Some people hear in their hearts that God or Jesus is talking to them.  I have written about missionaries who almost daily are instructed to do certain things.  In fact, they keep journals as follows: (I’d asked Jesus who I was meant to talk to and Jesus pointed him out. I went and sat next to him. At first he was cussing at me, and then I just sat there and asked him about his life. He said, “Why do you care? Why are you even sitting next to me?” I said, “Because I know that Jesus loves you so much.” He started crying and said that his mom had passed away a month before and that he had nothing left to live for and that he was going to commit suicide. He said, “Before I ended my note to my relatives I said, ‘Look, God, if you’re real, send me someone to tell me that You love me’.”  I said, “I don’t have the answers. I don’t know what will touch someone’s heart and what will give someone the hope and strength to go on, but I know that Jesus does and I know that His love can turn around and touch any heart.”)

Dr. Charles Stanley often talks about God talking to him.  However, I question if the average Christian who talks to God or Christ through prayer ever hear an audible answer.  We all see prayers answered but not always aloud.  I feel inspired by the Holy Spirit and believe God is talking to me through His Word when I read the Bible or write a Christian blog.  But I have never had an inner voice say go talk to that person nor do a certain thing.  It may be I do not have the courage to do what is asked, unless it is simple.

I am sure that many Christians have learned that God speaks through the Bible, through situations, from other Christians, in nature, by seeing pictures, hearing sermons and songs.  But I want you to know that you can hear God speaking directly to you in certain situations according to the many testimonies I have heard.

You must first ask yourself: “Why would you want God to speak to you”?  What is your motive?  God is not a “Genie” or Santa Claus.  God doesn’t talk to just anyone audibly.  Normally, it is a person that has an extraordinary personal relationship with Jesus.  In fact, it may be Jesus that would be the one you would hear.  I have heard a number of stories when Jesus would tell someone to do something.  I suppose if you are a shy person Christ would not audibly ask a person to do something knowing they were not brave enough to be obedient to His direction.

It is not uncommon for men and women who have been Christians for some years to find themselves frozen in place and without courage.  They have made a solid beginning…and stopped!  They are not running, walking or even crawling.  They are the embodiment of the Christians Paul criticized in his letter to the Corinthians.  I Corinthians 3:1 – “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.”  Courage is the opposite of fear.  It is doing something unusual that one does, regardless of the consequences and it takes a certain amount of courage to act.  The apostles had the courage to die a martyr’s death because of their belief in Christ.

The Bible gives us many examples of men who had tremendous courage.  It took Noah around 100 years to build the ark.  The Bible says: “God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.”  Can you imagine how many people rejected Noah and his sons?  Never having seen rain previously, living in a desert area, what were the chances of a 400 foot ark sailing?  It took great faith and courage to build for that long.  King David had the courage to confront Goliath.  He led armies into battle.  He was a true warrior.  He pleased God!  Almost every Bible story describes a follower of God who had a tremendous amount of courage.

God, through the Holy Spirit, will speak to you daily through our thoughts.  I suppose one thing that has helped me is I have witnessed so many times to supernatural events.  Involved in church leadership and helping build different church structures, it is easy to see impossible things become possible and know that it could only happen with God’s intervention.  From these experiences it has increased my faith and I am sure, has given me a little more courage.  Maybe someday, God or Jesus will talk to us and have us do something we never thought we could do.  We may not be asked unless we have the faith and courage to obey.

Two years ago I wrote a blog that congress had submitted into the ObamaCare bill that a radio chip would be implanted into people covered by public health care. This was omitted from the final bill. However, I want to make you aware of what may be required shortly.

First, let’s review how congress had planned to use the chip: “Approved by the FDA, a class II implantable device is an ‘implantable radiofrequency transponder system for patient identification and health information.’ The purpose of a class II device is to collect data in medical patients such as claims data, patient survey data, standardized analytic files that allow for the pooling and analysis of data from disparate data environments, electronic health records, and any other data deemed appropriate by the Secretary.”

“This sort of device would be implanted in the majority of people who opt to become covered by the public health care option. With the reform of the private insurance companies, who charge outrageous rates, many people will switch their coverage to a more affordable insurance plan. This means the number of people who choose the public option will increase. This also means the number of people chipped will be plentiful as well. The adults who choose to have a chip implanted are the lucky (yes, lucky) ones in this case. Children who are ‘born in the United States who at the time of birth is not otherwise covered under acceptable coverage’ will be qualified and placed into the CHIP or Children’s Health Insurance Program (what a convenient name). With a name like CHIP it would seem consistent to have the chip implanted into a child. Children conceived by parents who are already covered under the public option will more than likely be implanted with a chip by the consent of the parent. Eventually everyone will be implanted with a chip. And with the price and coverage of the public option being so competitive with the private companies, the private company may not survive.”

Many who have had any Bible background would probably have thought, this could be the mark of the beast referred to in Scripture. What Christian would have accepted, just in case it was referred to as the mark forbidden by God? Giving up health care for the mark of the beast would not be enough motivation for most.

Recent news media states that 110 million consumers had their debit or credit card information hacked by shopping at Target from November 27 to December 15. In addition, millions in Europe, particularly Germany have also had their credit information hacked. Two Mexicans were arrested on the Mexican border having 90 fraudulent credit and debit cards. It could be just a matter of time until millions more cards are hacked worldwide.

To stop Internet hacking could easily be done by requiring every person to have a chip implanted on their right hand or onto their forehead. A wand would be used at a cash register, a device on a cell phone or a wand attached to a computer could be used to verify that the card you are presenting belongs to you. This could put a stop to hacking for card identification and information. This would also mean that you could no longer buy or sell without having the chip implanted.  A chip will be placed on all credit & debit cards in the meantime, but could prove unable to stop all hacking completely. 

Many Americans are uninformed. If the government commanded that the chip was necessary to protect every citizen from being ripped off, wouldn’t many readily agree and have it implanted? With the chip no one could steal your identification. It would eliminate almost all fraud. The Internet could be protected and no one could drain your bank account or charge to your account. No one could write on Facebook claiming to be you.

Assume my net worth is two million dollars. Without the chip I could not touch it. That raises the motivation to accept the chip. Would I be willing to let those assets go to the government or would my greed cause me to take the chip so I could buy and sell?

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

Revelation 14:9 – 11 – “A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” James 1:16 – “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.”

How important are the things I have worked a life-time to accumulate? Even spiritual Christians may accept the mark. Everything I own belongs to God. What I have has been loaned to me. Nothing is more important than living in eternity with God and Christ. We must prepare to refuse the chip. What will you be willing to give up? The Bible is very clear; there is no forgiveness for taking the “Mark of the Beast”. This is why we must be separated from the world and the world’s ways.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!’”  (Matthew 7:21 – 23)

For centuries all over the world the treatment for sickness was bloodletting.  Doctors and barbers would draw blood believing it would heal you.  December 13, 1799 George Washington had a sore throat.  Three different times, in one day, the doctor withdrew two pints of blood each time.  The result, he died.  How could doctors be so wrong for so long a time?

The above Scripture, for hundreds of years, is also misunderstood by many Christians.  Christ was not addressing Christians when he says: “I never knew you”.  He was talking to those who worship a different Jesus.  Most religions have a different Jesus and they have supernatural powers.  But they are of the devil or evil doers.

There are religious denominations who interpret Christ saying: you must do the will of my Father as meaning you must work your way to heaven.  Do you know of denominations that require certain things, such as they are required to knock on in order to get to heaven instead of grace?

Who is Jesus talking about when he says they must do the Will of My Father in heaven?  He answers it in John 6:40 – “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”  I John 3:21 – 23 – “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask; because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.  And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”   When Christ returns the second time, those who believe in Him as the Son of God and their Savior will overcome physical death and will live eternally with God and Christ.

Scripture tells us the following in I John 3:8 – 9  “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.  No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

John is talking about people who make a practice of sinning.  We cannot become indifferent to God’s moral laws.  I John 3:6 – No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”

John 1:6 – 7 – “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”  God’s will is that a Christian practices righteousness.  Non-believers practice sin and lawlessness.

We have tremendous advantages as Christians when we do the will of our Lord.  There is also God’s will based on holiness.  Scripture that I use occasionally is 1 John 2:15 – 17 – “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

Worldliness begins in the heart.  God’s will is that we have self-control with a spirit of being generous and also committed to being humble.  “The man who does the will of God lives forever.”  That means living with God in eternity.  Every day we are to live with our eyes on Christ living to please God and not allowing the world to be our first priority.

According to Scripture those who do God’s will are special. If we are special then we can accept God’s promises as they are meant for us.  Remember the parable of the talents?  God took the money from the bad and lazy servant and gave it to the good and faithful steward.  There are many promises that give a number of advantages to Christians who do the will of God.  Keep in mind those doing His will, will always have advantages.  Live looking for what special things God has in mind for each one of us and continue to count the many blessings with which God will shower us.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  (I John 5:14)  “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (Mark 11:24) “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  (Psalms 37:4) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7 & 8)    

I learned a long time ago that God wants to bless us and meet our needs.  May I suggest if you are a Christian to do the following: write down on paper, things you would like God to do for you.  List them in the order of their priority. Maybe you need a car, a home, a financial need, marriage or a job.  Then throughout the day pray for each thing you listed asking God to help you obtain your desires.   Goals or desires may change.  If they do, omit them from the list and add a new want.  Keep in mind not to ask for anything you know would not be in God’s will.  If you put on your list you want to be a millionaire don’t expect that you will win the lottery in the next week.  That desire might take years to accomplish but it is probable and possible in a way you may never have expected.  May I suggest that your list contains items that are reasonable and you are asking with a humble heart?  Realize that God may ask you to do certain things to obtain your want.  You may be asked to prepare and become involved in working to reach your goal.

Chances are you will be skeptical, have doubts and not have adequate faith to believe that God wants to bless you.  I just wish I knew to do this, years ago.  But would I have had enough faith to believe all things are possible?  When an item on the list happens, don’t think: boy, am I lucky.  Start praising God and thanking Him.

I have had a tendency to believe that I earned everything I have.  The more I study God’s Word I have become aware that God has been involved in most everything my wife and I have.  Wouldn’t it have been more gratifying to realize that it was God blessing us when we paid off our home?

If you think this will not work, may I suggest you study your Bible and see all of what God promises.  One thing I have learned is God will not give us a blessing we cannot handle.  Unless He has a lesson He wants to teach us.  That ends up a real problem!  Some learned this when their home became underwater or they lost their home and maybe their job.

Now for some instructions that go with praying.  God is not a Santa Claus.  He is not going to answer every whim we may have.  However, Christ came that we might have a new life and have an abundant life.

What if your desire is to be financially independent?  Your prayer needs to be God help me to spend and save my money wisely.  God will help by taking away the desire that you need all of the things you think you must have.  Every month you must have money left over to have your prayer of financial independence answered.  That means you may have to treat your credit cards for emergency purposes only.  God will help you do it.

Maybe you are 35 and have never had a marriage proposal.  Are you five foot tall and weigh 350 pounds.  Do you have a personality that is negative and bossy?  Instead of prayer to God to send you a soul mate, pray that God will help you to become attractive to the opposite sex physically and mentally.

Maybe you are married to someone that turns out to be lazy.  Your prayer to God that they become more aggressive and get a good job may not get God to change them.  However, our prayer may need to be: God help me to encourage my mate.  Expect God to help you say what is needed to be said.

What if you are suffering from an illness?  If you are obese and have diabetes should you pray for God to heal you and that’s all?  We should pray for help to do the things that caused the problem.  We need help in restricting our diet and how we treat our bodies.  Do we pray that God will help us to have the discipline to exercise regularly?  There may be others things that the Holy Spirit will encourage you to do.

God will not give us more than we can handle.  However, I believe the Bible is very clear: God’s promise is that He will meet our needs and will give us anything we pray for according to His will.  That is why everyone is not healed. God expects us to do our part.   It is also the reason there are the rich as well as the poor. Have you tried to educate yourself in how to manage money better?  We live in a sinful world and God will be with us through every disaster that occurs in our life.   He will give us the comfort and the courage to battle through each negative encounter.

I was raised in an entirely different America than what I witness today. One hundred years ago, J. C. Penny opened his first store and it was called: “The Golden Rule”. He believed, as many other leaders, that we were to “do unto others as we would have them do unto us”. They believed this Biblical rule should apply to all aspects of life. These were the values that guided many leaders back then.

Today, too many leaders are too self-righteous and are unable to compromise. Defining self-righteousness is: what I believe is right and if you do not agree you are absolutely wrong. For example, many conservatives are 100% against big government and over-spending; also they are anti academia’s liberal teaching, big unions and the liberal news media. There are progressives that are against the wealthy aristocrat and their power and all businesses and Wall Street who they believe continually deceive and cheat the middle-class and poor and those who cause global warming. How else would you describe what is happening in Washington, D.C.? Have you heard recently any one of them talking about the Golden Rule? It is more like: do it to others before they do it to you! That is why we have gridlock and it is almost impossible to reach compromise. It’s our way or the highway! This is what creates the uncertainty for the future. Uncertainty affects corporate executives and the consumer from buying and investing.

We all have heard that a house divided will fail. Is self-righteousness dividing America and are we headed for failure? Will America ever get back to when leaders believed the Golden Rule applied to all aspects of life? Can anyone be trusted and is all Wall Street out to take advantage of all investors? Seeing the laws being enacted one wonders! America was established on Christian/Jewish principles of honesty and helping others succeed. Can’t we get back to that philosophy? Our hope may be in our young people who seem to have a less cynical and conciliatory attitude and may be capable of uniting America once again. Never give up on America; we have had these problems before, especially during President Lincoln’s term.

We often find self-righteous people in churches. The church has adopted many nonessential traditions that have become an albatross to church people. If you try to change, you will find they become essential and they don’t go without a fight. I have often stated that in the 1980s our church was very traditional and the services had followed an almost ritualistic routine for years. When we changed from a traditional to an evangelistic church with a vision to save lost sinners, many were not willing to change the weekend services that would be more appealing to the unchurched. We needed to explore new ways to help unchurched people feel comfortable in our services. We would never reach lost people in any great numbers if we did not create an atmosphere that is friendly to them.

Even after a number of years of trying everything we could to maintain our vision and keep people happy it almost seemed impossible. Many believing Christians, who had always gone to services that were geared to their liking, still were not pleased that the emphasis was on those, who were not even members. No matter how hard we tried, we realized Central would not be for everyone and that we would continue losing some believers. It was difficult to see some very strong, tithing Christians leave the door for another church. But we believed God needed these people to strengthen other churches in our city in order for Las Vegas to be evangelized.

The literal definition of self-righteousness applies politically. Many Christians would not vote for President Kennedy because he was a Catholic. Recently, many would not vote for Romney because he was a Mormon. It is the attitude that if you don’t believe like I do religiously you won’t get my vote. I have read that it was believed that if every Christian, who failed to vote in the 2012 election, voted for Romney, he would have won.

God was not pleased with the attitude of the Israelite people. They continually griped and were constantly disobedient. In the eleventh chapter of Numbers, because of their negative attitudes, God said that generation will die before the people could enter the promise land. What is your attitude like?

In studying the seventh chapter of Ezekiel: 1 – 4 – “The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel: The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land! The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will surely repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” Because of the Israelites lousy attitude  and their detestable practices, God was going to punish them severely. 

Do you have a problem trusting God, accepting His promises or do you hear an inner voice predicting only bad things are going to happen? Do we concentrate on what Scripture tells us or do we listen to what Satan is saying, who wants to defeat us?

Life is full of hindrances. Many of our problems may result from the temperament we were born with. A perfectionist may not try something unless they can do it perfectly. Often they find it difficult to make decisions because they never want to be wrong. Other temperaments have weaknesses as well as strengths.

How important is our attitude? Our attitude can be our most important role in determining our future. How do we respond to any given situation, particularly a serious problem? We have many attitudes toward many things. We can have a favorable attitude toward blue and a negative attitude toward gray. We also have an attitude or philosophy toward life. You may dwell on the unpleasant things or see things through rose colored glasses. The world is not perfect and life presents many obstacles. You may be faced with a divorce, loss of job, a financial disaster, educational issues or health problems. Different people may handle each in various ways. As bad as the situation may be, worry will drain one’s energy and possibly cause unhealthy conditions.

We must understand our attitudes can affect God blessing us. Have you ever considered God will either bless us or withhold His blessings based on our attitude and how we might handle His blessing? God wants each of us to become more Christ-like. He also knows how we will handle His blessings. God will continually bless us if we are maturing spiritually. God wants us to improve and He wants what is best for us. However, if we cannot handle a blessing He will not give it.

The more we study the Bible, the greater we become more spiritual and Christ-like and the greater will be our motivation; we will become more energized, enthused and it usually raise our productivity. We have a greater commitment to following the teachings of Christ. We become more trusting and obedient to the commandments of God. As our attitudes change and become more positive, we learn to love rather than hate, to forgive rather than be unforgiving. As our spiritual condition gradually changes our perspectives on life should change. We can overcome the hindrances of being critical, jealous, greedy, prideful, unbelieving, and lustful.

Negative attitudes have a tendency to produce stress. Our attitude determines what we see in life. What we think is who we are and what we become. What are two very important points found in the Bible? It is having a life filled with peace and joy. Joy and peace produce healthy bodies. Lack of joy and peace can produce unhealthy bodies. Having participated in sports and as a coach I found those with normal positive attitudes healed quicker than those who were more negative. I don’t think most realize the importance of having a positive, Christ-like attitude when it comes to health issues. Christ-like attitudes do not guarantee healthy lives but it improves the possibilities.

Scripture repeatedly emphasizes that God wants us to have our needs met. In fact, He talks about true believers being prosperous and having abundance. If you don’t expect it, chances are you will not pursue it. You can’t be positive all of the time. That would be disillusional. However, Christians are told they can do all things through Christ who gives them strength. Whatever Scripture says you can do, believe it and don’t be a doubter.

Remember, attitudes are not something you learn, they are acquired. Who are you and how do you see yourself? Do you feel unworthy of being successful or prosperous as too many do? Have you been told you will never amount to anything? Do you accept everything you hear?

Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

A person with a positive attitude has a tendency to be a giver. A person with a negative attitude often is a taker. How can you be a Christian and not be positive and a giver? Can you be Christ-like and be negative most of the time? Only if you imagine Christ being negative and there is no indication of that.

Do negative thoughts come as a result of a lack of trust in God? Maybe you do not understand God’s unconditional love for you. Do you see yourself as a child of God?

Proverbs 11:25 – “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” NLT

Proverbs 13:21 – “Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things.” NIV

Proverbs 28:25 – “The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.” NIV

God has a purpose for our lives and who can stop God other than ourselves?  That doesn’t mean others won’t try but ultimately it is our choice.  Can anyone stop God from blessing us?

A few months back I wrote “Our Purpose In Life”.  It was about our God-given spiritual purpose for which we were created.  Today, I want to point out that we can have secular purposes and if we become passionate enough, it can change the direction of our lives forever.   These purposes can change many times throughout our life-time provided that we follow the Holy Spirit’s directions.  I believe God is continually preparing us for a greater purpose and enhanced challenges.  Are we willing to accept what He has planned for us?   Or, does our purpose and life plan take precedence over God’s?

Previously, I emphasized the importance of praying that God would make us aware of the purposes we were created to accomplish.  Too many Christians apparently are unaware that God has a plan and purpose for them.  They seem to lack a passion for what it is they are doing.  Or, they have a passion but have not developed enough trust in God to follow the Holy Spirit’s direction.  Negative fear is the Devil’s greatest weapon.  How often have you wanted to do something but were afraid to try?

If I had known fifty years ago what I know today, my life could have been different.  Many times wisdom and knowledge come from experience and aging.  This month I will have written my 500^th blog.  It all started in March 2009.  My material comes from listening to seven sermons on TV each weekend and my pastor makes the eighth.  Thirty years ago I could not have written a paragraph that was meaningful. But I believe one of God’s purposes was for me to write a Christian blog.

May I share how it all started?  Having spent 30 years in management as a coach, production foreman for Bird’s Eye and a store manager for Montgomery Ward I felt led to pass on some of what was learned to young Christians in a book.  Las Vegas was my ninth store and the previous five years, it had never made a profit.  When I left Wards thirteen years later to start my own business, it was one of the largest and most profitable stores in the nine western states.

I had been on our church board with a friend, the late Dick Shine, who I asked if he would be interested in helping me write a book on Christian leadership.  He and his wife Carole owned a Christian book store and he was involved in reviewing books for publishers.  About every other week I would give him some notes and he would write a chapter that made sense.  After a few months the book was finished and we tried to get someone to publish it.  Every publisher rejected it.

In my new business of being an investment advisor, each month I sent out a recap of how our investments were doing.  With it I would send a half-page letter telling what I thought was happening in the stock market.  Over the years the letter became two pages every month for years.

A few years ago I felt led to redo our book on Christian leadership.  I asked a friend in our weekly Bible study group, an ex-NBA basketball player if he would help me promote the book.  One chapter was about his experience in preparing to become a professional player.  It fit very well in what Christians need to do to prepare for a leadership role.

The book was sent to a publisher who accepted.  One condition was that I would regularly write a Christian blog.  I was set up with Word Press and had my first blogs edited by the publisher before posting.

As I wrote it showed that my blogs were being read in over 100 foreign countries.  Two years ago I wrote a blog on ObamaCare and have had 5,362 people read this as of today.  The thing that amazes me most is how horrible my writing was in high school and college.  For some reason, God’s purpose was that for years I was learning how to write with my monthly business letters and my desire to share what I had learned from attending many workshops on developing leadership abilities.

For years, I have read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation that gave me background material that assisted in writing a Christian blog.  I have taught the Book of Revelation a number of times and I often write about the end times.

Were it not for the feedback that I have received from Word Press and the comments from readers I would never have believed that God’s plan was that I write anything, particularly a Christian blog.  We never know what God has planned for us and we need to continually pray that He will make us aware of what we were created to do.

If you study the Bible you will discover that we are living in the later days. For 2,000 years Christians have believed they were living in the end-times. What has prophecy told us to look for; is it now?

The NIV study Bible tells us in Daniel 2 – “Daniel saw evil rulers with almost limitless power, but Daniel knew and proclaimed that God ‘sets up kings and deposes them,’ that he controls everything that happens. God governs the world according to his purposes. You may be dismayed when you see evil people prosper, but God is in control. Let this knowledge give you confidence and peace no matter what happens.”

Recent news is: Ukraine accepts Russia over the EU. Russia needs the Ukraine to become attached if Vladimir Putin is to build Russia into the next world’s super power. Is Putin the chief prince of Russia that is referred to in Ezekiel chapter 39?

I read where Iran and Russia, bitter enemies for centuries, have become allies for the first time in history. It has made me concerned. If you study Ezekiel chapters 36 through 39 it sounds like a war against Israel could breakout anytime. Should that happen no one will come to Israel’s rescue, (Does that surprise you?) and Scripture says that God will destroy the armies from the north. Everyone will know that it was a “God Thing”.

If you follow current events you may be aware that Moscow has aggressively pursued political, economic and military ties to Iran in defiance of U.S. and European protests. Russia has authorized the sale of nuclear technology to Iran. They are training nuclear scientists and are providing them with the latest in armament.

Scripture tells us that (Magog) Russia and (Persia) Iran and others will be led to invade Israel. Ezekiel 38:4 – “I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.” Ezekiel goes on in 38:9 – “You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.”

Russia has hugely increased their defense budget, including new aircraft, rockets and the size of their army. The Iranian religious leaders believe it is their duty to prepare the way for the Islamic messiah by destroying the Jews and Christians. Thus, they have vowed to annihilate the U. S. and Israel and are preparing their military and nuclear weapons to accomplish that. As we continue in Ezekiel 39:2 & 4 – “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. 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.” How close are we getting to the time when Ezekiel’s vision will come to pass?

Ezekiel 38:18 – 22 – “This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. 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 upon 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.”

Ezekiel raises many questions: Will Russia supernaturally be destroyed? The Bible says the devastation will be like something we have never seen before. It is believed that we will see a resurgence of religions worldwide. We assume this will give the world one last chance for salvation before the War of Armageddon.

When this war occurs, as we believe it will, it could start a spiritual crisis for Muslims around the world. When they see God protecting Israel their faith will be shaken. Think of the response churches will encounter. Acts 2:17 & 18 – “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”

In Revelation 9:15 & 16 – Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops.” (NLT) Many believe this will be led by China, a new super-power that will follow the direction of four demons.

Revelation 13:1 & 2 – The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.”

Many believe this to be the Old Roman Empire led by Germany and a one-world government led by the anti-Christ. We have shared before that the end will not come until Israel and the Palestinians reach a peace agreement and the Jews are able to build their Temple next to the Muslim’s Golden Dome. The anti-Christ must stand in the Temple at the end.

Daniel 2:44- “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” This is when Christ returns to set up His kingdom and rules forever. The last super-power!

Do you wonder why we have the government we now have? According to Daniel, he knew and proclaimed that God ‘sets up kings and deposes them,’ that he controls everything that happens. God governs the world according to his purposes.

We are living in a time when the world is not pleasing God and it is time for His wrath to put an end to sinful living. But look at what we have ahead if we are living according to God’s ways and have accepted Christ as our Savior. It will be the most fantastic experience one could ever imagine. The Bible is full of hope for Christians! I want to live under Christ’s reign. How about you? Can you love God with all of you strength, body and soul and others as yourself? LOVE CAN!

Louise and John have been married for nine years. They have a daughter Kathy who is seven. They both have careers and doing well financially.

Each came from Christian families and attends church on regular bases. John is addicted to sports and plays golf most Saturdays with his friends. Like many guys he is somewhat self-centered and the marriage centers on him.

Louise works with Jim who has invited her out to lunch a couple of times to talk about business. They spend some time at work discussing work problems and occasionally personal problems. Jim seems to give her more attention than her husband. After a period of time Jim tells Louise he would like to show her his garden and give her some vegetables to take home. This seems rather innocent. She stops by and things get out of hand. She begins to occasionally stop by and rationalizes that she is getting more attention from Jim than she is getting at home. Jim’s friend at works asks what is going on between Louise and him. In confidence, Jim confesses that they are having an affair. Shortly, the gossip at work is about Louise and Jim’s affair. A friend of Louise’s husband John lets him in on the secret relationship. Draw your own conclusion as to how the story ends. Many times temptations start out very innocently and develop beyond one’s control.

Do you think Louise would have ever allowed what developed if she knew what the consequence would be? There is no adult that is never tempted. I Corinthians 10:13 & 14 – “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

There is a difference between trials and temptation. God allows trials to build up our faith, trust or preparing us for something great later on. Temptations come from our bodies that are lustful, the devil or worldly ways. Temptation is not a sin. Yielding to it is. Many know that our spirit and soul may have been saved but we are living in an unsaved (so to speak) carnal body. It is a body that houses the spirit and soul but can be self-centered, lustful and full of pride. The Bible calls it man’s carnal nature. Scripture tells us we can walk in the flesh or walk in the spirit. If we walk in the flesh we may be easily tempted. If we walk in the spirit our chances of yielding to temptation lessens significantly.

Galatians 5:16 – “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

What are things that cause Christians to be tempted? It could be wanting a better home, cars, jewelry, finances, fashions, alcohol, drugs or anything that might separate us from God. Temptation starts with thinking about something that sounds exciting. We may fantasize or start imagining what it would be like if we had it. The more we ponder the greater is the desire. I then must choose. If I buy that more expensive car I will have to cut back on my tithing. I am going ahead. God will forgive me.

Philippians 2:3 & 4 – “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:”

Sin is when I yield and never took time to figure out what the consequence might be if I make this decision. However, if I allow my attitude to become more Christ-like, normally I will make the right decision. We can walk in the spirit. I have been privileged to see many times supernatural events and miracles take place. We all make mistakes. But we do not have to deliberately make a mistake for a selfish desire. If you love someone enough you will want to please them. This is how we should feel about our relationship with God. We should never allow temptation to separate us from God’s will.

We must ask ourselves what tempts us the most. Are there certain times we are more tempted? What must I do to keep from being tempted? Ask God if you make this choice will it displease Him? If the answer is yes, you will know you shouldn’t do it. Or do you ignore the checking of the Holy Spirit?

Recently I heard two stories that illustrated unconditional love.  There were two identical twin brothers.  One was married and had three small children.  He was a heavy drinker and was not a Christian.  The other brother was single and a Christian.  The married brother drove home drunk and hit a mother and her two children.  They died at the scene from the accident.  He was convicted and was given a 30-year jail sentence.

His wife and three children were not doing well.  The single brother went to visit his brother in jail.  He told his brother that his family was not doing well and that they needed him.  He said change clothes with me and take my pass.  They will never know which one of us leaves.  I feel the Lord wants me to do this and maybe I can change the lives of some of the prisoners for Christ.  The change was made because of unconditional love for his brother and his family.

A young boy was told that his sister was about to die.  However, if he would give his blood to her she could live.  The young boy thought a minute and then said he was willing to give his blood.  Blood was taken and a transfusion was given to his sister.  After a while, the boy asked the doctor: “How long will it be before I die?”  He didn’t realize they were not going to take all of his blood, just enough for her to live.  The brother thought that he was giving his life that his sister could live.  Would you not consider this unconditional love?

I recently read the Book of Job in the Old Testament.  Job illustrated unconditional love for his family, neighbors and the poor and needy.  Yet, God allowed Satan to torment him with boils all over his body.  Job tried to live a life obedient to every command of God.  

I find it apparently impossible to love God unconditionally.  Every day I pray I am asking God for something.  I pray that God will not allow me to have a “Job” experience.  Please keep me healthy and from pain.  I pray that He will bless my family and give us purpose and direction in life.  

Naturally, much of my prayer is thanking God for the tremendous blessings of life and the opportunities that He has given me and my family.  I try to live an obedient life according to His ways so I can live with Him in eternity.  It just seems like I am always asking for something in return, which is not loving God unconditionally.  How else am I to gain wisdom, faith and knowledge without seeking God’s help?

I have continually asked God to help me know how to love Him unconditionally.  I suppose you can love God with all of your strength and still expect something in return that will make you a better person and a better Christian.

I heard Dr. Charles Stanley say that his life changed when he felt God loving him unconditionally.  Since I heard this, I have asked God to allow me to feel His unconditional love so that my life might also be changed.  If you have the answer, please comment.