Most Christians believe, without a doubt, God can be trusted. But do we really live our lives trusting Him? Do you expect to see these “God Things” that take place from time to time in your life? Most of the time, answers to prayer are camouflaged and not easily detected.

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

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

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

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

I remember in 1991 when we decided to buy 80 acres for a new church and didn’t have the money. We obtained the acreage. We started building a $23 million building project when we didn’t have the money. It was completed in December 1999. Years later, we have never missed a mortgage payment. On special events we will fill seven services and with our satellites attendance we will have approximately 50,000 people. What if we have had the faith but lacked the trust as the ten Israeli spies who didn’t trust God to keep His promises when told to enter the promise land? Thus, they convinced the others it couldn’t be done. That could have happened to our church and I am sure has happened to many Christian churches.

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

Are we not told that if we continually study the Bible, live by its principles and not deviate from it, we will be successful and prosper in what we do? Do you believe enough and have the faith to trust that God will keep His promises? Isn’t it worth a try? It starts with Bible study! Isaiah 12:2a – “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid;” Isaiah 26:4 – “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” NIV

If you accepted Christ a few years ago and have failed to grow spiritually, chances many of your prayers may not be answered as you would like. I believe the Bible is very clear that most of God’s promises are conditional and His only obligation is to believers who are putting Him first in their lives. That does not mean He will not answer your prayer, it is not a guarantee. Many teach if you have enough faith your prayer will be answered. It takes more than faith. It also takes commitment and a personal relationship with Christ.

God requires that we learn His Word. How else would we know whether we are living a holy life? Have your been redeemed and are you righteous? You may have received the Holy Spirit but have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you aware of a power received from the Holy Spirit? Do you have supernatural “God Things”, experiences or unexplained occurrences from time to time? It may not be luck or a coincidence but God intervening.

Do you realize all of the many promises God gives to those who have a deep personal relationship with Christ and Him? Are you willing to make the effort to improve your spiritual standard of living? God does not want us to remain baby Christians throughout our adult life. He does not want us to fail to mature and be unproductive children. How do most parents feel about their children who intentionally fail to get an education and are unwilling to get a job? If they are physically and mentally able, they are that way because we gave them more than we should have or we lacked adequate discipline. We were enablers and made them unwilling to develop, mature and become independent. Isn’t God smarter than we? He is not going to hurt us by answering prayers that will make us overly dependent to a fault. But He will answer the prayers of those doing their best and continually progressing to spiritual maturity.

Sometimes we may feel so unworthy that it is difficult to believe that God really loves us enough to answer our prayers. There can be times when we may least expect God to answer our prayer and He does. The more we see the Holy Spirit working in our lives, the greater we can be motivated to study His Word and pray. God knows what it takes to encourage us. So never give up and pray with the faith to believe your prayer will be answered. God doesn’t want us to fail. But sometimes we are so tempted by the world that we chose worldly pleasures over God. This does not please God. So if we want our prayers constantly answered, we must do as Scripture says.

Most of God’s promises in the Bible are conditional but a few are unconditional. For example: John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

If the U.S. was debt free. If the U.S. had a military as large as we had during World War II. If we had a president like Ronald Reagan. What is happening in the Middle East would not be happening. The United States was established by God to keep peace in the world. If you read and study the Old Testament, God repeatedly chose who would be kings and who would be national leaders. He used armies to punish nations for their evil deeds. The Bible also prophesies when the end of the world nears. God needs a president during these times that keeps America from being the world’s peace keeper.

Approximately 40 years ago, three store managers were chosen to spend a week in Chicago and prepare to teach West Coast store managers leadership information. I was chosen to teach “What if this was to happen”? What would you and your employees do? If you had a parking lot sale and it rained, do you and all employees participating, know what to do before it happens? Before taking on any project, always have a plan as what could happen and if it did, what would you do? I can’t believe we have an administration that does so little planning and knows so little about what is going on. Why doesn’t our present administration realize how to anticipate what might happen and have a plan if it did? Most leadership seminars teach this!

This is why I have to believe, from studying the Bible, that what is happening in America is “A God Thing”. Would God have allowed what is happening if the world had a long-time future? Repeatedly, God told the Israelites that He would keep it from raining because of their disobedience. Many droughts during the Old Testament times were God caused. When they repented He would allow it to rain. Any president but our president would have been impeached for all that has happened. I do not believe God will allow it to happen; it’s not in His plan for the end-time.

Therefore, it is time for wars and rumors of war time. Matthew 3:3 – 7 – “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

II Timothy 3:1 – 5 – “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. Have nothing to do with such people.”

I believe 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. 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. Here are other reasons for moral corruption: Boastful, proud – An inflated self-importance. Abusive – People who speak disrespectfully to others. Disobedient to their parents – Behavior that breaks the fifth Commandment. Ungrateful – Cannot appreciate others or give gratitude for favors. Unholy – Disregard God in order to live only to please themselves. Without love – People who love only themselves. Unforgiving – Cannot allow for other people’s mistakes or weaknesses. Slanderous – Enjoy spreading gossip and malicious reports about others. Without self-control – Cannot restrain the feelings or actions. Brutal – Live like untamed animals. Not lovers of good – People who hate anything good. Treacherous – Ready and willing to betray anyone. Rash – People who act foolishly and carelessly and normally head-strong. Conceited – A person who is narcissistic and a very high opinion of themselves. 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 and used godliness as a cloak of respectability while denying God’s power over their lives. Can we not see this happening daily?

Noah building the ark before the end to that civilization was a sign for that generation that the end was coming. The building of the Jewish Temple will be a sign that God is giving a warning that the end to our world is coming. Both are time measurements before the final curtain. There were followers of God prior to the flood but in God’s grace he allowed each to die and not face the devastation. The same will happen to believers now; they shall be raptured in order to escape the desolation to come.

I Corinthians 15:52 & 53 – “In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality.”

I Thessalonians 4:16 – 17 – “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.”

Satan knows his time is close to ending. He is the great deceiver. He does not want us to change, repent and worship God. Study the Bible and prepare for eternity. The afterlife is much more important than the here and now. Focus on Christ and the signs He predicted and live according to His teachings.

God created man to worship Him. Within each individual we have been programmed for worship. We will either worship the Creator or someone or something. If we fail to worship Him there will be a void to fulfill and a longing that we must find something material or an individual to fill that empty spot. We have heard of young girls going to concerts and fainting over their idol who is singing. We have heard of young athletic boys idolizing a professional athlete. Many adults make money or material things their idol. If it’s not God we are worshiping, then the innate urge moves us to find someone or something to worship. Many times this inner urge causes additions to drugs or alcohol if we find nothing to satisfy our need to worship.

Exodus 20:3 – “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Joshua 22:5 – “But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Mark 12:30 – “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’”

Rejecting to be obedient to these commandments is to sin. There is no greater sin than rejecting and failing to worship God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. Prior to my conversion there were people I wanted to be like. This is why the Bible tells us to focus upon Christ as our model. Many who have been raised without the teaching of God or a single family parent find older youths as their example. Many are lured into drugs or illegal practices. This inner need drives them to often idolize others.

Jesus’ purpose was to emphasize that a person’s total being must love God. We are told that nothing must be held back. Elsewhere in Scripture Romans 12:2 states we must renew our minds in order to put God first and worship Him to find the peace and calm that fills the void within. God not only wants our obedience He wants our unconditional love and devotion. We must determine if we are willing to give Him our life.

It wasn’t until I understood that this feeling, emotion, discernment or consciousness of my need to worship God did I find the peace and joy the Bible describes that comes to a person living a holy life. Holy living requires God being our highest priority prior to anything or anyone. This does not happen normally overnight. It is a process that comes from the renewing of one’s mind.

You may have been taught that the greatest and unpardonable sin is the rejection of the Holy Spirit. Without the assistance of the Holy Spirit’s conviction, one cannot be saved. Rejection of the Holy Spirit is also rejection of God and Christ and an unwillingness to worship God. Today we find many Christian just attend church and act as the following Scripture.

Revelation 3:14 – 17 – “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

Too many Christians fail to heed Christ’s warning. Hearts are not changing and are growing cold. Churches seem to be losing influence in their communities. Revelation 3:20 – “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Christ is asking to come into the church and into people’s heart. Too many are ignoring Christ’s knock. They fail to actually worship as God meant for man to do. Do not commit man’s greatest sin by failing to worship God and fulfilling that which we were created to do.

A church Elder at a board meeting many years ago made a comment: My daughter and son-in-law are missionaries in Peru. Las Vegas probably needs missionaries as badly as anywhere. Maybe this is where they should be, the results might be better?

That caught my attention. When I needed a job, after being discharged from the Navy, my aunt and uncle said I could get a job there and I could live with them, if I would attend church with them. I had very rarely gone to church previously, but agreed. A missionary couple returning from Africa spoke one Sunday and told what it was like in a foreign country. I knew that if I became a Christian God would call me to be a missionary to Africa. This would be the last thing I would ever want to do. However, in time I was able to be convinced that the chances I would be called to be a missionary were very slim. Therefore, my fear of lions and large snakes and ministering to half-dressed people was overcome and I accepted Christ and was converted.

When I heard the Elder’s comment my thought was: Would God have sent Jonah to Las Vegas instead of Nineveh if the choice were to be made today? Jonah 1:1 & 2 – “The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” I wondered what God thought of “Sin City”? Would God have sent Jonah here to minister to its people? Then I thought: Would God use a church instead of a person to do what Jonah did in Nineveh?

This past week, June 2014, we had over 1100 baptisms at church. Over the past years we have had over 50,000 conversions. My thoughts this week were: Has God been using specific churches to change their city and beyond instead of a missionary or a prophet. Could He not influence a church to become missionary minded in their own city? How do you account for a church that grows from an attendance of 450 to over 30,000? Other churches in the same city have had attendance of 350 with little or no growth over 40 years. What spiritual affect have they had on the city?

Why do Christians judge Joel Osteen’s church to be too liberal and not legalistic enough? When you have attendance that continually grows and exceeds 40,000, someone is growing spiritually and people are coming to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. I do not criticize a minister on TV that 75% of his message is getting people to send money. Some Christians want to hear those types of sermons. However, I turn them off and listen to ministers that teach what I believe God wants me to hear to improve and grow spiritually.

I believe we should be in churches that fit our spiritual needs. I felt called over 30 years ago to a church that was very traditional with a vision that it would start a spiritual revival and it has. Maybe God’s calling was for me to be part of a missionary church and not have to leave town to fulfill that calling I was so fearful of, prior to becoming a Christian. I am glad God chose my mission field to be Las Vegas and not Africa or some other foreign country.

Wouldn’t you feel like being in a missionary church that God used to see 1100 individuals baptized in one week? However, I am sure God has a place for all Bible teaching Christian churches. Some Christians do much better in smaller churches where they feel more comfortable. In those churches there are leadership positions and it allows many to develop spiritual leadership skills that are used to build God’s kingdom. They may never have that opportunity in a large mega-church. Regardless of our personalities, our likes and dislikes, God has a place for every one of us. We were all born with a purpose and if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, we will find where God wants us to be and there we can serve Him best.

I have been a member of small churches and it provided an opportunity to grow spiritually and develop leadership potential. It also was a tremendous faith builder.

If you have studied your Bible, you can see signs that the Bible predicts will happen prior to the second return of Jesus Christ. What is happening in America, the Middle-East, Russia, Iran and China give clear signs that what is happening is shared repeatedly in Scripture. Just because the end-times have been predicted for the past 2000 years, never have we seen so many signs that can be contributed to what the Bible describes in preparation for Christ’s return.

Joel 2:28 – 31 – “In the last days I will send My Spirit on all men. Then your sons and daughters will speak God’s Word. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see special dreams. Yes, on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. I will show powerful works in the heavens and on the earth, like blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will turn dark and the moon will turn to blood before the day of the Lord. His coming will be a great and troubled day.” I have written about the four blood moons following on Jewish religious holidays prior to September 2015.

Joel 3:1 – 2 – “In those days and at that time, I will return the riches of Judah and Jerusalem. I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for what they did to My people Israel. They have sent My people out among the different nations, and have divided up My land.”

Russia and Iran have been bitter enemies for centuries and have become allies for the first time in history. We have written previously of the War that takes place in Ezekiel chapters 37 through 39. We read where Moscow has aggressively pursued political, economic and military ties to Iran in defiance of U.S. and European protests. Russia has authorized the sale of nuclear technology to Iran. They are training nuclear scientists and are providing them with the latest in armament.

The Bible says that before the Russian and Iran led war, Israel will live in a time of calm and will accumulate great wealth. Isaiah 45:3 says: “I will give you riches hidden in the darkness and things of great worth that are hidden in secret places. Then you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.” Foreign energy companies are finding enormous reserves of gas and adequate amounts of oil in Israel’s possession.

The 6th chapter of Revelation predicts there will come a time when the world will be faced with starvation, famine, sickness and economic disaster. There will be sickness that antibiotics and drugs will not prevent. Bacteria can infect people with hundreds of diseases and there are chemical agents that could destroy the entire population. There was a time in history that typhus killed over 200 million people over a period of time. Yet we continue to live as they did in the days of Noah.

There will come a time when we will witness global disasters. Volcanoes will erupt and the earth will shake. Isaiah wrote in 24:19 – “The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is violently shaken.” (NIT) On December 28, 2004 the U. S. geological Survey reported that the island of Sumatra shifted to the southwest 120 feet as a result of a 9.0 earthquake. Yahoo news reported the December 28 earthquake made the earth wobble on its axis and permanently altered the regional map. That earthquake was equal to 23,000 atomic bombs the size dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. December 16, 1811 islands in the Mississippi actually sank. Theologians predict that the earthquake Revelation describes is far greater than the 9.0. Some wonder if these gigantic earthquakes predicted could shake the earth back on its axis to where it was before the flood when people lived almost 1000 years.

Then comes panic! People lose all hope and can find no place to hide. Lawlessness is evident in every country on earth. There is a new game where teens sucker-punch strangers. It is catching the attention of Americans who love violence in sports. Those who thought they were safe could find no place to hide. It will be amazing that after all of these events there will be a number of people who still will not fear God. Like the Egyptians in Moses times they will have hearts as hard as shoe leather and not penetrable by the Holy Spirit. What worse can our children do?

God knows what is going on in America and the world. Chances of America ever recovering to the land of blessing and prosperity from God are limited. God is allowing it all to play out and it might be His time to put an end to the world’s immorality. At least the signs are indicative to be the end and the beginning for those whose names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life and for those who have accepted Christ as their Savior, there are all kinds of hope.

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.”

Revelation 21:1 – 4 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”

God says He is making everything new. Those who are victorious will inherit all these blessings and He will be their God and we will be His children. Those who do not accept Christ as their Savior, will spend eternity separated from God.

God created our planet and Adam and Eve to last forever.

Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven and Adam and Eve’s sin caused God to curse both man and creation. Man dies and the earth begins to decay. God tells man what it will take to get back to the original creation. Man rejects God’s ways and continues to rebel and be disobedient to God and His Commandments. God, through man, writes the Bible and tells what He expects, tells what will happen if we reject Him and what the results will be. For those who follow His ways and accepts His Son, He promises a life that had been originally planned for Adam and Eve and the planet.

In the last days, the earth’s decay increases rapidly. As the earth groans, man becomes more inhumane and immorality becomes popular. There will be wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, pestilence and climate change. There will be no time ever like it.

Matthew 24:21 – 25 – “In those days there will be very much trouble and pain and sorrow. It has never been this bad from the beginning of the world and never will be again. If the time had not been made short, no life would have been saved. Because of God’s people, the time will be made short. “If anyone says to you, ‘See! Here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. People who say they are Christ and false preachers will come. They will do special things for people to see. They will do great things, so that if it can be done, God’s people will be fooled to believe something wrong. Listen! I have told you before it comes.”

Can you imagine things getting worse? Are you prepared for the trouble, pain and sorrow that are coming? Have you ever thought that things will be so bad that none would survive without the return of Jesus Christ? The world will go though the war of Armageddon, a war to end all.

When this happens Jews will realize that Jesus is the Messiah. They will see Him standing on the Mount of Olives. Zechariah 12:9 – 11 – “On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. ‘And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.”

Not only will the Battle of Armageddon prove the Old Testament prophecies but also the New Testament. Those who doubted the authenticity of Scripture must accept the truth of the gospels. The entire nation of Israel will go into mourning and accepts Christ’s leadership. They are blessed and become prosperous.

Do you think world politics will improve? Will America in 2016 elect a president who reads, studies and believes the Bible? Is there any chance that peace in the world and morality will improve in our time? If not, then prepare for what is to come. What may we expect? It all depends on whether you are a Christian or not. The hope for a Christian is tremendous.

Matthew 19:28 & 29 – “Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.”

When Christ comes a second time the earth will be restored to its original condition. If God can create our planet can He not rehab? This time it will be inhabited by those who have been chosen because of their personal relationship to God and Christ. Christ will reign for 1000 years before God gives us a new heaven and a new earth to live on forever and ever. We are also promised a hundred times as much. What is more important to you: the here and now or the future with God and Christ? There offer is greater than what Satan offers.

Isaiah 11:6 – 9 – “The wolf will live with the lamb. The leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the young lion and the young fat animal will lie down together. And a little boy will lead them. The cow and the bear will eat side by side. And their young will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra. And another child will put his hand in the hole of a snake whose bite is poison. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain. For the earth will be as full of much learning from the Lord as the seas are full of water.”

We will live on a completely different earth. There will be complete peace and love for each other. We will follow the rules that God provided for Adam and Eve, Moses and the Israelites. We will be in a new Garden of Eden given a second chance with Christ in our midst. Instead of living by faith we will know and see the actual. All questions will be answered.

Revelation 11:15 – “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 20:4b – “They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

Micah 4:3 – 4 – “The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise!”

I don’t know about you, but it seems eternity has much more to offer than the here and now. I am willing to live, in accordance to Scripture and develop a personal relationship with Christ, believing what God says will happen in the future. For more than 50 years, living for Christ has been a real plus. The world hasn’t offered anything better.

A recent commencement address to the University of Texas by Admiral William McRaven, Commander of Special Operations, a Navy Seal, inspired me that hope can change lives and those lives can change the world. The Admiral talked about having the graduating seniors change the world for the better.

He starts telling of going through Navy Seal training and the importance of making one’s bed each and every morning. He described how important it was when in a boat everyone had to paddle together. Your physical stature was not as important as the size of your heart. To be successful you must be willing to get over pain and failure and keep on going. To become a Seal they must be willing to take on problems head on and confront them. You must learn to be calm and be your best during the darkest moments. He tells of a time when they were up to their necks in mud and had to stay that way for 18 hours. After ten hours when it would have been easy to give up, one person started singing and then everyone joined in. It was the signing together that gave them the hope to stick it out. Finally, he said that to change the world it would take a willingness to take extreme risks, work outside the box and develop the ability to never give up. Their Seal class started with 150 members and ended up with 42. My four years in the Navy I would have been one of those to quit. I have a problem with heights.

This was a story of what seal training was like. It reminded me of Biblical stories. Faith and hope in God and Christ being the Messiah can change anyone’s life. Our greatest hope, the one that can change everything, can come from God and Scripture having faith and trusting what they say and teach is truthful.

According to Webster HOPE means “The feeling that what is wanted can be had”. The Bible gives a definition: Hebrews 11:1 – ‘Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.’ NLT

We are living in a changing world but it has not been changing for the better. Years ago Americans’ rights came from God. Today our rights come from BIG GOVERNMENT. Slowly God is being replaced. As I read the Old Testament, America is on the same path as Israel was in Bible times. We are rejecting God and His ways just as Israel did. Look what kind of an America we are leaving for our grandchildren.

Daily I thank God that I was born in America. What other nation, over the years, has had the hope and the American dream we have been blessed with? We need to be more dedicated and persistent in our personal spreading the message of Jesus Christ that all men were created equally with God given rights. My greatest hope is to get America back to being a Christian nation. Think what we could do.

Christ took twelve men and spent three years with them and gave them a commission to spread what he taught them to the world. Those twelve, according to Center for the Study of Global Christianity, estimate by 2020 there will be 2.6 billion Christians. This is an example of how “FAITH” and “HOPE” can change the world.

My greatest example of living a positive life, with faith and hope, is the life of the Apostle Paul. Paul was beaten, stoned and left for dead, jailed without cause and yet lived with peace, joy and love. What made him so strong was his eternal hope? II Corinthians 12:2 – 4 – “I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.” NLT

I would image that if any of us had the experience of going to heaven and seeing what Paul saw would give us the same hope that we could handle any situation no matter how tragic. Doesn’t this example tell us the closer we get to God, the more thoroughly we will understand Scripture, the greater our FAITH will be and the more HOPE we will have? This is why Philippians 4:19 is so vital that every Christian should have it memorized. And this same God who takes care of a Christian will supply all their needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

We must remember that faith is not a desire that something may take place in the future. True faith is an absolute certainty, often of things that the world considers unreal and impossible. Man’s natural response is to trust his physical senses and put his faith in things he can see, hear, taste and feel. As Christians we must trust in something we may not be able to experience with our senses. Our faith must be such that we are willing to put up with life’s struggles or pain knowing that we shall receive our reward in the future. Earth is God’s laboratory where we all are preparing for the future. What happens in the “now” determines where we will be in eternity.

All through the New Testament one word stands out and that is HOPE. I wonder how many realize how great of a motivator that can be. I normally do not watch Reality TV shows. I have read material and heard reports on TV. I believe people will do about anything for money, power or fame. Ask professional athletes how hard they train in order to become their very best. Many have goals to be the best, earn millions of dollars and enter the “Hall of Fame”. One thing you will find common in each one of these individuals is their hope and confidence that they can be a winner. Without faith and hope they would not spend the many hours each day training to perfect their abilities.

People worldwide are going through some very trying economical times. The greatest problem that has become apparent is a lack of confidence and hope in governments most everywhere. Government over the past number of years has unconsciously substituted themselves for God. Scripture says God will meet our need and governments say: “No, they will meet everyone’s need”. What governments have promised in the past can no longer be fulfilled. What God promises can be fulfilled? Americans who used to depend on God were deceived into believing the government could do what God had promised. Therefore, their dependence on God, they thought, was no longer necessary and the Bible, morality and respect became unimportant. That’s when the morality of the American people slowly degenerated. America today can be described by the nations in the Old Testament that rejected God and His Commandments and were severely punished. They all had a false hope in the future and government leaders let them down!

How you live makes a difference.
I was recently reminded of my almost one year working for W. Clement Stone’s Combined Insurance Co. selling disability insurance. Mr. Stone believed that you can accomplish anything you wish that is not contradictory to the laws of God and man, providing you are willing to pay the price. I spent two weeks of indoctrination listening to all things were possible in preparation for beginning as an insurance agent.

Fortunately, I did well but it was not a good fit. It was all cold calling and that is not my thing. That’s when I went on the management training program for Montgomery Ward. But the experience with Combine Insurance and studying the Bible taught me to be willing to pay the price in other jobs. The Bible emphasized that I worked for God in every job, regardless who was or wasn’t watching.

Some of the things I learned were to establish goals, being meticulous about small things, accept blame when a mistake is made and never blame others, encourage everyone and never give up. God put me on earth at this specific time in history for a purpose. It was not to be a parasite on society but to make a difference in those surrounding me by being an example for Him. I could become a taker or be a giver. If you have the capability, it’s best to chose being a giver! God will be more pleased and my chance for success even greater.

I previously wrote the following: Are we enjoying life like Christ intended? As Christians shouldn’t we be living an extra-ordinary life style? God created an ugly old worm, called a caterpillar that crawls along the ground with all kinds of obstacles blocking its way.

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

Each of us is made differently. Some were created with certain abilities, some handicapped and most of us average. God didn’t say let’s create another human today and watch them fail. He had the knowledge and ability to put the universe together; and He knew everyone of us prior to our birth. Then can’t He give each one of us a plan and purpose for our lives with the abilities to be successful in whatever we do? However, Satan is not pleased when Christians do things out of the ordinary. Have you been told you will not amount to much? That doesn’t come from God.

I found the American dream was available to those who realized that it won’t be given to them; it had to be earned. I received a degree in business management. I read many books on the power of positive thinking. I studied management principles and went to numerous seminars to improve my skills. The one book that has helped me the most is studying the Bible. One thing I learned was preparation. It was one key to success. I also learned the importance of trusting in God’s promises. I became aware that the Holy Spirit was given to us that we might have comfort, guidance and to help us with our purpose in life. The Bible taught me to become free from the ways of society and our worldly, self-centered nature and become more Christ-centered and minded.

How many people are willing to prepare for success? It seems there are many that want to dumb-down Americans, give them entitlements and convince them the government will meet their needs. You may not need an education but you must become knowledgeable with a good attitude.

As God is watching and the Holy Spirit guiding, why not begin believing and practicing what it takes to be a success in whatever task you have chosen? Work hard, set obtainable goals and adequately prepare. Then see where the Holy Spirit leads you. Never allow the devil or others to discourage you as they are likely to do. God’s promise that we can become successful and prosperous by complying with His teachings is available to all believers.

Every one of us has a worldly nature and a spiritual nature. The two natures are in conflict with each other because the worldly nature is self-serving and the spiritual nature is God-serving. Therefore, the condition of our spiritual heart determines the kinds of decisions we make. Business decisions, job decisions, family decisions and personal decisions are all affected by our true nature or heart.

Countless Scriptures make the point that spiritual health is a direct outgrowth of our spiritual natures winning the conflict taking place within us. Galatians 5:17 – “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Put God first and focus on Christ. Get your mind off how bad things are and think of how much better the future will be. Be continually reminded that the Holy Spirit is with us to guide us through each experience. God will not allow us to have more than we can handle unless you are disobedient to His ways.

Not everyone trusts God enough to be saved. Intellectually you have the faith to believe that Christ is the Son of God. You accept Christ as your Savior and are baptized. However, you may not have a personal relationship with Christ and you may not have received the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, you have not had a “saving faith”. If you repented and changed your life completely, it would be done only with the help of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise Satan, the great deceiver, will have you believe you’re okay and have been saved.

Some will tell you that the only way you will know you have the Holy Spirit is if you speak in tongues. Matthew, Mark, John, Peter and others never taught that. I Corinthians 14:9b – “Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.”

In Acts Jews from many nations, speaking and understanding in different languages came to Jerusalem to celebrate holy days. When the Apostles preached the gospel as explained in Acts, they spoke in a language that others could understand. They did not talk in gibberish that no one knew what they were saying. As a result, 1,000’s of Jews were converted to Christianity. God is not the author of confusion. Speaking in tongues that no one understands is NOT a sign that you have the Holy Spirit. I do believe the gift of languages still exists today.

The Bible is very clear that Christians are given gifts but not everyone has the same gift. The gift of tongues was given to a Christian who could talk in a language people could understand in order to spread the gospel to every nation on earth. Acts 10:44 – “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.” When Peter went to the house of Cornelius they understood Latin. Peter taught in Arabic.

The Apostles who spent three years with Christ had little faith. They saw Christ perform all kinds of miracles, yet they did not have the faith to trust Him in all things. It wasn’t until the resurrection and Pentecost, when they received the Holy Spirit that a big change in their faith took place.

James 2:18 – 19 – “But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”

Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Jesus is saying that if we have a hunger and a thirst for righteousness we will have a repentant heart and are filled with a righteousness that only the Holy Spirit can provide. Christ is not necessarily saying we are to begin working harder on living a more pure life. I believe He is requesting that we become more obedient to God’s Word and more submissive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Let’s assume we have been living a Christian life for a period of time and we have become content with where we are spiritually. Is it possible to lose our passion to become more spiritual? Can we lose our desire to hunger and thirst to be more holy? It is very likely if we accepted Christ intellectually and not with a repentant heart or a saving faith. Without the Holy Spirit there usually is little change in one’s behavior and beliefs. Maybe for only a short time, then one reverts back to your old ways.

What is it that God wants from each one of us as Christians? He is looking for a body of believers that will live with Him through eternity. What is the number one requirement to enter that final destiny? The answer is to love through our personal relationship with Christ. He wants our unconditional love toward Him and the same love to others. Can you visualize living in an eternity where everyone had that kind of love for God and for others? How do we obtain that kind of love? It will only come through the Holy Spirit’s help.

The Bible repeatedly says God is not interested in our works but He cares about what is in our hearts. Is His love really in our hearts? If so we have learned there can be no hate or a lack of forgiveness. What God requires can only be obtained by allowing the Holy Spirit to change who we are. We must let the Holy Spirit become very active in our daily lives. If we are not seeing supernatural occurrences from time to time we probably have not accepted the Holy Spirit. Shouldn’t we expect the Holy Spirit to be manifest in most everything we do? He will if we pray and ask for His help. He will not force Himself onto us.

• Hebrews 4:5 – The Holy Spirit was given to testify that Christ came to give us a New Covenant and told us God would put His laws in our hearts and write them on our minds and our sins and lawless acts would be remembered no more.
• Luke 11:13 – God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
• Hebrews 2:4 – The Holy Spirit will give us signs, wonders, various miracles and gifts. If we have seriously surrendered our lives to Christ the Holy Spirit will make us aware that He is with us.
• II Timothy 1:13 & 14 – The Holy Spirit will help you live a holy life by giving you faith and love in Christ Jesus.
• Luke 12:12 – The Holy Spirit will tell us what to say.
• Acts 1:8 – We shall receive power from the Holy Spirit.
• John 14:26 – The counselor, the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and will remind us of what Jesus taught.
• Acts 13:12 – The Holy Spirit will speak to our spirit and give us directions and where to go.
• Acts 20:23 – The Holy Spirit will warn us of potential problems.
• Galatians 5:23 – 24 – The Holy Spirit will give us joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:7 – 8 – Those who will not live a holy life rejects God and the Holy Spirit will not be given to him.
• Ephesians 1:13 – The Holy Spirit will mark you with a seal to guarantee your redemption and salvation.

God knows who will live a holy life. He knows who will be serious and who will not. He knows who will fall away and who will develop a personal relationship with Christ and live in accordance to His will and His Commandments. You must have the Holy Spirit, for He is the only guarantee of your redemption and your salvation.

God through his prophet Ezekiel states that He will destroy Russia and the armies of other nations. Magog, most believe, refers to Russia and states there will be a time when Russia and a number of countries will storm toward Israel. It is believed those nations will be Islamic nations who have a tremendous dislike for the Jewish people.

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 coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD.”

There are many reasons offered as to why Russia will be drawn to attack Israel. We know why Islamic nations are ready to attack. It is because of their hatred of Israel and their belief that they should not exist and must be annihilated. My belief for Russia is because of their financial situation. Approximately 70% of their countries’ income is from the exporting of natural gas, oil and related products.

Israel has located a large amount of natural gas off the coast of Israel know as the Levant Basin reserve. If Israel were to begin exporting gas to those dependent upon Russian gas, they could financially hurt Russia badly. If Russia defeated Israel, they could continue to export their natural resources plus gaining the natural gas and oil that Israel has located. They could continue their price gouging of the central and middle European nations. This is why Europe wishes to import natural gas and oil from anyone but Russia.

Up to now, world leaders were calling Russia just a normal nation. Was President Reagan correct in calling them the “Evil Empire”? Without energy resources Putin could do nothing. Many in the U.S. believe oil, coal and natural gas has been a corrupting influence on the world and our society in particular. Thus, global warming, climate change or any unusual weather pattern is hyped to eliminate these corrupting influences on the world. Stop using these resources and there would be no money available for wars and terrorism. It may leave everyone as a third-world nation and in poverty, but at least there could be world peace according to some on the left.

The seriousness of current conditions indicate that the U.S. and NATO allies are preparing to hold military drills in Ukraine this summer, 2014. There is a chance that some NATO forces could remain in the country afterward. The West wants to send a message to Russia. They are committed to defending democratic nations in Eastern Europe. The U.S. is locating strategic weapons in case they are needed.

Ezekiel 38:16 – “You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.”

If you do not want to be surprised, concerning the war to come, read Ezekiel chapters 36 through 39. God is giving everyone a warning. This is what will occur: Ezekiel 38:21 – 22 – “I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.”

This is what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah or it could be Israel using its nuclear weapons. Ezekiel indicates this will be a tremendous military disaster. Scripture says the loss of human life will be so great that it will take Israel seven months to bury the dead. The armies will leave enough fuel behind to provide fuel for some cities for up to seven years.

Ezekiel 39:6 – 8 – “I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the Lord. I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day I have spoken of.”

This indicates that Russia, the nation, could be attacked by God. In addition, other nations living in the coast-lands could also be attacked.

As we come closer to the end times, through the defeat of Russia and those nations with them, we will know that it was God who defeated them. Once people of the world realize there is a God and see the punishment these nations received, they may possibly believe there is a hell. Can you imagine the number of people who will be ready to accept Christ as the Son of God and become converted Christians?

No one knows when this will happen. With Russia seemingly being able to take Ukraine’s Crimea so easily, it may give Putin confidence to begin the war that Ezekiel prophesy’s will happen. The U.S. and NATO’s military exercises in Ukraine may not send any message other than they are not prepared to militarily attack Russia.

This war could occur within a matter of time. We know that Israel will be attacked. We know the outcome. Israel will be protected by God. The wise will be able to recognize that God was Israel’s Savior. God’s reputation will be protected.

In Old Testament times, Israel used Egypt to protect them from their enemies. God did not like that because He was their protector. American has protected Israel for the past 65 years. No longer will God allow the U.S. to protect Israel because He alone will. Therefore, the United States is not referred to in Revelations as a defender.

Wouldn’t you think that Russia would realize what will happen if they attack Israel? It is very possible that they do not believe they are either Gog or Magog and Meshek and Tubal are not Russian cities. Otherwise, why would they do it? Because God will pull or drag the nation from the north which Russia is north of Israel. The other nations north do not appear to be capable of attacking without Russian help.

Churches, are you getting ready for overflow crowds?