Once Christ was placed on the cross many of His disciples and particularly the apostles fled and hid themselves.  They were afraid that what was happening to Christ would happen to them.

In a recent discussion some young people asked, would God forgive a Christian if they took the “mark of the beast”?  As we get closer to the end-time I am sure this is a question many are asking themselves.  Who among us would be willing to accept death rather than have the mark placed on our forehead or right hand?  What about our children?  What would happen to them if we were killed?  Maybe I should take the mark so that I could feed my family and supply them with their needs.  No mark, no food!  We are told that refusing to take the mark or worshipping the idol one would starve to death or be beheaded.  Refusing will require a Christian truly committed and faithful to God.

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.”

If you have watched any sport you may have noticed the number of tattoos that are becoming so popular. Go to the mall during the summer and notice how many ladies are sporting a tattoo.  Are they becoming so popular that taking another mark will be just adding another tattoo?

Revelation 14:9 -11 – “A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.’”

I believe it is very clear what happens to those who follow the Antichrist.  You shall be eternally punished with fire and brimstone in the presence of holy angels and Christ.  That means God will give a person eternal punishment without His mercy or grace.  The unbeliever will have no relief day or night from being tormented.  Their days will be a time of anguish and their nights will be nightmares of torment.

The Bible tells us there will be no second chances and no forgiveness once a person accepts the “mark of the beast”.  We may choose to have pleasure for a short time while we are on this earth but eternity is a long-time to be separated from God.

Here is what I see as a positive.  Prior to Pentecost the apostles were afraid of death.  Scripture tells us they were in a home behind locked doors not really willing to answer a person knocking at the door.  After they received the Holy Spirit they were bold and began witnessing in public everywhere someone would listen.  Why were they later willing to die for spreading the gospel? After each apostle was martyred the others continued to preach the gospel.  I believe there will be a time when the Holy Spirit will remove all fear and we will be able to accept death as a privilege to die for our Savior.  So keep the faith.

Revelation 20:4 – 6 – I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.   Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”

What are your plans for the thousand years, to be with Christ or Satan?  Which will you choose the “mark” or death?   Death brings eternal life and the “mark” brings eternal death!

It’s 1:35 a.m. and I woke up from a dream.  Rarely do I dream and normally by morning I have forgotten what the dream was about.  It took place at church.  It concerned a person who, it seemed, I knew very well but awake I could not place him.  He was an usher at church and during the service he just was not his normal self.  It was very evident that he had lost his sparkle, that positive demeanor and his passion for helping others find a seat.  I am now fearful that if I don’t get up I will have forgotten what happens when I awake in the morning.  Hurriedly I make a few notes and head back to bed.

The alarm goes off in my head at 4:00 a.m. and it’s time to start another day.  I decide that it is important that I make a few more notes and I cut short my normal routine.  So I get back to the dream. Do dreams sometimes come from the Holy Spirit?  My son had a dream that he was driving in one of the worse parts of Los Angeles.  In his dream he became aware of where he was and had the inclination to get out of that area quickly.  Two weeks later he was driving in one of the worse parts of Las Vegas and that dream came to him.  He considered the dream could be a premonition and that he had better get out of that area immediately.  What do you think about dreams?  Can they be Holy Spirit inspired?

Back to my dream!  After the service I met him and asked if he was having some problems.  He stated that he was having trouble living a Christian life.  I told him that one of the greatest problems many Christians have is knowing what the Bible teaches and then being able to trust what God promises.  He can be trusted.

A few years back I was stopped at a red light. As the light turned green I started to pull out and felt led to look to my left.  A pick up came through the intersection at about 45 mph.  Had I pulled out I would have been broadsided.  There is no doubt in my mind that I was prompted by the Holy Spirit.  Since then I never pull out without looking both ways and proceeding carefully.

If you have read my blogs you realize I believe that one of the greatest problems many have is believing that Christ lives in us and through us in the form of the Holy Spirit.  It is so hard for most to accept that we have a counselor and protector willing to help us.  Yet, many Christians live life in their own strength, ignoring the Holy Spirit’s help.   I believe that God allows all kinds of situations to occur until we finally accept and become dependent upon Him.  How often have we learned through Scripture that tells us to surrender our spirit to God?

Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  How long should it take for new Christian’s to learn that we are to allow Christ, who is in us, to no longer live with our sin nature?  Are we not to die to our old life and live as the Holy Spirit guides us?

No matter how frustrating and difficult life seems we must realize that God will see us through it.  I Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  Do we expect life to be free of all difficulties?  If we never faced serious problems who would we depend upon: God or ourselves?  That I believe is our major problem.  We depend on ourselves too often and God is allowing problems to exist in order to teach us to rely upon Him.

I woke up before I found out what the individual’s (in my dream) problems really were and whether he accepted my advice or not.  At least we tried!

I know a number of you are 100% believers that the climate is going to change and both coasts of America will be 20 feet underwater within the next few years. As a result we need to change so that everything in the future is green.  That includes vehicles, energy producers and any power use that causes CO2.  Many are excited about General Motors Volt that runs on electricity.  Approximately 50% of all the electricity used for plug-in-electric cars will be produced by coal.  I hope I am wrong but my prediction is that the Volt car will not be a best seller at $41,000; General Motors and the government need the cash.

I am one of those who believe that if global warming or climate change were to happen I could read about it in the Bible.  Read all of the prophecy found in the Old and New Testaments and there is not one word forewarning us about man destroying the earth by what energy we use.  Therefore, I am writing this blog to inform you that many now believe that Global warming was a hoax to create redistribution of wealth.  This is a belief of those wishing to see a one-world government that is prophesied in the Bible.  Globally we are now connected through financing and our economies.  We have leaders that wish for that one-world government where there are no nationalities or races.  Remember Nimrod a ruler over many nations after the great flood.  He built a huge platform toward the sky to assure people if there were another flood they would be high enough to keep them safe.  He was one of the most evil of rulers.  It was God who caused the people to begin speaking in different languages and dispersed them to different parts of the world.  The Bible very clearly tells us God is not for a one-world government.  Yet, there are leaders who do not believe there is a God and they know what’s best for us all.

In an article in a recent national paper states that money is the motivating force behind what is left of the climate change movement after the devastating scandals that saw the deliberate manipulation of scientific data to spur the world into taking drastic regulatory action.  Ottmar Edenhofer, a German economist and co-chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group III on Mitigation of Climate Change stated that the climate summit in Cancun this week is not a climate conference, but one of the largest economic conferences since the Second World War.  He said that climate policy is redistributing the world’s wealth and that it’s a big mistake to discuss climate policy separately from the major themes of globalization.  The Tax and trade issue is not dead to industrialized nations, especially the United States.  It is a major plank in the Socialist left agenda and a Marxist principle.

He goes on to say that it has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore but with problems with deforestation or the ozone hole.  Global leaders want to place a tax on everything from airline flights and international shipping to fuel and financial transactions.  It is expected to raise upward of $100 billion annually.  It is all for the benefit of globalization.  Continue to believe us you will and ignore the facts taken from the Bible.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Al Gore said the following to a gathering of clean energy financiers in Greece this past week:  “It is not a good policy to have these massive subsidies for first-generation ethanol.”  He continued by saying: “It’s hard once such a program is put in place to deal with the lobbies that keep it going.”  “One of the reasons I made that mistake is that I paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee and I had a certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for President”, said Mr.  Gore.

Meanwhile, the greens have slowly turned against corn ethanol, thanks to the growing scientific evidence that biofuels increase carbon emissions more than fossil fuels do.  Republican senators are encouraging the new Congress to allow subsides for corn ethanol die.  This could lower the price of food.  There are hundreds of uses for corn that have caused prices to rise because of the amount of corn used to process ethanol gasoline.

I am not advocating that we not be good stewards of the earth, air and water.  These are all necessary for survival and we need to keep them clean.  But they are not to be worshipped.

Have you known some in the church who practice Christianity but live like the devil?  You may ask: “Do they really think Christians can live that way?”  This year our church may have more than six thousand make a confession of faith by accepting Christ as their Savior.  How many will truly follow the ways of God?

For over 150 years scientists have tried to convince us that we evolved from a monkey.  Every fossil found to be the missing link between the monkey and man has been proven a hoax or a fraud.  The Bible in Genesis tells us that we were created in the image of God with a spirit.  This is what separates man from an animal.

No matter how brilliant we may be it is very difficult to know the ways of God without God’s Spirit (the Holy Spirit) within us.  How do we receive the Holy Spirit?  According to the Bible we must commit to accepting Christ as our Savior.  We must repent, completely change the way we have been living.  We then must accept God’s Spirit into our lives with a willingness to surrender and be submissive to His guidance.  If God knows a person is not serious, will not repent, will never be submissive to His Spirit, and will continue to live as the world lives, will He allow the Holy Spirit to enter into that person?  Isaiah 59: 2 – “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.  Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”  If we are separated from God He may only listen to the prayer of someone convicted by the Holy Spirit to accept Christ into their heart.  We then know He will hear all of our prayers.

A person may do all of the right things: pray the sinners prayer, get baptized and attend church but have no intention of changing their life and being submissive to the Holy Spirit.  Did they receive salvation?  There are some who are unwilling to give up control and live differently.  The pleasures of this world are just too enticing and self-control is more important than living for others (your neighbor).

Ephesians 4:17 – 24 – “With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.  Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.   They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.   But that isn’t what you learned about Christ.  Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” NLT

Not everyone is willing to repent.  There are people who have allowed their hearts to become so hardened that it is difficult initially to be convicted of their wrong doing.  A continual ignoring of the Holy Spirit’s convicting power can sear one’s conscience to lose all moral sensitivity.  Jesus in the parable of the seeds, found in Matthew 13, indicates some seeds will fall on hard ground, others among thorns.

Let’s assume you have repented and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.  You find it almost impossible to live the Christian life.  Colossians 3:1 – 4 –“Since you have been raised to a new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”

Have you ever thought your problem may be that you are trying to do a Christian life on your own?  Galatians 2:20 – “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The Bible teaches that once we receive the Holy Spirit, Christ comes to live in us and through us every minute.  He knows the difficulties we may be going through. Therefore, He came to live His life through us because He knew we could not do it on our own. We have these self-centered bodies that want what the world wants.  When we make mistakes we may feel guilty, ashamed or regret because we know we have done wrong.    However, we must continually remember life is not about us. It is about Jesus.  The greater our relationship becomes, the more love we have for Him, the easier it will be to allow the Holy Spirit to live through us.  We must admit our failures and surrender our will in order for Christ to live through us.  So often I have written about an abundant life, peace and joy.  It usually doesn’t come when we are living for ourselves.  If you are struggling in living God’s ways allow Christ to live through you.  This is why we have been given the Holy Spirit.  Let Him be your counselor.

This morning I heard a sermon from Dr. Charles Stanley on being a servant and letting God work through us.  It inspired me to tell you through my personal experiences that practicing these principles made a complete difference in my life.  I hope those who have been reading my blogs for the past 20 months will realize the purpose of this blog is to glorify God and give a testimony as to how these two principles could change your life.

In high school I had two jobs: one was an elevator operator at the Olympic Hotel in Olympia, Washington.  One summer I worked as an electrician’s assistant for Weyerhaeuser in their saw mill at Longview, Washington.   I spent four years in the Navy as a radio operator and came home to work for Longview Fiber in their box plant.  I then went to Northwest Nazarene University to major in business administration.  The end of my first year I worked a short time as a logger and finished the summer working on The Dallas Dam on the Columbia River.  Every one of these were nothing but a way to make money and I had no particular interest in any one of these jobs.  If you rated my productivity it would be no higher than a C.

After my first year in school and many chapel services and Sunday sermons I learned what Dr. Stanley was talking about.  Christ came to this earth to be a servant.  Matthew 20:26 – 28 – “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  John 20:26 – 27 – “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.   Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

I learned that no matter who I worked for or who was my boss I really worked for God.  He was always going to be my boss. I was to allow God to work through me and be His example.  That summer I went to work for Bird’s Eye Frozen Foods in Nampa, Idaho.  They gave me the hardest job in the plant dumping 40 lb boxes of beans into a hopper.  At each break everyone would go sit down.  I got a broom and cleaned up around my hopper and made sure everything was ready to go when the break was over.  My goal was to be an “A” producer for God.  After two weeks I asked the night supervisor if there was a job that required a little more thinking.  He moved me to running eight graters that sorted out the good beans from the bad.  I could, to some degree, determine how fast the inspection lines worked.  If we had a load of bad beans the lines would be slowed down.  If we had good beans the lines could be run at full-capacity.  It was my goal to meet maximum productivity for the plant at all times.

At the end of my sophomore year and the beginning of the summer I received a call asking if I would be interested in being the assistant to the night supervisor over 250 people.  I approached that job keeping God as my boss and trying to have a servant’s heart.  At the end of that summer they asked me if I would come back as the night supervisor and I did.  Later, the principle of a Christian high school on campus asked if during my senior year would I be their athletic director and coach football, basketball and baseball.    My senior year I was coaching and during the summers I worked for Bird’s Eye.  During this time my wife was asked to be the head resident of a girl’s dormitory.  I was receiving the G.I. Bill and my tuition was paid for.  We had free room and board.  I was paid for teaching and my summer job.  We had no debt and the only expense we had was our tithe.

After a few summers a friend convinced me that I could make a lot of money selling insurance.  We moved to Longview, Washington to sell insurance.  After a few months of doing well I realized it was not something that I felt led to do.  I learned that Montgomery Ward had a management training program.  I interviewed and took the job.

After six years I became a store manager.  During those following years I was on boards, on Chamber of Commerce committees and met a number of men through my 25 years as a Rotarian.   We lived in nine different cities and found that most people were just working for “stuff”.  No matter how much they had accumulated it was never enough.  In almost every case they were working only for number one.  In addition, most seemed to be under a tremendous amount of stress, they were not getting their “stuff” fast enough.    Or, they were stressed over the debts they had accumulated.

When God is your boss and you have a servant’s heart the things that most people go through you don’t go through.  That doesn’t mean you never encounter problems but, most problems are not self-inflicted.  When I heard this Sunday morning Dr. Stanley’s message I felt a need to tell you from my personal experience what the Bible teaches really works.  The younger a person changes their commitment to these two principles and allows Christ to live through them, the greater will be their potential.

Many Christians believe God controls everything.  This would mean He allows things to happen that will fulfill His plan toward the end of time. All of the apostles and Prophets from Moses to the Apostle John prophesied future events.  If the apostle John, author of the Book of Revelation, has accurately predicted the “End-Times” then God has to be in control of what is happening today for any of it to occur.  I totally believe that God has given us free-moral agency.  We may chose good or bad.  However, when it comes to the selection of rulers the Old Testament repeatedly selected who Israel’s kings, judges and prophets would be.

Is it possible that God has inspired certain politicians to do certain things?  This past week Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC, a member of the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees speaking at the Halifax International Security forum said that military strikes on Iran to take out its nuclear program should also include taking out its military.   This includes their air force, army and navy.  He believes  Iran’s ability to fight back should be destroyed.

President Obama’s failure to understand the frustration of the ordinary voter caused November’s vote to return Republicans to congress.  As intellectually smart as the president and his advisors are, they do not seem to understand the thinking of the average American.  I do not believe the Democrats realize the public did not vote for Republicans.  They voted against the president’s policies.  Had God wanted Iran to be destroyed by the U.S., I doubt if President Obama would have ever been elected president.  I don’t believe this would ever happen under his leadership.

Revelation 18:9 & 10 – “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.  Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!”

Chapter 18 describes the doom of Babylon, a mighty city.  Many claim Babylon is the United States, Rome or others.  Scripture states that Iraq will play a part in the end times.  Is it possible John actually meant the city of Babylon in Iraq?   President Bush met with a number of Christian ministers and I am sure they disgusted prophecy.  Would Christians think differently if they believed President Bush was inspired by God to attack Iraq?  Is this possible?  If God did not want Iraq attacked would Bush have been allowed to become president?

We either have a passive God or a God in control.  What has encouraged millions of people to join the Tea Party?   Was it Godly inspired or free-moral agency?

Philippians 3:20 & 21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.“  Is there any doubt that everything is under God’s control?  There is not a whole lot that we individually can do.  Our responsibility is our relationship to God and how we treat others.  If we want to see a change in our world we need to spread the gospel that others may become believers.  If the world wants true prosperity it needs to make Christ their personal Savior.   Otherwise, we only come closer to the end!

As we get closer to the November 2nd election there seems to be a war against business. It is not just politicians but it seems that people no longer feel they are getting a fair deal. I read in the paper where the majority of people hate bankers. The National Chamber of Commerce is supposedly taking foreign money and using it to support the Republicans. There is no proof, just insinuations. If you follow the media you would think most business people are greedy crooks. It appears that politicians believe the same and they saw a need to legislate morality through added regulations. However, I see few examples where congress is personally setting ethical models for any of us to follow. What they have enacted will not solve morality problems; it will only motivate some to beat the system. Others will have to eat the added costs which could be in the billions.

“Religious leaders speak inadequately about business,” writes Professor Richard J. Goossen of Trinity Western University, “more so than almost anything else they preach on. Their professional vocabulary, for the most part, so misses the point that it is painful to listen to them. The alarming state of the church’s ability to be a relevant force influencing business can be summed up in a simple observation: we already see many signs of Christian businesspeople from every denomination rejecting religion and religion overwhelmingly rejecting businesspeople.”

Meeting with many people I get the impression they have a misconception about business and stereotype even Christian business people as not caring, will take advantage of the consumer and the business man or woman’s main concern is the all-mighty dollar.

I realize corporations are not beyond criticism. I have run into situations where it was quite evident the consumer had been taken advantage. However, it seems that many, whether it be educators, politicians, doctors, plumbers or others, no longer abide by Christian principles. Their sets of values are primarily based on “everyone’s doing it”. Too many Christians seem to be Christians on Sunday but it doesn’t last when they go to work on Monday. But that doesn’t mean all Christians do not practice the “Golden Rule”.

Many are calling out for a revival in the Christian community. They are saying culture has influenced the church rather than the church influencing the spirit and soul of man. It is their belief that until the church changes the hearts of people we will not change our culture or the way business is done. I believe many business people do things they know better but feel they must to remain competitive or make a profit. Each Sunday these people are sitting in church pews realizing that come Monday they must meet weekly payroll, resolve employee disputes and make sure they are meeting competition. These business people may have strong faith and believe God has a purpose in it all. They realize the Holy Spirit is with them and it turns hopeless looking situations into favorable ones.

Here is what Christians need to hear; they have an advantage in life. They must believe their advantage gives them a more likely chance to succeed than fail, but they should realize they have no guarantees. Many have established that the Holy Spirit comes into our lives when we receive Jesus. He helps us make wise, moral, and ethical decisions. He guides, supports, and directs as we learn to live as Christ lived. Do we consult Him as we would a flesh-and-blood partner? Or do we relegate Him to silent partner status? If I had a business partner who never consulted with me and did whatever he wanted, whenever he chose, I would think he didn’t want nor need my input and as soon as possible I would get out of the partnership. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit doesn’t give up on people who continually ignore Him.

Not everyone claiming to be a Christian has the advantage. Many believers desire to live as the world does and reject the guidance of the Holy Spirit in every facet of their lives. As a result, they deny the advantage they could have. Living a Holy Spirit–led life does not mean we can’t enjoy nice things, have nice homes, drive good cars, and treat our families to luxuries. It does mean allowing the Holy Spirit free rein to check our decisions and we are to pray continually for His assistance. Our self-centered natures and pride will always fight for control of our lives; therefore, we must decide: How much control are we willing to give the Holy Spirit? And is it fitting for our discussion, especially in business?

It is exciting to hear story after story where the Holy Spirit has allowed supernatural situations to occur in the lives of people. Many experiences are at work helping to solving problems or being more productive. Some would call them coincidences. And those who do not recognize the Holy Spirit’s intervention probably aren’t as lucky or blessed as those who recognize when the Holy Spirit assists.

Churches must preach and teach that Christians living for Christ have an advantage. They do not need to live and work as the world does. They need to establish their values based upon the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. I have found that God’s way is so much easier and secure than the world’s ways. The Devil tempted and lured Adam and Eve into sin. He has never stopped. We must not be caught up in his web. Allow the Holy Spirit to completely change your life and have the faith to do everything God’s ways and using His values.

When we were still a Christian nation one of my required books to read for a literature class was “The Devil and Daniel Webster”. A farmer, Jabez Stone, had come upon hard times, probably similar to many today. He told his neighbors things were so bad that a man could sell his soul to the devil for better times. Shortly, a stranger, Mr. Scratch, (The Devil disguised) approached Mr. Stone and guaranteed him seven years of prosperity. At the end of those seven years Mr. Stone had to give his property to Mr. Scratch if his guarantee was fulfilled. Mr. Stone had seven unbelievable years and requested an extension of three more years. At the end of ten years Mr. Scratch wanted the property.

Farmer Stone hired Daniel Webster as his attorney. Before a judge and jury, selected by Mr. Scratch, the Devil, Daniel Webster gave such an elegant presentation that he convinced the jury and Mr. Stone won. The contract was destroyed and Mr. Stone kept his farm. It was a lesson teaching what not to do when you feel desperate and without hope.

Can a nation sell its soul for safety and prosperity? I sometimes wonder if there aren’t politicians who would sell their souls to become elected. The reason I wonder is because that question was asked on TV of politicians running for the first time for congress. The question: “Do you think you can stand up to party leaders who want you to sell your soul for the good of the party”? What politician would say: “No I would have to cave in”?

History could have told us a few years back that we were headed for a financial disaster when people were buying homes they could not afford and prices escalating to unrealistic levels. It seems we had about ten years of unusual prosperity and then the bubble burst. We didn’t learn from the 1989 real estate bubble, the technology bubble, the bubbles in Japan, the oil bubble and will we have another bubble, I believe, is coming in gold and other commodities?

A study of history tells us governments never seem to learn. Too many politicians believe they know better than history and that this time it will be different. We have had continual warning signs from European nations what would happen if our government over promised in wages, pensions and other benefits. We should have learned from others when it comes to socialize medicine and burdensome debt.

Over the years we have seen politicians willing to promise or do almost anything to become elected and then stay in power. I would like to think many just lack moral courage. Sometimes it appears they just lack the background and experience to adequately legislate. I finally have concluded their goal is to get elected, stay elected and use the power of their office for their personal benefit. Most of you know that Al Gore was worth one million when he ran against President Bush. It is now said that before his divorce he was worth $600 million. Of course, that is a result of discovering global warming.

If government is in the hands of politicians whose only concern is themselves can a nation become willing to sell its soul to the devil for prosperity? History tells us that may have happen with the Roman Empire, Germany under Hitler or Russia under Stalin.

We have a new group of politicians. Only time will tell if they are any different. If not, look for people to become restless very soon.

Two questions I want to ask when I get to heaven is: How much more could I have done or how much better could I have been had I totally surrendered control to Christ and trusted the Holy Spirit’s guidance?

John 10:10 tells us, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” KJV

Are we enjoying life like Christ intended? As Christians shouldn’t we be living an extra-ordinary life style? God created an ugly old worm, called a caterpillar that crawls along the ground with all kinds of obstacles blocking its way. After a time, this worm is instantaneously transformed into an insect called a butterfly, which is one of the most graceful and beautiful of all insects. What kind of life are we living, like the caterpillar or the butterfly? As a result of sin and our self-centered nature, we were born ‘caterpillar-like’. But Christ came to offer us a ‘butterfly-like’ life. If God can transform a caterpillar into a butterfly, can’t He transform a sinner into one of His children? The Bible says God will bring our life into a new dimension. (“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!” II Corinthians 5:17). As a caterpillar, I face death. As a butterfly, the Spirit has set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

Do we feel liberated and free from a caterpillar-like life? To become a butterfly requires being born again into a new life that we might be forgiven of our sins and become free. For that to happen we had to accept Christ as our Savior so we could be forgiven of our past, present and future sins in order that we might become free. Do we believe that it is possible to completely change and live as a new person? Do we sense His power, His love and His guidance in our lives? Do we believe God wants anything but the best for us? Scripture tells us if we accept the truth it will set us free to become whatever we dream to be.

My freshman year in college my business management professor told the class that we could be and do anything we believed we could do. It took a while before I believed that was possible. In fact with the Holy Spirit’s guidance I believed that most everyone had more potential than they would ever use. Yet many Christians do not realize that the Holy Spirit is in our lives to help us become what is best for us. Have we not witnessed supernatural changes in our lives? The Bible tells us God wants each of us to live extra-ordinary lives and has placed the Holy Spirit within us to help live that kind of life. He tells us we are to have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Have we seen evidence of this change or is there too much caterpillar-like still in us? To become a butterfly we must fully surrender the ways of the caterpillar life. It may take changing both habits and ideas.

Do we live like a son or daughter of a Father that has unlimited power and wealth? Do we think like a person of wealth, fame and power? Do we realize how rich God has made us? Too often we accept the role of the caterpillar’s life and allow the devil’s lies to deceive us. He tells us we as Christians are unworthy and will never amount to much. If we believe him our lives could end in failure. Well, do we want to keep living the way we have been or do we want to live the life God has for us? Our first step is to surrender our controlling nature and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We must trust that God has a better life for us than we are able to make for ourselves. But we must live by His ways.

I have written previously about the importance of praying for purpose and direction. What happens if a real opportunity presents itself? How many of us are willing to take risks? What if a suitable circumstance occurs? How will we know if it is God opening a door? Are we always sensitive to His Spirit’s leading? What percent of our decisions are based on what we want rather than what God may believe is best for us? Are we letting our past, when we were caterpillars, influence our decisions?

We must always be alert! Sometimes God allows obstacles or problems to come our way to get our attention. God wants us to listen to Him, depend on Him, wait on Him and watch for Him to work on our behalf. Many times God wants to demonstrate His power by intervening in our lives. God works silently and is invisible. If we are not expecting God’s intervening into our lives, we may not recognize when His work is being done.

How familiar we are with the Bible and God’s promises may depend on how willing we are to take risks. If we are not aware of how the Holy Spirit works in our lives we probably wouldn’t expect God to intervene and help us to be the person we could be. Shouldn’t we believe God wants us to use his power working in us, so we reach our full-potential?

God opens and closes doors, but we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to realize when doors are opening or closing. We probably will not recognize whether a door is open or closed unless we have given up the caterpillar life and become God’s butterfly.

When we had outgrown our church on Mojave and needed to relocate we did not have the finances to do so. Yet, God kept opening doors. We continued to follow each door that opened. First the land became available and a member loaned the money to purchase the land. We obtained an architect; we worked with the City of Henderson to get permits and allowed God to open door after door. Had we not seen God moving and showing what we thought was impossible become possible chances are we would not be in our present building. I can personally say I was a witness to seeing God build our church. As a result, we now have thousands who attend and we see supernatural events as hundreds accept Christ monthly and thousands yearly.

I have been asked what do you think is the most important necessity to success in life? Through my experience and watching thousands of others there is one word that can make a total difference. That word is ‘preparation’. Want to be a better Christian? Study your Bible and have an attitude of prayer. Want to be better educated? Take the time to study and learn. Want to be financially secure? Make a budget and set financial goals and then make the plan work. Choose your investments wisely after thorough research and do not take unreasonable risks. No matter which direction we wish to go, always let the Holy Spirit lead and expect He will.

Set your goals high enough that it will make you stretch. Pray about them and sense the direction God is leading. When you feel the Holy Spirit leading, start preparing. Get as much information as you can, research your possibilities and then make plans. Be willing to take the risks necessary and be dependent on God and then execute your plans. Think of yourself as having become God’s butterfly!

Don’t think your path will always be easy. The Devil’s evil spirits may throw every conceivable obstacle to frustrate and discourage you. Each obstacle that you overcome and God will help you, will build your faith and some day you could have enough faith to move mountains. Then is when you will be able to do whatever you believe you can.

Two years ago Dick Shine, Doug Lee and I wrote a manuscript extolling the virtues of being a Christian and how the Holy Spirit could be an advantage, particularly in the workplace. It was our wish to share the experiences we have witnessed with other Christians. First, we must explain that it is possible that not everyone receives the Holy Spirit. However, everyone can! Acts 19:2 – 6 – “’Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ ‘John’s baptism,’ they replied. Paul said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”

Once you are sealed with the Holy Spirit God promises that you will be one of His children and an heir. Ephesians 1:13 – 14 – “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

If we do not have the Holy Spirit we are no better off than those living as the world lives. It is one thing to say a prayer than actually commit to Jesus as being your Lord and accepting Christ into one’s heart. Once a person senses the sealing of the Holy Spirit they have an advantage throughout their lives. That does not mean that every believer will allow the Holy Spirit to work through them. Some weekend Christians are more unethical than the average people of the world.

Acts 10:38 – “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Each believer receives the Holy Spirit with power. Here is what Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit will do for us. He will teach us truth, He will comfort us, He will remind us and tells us about Jesus, He will convict us of our sins, He will lead and guide us, He will assure us of our relationship with Jesus Christ, He will give us gifts, He will give us fruits of the Spirit, such as: a Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He will give us wisdom, courage and inspiration.

With the power of the Holy Spirit within us we do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:5 – 6 – “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;”

Are we willing to allow our mind to be controlled by the Holy Spirit; if we are, are we not promised life and peace? It is not that easy. Many are not willing to give up control. The desires and lusts of our body, the ways of the world and the Devil are temptations too great to handle. They want it both ways. They want to satisfy worldly pleasures and are unwilling to yield their mind to the Holy Spirit’s control to please the Lord. Yet they want all of the privileges that the Holy Spirit promises. And they never learn to completely trust God. These advantages are never guaranteed. It just says they are available with the power that comes when the Holy Spirit is received into one’s heart. Are we living for today or for eternity? I want the Holy Spirit to help me prepare for eternity.