Are you ready for a drastic change in living? We cannot imagine what life will be like the first 1000 years that Jesus returns to rule the earth. We know there will no longer be Satan or evil. We all will be more like Christ in our beliefs and behavior. What will those changes be?

People lived during thousands of years, but only in the last 100 plus years have things really changed. In 1903 the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane, for 12 seconds. In 1908 Ford built the Model T car. My grandparents moved from North Carolina to Oklahoma for a few years and then to Oregon by covered wagon. As a child I lived on a small farm with no indoor plumbing or electricity. In the world, at that time, there were still some people living in caves, tents, tepees, huts and igloos.

When I was a child it was unusual for anyone to live past 70. Most died in their early 60s. Telephones and radios were rare and there were few TVs prior to 1950. Families, during my grandparent’s time, had many times up to ten children. Many lived and worked on farms. Probably not more than ten percent had a high school education. With the exception of teachers, doctors and a few others, very few had a college education. Most families had a religious background and had respect for each other and their neighbors. Most leaders were respected and held in high esteem. Businesses had few regulations and anyone could start a business with hardly any red tape. Democrats were a little left of center and Republicans were a little right of center. It wasn’t too difficult to reach agreements. Politics did their thing and they had little apparent effect on the general public. Schools taught morality and there were times when Scripture was used in teaching. There were no public unions or teacher unions. There was no such thing as political correctness.

There is no need to point out the differences today because we are well aware of the many changes. For example, there are over six billion cell phones in use. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell and it was invented in March 1876. There were not too many phones in use 100 years ago.

With all of the changes and distractions is it any easier or harder to live a Christian life now? What would it be like living a Christian life if everything we have today was discovered 2000 years ago? What would people’s morality and spirituality be like? Do you think the world would still exist or would we have destroyed ourselves? Can you see what all of the recent changes and distractions have done to people’s religious beliefs?

We have a God that foresaw everything that would happen. There have always been distractions causing man to rebel against God. The Old Testament history tells of the Israelites worshipping false gods and denying God. Man’s self-centered nature is such that we are selfish and concerned more about what is most pleasurable to us. We see God wanting to restrict what we think and what we do. We do not want anyone watching or supervising or telling us what to do. We do not like, as a whole, restrictions; we only want to be free to do whatever we wish.

But God knew, in His infinite wisdom, that man could not live like he was created to be, on his own. He would need help. Therefore, He sent His Son to be crucified for our sins and our salvation. His ultimate plan was to provide us with His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. To receive His Spirit man was required to accept Christ as his Savior and be committed to worshipping God. That meant repenting and changing the way man was living.

Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
God knew that man could only truly change unless He provided His Spirit to live in man. Christ came so we may see the character of God and know His thoughts and His ways. Once we learned how God wanted us to live Christ died for our sins. He then told His disciples what would happen when He went back to Heaven.

John 14:16–17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

John 16:5–7 “but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

Unless Jesus died there would be no gospel or Holy Spirit available. Thus, the Spirit of God was available to reside within the heart of every believer because of Christ’s actions. The Holy Spirit is to convict us of our sins; reveal God’s standards and requirements and to be our councilor and give us guidance throughout our lives.

The Holy Spirit is with us to help us navigate all the changes and distractions that hinder us from living the life Christ exemplified. He is with us to change our nature from being self-centered to Christ-centered. He is with us that we might receive the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” He is with us giving us confirmation that we have been sealed and guaranteed to become a child of God.

A problem too many Christians have is they are either unaware of the Holy Spirit in their lives or they ignore Him. If that is you, this is what you are missing:

If you truly have the Holy Spirit in your life and you allow Him to guide you, He will get you through every change and distraction that comes. God wants what is best for you and that is what the Holy Spirit will allow you to have if you are surrendered and submissive.

What will life be like when Christ returns again? We are going to see dramatic changes both in our earth and how we live. Can anyone even describe how different life will be? We know that Christ told us He was going to Heaven to build us a mansion. I suppose it will be similar when He returns. Our living conditions will be beyond description. Our relationship with others will be so very different. Our hearts will be tender and our spirits in tune with God. Why would we not prepare spiritually for a life that lives eternally?

According to Investment Business Daily: “President Obama’s bid for U.N. Secretary-General Has Begun.” “Who would the U.N. like better as secretary-general than an American who wants the world’s lone superpower placed firmly under the rules made by the U.N. General Assembly, the vast majority of whose members are undemocratic and pine for redistributed U.S. wealth? Now the U.N., acting similarly, can make him “president of the world.” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s term expires in early 2017. If Obama were his successor, the U.S., even under a Republican administration, might not veto an ex-U.S. presidential in the Security Council.”

HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE IN THE END-TIMES? Christ tells us we will be able to see the signs when this will occur.

2 Timothy 3:1 – 5a – “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

No one has ever known, while on earth, the exact time of the end. They knew, through prophecy, what would happen prior to the Day of Judgment. However, I suppose throughout the ages people were lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, etc. rather than lovers of God.

Paul’s warning deserves our full attention. We are living in the last days and we should not be surprised at the moral degeneration of society around us. The man’s state of depravity encompassing us is what we as Christians are to minister.

A. When people misdirect their love toward themselves and material pleasures there can be no love left to direct toward others. Then moral corruption normally results.
B. Here are other reasons for moral corruption:
a. Boastful, proud – An inflated self-importance.
b. Abusive – People who speak disrespectfully to others.
c. Disobedient to their parents – Behavior that breaks the fifth Commandment.
d. Ungrateful – Cannot appreciate others or give gratitude for favors.
e. Unholy – Disregard God in order to live only to please themselves.
f. Without love – People who love only themselves.
g. Unforgiving – Cannot allow for other people’s mistakes or weaknesses.
h. Slanderous – Enjoy spreading gossip and malicious reports about others.
i. Without self-control – Cannot restrain their feelings or actions
j. Brutal – Live like untamed animals
k. Not lovers of good – People who hate anything good
l. Treacherous – Ready and willing to betray anyone
m. Rash – People who act foolishly and carelessly and normally head-strong
n. Conceited – Narcissistic, very high opinion of themselves
o. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – People who are so misdirected that they can think only of themselves. Having a form of godliness but denying its power – People who practice a form of godliness.
The Apostle Paul warns us not to be deceived by people who only appear to be Christians. Watch them closely for their daily behavior as it will give them away. Do Americans have leaders who say they are Christians but their actions do not show it?

2 Timothy 3:12 – 14 – “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

To become A Christian there is no guarantee that we will not be persecuted. In some nations it is against the law to be a Christian. If we stand up for Christian principles, we can expect opposition and hostility from the world as we see it now happening.

Revelation 13:7 – 8 – “It (the Antichrist) was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” (My reference)

Revelation 14:12 – 14 – “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. This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”

If you ‘study’ the entire Bible, you have to see that we are in the end times. Are we hearing politicians saying they are a Christian for political purposes only? Scripture tells us many Christians will be deceived in the later days. People will become leaders, worldwide, who are more influenced by demonic sources than the Holy Spirit. It is up to each of us to determine the difference. Soon it will be more difficult to witness for Jesus Christ because political correctness will call us all kinds of names.

Your birth was not an accident. God knew you before you were born. If He did not want you to live, you would not be here. He also gives you a choice: do you want to be with Him for eternity or receive the punishment that comes from those who follow Satan and the world.

Peter 1:2a “You were chosen by God the Father long ago. He knew you were to become His children. You were set apart for holy living by the Holy Spirit.” NLV

You were born with a God-given purpose. The Bible is very clear that God has a purpose for us and he created us with the abilities to fulfill whatever that purpose might be. Satan has an agenda to keep us from performing what God had intended for us. Satan plants the seeds of insecurity, low self-esteem, unworthiness and even fear to stop us from completing what God intended. He may use parents, siblings, teachers or employers to put us down. It seems he finds ways to discourage and defeat us, but only if we allow it. Most people live lives with God-given gifts that they have never developed or used. What would the world be like if we all sought God’s intended purpose and we used our God-given talents to go with it?

I began to understand that if I knew my purpose, my life would be more fulfilled. The more I studied the Bible the more I began to realize that my purpose was to develop a Christ-like personality, which I will try to describe. I had to be a risk taker, be flexible, capable of loving others, be teachable, and become transformational; we must not be stubborn. I had to get rid of negative thinking, be forgiving, not hateful or self-centered.

One thing I learned was the importance of preparation that the Apostle Paul continually stressed. It was the key to success. I learned the seriousness of trusting in God’s promises. I became aware that the Holy Spirit was given to us that we might have confidence and comfort in what we were doing, a guiding hand to do it well and to know when we were fulfilling God’s purpose in our life. God had opened doors through which we could chose to enter. Yes, there will be times that doors are slammed shut and probably keep us from going in the wrong direction.

Normally as children we just grow up. We go through grade school and enter high school. We get a driver’s license, finish school and possibly get married. We then start the cycle over again for our children. How often do we stop and think: what is my purpose in life and what direction should I be taking? Why have I been put on this earth?

I am told that many older people, close to death, often wonder what their purpose on earth was and did they fulfill it? Wouldn’t it be better to know why God put us on this earth and then live for years accomplishing that purpose? When our final day comes we can say we did our best to fulfill our purpose and helped others succeed while we were here. I know some parents whose greatest achievement in life was raising their family. Because of them, their children made the world a much better place.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

What does it mean: we have been called according to God’s purpose? Rick Warren in his book: “The purpose driven life” shared what he believed God’s purpose for each of us was and I paraphrase:

1. To worship God and develop a relationship with Him.
2. To love and fellowship with other believers in our community.
3. To know Christ and become like Him.
4. To serve God through the church.
5. To become a minister for Christ and share the gospel.

We continue defining our purpose: It is to develop an unconditional love for God and others and have a servant’s heart. As we head down life’s path our carnal nature, our self-centeredness, the storms we encounter and the devil’s seducing spirits will try to guide us too often onto the wrong paths. That’s when we check our compass, the Holy Spirit, and make sure we stay directed to the path that leads to the ultimate goal, which is living with God and Christ forever. When we take that last breath, what is the most important thing we can take with us? Is it all of our material things that we have accumulated? Or, is it eternal security?

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

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

Matthew 6:20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Do you want to pass on with nothing stored up in heaven? Pray that God will help you live for the purpose you were created.

We have continually, over the years, had professing Christians and false teachers, predict when Christ would return to Rapture Christians. Every time those dates have come and passed, nothing unusual happened. When are they going to read Scripture that says in Matthew 24:36–39 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

He could come at anytime and when he does it will be in an instant. No one will expect it. II Peter 3:10a – “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief”. The rapture can take place at anytime. For those of us who believe in pre-tribulation, we do not have to see the signs preceding the tribulation or the lawless man to know Christ can come at anytime. However, when all of the things leading up to the building of the Temple haven’t happened, it only assures us He hasn’t come yet. But none of that has to occur for Jesus to return and Rapture the church as most Christians believe.

There will be two times when Jesus returns. When He first comes it will be at the Rapture when He comes through the clouds to snatch or lift up Christ’s followers instantaneously. He will not touch the ground. Those left behind will go through the great Tribulation, which will be the worst of times. There will have never been anything so severe and devastatingly disastrous before in the history of the world. After the Tribulation Christ will return to earth and rule for a 1000 years. He shall rule a righteous government from Jerusalem. During this time Satan will be chained for those many years. Those who will rule with Jesus are those coming from Heaven and those having been Raptured.

Matthew 24:4–25 warns us to let no one deceive us. We will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Nation will rise against nation. There will be famines and earthquakes. We will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death. We will be hated by all nations because of our belief in Christ. There will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now and will never be equaled again. There will be false prophets. They will perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the strongest and most faithful Christians. II Peter 3:17 “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.”

I Thessalonians 4:16–18 “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” (This has been called the Rapture.) I Corinthians 15:52 “For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (We are told we will have an imperishable body, will become immortal and will have the mind of Christ.”) 1 John 3.2b “But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

II Thessalonians 2:1–5 “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?”

A number of theologians believe that the Rapture will not occur and the Lord will not come until a rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed. The rebellion will be a massive rebellion against God. It is believed this means at the time of the Rapture. Many will abandon God or giving up one’s faith or belonging to a Christian cult, calling themselves Christians but not believing in the same Christ that most Christians believe.

The lawless one is the Antichrist and during the rebellion a person will appear having considerable power from Satan and will personify evil. He will oppose laws established by God. He will promote immorality and anarchy. Revelation 13:5–8 describes him.

God will allow him to rule for 3½ years. He is allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to overcome them. There will be a one-world government and he will rule over everyone. Most everything relating to God could be destroyed. He will demand that everyone worship and pledge their allegiance to him. He proclaims himself to be the messiah and promises to do what the Israelites believed Christ should have done but did not do. He will rule from the Jewish Temple that has yet to be built. Thus: the term the Antichrist. A number believe he will precede Christ’s return for the Rapture.

Here is where many theologians disagree. Will Christ come two times; the first to Rapture the church, prior to the rebellion. Or, will Christ return to Rapture Christians after the rebellion and the revealing of the lawless one? If it is true the Rapture is prior, He will then return again to defeat the Antichrist and his followers and then rule for those 1000 years.

Many believe the Rapture will occur prior to the rebellion and it is when the Holy Spirit is withdrawn, at the time of the Rapture, that the world will become complete chaos. Their belief is the rebellion and the Tribulation will happen only after the removing of the Holy Spirit from earth and that occurs with the Rapture. Scripture says: It is the Holy Spirit that is holding the Antichrist back.

Most believe the Rapture precedes the revealing of the Antichrist. Others believe it will happen after the Antichrist rules for 3½ years. Others believe it happens after seven years of his ruling or the Tribulation. A Christians responsibility is to be prepared spiritually to be ready at all times.

Why at one time, were we the most powerful nation militarily, the most freed people, most prosperous country ever and now we are lagging behind. We have been told we have politicians who are self-serving, arrogant, prideful, angry, liars who legislate as if there were no God. Our judicial systems, including the Supreme Court justices, do not always make decisions based on true constitutional intentions. We once were a nation led by God-fearing leaders who worshipped God and made decisions based on Bible teaching.

Some of the best years I had as a store manager was during President Reagan’s presidency from 1981 to 1989. We believed in his ability and he believed in the American people. Following are some of the things He believed and said to our nation and these are his QUOTES:

“If we ever forget that we are ‘One Nation Under God’, then we will be a nation gone under. Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives. It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first. Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let’s not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources. I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there’s purpose and worth to each and every life. Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged. How do you tell a communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin. Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves. The American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man. The American dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God intends he should become. One legislator accused me of having a nineteenth-century attitude on law and order. That is a totally false charge. I have an eighteenth-century attitude. That is when the Founding Fathers made it clear that the safety of law-abiding citizens should be one of the government’s primary concerns. I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There’s a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.” The ultimate determinate in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas – a trial of spiritual resolve; the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideas to which we are dedicated. The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or the next. It was the deep knowledge — and pray to God we have not lost it — that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. I’ve spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don’t know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it and see it still. The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” (END OF QUOTES)

Six and a half years under President Reagan, the economy grew by 34%. Under the same amount of time, the economy grew by 14.3% under President Obama. Is there anyone running for president that have the same values as President Reagan? If they did, would they be elected? I believe educators and the media have convinced too many that we are creatures of evolution and there is no need to live according to Biblical ways. The following are choices we must make:

Galatians 5:16–25 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

We are not to judge, but can you see the lives some of our leaders are living and which causes them to make their decisions? Is it difficult to understand why we are no longer the nation we used to be and the reasons we are not? Whose fault is it that these people have been elected? Could it be many of the American voters are not walking by the Spirit and desire to gratify their fleshly desires?

It is astonishing, the number of Americans that believe in evolution and deny there is a God. A Jewish Rabbi, Judah ben Samuel who lived from 1140 to 1217, predicted the future? They asked him where he received his information and he said the Prophet Elijah. He predicted that the Ottoman’s (Turks) would take control of Jerusalem in 1517 and control it for 400 years. Afterwards, Jerusalem for fifty years would become a desolate area. After those fifty years it would go back to the Jews which would be 1967. Both of these prophecies happened as predicted. If you will remember in 1967 Israel was attacked by Egypt, Jordan, Syria and the United Arab Republic and a Six Day War allowed Israel to take over all of Jerusalem as foretold. They also increased their land by four times. He then says fifty years later, the year of Jubilee, then the Messiah will return fifty years in another year of Jubilee. So, if the Rapture were to happen, are you ready spiritually?

If there is not a God, how can anyone predict the future? History tells us that all of Israel knew that Christ was crucified on the cross. Over 500 witnessed His resurrection. Many of those witnesses were martyred for verifying that Christ died and rose to live again. Yet, most of the world denies this ever happened. What are the possibilities that humans, animals and birds just evolved? Did evolution cause each species to do certain things? Why would anyone believe there was not a Creator?

Are you living possibility for 80 years for yourself and not considering that eternity means millions of years? If you believe that living on this earth is about how much you can accumulate and how much pleasure you can have, you may want to reconsider what it means to live in eternity. If how you live and who you worship now depends on what the next millions of years will be like in your life, are you willing to repent and live with God in eternity?

This is what we know about God: Our God is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscience. He has unlimited power; He is everywhere; He has infinite knowledge. He knew that Lucifer and one-third of the angels would rebel and would have to be expelled from heaven.

Why would Lucifer and the angels, living in paradise, reject God? Probably for the same reason that so many on earth have done. I do not believe God created angels to be robots to automatically worship Him. That wouldn’t be family. They were created with free moral agency. But as so many, their hearts became hard and they had sinful desires. They wanted their independence and to separate themselves from God.

Have you ever wondered why God created the universe, the angels and put Adam and Eve on earth? Scripture does not answer many of these questions but I have always wondered and have let my imagination run wild.

We have learned, through Christ, the characteristics of God. We know that God loves having a family and wants each of us to love Him with all of our heart, mind and soul. Like most parents, we want our children to love us, respect us and be obedient to family rules. If our children show that they love and respect us and are obedient to our principles we will bless them and meet at least their basic needs. However, if they reject us as parents, become disrespectful and totally independent and separate themselves from the family, our tendency would be to leave them alone. As we study the Old Testament, we learn that God would bless the nation of Israel and when they rejected and ignored Him, He would leave them alone, unprotected. There were times when He would discipline them but it was for their own good.

This is what I imagine God doing. He decided to build a huge laboratory called earth. He then would put a man and a woman in the laboratory and allow them to chose whether they wanted to become a part of His family and live with Him forever or if they would choose to make the same choice that Lucifer and his angels made. I believe God wants a family with Him forever that is willing to love and worship Him and be obedient and live according to His will, by choice.

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

I read an interview that Dr. Moody gave describing what people who have had a near death experience shared when they came back to life.

“They say they become aware of what’s described as a tunnel, a passageway, a portal, and they go into this tunnel, and when they come out, they come out into a very brilliant, warm, loving and accepting light. People at this point describe such amazing feelings of peace and comfort. In this light they say that relatives or friends of theirs who have already died seem to be there to meet them and to greet them and to help them through this transition. Another thing they’ll often tell us is that at this point they are met by some religious figure — Christians say Christ, Jews say God or an angel. They say in this setting that this being, in effect, asks them a question, and they all say that words can’t convey it — that communication in this position does not take place through words as you and I are now using, but rather in the form of an immediate awareness. The way they summarize this question, or try to put it into words, is they say that he asks, in effect, “What have you done with your life? How have you learned to love?” At this point, they say, they undergo a detailed review of everything they have ever done in their lives. This is displayed around them, they tell us, in the form of a full-color, three-dimensional panorama, and it involves every detail of their life, they say, from the point of their birth right up to the point of this close call with death.”

The Bible is very clear about our ability to communicate once we die regardless whether we are a child of God or a non-believer. Those who have had a near death experience all say that they were asked: “What have you done with your life?” I have read where some having a near-death-experience believe they had gone into hell and it changed their lives forever once they recovered. Others tell of an experience that was so beautiful that it was indescribable.

Are you willing to trade up to 80 or more years on earth, living as the world lives rather than living millions of years with a new body, having peace, joy and prosperity in God’s family? If you are, you must have a heart as tough as shoe leather.

The Bible tells of a rich person who had a banquet and had his servants invite many people. They made excuses and said they couldn’t attend. He then had them invited unlikely people, like you and me. The moral was: there is enough room, enough food and comforts for everyone. He even knows us by name and we have been invited. Will you accept God’s invitation?

Many Christians who find that they experience little, if any, difficulties in their lives seem to be on a proverbial “roll” and are spiritually mature and well able to deal with the world. It may be more of a fact that those who consistently experience smooth sailing are probably not growing toward spiritual maturity. Christians who try to serve God and honor Him in their lives, yet are continuously frustrated by setbacks and outright failures, probably are growing more toward spiritual maturity.

The reason for this is simple enough. Those who do nothing, never experience failure. Only those who try to accomplish something are more likely to experience failure. Then there is the matter of satanic influence. The fact is that Satan hates God and those who love and worship Him. Satan’s spiritual messengers concentrate on those who are growing spiritually. He doesn’t waste time trying to tempt or interfere with people who are spiritually sick or dying spiritually.

The most important lesson to learn about the conflict between one’s worldly nature (self-centered) and one’s spiritual nature (God-centered) is to stop struggling. This is precisely what all Christians must do, especially those who are aggressive and goal oriented. The fact is that Christians can be assured that no matter how successful they might be at turning situations over to the Holy Spirit for guidance they will, from time to time, experience their worldly nature competing to make decisions. When this happens they will be tempted to do one of two things: give in to one’s self-centered nature or fight it. Either way they may lose.

Paul describes his struggles and underscores the hopelessness of trying to become spiritual using one’s own strength or will power. It just can’t be done. Those who have gone through the struggles and given up are often amazed when they discover that giving up is the first step toward winning the struggle. Romans 8:2 “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

This brings us to the pivotal question that every Christian must ask. “Am I willing to make an all-out commitment to serve Christ, no matter what and let the Holy Spirit guide every aspect of my life, at home, school or work?” At the same time we must realize that our worldly nature will raise its ugly head often and we will have to make a choice.

I have witnessed the downfall of too many Christians to not realize that with many, life is made up of daily struggles or do I downplay the seriousness of negative influences. Failures may be self-inflicted or circumstantial. No two Christians are defeated in precisely the same way, yet there is a definite pattern to the traps they fall into. Curiously, the four most common traps are directly related to both our earthly natures and our spiritual natures. Depending on the circumstances, each of the four can be either a strength or a weakness.

First, we have the need to be loved. We can receive that love from God or allow our worldly natures to lead us into temptations. Second, we have a need to belong and be accepted. Who best can meet this need: the world or the church? Third, we need to have an identity or be someone. Are we working to let the world define who we are or are we willing to allow God to define us as one of His children? Fourth, everyone needs to have a purpose in life. Is our purpose a career success, financial rewards or reaching the top of the corporate ladder? Nothing in Scripture indicates that God opposes successful careers, wealth, position or the pursuit of personal interests, recreational or otherwise. However, our true purpose is to serve God by living a holy life, being accountable to and dependent upon Him and living at peace with others. We must never let our guard down as the enemy will tempt us through one or more of our God-given needs. If we allow our worldly nature to fulfill these needs we could end up separated from God.

As long as we allow the Holy Spirit and our spiritual nature to control who we are and determine our life’s purpose we will have the strength to meet each of the needs we so desperately seek. At the same time we will be protected from the enemy. Most often we fail by using human methods to fulfill spiritual needs that can only be fulfilled by the Lord Himself.

If you do not believe God wants you to be successful, then this information may not help you. I write from experiencing what the Bible promises. However, we better describe success because it may mean different things to different people. I have witnessed leaders and managers who were so focused on production and profits that it became a point of obsession. The world might view this as healthy, but in some respects it is just the opposite. You may know of those who are so fixed on success that they are willing to put that over workers, society, the environment or anything else that may stand in their way. Aggressive people are sometimes reviled, yet at the same time they are often admired, respected and lavishly rewarded.

Too many Christians believe that unless they live and work as the world does, they will be at a disadvantage. Some claim that instead of using Biblical principles and standards; they have no choice but to be aggressive and to do whatever it takes to survive in this day and age.

Let me, as I have previously written, interject a distinction between aggressiveness and assertiveness. Aggressiveness employs a combative attitude. It means are severe and intense. The goal is the all in all. The aggressive person mows down anyone or anything that gets in the way of reaching the goal. Assertiveness, however, is boldness or confidence. The way one reaches the goal is as important as reaching the goal, but not at the expense of hurting others or utilizing questionable tactics. Christian have a real advantage if they follow the example Scripture teaches us to live and to lead.

Acts 1:4–8 tells us that once we receive the Holy Spirit we will receive power. What is this power and how does the Spirit help us? It is the power that comes from the Spirit’s guidance, His giving us the fruits of the Spirit and the receiving of different gifts such as, teaching, leading and administrative abilities.

I was always aware of the Holy Spirit, but never really understood how fully He worked in the life of a Christian.

I have witnessed so many supernatural events that it caused me to look back on my life. How I happened to become a high school coach of three sports. When I was promoted to a supervisor’s job for Birds Eye Frozen Foods. Being a store manager for 23 of the years I spent with Montgomery Ward. Starting my own business 28 years ago as an investment advisor and seeing it grow. The reason I point this out is because I am a very average person who allowed God to help me do things I completely enjoyed doing. There is no doubt in my mind, had I not accepted Christ as my Savior and received the Holy Spirit these things would never have happened. In fact, it wasn’t until I became a Christian that I decided to get a college education at a Christian university. Let’s give the Holy Spirit credit for guiding me in that direction.

The Holy Spirit is invisible and works behind the scenes to be our helper. Do you believe that God would give us His Spirit and His power and then not do anything to help us? How often when something good happens do you stop and thank God and the Holy Spirit? May I assure you, the more you recognize the goodness of the Holy Spirit and thank Him, you will see more good things occur.

I have tried to share some of the supernatural events that have happened in my life that I know was a result of the Holy Spirit. It is my desire to convince you that the Holy Spirit is looking out for you and will direct you in the direction God wants you to go.

If you will allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, He will help you to make right decisions, improve your productivity and improve your relationships with co-workers and others. Let me share a previous writing: For those who are inclined to ask: “What good is an advantage that the Holy Spirit gives to Christians if it doesn’t translate into success every time?” I offer the following rather homespun explanation. The Christian who depends upon the Holy Spirit is sensitive to His leading and is like the athlete who listens to an experienced coach. The coach can’t guarantee an athlete’s induction into the Hall of Fame, nor can he guarantee a gold medal for the athlete, but he can train him and teach him everything he knows, giving him every advantage, allowing him to consistently do his best. The Christian advantage does not guarantee presidencies, chairmanships, wealth, achievement awards, fame or recognition, but it will lead the Christian into the direction that fulfills his God-given purpose. What do you have to lose? Instead of ignoring the Holy Spirit in your life allow Him to become your partner.

The Holy Spirit is invisible and works behind the scenes to be our helper. Do you believe that God would give us His Spirit and His power and then not do anything to help us? How often when something good happens do you stop and thank God and the Holy Spirit? May I assure you, the more you recognize the goodness of the Holy Spirit and thank Him, you will see more good things occur.

It is my hope to convince those having the Holy Spirit that He is looking out for you and will direct you in a direction that God wants you to go. No way does God want you to fail in any situation. He loves us too much. But we must be aware of, listen to and be guided by the Holy Spirit. Christian or not, if you are too prideful and believe you don’t need the Holy Spirit’s help, you probably won’t get it.

I must ask this question: Do you accept the beliefs that if you, a Holy Spirit filled Christian, ARE WILLING, GOD WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL?

God had a plan to celebrate the birth of Christ. It began centuries before it actually happened.

God was displeased with the way the Israelites were living and who they were worshipping. As punishment, He allowed Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to capture Jerusalem and the surrounding area. The king’s army took many to Babylon as slaves. Among them were Daniel, the prophet and three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Daniel 1:17 – “To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.”

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and called all of his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed and interpret for him. If they could not tell him the dream and what it meant, they would be killed. Daniel 2:5 – “The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.”

None of them could tell him his dream. Before they were all to be killed Daniel learned what was about to happen and got word to the king that God would help him interpret the dream. Daniel tells the king what he had dreamed and what it meant. Daniel 2:47 – “The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” The king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished him with many gifts. He also saved many from being killed. Some of them believed in the God Daniel served.

Later the king became furious with Daniel’s three friends: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. There punishment was to be thrown into a fiery furnace. Daniel 3:27 – 29 – “and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

More and more believed in the God of Daniel and his three friends. We believe it was Daniel and his friends that prophesized that a baby would be born in Israel that would be a Savior and change the whole world. It is also believed that the astrologers were told to watch the sky for a star that would direct them to the babies’ birth. When that occurred, the Magi bringing gifts, came to Israel to worship and celebrate Christ’s birth.

Matthew 2:1–2 “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” This is how the wise men knew all about Jesus from what they have learned from Daniel and his friends.

God knew that Joseph and Mary would need money. For He knew what King Herod was about to do. Matthew 2:11 – “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

When the Magi left, Joseph had a dream to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt and stay there until He was told they could return. Matthew 2:13 – “When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” Having sufficient finances they were able to travel to Egypt and live until they were told to return. After they had escaped, King Herod had every male child, two and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity, killed.

This story is written to show you how far out God plans. The wise men didn’t just happen to come out of nowhere and bring wealth to worship Christ. So what are God’s plans for America? It seems Americans are living very similar to the Israelites when God punished them. Is God as unhappy with us as He was with the Jews? We are no longer worshipping Him as we have in the past and many worship other gods. What do you think He has planned for us? Will He send another Jonah, as He did to Nineveh and warn us to change or be punished? Or is it too late and too many unwilling to REPENT?

The more you know God, the more you will trust God and the more obedient you will be to Him. It took me a number of years to learn this. I previously concentrated and focused more on my job than on God.

I became so focused on production and profits that it became almost a point of obsession. The world might view this as healthy, but in some respects it is just the opposite. You may know business people who are so fixed on success that they put the bottom line over the needs of their workers, society, the environment, or anything else that may stand in their way. I was never that extreme but I know managers who were.

Whether you work in a large organization or small, if the bottom line is the only measure of success, then every manager, supervisor and employee is constantly under the gun to make a profit. And this includes us Christians in management positions.

It is difficult for a ‘worldly’ manager to possess the incentive to develop compassion for workers, society, the environment, or anything else that may threaten a company’s profit. Without this civic-minded or compassionate attitude, it paves the way for managers to become aggressive in their pursuit of a fat black bottom line. Aggressive people are sometimes reviled, yet at the same time they are often admired, respected, and lavishly rewarded.

One can easily point to any number of aggressive people who have achieved wealth and position with few, if any, undesirable side effects. Their philosophy can be summed up with “The marketplace is a jungle! It’s survival of the fittest, or the most capable.”

Too many Christians believe that unless they live and work as the world does, they will be at a disadvantage. Some claim that instead of using biblical principles and standards, they have no choice but to be aggressive and to do whatever it takes to survive in today’s workplace. As far as they are concerned, survival in the workplace jungle demands that managers be both ruthless and aggressive. Christian managers who separate their spiritual lives from the workplace must address the question of ruthlessness from a “bottom line” perspective.

Is there a difference between being aggressive and assertive? Let me interject a fine distinction between being aggressive and assertive. Aggressiveness employs a combative attitude. Its means are severe and intense. The goal is the all in all. The aggressive person mows down anyone or anything that gets in the way of reaching the goal. I see Donald Trump as this kind of a manager.

Assertiveness, however, is boldness or confidence. The way one reaches the goal is as important as reaching the goal, but not at the expense of hurting others or utilizing questionable tactics. Being in a large corporation and overseeing a number of people can be like working in a jungle. I wanted to be a Christian assertive manager.

How does one focus on God and not on one’s career? After 29 years, I felt lead by God to start my own business. With no income and no guarantees, it required complete dependence on God. My focus became more on God for guidance and trusting in Him, than on my own past experiences and ability. If God had led me to change and start my business, He would help me build it and He did. The more the business grew, the more I realized God had made it happen. My relationship with God and my focus on Him continued to grow.

How important is success to you? You must first define what success means to you. Is it living and working to please God and to please others? What is more important: accumulating a lot of stuff, or seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Is wealth and material goods your goal, or are they the by-product of serving God and putting Him first? Christ was the most powerful person ever to live. What was most important to Him? Was it His mission to gain fame and notoriety, or to set an example that others could follow? He is our example! We were placed on this earth to live by that example and to lead in changing the hearts of others that they too might be Christian examples.

One of my best decisions was to put God first and focus on His will for my life. God promises to give us peace and prosperity if we will live according to His purpose. Your life will change when you allow God to help you succeed and realize that He is blessing you. Let God help you succeed!