attendance is 46^th in the nation at 30%.    The three west coast states and Nevada plus the northeastern states attendance is the worst.  Those who do attend 55% are conservatives and 27% are liberals. Ten percent more females attend church than males.     Those who are 65 and older, 53% attend and those 18 to 29 only 35% are church goers. It is believed that the closer one gets to death makes a person think a life change may be necessary.

Our churches, on an average weekend, have more than 1.5% of Las Vegas’ areas total population attend. On special occasions almost 2.5% are in attendance at one of our six related churches or satellites.  As the city grew so did our attendance.

Approximately 80% of Americans believe in heaven and 70% believe there is a hell.  The more educated and the wealthier, the less they feel a need to be church goers or believers in either God or life after death.  The 70% who believe in hell also believe in a devil.  Some believe hell is fire and brimstone and others believe hell is being without God and heaven.  Of those believing in a heaven 77% believe they are going there.  Why would 23% of those believing in a heaven and also believing in a hell not want to make preparations to be assured of going to heaven?  It would be like believing possibly many of those attending church, at least sometimes, need to make a commitment.  In case you may be wondering this may be why preachers offer prayers of acceptance to those having never asked for forgiveness and repented.

A number of years ago at a retreat a Ph.D in Theology shared with us that in most churches only about 20% of those in attendance make up the core of the church.  They tithe, play an active role in the church and they can be counted on when needed.  Then there are many who attend but are not truly committed as Christ teaches and it appears many do not live holy lives. If God or His Spirit commands them to do something they will ignore Him. They continue to do things they know God would not approve. They do not realize that sin causes negative consequences and if they do, they do not care.  If this is true, what does that mean?  It is like polls may say, more than 80% of Americans believe in God but how many have a personal relationship with Him and live holy lives?

What about the many, if we can believe statistics, who attend church who never get serious about living a holy life?  Do we take Scripture seriously that says: “Anyone who refuses to live by these rules (living a holy life) is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you”?  My concern is: are we allowing Christians to assume they are saved because they accept Christ but never followed through in allowing their lives to be spiritually changed?  We then have to ask, are we talking about working our way to heaven or are we saved by grace?  James tells us faith without works is dead. By our deeds we will be judged.  Therefore, is it not necessary to live holy lives?

How do we interpret 1 John 2:15? – “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Doesn’t that put a limit on how we are to live? Will the Holy Spirit be in the life of a person who does not have the love of the Father in them to live by His will?

I believe most Christians will agree we will be judged by our heart, our attitude, our relationship with God and our love for others.  It is my belief that we will see many in heaven that we do not expect and maybe more who we would expect, but will not be there.  There is only one judge and that is Jesus Christ.  But shouldn’t every Christian be taught what the rules are that we must live by or is that called meddling? Many new Christians have absolutely no idea what living a holy life means.  But, if the Holy Spirit is truly in them, their lives will progressively change because they will be sensitive to His leading.  If not, chances are there will be little or no change and they will continue to live as the world lives ignoring 1 John 2:15.

Most have heard of the faith of Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos.  What do you know about a Christian point guard for the New York Knicks, Jeremy Lin?  Lin and Tebow have comparable Christian experiences and were not expected to succeed professionally.  They testify for God when being interviewed.  Both play positions that are leadership roles for their team and their enthusiasm and faith permeate the entire team.  They are winners and they are Christians.

In high school Lin was a standout player leading his team to a record 31 and 1 in 2006 and a California Division II championship.  Despite his high school success he failed to receive any scholarship offers from top colleges.  He ended up playing for Harvard and getting a degree in economics.  He was overlooked by the NBA because he was a slender Asian and played for Harvard.

He was accepted by the Golden State Warriors to try out.  He ended up having to sleep on his brother’s couch.  A scrub at Golden State, in New York, he becomes one of the hottest sport stars in the world.  Lin tells about reading the Bible while having hurt feelings when Golden State released him without giving him a chance.  Lin said: “I definitely didn’t see it coming and got pulled out midway through the first practice.  My agent and I had zero idea that was going to happen.  It was really tough for me at the time but I just tried to hold on to a lot of the stuff in the Bible that God gives to trust, have joy in the sufferings and trust in his perfect plan.  That’s what I tried my best to do and I’m thankful the way things turned out.”

I have known a number of people who experienced “perceived failure” or what is perceived as failure but in time came to realize that God let them fail to lead them in a new direction. A number of lessons can be learned from failure. For one thing, it strengthens us spiritually. For another, failure not only teaches us to be dependent upon the Holy Spirit, but also it opens up unlimited possibilities. Every circumstance in life, including failure, can become an eventual blessing.

In an interview Lin was asked about Tim Tebow.  He feels Tim is such an inspiration and a polarizing figure but I think the things he says in interviews and his approach to the game is just unbelievable and I respect him so much.  Lin said: “I want to be able to do some of the things that he does in terms of the amount of charity work and the nonprofit work and the way he impacts people off the field.  I think that is what is most inspiring to me about him.”

Lin testified at River of Life Christian Church that he considers everything in his life, his coaches, his height (6’3”) and his opportunity to play basketball all blessings from God.  In one interview he said that he hopes to become a pastor and lead nonprofit organizations following his basketball career.

He recently said: “I’m thinking about how can I trust God more?  How can I surrender more?  How can I bring Him more glory?  It’s a fight.  But it’s one I’m going to keep fighting.”  He admitted that initially he was playing for great games, wanting to obtain a contract for next year.  After spending more time, Lin said his true prize was something in heaven not on earth.  “I realize I had to learn to stop chasing the perishable prizes of the earth and give my best effort unto God and trust Him with the results.”

If you want to follow Lin on twitter or Facebook you will find him having posted Romans 5:3 to 5 and Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,”

In our book: “God and the Bottom Line” we believe Christians can have an advantage.  Faith and trust in God develop confidence.  The Christian who depends upon the Holy Spirit and is sensitive to His leading 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 advantage does not guarantee presidencies, chairmanships, wealth, achievement awards, fame, or recognition, but it will lead the Christian in the direction that fulfills his God-given purpose. I believe Lin and Tebow are doing just that—their God-given purpose.

Ephesians 6:5 – 9 – Changed how I worked.  “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.  And masters, treat your slaves 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.” Instead of the word slaves, insert the word employees.  I believe what Lin and Tebow are doing is serving wholeheartedly Christ in what they do.

How much do we miss in life because we do not pray believing God will answer our prayers?

Matthew 7:7 & 8 – “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.”

Mark 11:24 – “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

You may have heard of the church in a small Mid-west city of 35,000 that had God answer their prayer. Previously a lottery jackpot of $380 million had been won in Michigan.  There were 127 families, many farmers, who had worshipped in a non-denominational church for many years.  They wanted to add on to their facilities.  It was suggested that each family buy a ticket into the super lotto that had reached over $260 million.  Whoever won would divide the winnings equally to each of the families.  They each pledged to tithe on their portion of their winnings.  It would be enough to pay for the building’s expansion.  There were 127 tickets purchased and the church began praying.

A member of the church won and the money was divided equally with everyone receiving over Two million dollars before taxes.  An unusual thing happened.  Only about 70% tithed.  The Sunday attendance began to drop off.  The Jones family purchased a 22 foot boat.  It seemed the only time they could use it was on the weekends.  The Smith family bought a RV and began traveling on the weekends.  The Johnson couple traveled on the weekends to visit their relatives.  Shortly the minister was called to a larger church.  It took a few months to replace the minister.  At the end of the first year, the congregation was running about 65 families.  It wasn’t long before the church disbanded and those few remaining started going to different churches.

Those who were farmers had always been dependant on God for their livelihood.  They no longer had to rely and trust God to meet their needs.  They had adequate money to take care of every wish.  Do you think this may be why God doesn’t answer our prayer when we ask for a BMW car?  What if God gave us everything we prayed for?  It would be like Christmas every day as there would be no end to what we would be wanting.  How many non-believers would become Christians if they believed God would give them anything they prayed for?

1 John 5:14 – “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

God will not give us more than we can handle.  However, I believe the Bible is very clear: God’s promise is that He will meet our needs and will give us anything we pray for according to His will.  That is why not everyone is healed.  It is also the reason there are the rich as well as the poor.  We live in a sinful world and God will be with us through every disaster that occurs in our life.  He does not guarantee we will have no unfortunate situations take place.  He will give us the comfort and the courage to battle through each negative encounter.  That, we can trust Him to do!  (I made up the church winning of the lottery.  It never happened.  It was just an illustration of what Christians might do if God had answered.)

Was it how good a person was or how bad that determined who was chosen?  If the Bible was being written today would any of us qualify?  It appears that those who were selected had a story that illustrated to us want God wanted us to know about life.

The Bible had to start with Adam and Eve.  How else would we have known what caused the downfall of man and the result of sin?  Next we have Cain and Abel.  From them we learned the importance of tithing and how destructive envy can be.  Cain was envious of Abel because God favored Abel due to his obedience to God whereas; Cain displeased God through his disobedient actions.

The enviousness and the immorality of people before the flood caused God to start over again.  He made a covenant with Noah.  Noah worked for 120 years building the ark.  We learn the importance of trusting God, hard work and diligence pleased God.

Nimrod, a mighty warrior elected to build a city and a tower that reached into the heavens so they could make a name for themselves.  God caused confusion in their language so they could not understand each other.  Before that, they all communicated with the same language.  They were unable to complete their tower.  This caused people to scatter over the face of the earth.  From Nimrod we learn the importance of humility and God is displeased with egotistic people.

God selects Abram because of his faith to become a nation.  We learn from 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.”  God uses Israel to teach the world that there is a God and He can either bless or curse those who are obedient or those who are disobedient.  Throughout the Old Testament God blessed and prospered some and others were cursed.  God teaches that He requires faith and we are to trust in Him.

Abraham and Sarah decided to use Hagar to produce a son for Abraham.  Ishmael was born and then the two had a son, Isaac.  Isaac received much more attention from Abraham and Sarah than they gave to Ishmael. Because of envy, Hagar and Ishmael mocked Isaac.  It resulted in Hagar and Ishmael having to leave.  God promised Hagar that a great nation would come from Ishmael.  (Genesis 21:18) From these two sons two nations occurred.  The problem Cain had with Abel also was between Ishmael and Isaac, envy.  To this day they are unable to live with each other in peace.  (Maybe it is time to define envy: It is wanting something so badly that they will do anything to get it.  If someone else has what they want they will do whatever is necessary to either get it or keep others from having it.)  Does that sound like the Palestinians vs. the Israelites?

We learn that Isaac has two sons Jacob and Esau.  Esau, the oldest gave his birthright to Jacob.  Later Esau wanted his birthright back but does not get it.  Envy and hatred develops.  To this day their descendants cannot live in peace with each other.

God used judges and prophets teaching people how to live and what was required.  We were given illustrations of what happened to people who were devoted believers and those who rejected God.  Prophets were used to predict the future.  It was knowing we had a Creator that could plan the future, provided people with hope and security.  As a result, we can live believing that the future ahead of us is foretold in the Book of Revelation and we can trust it will happen as described.

We skip to the birth of Christ.  Jesus comes to bring us a New Covenant and a different description of God’s love, grace and character.  Christ selects 12 common people to be His disciples. I believe this is to illustrate that the average person can do all things if the Holy Spirit is within them. He trains His disciples to teach God’s “WILL” to all sinners.  Which is: To accept Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world, to study the Bible daily and live the way it says and do not deviate from God’s requirements.

Those named in the New Testament were instrumental in sharing the Gospel that Christ came to communicate to all of us.  We learned that God can forgive, we can receive His Spirit and our name can be entered in a book as important as the Bible.  That is the Book of Life.  Those, whose names are entered in that Book, will spend eternity with God and Christ.  Having your name entered does not depend on how hard you worked but have you accepted the offer of salvation?  If so, your name will be entered and probably in BOLD letters.

P.S.  I started blogging March 2009.  This is my 300^th blog.  God willing, I will continue every Monday and Thursday as long as people continue to read them.  There are about 20 hits per day.  Thanks for your participation!

Most Christians believe, without a doubt, God can be trusted.  But do we really live our lives trusting Him?

Hebrews 10:35 – 36 – “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” NLT

Do we realize that everything that God promises can be ours if we will do His will?  What have we missed by not trusting God to fulfill His promises?  You may ask: “What is God’s will?”  His will is that we study the Bible and live by its principles.  God, talking to Joshua as he was about to lead the Israelites into the promise land, gives us a capsule of what the Bible teaches to all Christians.

Joshua 1:5 – 9 – “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live.  For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.  ‘Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.  Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.  Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.  This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’” NLT

Many believe but do not trust.  The Israelites saw God free them from slavery, divide the Red Sea, destroy the Egyptian Army, supernaturally feed and give them water and then led them through the desert.  Yet, when they were told to enter the promise land they became afraid and refused to obey and trust God.

I remember in 1991 when we decided to buy 80 acres for a new church and didn’t have the money.  We obtained the acreage.  We started building a $23 million building project when we didn’t have the money.  It was completed in December 1999.  Years later, we have never missed a mortgage payment.  On special events we will fill seven services with 30,000 people plus.  In addition, we have started a number of satellites and other ministries.   What if we have had the faith and lacked the trust as the ten Israeli spies who didn’t trust God to keep His promises when told to enter the promise land?  Thus, they convinced the others it couldn’t be done.  That could have happened to our church and I am sure has happened to many Christians.

Isaiah 12:2 – “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”  Isaiah 26:4 – “Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.”  Psalms 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and the One Who saves me.  Whom should I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom should I be afraid?”

Are we not told that if we continually study the Bible, live by its principles and not deviate from it, we will be successful and prosper in all that we do?  Do you believe enough and have the faith to trust that God will keep His promises?  Isn’t it worth a try?  It starts with Bible study!

Hitler started WW2 and 35 million died.  Stalin was responsible for an estimated 100 million deaths.  Mao Tse-Tung of China had an estimated 100 million killed.  How many would have been killed had they had nuclear weapons?

Revelation 9:18 – “A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.” Fire, smoke and sulfur depict modern weapons.  At present there are seven billion living.  One-third would be over two billion destroyed.  Sounds like nuclear weapons would have to be used.

Prior to this happening we believe Scripture indicates that there will be a radical movement of people promoting fanatical ideas and theology intended to change the world when all restraints are removed.  Examples will be the teaching of evolution, situation ethics, moral freedom, self sufficiency (man is accountable to no one), sexual permissiveness and there is no life after death.  A world-wide anti-God movement is taking place.

A man will rise to promote security and peace.  The Bible refers to him as “the beast” or the Antichrist.  He will deceive most everyone as he forms a one-world government and a one-world religion.  Is there a person alive today that could convince the world that war could be avoided and peace could occur?  Doesn’t it look like nuclear war happens before the Antichrist takes over and controls the world?  He then will reign for seven years.  Wouldn’t a disaster have to occur before nations would abdicate absolute authority over everyone?  That means control of all money, governments, military and religion.

How concerned should the world be concerning Iran’s development of nuclear bombs?  They believe destroying America and Israel is a requirement to bring back their messiah, the Mahdi.  He and the Muslims would then rule the world.

Under the Antichrist every individual would have a mark or a computer chip on their right hand or their forehead.  Without the mark or chip no one can buy or sell.  We are more inclined to believe it will be a chip that will give complete knowledge and control of every person alive.  Don’t the prophecies of the Bible indicate it will be some time before all of this takes place and not end on December 21, 2012?

Revelation 13:16 – 17 – “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”

A black market will not be allowed to exist.  It appears Christians will either be beheaded for not worshipping the Antichrist or starve to death for being unable to exchange money.  The Bible seems very clear that Christian’s faith will be tested.  However, many theologians believe the church and those having the Holy Spirit shall be raptured prior to the Antichrist taking over.

When Revelation was written how did the writer know that a day would come when everyone could be able to see what was happening and could worship a world leader?  Revelation 11:9 – “For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.”

For seven years the Antichrist will rule.  The first 3½ years will be peace and the last 3½ will be total chaos.  The world will then end, as we know it.

II Thessalonians 2:8 – “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.”

The question facing the world today is:  “What shall we do about Iran’s development of nuclear armament?”  Do we ignore it and see weapons of mass destruction be unleashed on America?  Or, do we ignore it and hasten the end times?  Will God make the decision or will it be left up to man?

In the meantime, we see radical changes in artificial intelligence, computers, digital manufacturing, synthetic biology, nanomaterials and further development of technologies.  They are even telling us we will be able to live for hundreds of years because of improvement in health technology.  Do we live believing the future will provide the needs of every man, woman and child or should we live believing the radical fanatics could destroy us?  Regardless how we live, every day evil will make every effort available to deceive us into believing everything will turn out for the best and we need not worry about life after death.  Scripture tells us to always be prepared spiritually for we do not know when our end comes as it may come abruptly, unannounced. Are you prepared—you can be???  John 3:16!

The Bible’s New Covenant is a contract made by God to the church and Christians.  Do you have the faith to believe what He promises will happen?  Faith or the lack of faith affects everything in life.

Most people encounter stress.  Stress comes from a lack of control of a situation, thoughts, fears, work, scheduling, health, relationships and many other reasons.  Stress comes from when it controls us rather than us controlling it.  Sometimes we have stress and are not sure what is causing it.  Knowing the cause provides a better chance of controlling it.  Many times changing habits or our attitude corrects the problem causing stress.  However, if we are unwilling to accept responsibility for our actions it makes it difficult to release built up tension.   The best way I have found dealing with stress is to pray about it and trust God to handle it.  For me, it has always worked.

Let’s look at the meaning of faith and confidence.  If we define confidence as believing in our ability to do certain acts in which we depend on ourselves for completion and then define faith as requiring us to believe something that doesn’t seem reasonable to the human mind.  Faith trusts in the Deity Who promises and performs things that may seem supernatural.  May we further define that confidence comes from the mind and is intellectual and faith comes from the heart and is spiritual.

Mark 11:22 – 24 – “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.  “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

How strong is your faith?  Christ indicates—to God nothing is impossible.  Could we ever have enough faith to believe that God would move a mountain for us?  I have heard stories concerning answers to prayer that are almost as unbelievable.  Does not stress come from our lack of faith?  If we believe that God will meet our needs is there ever anything that should stress us out?

Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Whatever we need we are told that God will supply it.  There is a difference between needs and wants.  We may never want to be sick, have pain or feel discomfort.  However, that is not considered a need.  If we are spiritually mature we would only pray for needs that we believe God would want us to have.  It may be the courage to face death.

God says He wants us to be prosperous.  Isn’t that something we should pray for?  I believe He would answer if we were to use our prosperity in helping others or to be able to give more to His ministry. However, we are ever dealing with thoughts coming from the evil one.  We may not realize it but the Bible says we will constantly be persuaded, deceived or tempted.  One of the greatest causes of stress may come from guilt. Too often we listen to the wrong voice.  The wrong voice does not want us praying, growing spiritually or gaining in faith.  How much stress may be coming from listening to the wrong voice?  If we are listening to the Holy Spirit don’t you believe that we would probably have less stress?  If we believe stress comes from a lack of faith, shouldn’t we be praying for more faith?

Mark 10:53a – ““Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”

Romans 10:17 – “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

Galatians 3:11b – “the righteous will live by faith.”

Galatians 3:14 – “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”