How long will it be before the church will be raptured? I Corinthians 15:51 – 54 – “But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: Death is swallowed up in victory.” NLT

Matthew 24:30 – 32 – “And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.” NLT

The fig tree is believed to be the establishment of Israel as a nation which occurred in March 1948. Then Jerusalem became a part of Israel in the war of 1967. Daniel 12:4 says that this generation will have an expansion of knowledge. Have you used Google, Facebook or Yahoo? In addition, all of the technical equipment available today. Another sign we are told that the gospel will be preached throughout the world and all nations will hear it. Matthew 24:14

The rapture will come when it is least expected. Scripture says: when the fig tree branches bud you will know that summer is near. As of 2015, it has been 66 years since the first sign occurred. The Bible tells us we are then to watch and pray and if you are not watching and expecting you may not be where you should be spiritually. Shouldn’t churches make everyone aware that they had better be prepared?

What if your spouse, children, relatives or friends have not accepted Christ as their Savor? It is very possible they could be left behind. The Bible says that the days following the rapture will be worse than anything this world has ever seen. If all Christians and the Holy Spirit were gone, can you image what it will be like with the Antichrist ruling the world?

II Thessalonians 2:8 – 12 – “Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.”

Christians, recognize that those who are not saved will believe the Antichrist because of God’s powerful delusion. We must do everything to help people understand; there could be a time when it is not possible to accept Christ as one’s Savior. Remember the hard-hearted evil pharaoh who God used during Moses’ time who wouldn’t believe after seeing all of the miracles and plagues?

Every Christian should be praying for loved ones and friends. Time could be much shorter than any of us realize. Most Christians do not understand how important prayer is. Miracles are most often the result of prayer. I have witnessed those who have been healed. I have seen God intervene in the church’s business so many times as answers to prayers. I have been in churches where there were those who were prayer warriors to such an extent they seemed to be anointed. I had an aunt that prayed continually and the Holy Spirit confirmed her prayers. I had a grandfather who was a prayer warrior. He had nine grandsons in World War II and God told him that all would come home safely. One had two ships torpedoed out from under him and had ships pick him up twice out of the ocean. Every one of his grandchildren confronted potential death but were spared. I tell you this because I know the importance of prayer and we have those who will be left behind if we are not praying that the Lord saves them.

Daniel 12:9 – 10 & 13 – “But he said, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means. As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.”

Stop and think what you could miss if you are not a Christian and the rapture comes.

Revelation 21:1 – 4 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Is there anything on this earth that is better than what Scripture promises to Christians in eternity?

The world judges a coach’s success by the number of games his team wins. An executive’s success is determined by how much profit he or she makes. To be famous is to be well-known for some great achievement. The world teaches that the only way to get both is to be successful, regardless of the methods used to reach that goal. In other words, the end justifies the means.

I have known 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 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.

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 Christians in management positions.

When the bottom-line numbers are black, a manager is considered a success. Producing a profit one year carries the manager to only the next profit and loss statement, or the next year. If the numbers shrink from the previous years, or if they become red, the manager’s survival is in jeopardy.

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. Or so it seems. If you are a sports fan, I’m sure some coaches’ names may come to mind.

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.”

Las Vegas has seen the making of a number of multimillionaires. Some of the wealthiest people in the nation live here. Some may have made their fortunes by questionable means. In spite of the stunning achievements of some overly aggressive people, does the end justify the means? Is this truly the best way to reach for success? Or more to the point, should Christian managers adopt the world’s way of doing business? The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:7 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” and “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” . I Corinthians 10:31b

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. 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.
Having been a foreman for Birds Eye and 23 of my years as a store manager for Montgomery Ward my basic philosophy was to: Set goals, take whatever time was necessary to prepare and then have the discipline to work tenaciously and never give up or quit until a job was completed. The goals I set for myself and others were often ambitious with a clear vision. I learned to spend less time on the unimportant tasks and to prioritize my workday. I never left work without making a to-do-list for the next day.

In today’s workplace, an increasing number of managers are learning that they can conduct business without being aggressive and still be successful. Firms that function according to Christian principles consistently out-perform the old style, authoritarian firms. And it makes perfect sense. If we place a high priority on serving our customers and clients, we are much more likely to be prosperous and successful.

So I ask the question: How important is success to you? You must first define what success means to you. Is it living and working to please God, or 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.

Have you ever thought God did not know what it was like to live as a person? He never sleeps, He is never tired, He had never been tempted, He had never been lonely or depressed and He never knew what it was like to be sick, hurt or die. Yet, God knows all things. He knows before we are born if our name will be in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Therefore, it wasn’t that God didn’t know but, it was for man’s benefit that Christ, living as a human, gave mankind confidence that God would surely know what we humans were going through.

It is common to think of the God of the Old Testament as a vengeful and harsh God, but as I read both scriptures and ancient history, I am increasingly convinced that he has always been truly a God of love, and that love is exemplified throughout the Old Testament. Prior to the birth of Christ, the world was rarely at peace and then only if a people knew of or had the hope of Christ as a future event. The ancient Israelites hoped for their Messiah; David sang about him, Isaiah wrote beautiful poetry about him, the ancient Patriarchs, Adam, Methuselah, Enoch, Noah, and Noah’s son Shem spoke lovingly of him. The scripture “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Gen 1:27) shows love.

I believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did have to come as a baby, to obtain a body of flesh and blood, to experience and live through the frailty, the pain, and the suffering of mortality so that he could truly take upon himself the sins of the world. And I think he had to do it so we could see it, hear it, read about it, and experience the Holy Spirit testify of it. It was planned from the very beginning.

But as I Read the Old Testament, it does not read like He had the same love for those under the law as He has for those under grace. Under the Old Testament., fear and punishment could not help man please God. If you worked on the Sabbath, the punishment was death. How do you love a God whom you fear and are absolutely afraid?

Leviticus 26:18 – 25 – “If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of your land yield their fruit. ‘If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted. If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. And I will bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands.’”

From the very beginning, God wanted fellowship with the man and woman that He had created. He met with them in the Garden of Eden. He wanted their love but He did not want that love to be forced so He created them with a free moral agency so they could choose freely between right and wrong. With only a few exceptions did mankind respond in a loving relationship. They were selfish, disobedient and did more wrong than right. God established laws to control their misbehavior and made the punishment very severe, with death. They became so disobedient that He decided to destroy them with a flood. This is why it was always God’s plan to send His Son, Jesus Christ, because He wanted man to be more like the image of Himself, to love and live a holy life as He is holy.

The Israelites never expected the Messiah would come as a baby. They expected a warrior that would lead and protect them from all enemies. God’s plan was to send His Son to die for the sins of man and to redeem Him of his sins and defeat Satan’s control over man. It was God’s purpose that everyone would be given a chance to become a new person with a new life. Under grace, there are second chances.

Even though God knows all things, is it possible He really didn’t know what it was like to be a person unless Jesus came as a baby and lived as a human and go through each phase of life? Through Christ’s life, God and Jesus knew that man could never be what God wanted and expected without His Spirit being placed within him as stated in the Old Testament. To be the image God intended, man needed to have the Holy Spirit to guide his life and behavior. But man had to want what Jesus offered in order to obtain the Holy Spirit. If he was unwilling to withdraw from Satan’s control and his worldly ways He would not get God’s Spirit.

As Christ daily communicated with God, they were preparing for the placement of a new covenant for man that would end the rule by law and its fear and punishment. They would present a covenant based on love for God and love for others. Instead of instant punishment they would provide rewards for obedience and love. Some rewards were for now and others after death. In addition, Christ would live and teach us how to live in ways that would please God. They promised a paradise for those who would accept Christ as God’s Son and Savior and those wanting to live with God forever.

In order for mankind to overcome their emotional problems Christ had to die so man could be forgiven of his sins and the guilt that caused him to have a defeatist attitude. We had to see Christ die and come back to life to believe that it was possible for us also and have the faith to accept life after death. We had to know there was life after death and we had a choice to be with God or be separated from Him once we passed on.

After Christ’s death and resurrection, He became our mediator with God. At Pentecost when the followers of Jesus Christ received the Holy Spirit a new man was born. After receiving the Holy Spirit man became what God had planned for and expected from the very beginning. He inspired a few to write the New Testament so that we could have a manual that would guide mankind into living as God has always wanted. We also heard of a God that loved us and a God we could sincerely love in return.

We will never reach perfection while we are alive but, we now know what God has always expected from man and how he is to live. Therefore, God gave us John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

During Noah’s time, no one paid any attention to him and his sons building a huge ark. Why should they, it had never rained before. Noah kept ministering telling them they needed to change their ways and to worship God. They thought he was a prophet of doom and paid no attention. As a result the flood destroyed all humanity with the exception of eight people, Noah and his three sons and their wives.

Christians have warned others for years that there would be a day when Christ would come back for all of those who were His followers. The Bible continually tells us to be prepared for that day. Daniel 12:9 – 10 – “He replied, ‘Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.’”

Why are we astonished that non-believers do not understand the signs of the end time? They said Christians have been telling us that for the past 2000 years. Scripture tells us that when the end time occurs it will fall on deaf ears as it did during Noah’s time. However, this time is different. The end times started the day Israel became a nation in 1948. God said when that happened He would gather Jews from all over the world to return and they have. With the development of nuclear armament and the Internet it is possible for the war that is predicted in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 and the establishment of a one-world government.

There are three beliefs that the church will be raptured, or will be taken to heaven before the seven years of Tribulation or 3½ years into the Tribulation or at the end of the Tribulation. The Tribulation is seven years when the Antichrist rules and those refusing to be compliant or be obedient and will not take the mark of the beast, will be decapitated. There has never been a time like it or will there ever be one again. It will end with the war of Armageddon that Christ wins. Then Christ will rule the earth for 1000 years. That is when everyone should want to be alive at that time. But only Christ’s followers will be permitted to live in a utopian world.

Most theologians believe Christ will rapture the church prior to the seven years of the Tribulation. Thus, I ask the question. Do you want to remain trying to make it through those seven terrible times? 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 one another with these words.”

Matthew 24:30 – 31 & 36 – “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Most Americans may not realize what it will do to this country when more than 40 million Christians leave this world at one time. It probably won’t have much effect on China, Russia or the Middle East.

Daniel and other Scripture tell us in the end time there will be a one-world government and the Old Roman Empire or the European Union will become powerful and dominant. Many believe America will lose its super power status and its world’s leadership. This one-world government will be ruled by the Antichrist and there will be one religion lead by the False Prophet.

We have a group of elitists who have, for a number of years, a plan to develop the one-world government that will bring peace to the world and end all wars according to them. They believe they can turn the earth into a utopia. It will end all poverty, stop climate change and change all social and political ills. They realize for this to happen will require the loss of personal freedoms. The elitists believe they must change everyone to their way of thinking and acting. It will take this one world government and religion with law enforcement capable of forcing everyone to comply with their laws and regulations.

Isn’t it time for you to ask yourself: “Do you want to live under the Antichrist or live under the rule of Jesus Christ?” When Christ comes to put an end to the war of Armageddon and rule for 1000 years are you interested in being there? It is then time to prepare for that time. We are told to live a holy life that Christ showed us how to live. Do we have a relationship with Christ and God? Is living the world’s ways more important than living to please God? We have a short time to live on earth. What do we plan for the thousands of years in eternity? If you choose to live with Christ in eternity then isn’t it time to start preparing to live in order to be with Christ forever?

As I read the Christmas story from Luke 1:26 – 38 and chapter 2, how could anyone not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God? Jewish law was that if a young lady was to have a baby while she was engaged to be married and became pregnant by another man than her husband; her future and proposed husband could report her to the high priest and after examination, she could be stoned to death. If Joseph had believed another man had caused her to become pregnant and he reported her and she was found guilty, punishment was for Joseph to throw the first stone and others were to throw stones until she was dead. In other circumstances, if a woman had a baby out of wedlock, she and her baby were excommunicated and could take no part in Jewish rituals. Under no circumstances could either, ever enter the Jewish Temple. In fact, that mother and baby’s family were excommunicated for ten generations or 500 years from being any part of the Jewish religion. Jesus was allowed in the Temple a number of times, as was Mary and Joseph.

John 12:42 – 43 – “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.”

The angel said to Mary that she would become pregnant and give birth to a son and she was to call his name Jesus. Mary responded by saying how can she become pregnant having never slept with a man. The angel told her ‘that nothing is impossible with God’. Mary, a virgin, was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, with the Son of God.

Once Mary became pregnant she went to visit her relative Elizabeth for three months, whose husband was Zachariah, a high priest, who would have been the one to examine Mary and determine if she should be stoned. Zachariah and Elizabeth were the parents of John the Baptist and Elizabeth was six months along at the time of Mary’s visit. If Mary’s future husband Joseph, Elizabeth and Zachariah accepted that her baby was going to be the Son of God, it should prove that they were convinced of what had happened. If not convinced yet, there were shepherds who witnessed angels filling the sky singing glory to God in the highest. One of the angels told them that the Messiah was born and he was in a manger. Later, wise men followed a bright star to Bethlehem to worship the Savior. This didn’t go unnoticed by many people.

King Herod believed that Jesus was Who He said He was. He had every boy, two years and under, killed because of Jesus’ birth. We have Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, writers of the gospel, also believed He was the Son of God. We have the Apostles John, Peter and James also writing as eye witnesses as to who He was. He predicted His death and that He would rise after death. Over 500 witnessed Jesus after being resurrected.

Jesus came to earth, as God, to teach us how to deal with Satan and how to deal with the world’s ways. He came that we might see the character of God and to know Him better. He came to give us a new covenant of grace. He came to teach us to love God with all of our strength and others as ourselves. He came to heal us, meet our needs and help us to prosper. Christ came to redeem us who were enslaved by the law. He came to free us and allow us to be adopted by God and become His children. This freedom meant we no longer had to be slaves because we had become children. As a child, we had complete access to the inheritance. He was here to show us there is the possibility of life after death.
Christ came to tell us that “God is with us” and will be with us forever if we accept Christ as our Savior. He came to prepare us for His Kingdom that will never end. To live in His Kingdom we must live holy lives free from sin. We are to live in preparation of that time.

Therefore, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who changed the world like no other person has ever done. Jesus is the only person that can save the world from their sins. He changed my life; He answers my prayers and has met my needs. This is why we should celebrate Christmas. However, the world has commercialized this holiday. The world has lost what Christmas stands for. They believe it is a time for gift giving and a time to celebrate by eating and drinking. As a result, we have a generation that does not realize the importance of Christmas.

Jesus came as the light to the world. Martin Luther decided he would decorate his tree with lights as a reminder of Jesus being the light. The hanging of lights is a way of celebrating the Giver of light.

Hebrews 1:1 – 2 – “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”

John 8:58- 59 – “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”

John 17:22 – 24 – “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

April 15, 2014 there was a blood moon, when the moon turned a bright red or a lunar eclipse in the western hemisphere. This occurred on Passover. Another blood moon appeared on October 8, 2014 on Feast of the Tabernacles. The next blood moon will happen on April 4, 2015 on Passover and again on September 28, 2015 on Feast of the Tabernacles. Anytime there have been four lunar eclipses in a row, where the moon turns blood red, each appearing on a Jewish holiday, a major event has occurred. When they happened previously in 1942, Columbus discovered America and since he was an Italian Jew, they believed he was looking for a safe place for Jewish people to live. In 1948 when four blood moons occurred again, Israel became a nation, as prophesized would happen. The blood moons cannot be seen in Israel and many believe this time, the sign is for America. So what could happen?

Some believe this next 12 months, when we again have the forth blood moon and lunar eclipses falling on a Jewish holiday, some major event will likely occur and it could be meant for America. It will be 100 years before we have another time when they fall on Jewish holidays, according to NASA. Since Christ’s birth there have been seven times these red blood eclipses have happened and only three times in the last 500 years.

Joel 2:30 – 31 – “I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” Joel 2:30 NIV study Bible indicates “show wonders” means giving a picture or hint of a coming event.

Acts 2:20 – “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.”

IT’S A CRAZY WORLD WE LIVE IN and we must get used to it! For example, Russia’s ruble (dollar) is being seriously devaluated to its lowest level in history because of lower oil and natural gas prices. It is possible they will be in a serious recession by the end of 2015 with escalating inflation. Russia’s breakeven price of oil is $107 a barrel according to the Investment Business Daily. At a current price of $60 it is seriously hurting their economy. On top of that are the sanctions that the U.S. and Europe has placed on them. Their present interest rate is 17% and ours is 2.1%. Our Fracking and increased oil production is making life tough for Putin. Who knows what his reaction will be? How much of a risk is Iran and Russian willing to take militarily? According to history, this is how wars are started. It hasn’t been prudent for America to slash its defense budget to historic lows and NATO defenses continue to be underfunded. Who do we have willing to provide the leadership necessary to stop Russia and Iran from escalating uncertainty and starting a major conflict?

Ezekiel 39:1 – 6 – “Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coast lands, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

Predicted 5,125 years ago, the world would end on December 21, 2012. Supposedly, a solar flare would cause a polar shift on the magnetic poles. There would be tsunamis around the world, massive earthquakes, all rivers would overflow and plunging asteroids would turn our cities into smoking ruins. There would be an ultimate catastrophe and no place would be safe for humans.

Millions were in a panic believing all this would actually happen as predicted by a Hopi prophecy and the end of the Mayan calendar 3113 BC years ago. We suppose many will become millionaires in 2015 as some did predicting the world would change after 1999 and in 2000 a year which would cause all technology to fail. We also are aware of the billions of dollars that have been made from man-made global warming or climate change.

Now we hear that a Yellow Stone volcano will erupt devastating everything in the east. Sun flares are supposed to bring our national electric grid down and the U. S. will be in complete darkness. As a result, supposedly a financial collapse will occur in 2015. The Bible also predicts that God will cause Russia, Iran and other countries to start a war, in the end-times. Some will tell you this will happen probably in 2015. As a result of the blood moons?

Most Americans and many Christians do not believe God is in control. But if you believe the Bible, God controlled the weather, He allowed wars to happen, He allowed Israel to prosper and there were times of tremendous draughts that occurred when they were disobedient. America has not followed God’s principles and morality in the past 60 years. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for similar things the U.S. is now doing. How long will God allow America to live disobediently to His Ways? Is it time for American to be punished as God used to do to Israel?

I am not predicting anything above will happen. However, Satan and his helpers have influenced many politicians and religious leaders. There are a number of pagan religions with thousands of worshippers throughout the United States. It is believed that Satan’s goal is to destroy America and he has many who are trying to get this accomplished. Where do you think the attacks on Christianity are coming from? Is it time for Christians to get serious about praying for a spiritual revival? Are we willing to let Satan change our country without praying? Apparently, only God can change the direction we are headed and that will not happen unless Christians get serious about praying for His intervention. These are very serious times. Read and study the Old Testament and understand what happened to Israel. America is repeating their disbelief and are just as disobedient to living according to God’s Ways as Israel refused to do in the past.

Is there any normal individual who does not deal with stress, maybe continually? There are numerous books written about dealing with pressure caused by families, relationships, work, health, financial problems, feeling inferior, social pressures of not fitting in, making decisions, taking risks, moral issues and the list seems never ending. How a person deals with stress depends on their degree of commitment, accountability, expectations, their confidence or one’s depth of faith. What does the Bible teach us about handling stress and pressure? It seems that from Genesis to Revelation it tells us to expect it, confront it, and accept it as an opportunity to build character and consider it pure joy because it develops perseverance. WOW! It sounds easy but it isn’t. Who looks forward to pressure and stress because the Bible says it may be good for you?

We are told to consider it pure joy when we face trials because the experience tests our faith and develops perseverance. If that is true, then the more trials we have and the greater our stress the more faithful we can become and the more persistence we develop.

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

My experience has been that the older we get and the more spiritually mature we become the less stress we face daily. But there is always a time when an emotion hits the stomach and the blood pressure rises and one’s pulse starts beating a few beats faster. Some react with anger, some look for someone or something to blame, others become physically ill, a few want to run from it but, we are told to confront it. The Bible tells us to consider it a time of joy and an opportunity to test our faith. Would you pay a psychologist to tell you that?

Many of us do not realize there are two kinds of joy: worldly joy and spiritual joy. It is unreasonable to think we will always be confronted with pleasant circumstances. It is not unreasonable to expect and to have joy. The joy I am talking about comes only from the Holy Spirit. The joy we receive from God is continuous and is experienced at all times regardless of how difficult times may seem.

The Apostle Paul says it was this inner joy that encouraged him during his times of imprisonment and the many trials that he encountered. He relates about an inner joy that caused him to press on toward the goals of his ministry. We can develop the same joy the Bible says is available that keeps us positive going through unhappy situations.

The quality of that joy is dependent upon on relationship with Christ. We can’t fake it because it comes from our heart and it is spiritual. It requires that we must continually die out to our self-centered nature and pray that the Holy Spirit helps us to totally surrender and live according to the teaching of Christ. This does not happen overnight and depends on one’s faith to believe and willingness to make a commitment to become devoted to God and obedient to His ways.

God wants us to be patient and we must learn to wait on God. When we face a serious problem we want God to deal with the situation immediately. If every problem was solved instantly what would we have learned? This is why the Bible tells us that God allows trials and testing to develop our patience and character. It is extremely important that we go through these difficult times and learn to trust God and obey Him. God asks that we trust and depend on Him to strengthen our love and faith. Our reaction to problems tells much about our character. Do we become angry and bitter? Or, do we accept our struggles with joy knowing that God is aware and is allowing it to happen for a reason?

Life is not about how long we live or how well we live. It is more about how we live and who do we live for. No matter how life treats us, God can use us regardless of where we are or what we are doing. Never fear, God knows every detail that occurs in our lives before it ever happens. What we go through today may be God’s way of preparing us for His kingdom in eternity. Shouldn’t we want to be as prepared as possible?

James 1:12 – “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

I don’t know about you but when I go through times of testing I develop a closer relationship with Christ. At the same time I am reminded that there will be rewards in heaven that have been promised to us. It appears how we live here in this world and our relationship with Christ will make a difference once we leave this earth. The future should be more important than instant gratification that is offered today. But if our relationship with God is right, we can have rewards both places.

Scripture says if we have the faith we can move mountains. Let’s work on our faith as we go through these tests and do so with joy.

P.S. For those few Christians who live miserable lives without joy, read Galatians, specifically the 2nd chapter. Those who still believe they must work their way to heaven and refuse to accept God’s grace are no different from the Judaizers in the early church. Those Jews believed men had to be circumcised and once converted they had to live by the 613 Jewish laws to become a Christian. Today we call them legalists because they are enslaved by works and have not received the freedom that comes through grace. Grace provides the freedom to have joy and an attitude of love which Scripture promises we will receive as a new person in Christ.

Have you ever wondered if you could love God unconditionally, without expecting anything in return? We are told the two greatest commandments are: Luke 10:27 – “He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Every morning as I pray I am asking God for certain blessings. I want Him to bless my family, those needing healing, my church, my Bible study group, my business and others. I told my two children that I can love others unconditionally, not expecting anything in return, but how do you love God unconditionally?

I started looking though my 100 or more books looking for an answer. I happened to pull out a little book that I read more than ten years ago: The Prayer of Jabez. I Chronicles 4:10 – “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.”

I believe God wanted me to write on the importance of prayer. Most Christians want to stand before God one day and hear Him say: Well done! How can we be assured that God will say those two words to us after our time on earth? I took two hours to once again read the book emphasizing that we are repeatedly told, by Scripture, that God has blessings waiting for us that we would never receive unless we ask God for them. I want God to bless me by imparting His supernatural favor. We all want God’s unlimited goodness. I am convinced we may never receive those blessings unless we ask for them.

Matthew 7:7 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” James 4:2 – “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”

Jabez was blessed, according to the Bible, because he refused to let any obstacle, person or opinion cause him to believe that God didn’t want to bless him. The Bible tells us that a simple prayer can change our future. No matter what our gifts, education or vocation may be, our calling is to do God’s work on earth.

Through my 595 blogs written over the past five years, I believe God has continually answered my prayers by providing insight and knowledge as to what has been written. My publisher advised me to begin writing blogs in order to advertise our book. I found it was a way of allowing Christ to live through me. Hopefully, the blogs have helped others to live a holy life. We are told, as Christians, we are to share the gospel with the world. People from over 100 nations have read these blogs, according to Word Press. Who would have believed this could be possible ten years ago? I believe those blogs would never have been possible without prayer and those prayers being answered.

I have learned that God can use average and normal people to do His work if they allow Christ to work through them. God is just waiting for us to ask Him to be used. 2 Corinthians 3:5 – 6 – “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Ephesians 3:19 – “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

My prayer is for God’s supernatural power to work through my weakness. If I am not encountering some problems, from time to time, that means Satan is not worried about me. Matthew 6:13 – “And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”

I believe that God has all kinds of blessings waiting for us. It is time we have the faith to ask Him to bless us. God’s blessings can be limited by us, not by His resources, power or His willingness to give. God’s nature is to bless. God will not give us a blessing that will hurt us. His blessings are in keeping with His will for each of us.

The answer to the questions is: God does not expect us to love Him unconditionally. He wants us to love Him with all of our strength because He has blessings He wants to give us. Don’t be afraid or feel unworthy to ask God for a blessing. THINK – He is waiting to answer our prayers.

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

You must understand God has a purpose for every person. It is very simple: His purpose is for everyone to accept that Christ is the Son of God, then repent and accept Him as your Savior and be saved. Then He wants us to change our lives and live as Christ instructed. He wants us to be holy and to live a holy life. That will fulfill His purpose for your life.

Once we receive the Holy Spirit we have two choices: we can live according to the world’s ways or according to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we can live God’s ways. From then on, it is how we see ourselves that determines who we become and how well we will do. You can listen to what the Devil tells you: as to who you are. It is better than you be what Christ tells you: as to whom you can become.

If we focus on Christ and eternity we will receive knowledge and heavenly wisdom to help us succeed. If we focus on what the world offers, we may not be capable of changing who we are or what we become. What our confidence and our attitudes tell us, determines our present success. The more we study the Bible, the more we trust and obey God the greater our success will be. If we listen to Satan we could become a victim. If we listen to the Holy Spirit we will become the victor.

Most of us have a problem focusing. The world presents all kinds of distractions. Are we just showing up for work or are we focusing on what work requires in being successful? The most important thing is: are you praying to God to help you do your best? When was the last time you asked God for guidance in what you should do and how to do it? Have you ever watched God change your circumstances? Are we continually asking God what is best for our lives? When you are given directions are you able to trust and obey Him? I have found that it seems the more wisdom I obtained; the more God answered my prayers. I also found that wisdom gave me the ability to focus on Christ. The more wisdom and the more knowledge I received the more doors were opened and the more doors that were closed.

Proverbs 3:19 – 20 – “By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.”

I am constantly seeing God intervening in my life and in the life of others because I focus on looking for God’s intervention. The reason is because the Bible taught me to expect it and to constantly look for God changing circumstances. The more we study and prepare the more we expect and the more we are capable of letting the Holy Spirit change who we are and what we are capable of doing.

Two things I learned many years ago was education and hard work was necessary to be successful. I also worked with people who had failed in their jobs. They did not have common sense and wisdom. You can have college degrees and all kinds of knowledge and do stupid things. However, wisdom given by the Holy Spirit can make all the difference in what you are able to accomplish.

Heavenly wisdom, from Bible study, made it possible for me to make changes. We often get in a comfort zone and become so stubborn; it seems we are incapable of changing. If we are not constantly changing our thinking about who we are and what we have the potential of doing, we may miss many opportunities.

The Bible taught me, while on this earth; I was to prepare for eternity. The more wisdom and knowledge I obtained now, the greater will be my opportunities in eternity. If I am going to live forever and who I become and what I accomplish here determines my life in eternity, shouldn’t I always be trying to do my best? Too many Christians live as if the life we live today will not make a difference later. That is not what Scripture tells us: Revelation 4:10 – “The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:”

Do you want one crown or many? Psalms 149:4 – “For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”
Are you willing to prepare now for success after death? What is 85 years now considering forever? The more successful we are living a holy life today gaining wisdom and knowledge; the greater will be our future opportunities. Are you focusing on what the world offers or focusing on what God has planned for the hereafter? If you get to heaven and find out that you missed special blessings because of how you lived on earth and learn that you could have had a better future. It may be too late!

Scripture has told me that often God caused fear in Bible characters prior to them receiving joy. For example in the Christmas story prior to John the Baptist being born. Luke 1:13 – 14 – “But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,” Heavenly wisdom has taught me that if I am going through some fearful times God will replace my fear with a future joy. If you are having difficult times, it may be God preparing you for His blessings to follow. Scripture also tells me to prepare for the future.

Matthew 6:19 – 20 – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Matthew 6:1- “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

Why is Scripture telling us to store up treasures in heaven and that God has rewards for those who are humble? Do you want to live in eternity without any stored up treasurers or any rewards? Do you see the need for wisdom and the necessity to prepare for success in eternity? It takes discipline and focus! While you are doing this for eternity, God will make you successful while you are here, according to His Word.

God must make some of us hurt in order to get our attention and learn to trust Him. Are you having problems in your life? We are raised in and accept the world’s materialist goals and many Christian find it difficult to impossible in becoming separated from the ways of the world and allow the Holy Spirit to change them. God’s purpose for man was for him to love and worship Him and love others. If everyone was filled with love, there would be no need for police and armies.

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? When the Apostle Paul was writing to the Corinthian church he told them: When Christians said “Jesus is Lord” it meant that they gave to Jesus the supreme loyalty of their lives and with their hearts they worshipped Him.

Paul further says that no one should say ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless they are led by the Holy Spirit. Christ was not someone who people discovered for themselves, it was God, in His grace, revealing Himself to them. Those who received the Holy Spirit had a change of life. Paul told them that as a member of God’s family they would be given a spiritual gift in order to help each other. What about Christians who have never received or discovered a spiritual gift, are they missing the Holy Spirit in their lives?

I Corinthians 12:7 – 11 – “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” NLT

Paul is stressing unity in the church and to have a healthy body every part is to perform its own function for the good of the whole. Unity does not mean uniformity and therefore within the Church there are “differing” gifts and “differing” functions. But every one of them is a gift from the Holy Spirit. A gift was not something I immediately detected. But as I grew spiritually, I found I had received the gifts of wise advice, a discerning of spirits, wisdom and faith. To a minor degree prophesy!

Paul says that all special gifts come from God and it was his belief that they should be used in God’s service. These gifts can be given to builders, carpenters, electricians, painters and others. They are not just preaching, teaching, writing, praying or healing.
When Paul refers to “the message of wisdom” it does not come from thought but from communication with God. Wisdom is our knowledge of God. Knowledge is being able to put God’s wisdom into practice.

When Paul talks about the gift of faith it is a faith that produces results. It is a passionate belief in a thing which makes people spend all that they are and have on it. Faith gives people the courage to take action. I would assume more Christians would have this gift than many of the others.

In the early Church healing was commonplace. A Jew who was ill would more than likely go to a Rabbi than a doctor. In all probability healing would result. When Greeks would go and spend a night in their temple to be healed, often they were. History proves this to be true. There is not the slightest doubt that there was healing in the early Church. Paul would never have cited them unless it was real. The Church has never lost the gift of healing. It seems to have been rediscovered in the 16th century. There were a lot of mental illnesses and it was attributed to the work of demons. It was a function of the Church to exorcise these demons. The Catholic Church continues the practice of exorcism.

We associate prophecy too much with foretelling the future. Prophets brought warnings, telling men and women that their way of action was not in accordance with God’s will. They brought advice and guidance, directing people into the ways God wished for them to go. That does not preclude Christians being able to see the future according to what Scripture provides.

He said some were given the gift to discern between different kinds of spirits. Some spirits came from God and some from the devil. We must observe and understand before making a judgment.

He ends with tongues and the ability to interpret them. Tongues were causing a great deal of perplexity in the Church. At a Church service someone would fall into a trance and pour out unintelligible sound in no know language. This was a highly coveted gift because it was supposed to be due to the direct influence of the Spirit of God. Paul never questioned the gifts of tongues but he was well aware that it had its dangers. To some it became a kind of self-hypnotism and very difficult to tell apart. Much of the New Testament does not mention or place much emphasis on speaking in an unknown language. If it was vital to one’s spiritual life, the Apostles would have made it a priority and they did not.

If a spiritual gift is given to each one of us who profess to be a Christian, then shouldn’t we know what that at least one gift is? When I was converted and accepted Christ, there was a tremendous desire to change my life-style. I was convicted of things that I knew had to change and the Holy Spirit made it possible to begin living as Christ had modeled for us. As Paul says I had to work out my salvation and learn what the Bible taught for new converts. I learned it was likely I would not change anything that I could tolerate financially, emotionally or spiritual. It would be difficult to change anything I deemed extremely valuable and was not a positive in a Christian’s life. Therefore, I had to accept some of my values had to change. Are you willing to change the world’s ways to Christ’s ways? If not—are you sure you are filled with the Holy Spirit?

Ephesians 4:17 & 18 – “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.”

Galatians 5:16 -18 – “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.”