Christ’s mother was a young teenager that could have been stoned to death, guilty of adultery.  Yet, she gladly accepted the responsibility of carrying Jesus to birth.  She was the only woman to have given birth conceived by the Holy Spirit and not by man.  This was so Christ would not have the sin-nature that came from Adam.  Otherwise, He would have needed someone to forgive and save Him.  He had to have a God-nature to be able to die sinless and sacrificially for our sins so we could be forgiven.

Matthew 1:18 – “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.”

Scripture tells us that the universe was created for and through Christ. He had no beginning and no ending.   I continue to wonder, how the Son of God, with His tremendously unlimited powers, could be limited in the form of a baby.  Why was He born in a barn and laid in a manager?  I suppose it was to share with us the importance of humility.  Do you consider yourself a humble person?

I understand from the Old Testament that God dwelt among the Israelites as a nation.  However, when they became disobedient and worshipped other god’s He withdrew His protection and His association.  He did have special relationships with certain individuals who worshipped Him and followed His ways.  I believe His love was such that He wanted relationships with all of us, individually.

I believe that Christ came as a baby and a human to show us the kind of life God wanted us to live.  In addition, He needed to forgive man of His sins of disobedience.  God separates Himself from those who are sinners as the Bible confirms.  God cannot become a part of a person who has not repented, accepted His Son as his Savior and strives to live as Christ’s example.  That is why we must commit to separating ourselves from the ways of the world for God’s Spirit to be in us.

God communicates to us through His Spirit that is within us.  It amazes me that, through the grace of God, we can be in constant contact with Him at all times.  Do we live realizing we have God’s Spirit in us?  How much freedom are we willing to give the Holy Spirit to guide and check us?  That is like having two cars yet, walking everywhere we go if we are not listening, but ignoring the Holy Spirit.

To fulfill God’s purpose to give every person the opportunity to live eternally with Him, it could only be done through His Son coming to earth as a human.  He had to come the same way all of us are born.  Otherwise, we could not have accepted that anyone could live a life of humility and to serve others above themselves.  We know what the world is like when so many are hateful.  Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone was full of love for others?  This is the promise we have been given that in eternity, for those who have accepted the Baby Jesus as God’s Son and Savior, love will abound.

This is why we celebrate Christmas and the birth of Christ.

You can do the impossible if you trust God.

Physical and spiritual walls must be broken through if we are to be free to stretch our endurance, abilities, and potential. Athletes learn that they can catch their second wind only when they are willing to go through the pain of breaking through a wall of resistance. Once they push through that physical wall, their task becomes easier and their energy and endurance increase exponentially.

I played basketball, baseball, and track in a small Christian college. I ran in the 880 and one-mile relays. A good coach won’t let his runners give up, stop, and rest when they come to that wall where they feel they can’t run another foot. A good coach will train the runners to break through it because he knows that if the athletes push, they will catch a second wind and start running like they were on air. Once that resistance is broken and the runners get their second wind, the next race they run they will know they can get through that wall—and hope it will happen sooner rather than later. I know about getting a second wind. It’s a fantastic feeling breaking through the physical wall of resistance. But there is also a mental wall of resistance that must be treated just the same.

When I coached at a small Christian high school, I taught my students about getting a second wind by hitting the wall and breaking through. However, some kids were not willing to put forth the effort and therefore never experienced getting a second wind. In basketball we played a full-court press defense and a fast-break offense, which required tough physical endurance. Many times we won by wearing out the other team. My job was to help players realize that to stretch their physical endurance and potential they had to push through the wall of resistance at least once. Nothing is more important than adequate preparation and hard work to build confidence and stamina.

Just as athletes experience a physical wall of resistance, Christians encounter a spiritual one. It’s called fear. Most often this barrier is more difficult to break through because the Devil and his spirits of darkness often put the “wall of fear” before us.

God did not create Adam and Eve to have fear. We know that Christ lived without fear. Genesis 3:8–10 tells us that once Adam and Eve sinned, they became fearful. Before God cursed the earth because of Adam’s sin, nothing was worthy of fear. But when God cursed it, fear immediately entered man.

Now two kinds of fear exist: positive and negative. Positive fear keeps us from standing in the middle of a busy freeway and challenging oncoming cars. Negative fear keeps us from using our full potential or abilities. It can be a fear of failing, thus an unwillingness to try something that requires faith, trust, or confidence.

Anytime you attempt something that seems impossible you will run up against a wall. Many have a first reaction to quit. As a store manager I found many who did not want additional responsibility. It could be they feared failing or just didn’t want to put in the effort. Of course, not everyone has a competitive spirit. It is not that they don’t want to be a winner; they just do not want to enter the race.

I believe God gave us His Spirit to help us in life. It bothers me to see a Christian young person who is not doing well in school. I understand if there is a handicap. What about a student with a decent mental ability? To some, they reach a “wall” in math or Chemistry. They hit the wall and can’t understand what they are being taught. The first reaction is to find an excuse to give up. The problem is we are making it too easy for our young people to be excused and not push them to break through the wall and put more time understanding. I have found each time a wall was in front of me, was to find a way around or through it. What made Steve Jobs different from most of us? He didn’t give up and found a way to get on the other side of the wall. As a result, he was known as a genius. I like what I read about Edison who invented so many new products. He worked a year and one-half to develop the incandescent light. He hit hundreds of walls before he finally broke through.

Here is where doing the impossible comes in. I believe God gives us ideas that will improve ourselves or others whether it is spiritual or material. However, to us there is a wall in front of it. No matter how much encouragement we receive from the Holy Spirit we just ignore what God is telling us. I have seen so many athletes and employees with exceptional ability and talent; fail to do what I felt they were capable of doing.

If a person believes God has a special task to perform do they not think that the Holy Spirit will help them accomplish it? God would never ask a person to do something they cannot do. Nothing in Scripture indicates that God opposes successful careers, wealth, position, or the pursuit of personal interests—recreational or otherwise. In fact, we have every reason to believe that God will bless us in these endeavors if we keep everything in perspective. Scripture confirms it: “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4). (This is just one of many verses to commit to memory that remind us of what the Spirit desires and what we receive by yielding to His desires.)

The Apostle Paul had every reason to quit as he was always hitting walls. But God either got him through or around everyone of them. Through it all he was rejoicing knowing the power that was in him. II Corinthians 11:22 – 28 – “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”

I believe in self-fulfilling prophecy. We can become what we want to be—a success or a failure—depending upon how we think of ourselves. When we think positively, we can become highly motivated and more productive. If we think negative thoughts about ourselves, we become less enthusiastic and block our full potential. When you are doing something and you see a wall in front of you remember: the Holy Spirit can help you do the impossible. He did it for Paul.

BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAY THAT WAY!

A few years ago our senior pastor, Jud Wilhite, stated he had heard the above caption and indicated that it seemed to fit our church.  Having belonged to eleven traditional churches where services had followed an almost ritualistic routine and now we were on a mission to evangelize Las Vegas and beyond; it was a message I believed we needed to share.  Many traditional churches are made up of largely traditional Christians who voiced a concern for lost people but their concern seldom translated into action.  With exceptions, churches in Las Vegas appeared to have lost their passion for reaching lost people and lost people stayed away.  Was there another city that had more lost people, percentage wise, than Las Vegas?

If you have read my blog: “From a small traditional church to a mega church” you will understand the difficulty in changing from a very traditional church where for years, part of the service was reciting the Lord’s Prayer in unison and singing of the doxology.  You might imagine a visitor may find themselves out-of-place. The chances of their returning were slim to none.

When we first started our transforming from being traditional to seeking lost souls, the congregation would not have been ready to believe it was okay to not be okay.  In fact, if you were not saved, baptized and sanctified, you may not be fully accepted.  Many traditional churches had more things you could not do than what the early church stated was necessary.

Acts 15:28 & 29 – “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:  You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.”

The traditional Jewish leaders wanted new Gentile Christian converts to be circumcised and obey the laws of Moses. The Christian leaders in Jerusalem believed the Holy Spirit was telling them to not place too heavy of a burden on Gentiles who had no experience as what accepting Christ really meant.  This was disputing conversion by the grace of God to working your way to Heaven.   Those restraints were not unreasonable for new Christians.  Gentiles could comply without compromising their freedom in Christ.  Too often Christian leaders are inclined to make recommendations on what we think should be done rather than ever seeking the advice of the Holy Spirit.

To become a church reaching out to the lost, to those who may have had little if any religious background, did not come easily.  I can understand how hard it may have been for Jewish people, who have tremendous rituals and traditions, to accept someone who did not have to accept those traditions and rituals.  It’s just not fair.

For a Christian who has tried to live a Christian life for many years, it may be hard for some to see a person, who may have lived a hedonistic life, receive eternal life just by accepting Christ as their Savior.  Christ gave a parable stating that there will be times when the last will receive the same benefits as those who were first.  A man hired some workers in the early morning, others at noon and some even later.  When it came time for payment they all received the same compensation.  Good thing they were not unionized or there would have been a strike.

You will find that many traditional Christians will not accept evangelistic churches who emphasize converting the lost.  They find it difficult to hear sermons that are not the normal but demonstrate that the Bible is a practical book that can be applied to our present lives rather than just a holy book.   Some believed it sounded too much like self-help stuff and did not have enough traditional worship.

It is Biblical that regardless of a person’s past, they can be forgiven.  This is the message we want to send to those who have little religious background.  However, once they accept Christ and become a converted believer, it is essential that they realize that God does not want them to stay that way.

I John 2:4 – 6 – “Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.  But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

Early Christians wanted to know how they could be sure that they belonged to Jesus Christ.  John says there are two ways: Do we obey God’s Word and do we live as we know Christ wants us to live?  Scripture makes it very clear: Are we obedient to God’s Word, do we accept and submit to God’s will”?  Anyone who claims to know Christ but lives a worldly , unrepentant life shows the truth is not in them.  As Christians we show our love of God by obeying.

There are two missions given to the church: to seek and save those who are lost and then to teach them what it means to live a holy life.  However, we must be careful not to place too many demands initially.  Living a holy life is a process that is guided by the Holy Spirit.  A person that does not change their behavior may have not received the Holy Spirit.  A true Christian has an inner desire that comes from the Holy Spirit to live to please God.  Otherwise, they did not die out to self-control and are unwilling to allow the Holy Spirit to change them.

It has always amazed me that ten of the eleven Apostles and Paul died violent deaths because of their belief in Jesus Christ and yet so many do not believe He was the Son of God. Millions believe that Jesus was just a good man and some do not even believe He ever existed.

John the author of the book of John, the three epistles of John and Revelations was exiled to the mines on a small prison island called Patmos and lived in a cave. John was boiled in oil and lived. Later he was release and died a peaceful death in today’s Turkey. One of the Apostles, Judas Iscariot, did not believe Jesus was the Son of God, committed suicide and ended up in hell.

As for the ten the Bible records only the death of James found in Acts 12.2. He was put to death by the sword. We believe Peter was crucified upside down on an “X” shaped cross according to Jesus’ prophecy in John 21:18 & 19. Matthew suffered martyrdom and was killed by a sword in Ethiopia. Nathanael was beaten to death by whipping. The apostle Thomas was stabbed to death. James, not the brother of Jesus but John’s brother, was thrown from the upper part of the temple because he refused to deny his belief that Christ was who He said He was. Matthew was stoned to death. Andrew was crucified. Philip was martyred in Turkey. Bartholomew was skinned alive. Jude was martyred. The apostle Paul was beheaded by Nero. When we take what we believe are facts that those closest to Jesus were willing to die a martyr’s death it leads us to believe there was no doubt in their mind that Jesus was the Son of God. Would these apostles be willing to die for a lie? Would you? Following is more evidence:

Acts Chapters 1 thru 5 tells us after Christ’s death, He gave them convincing proof that He was alive. “He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” While eating with them, He told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit and He will baptize you with power. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Only the apostles were given a special relationship with the Holy Spirit and were given special gifts. Only books written by the apostles or written on their behalf were included in the New Testament.

“Before their very eyes, He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.” As they were looking up, two men dressed in white stood beside them and told them Jesus would return the same way they have seen Him go into heaven.

After receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles performed many miracles among the people. People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed. Crowds gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and insane and all of them were healed.

Thousands upon thousands repented and were baptized. Many of them were Gentiles. This caused diversity among the Jewish Christians who believed they had to continue following all of the laws. Acts 15:29 requested four things of the Gentile Christian: “abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals and sexual immorality.”

Does the violent death of those close to Jesus reassure your faith that He was who He said He was? Do you have the faith to die a Martyrs death? Christ asked Christians to do only two things: love God with all of your strength, heart and soul and to love others as you love yourself. At the Day of Judgment you will be asked these two questions and these two questions only. How you answer, by the way you lived while alive, will determine your eternal destiny.

For those skeptics, the difference between a Muslim suicide bomber and the apostles is that the apostles were killed by others. The Muslim suicide bombers took their own lives. The apostles acted out of love. The suicide bomber acted out of hate. The Muslim suicide bomber kills themselves based on what others tell them. The apostles were willing to be martyred based upon what they personally witnessed. What they witnessed was the resurrection and they knew it was true.

We believe that Jesus was born in the spring of the year. Yet, Christmas is when we recognize His birth. As Christmas approaches, there is a reason for the season!

Let me illustrate by the following movie. A young man drives up to his house in an expensive red Maserati car. His home is worth millions of dollars. He goes to his swimming pool where his wife, a past Miss America, is lounging by the pool. Is it possible that the eyes of men are never satisfied? Are you coveting his life? Why him and not you?

“Do not love the world, or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 1:15-17)

The Bible tells us there are three ways that Satan tempted Adam and Eve and Jesus. These are the same ways he will tempt each of us: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life. “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” (I John 2:16) “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)

The story of the young man above could cause lust of the eyes. What we see is what we want. It can be an unsatisfied desire for wealth, pomp and the beautiful things of the world. Some women will talk about the life they should be entitled to, the things they should have and other woman shouldn’t live the way they do. Satan used the story in Luke 4:3 – “The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Lust of the flesh comes from our bodies wanting food, intimacy and a craving for the forbidden. Lust is a perversion of love. Lust seeks sex outside of marriage. It is trying to provide the bodies desires in the wrong way. Satan knows how to use our eyes and our bodies against us.

I am reminded of a minister who had an affair. Many found out about it. He lost his job. His wife divorced him. His children refused to associate with him. Two years later he was at the grocery store and ran into the woman with whom he had the affair. He apologized to her and was sorry for the problems that the affair caused. The woman replied—you don’t need to apologize, I knew I could bring you down! My reaction was: There was no excuse for what the minister did but this was a very evil woman. The devil knows who can and who can’t be tempted. Many times Satan’s demons are putting temptations in front of us. Before we yield: Think, is this Satan’s lure? Is he trying to bring me down?

The pride of life is allowing pride and arrogance to become sinful. It can be a temptation to want acceptance, fame, power to be somebody important. It can also be a pride that we don’t need God. I think it is best described as lacking humility. It can be thinking we are more important than we really are. We see it in persons who tear down another verbally.

We as Americans believe that we have been blessed so much that we forget that it was God Who provided it. Life is all about ourselves and we take the credit for all of the material things we have accumulated. We take pride in who we are, what we have and what we have accomplished without giving God any credit. This is why Scripture warns us about the Pride of Life.

We must be continually aware how the Devil will tempt us. Our self-centered natures long for so many things. This is why we are told that we must die out to self and allow the Holy Spirit to check and guide us to live according to God’s ways.

In the past 30 years, one-third of our children are testing with very high IQs. That is 140 and higher. What is God up to? Is He preparing for that generation to cope with our technical world? Some children are reading at the ages of 3 and 4. But we are seeing some of these geniuses failing school because they are just bored or lack motivation.

Having been a high school coach I learned that the best players were not necessarily the ones with the most athletic abilities but the ones who prepared the most. Those who had goals, persistence and discipline and who put in the hours of practice were the better players. Some with unusual athletic abilities were often lazy or didn’t feel the need to practice.

Statistics are showing that these young people today are more creative, more intuitive and are abstract thinkers or think beyond the obvious. Because they have more potential for knowledge, this generation’s is not necessarily any wiser. Another important fact is that the parents of these children are just average, normal people. Apple invented the Macintosh computer in 1984 about the time children were being born with higher intelligence. This is why we wonder if this is “A God Thing”.

With this knowledge, is it making these young people more spiritual? Polls show that they may be less spiritual. It seems that wisdom comes from experience and can also be a gift from God. Knowledge without the wisdom to know our Creator is not necessarily a spiritual benefit. They may not see the need to worship God and depend on their own abilities. In fact, an abundance of knowledge without wisdom can stunt ones’ spiritual growth.

If you want to know how spiritual you are, you may need to ask the following questions: How long have you been a believer and are you still in grade school spiritually? In the first grade you learned the basics. As you progressed your learning expands. Have you set a goal to graduate from high school, to get a master’s degree in Christianity or how about a doctorate? Many Christians are just satisfied with making it through grade school spiritually.

Do you have a hunger in your heart to communicate with God? Do you want God more than anyone or anything else? Knowing God’s ways are you truly obedient to His Word? Do you make time for prayer, time to read the Bible and attend church regularly? Do you sense the Holy Spirit checking your bad decisions? How much have your priorities changed. Are you disciplined and realize that what we do on earth is to prepare for eternity and what will be available at that time? Do you have a problem trusting God’s promises? Do you have enough faith to stop worrying and rely on God?

I Thessalonians 4:1 – 8 – “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.”

Living to please God must be every believer’s priority. God requires each Christian to turn their lives over to Him. We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. We are told to become sanctified and holy. Sanctified means to separate ourselves from the world and give ourselves to God. We are told to prepare ourselves for heaven in the way we live. The Bible teaches us to let the Holy Spirit take our sinful, self-centered nature, our old habits and behaviors and let them be transformed to emulate the life of Christ. This should be learned in grade school. What kind of grades has Christ been giving you as you increase your spiritual education?

We may think living a Christian life can be done by accepting the do’s and don’ts taught in the Scripture. Christianity is about a relationship with God and our willingness to please Him. It seems many Christians find this hard to do. One of the strengths of my temperament is loyalty. This is probably the reason I find it easier to live to please God than those with other temperaments. However, I believe I have graduated from high school spiritually and have almost completed college. But I want a master’s degree and then I will work on my doctorate.

What are your goals? How spiritual do you want to be? Is just barely getting by good enough? We are told to develop the mind of Christ. Based on that criterion, what grade are you in? Are you interested in getting a masters degree?

President Abraham Lincoln referred to America as being evil. If you read the Old Testament books of I and II Chronicles, you could describe America as an evil nation. During Lincoln’s time there was mob law. Men would get together and judge others, then cause blacks, gamblers, cattle thieves to be hung from a tree. There was little respect for the property of others and the government offered no protection.

In Chronicles, depending on who was king, they were described as being either evil or they followed God’s direction. If the king was evil, so was the nation and God punished them. If the king was a follower of God and as a nation the people worshipped Him, the nation became prosperous. During those times, many special days were set aside when the people came together to worship God. Passover was a time of thanksgiving to God for saving their first born from being killed as were the Egyptians first born. Almost every month there is a time Jews set aside days to worship God.

America, in 1863, President Lincoln set aside one day to worship God and that was the last Thursday of November. Another time was December 25th in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ we established Christmas. The third time is Easter when we remember the death of Christ.
Are these three times vs the more than 25 Jewish days of worshipping God, days that God is really worshipped in America? It seems to me they have become more commercialized than religious holidays.

Using the Old Testament as a guide how would you describe the religious condition of our government? Do you see any difference between evil kings and their governments and today’s politicians? How often do you hear the Lord’s name mentioned in awe and reverence? Are we a united people or a people divided? Are people worshipping government or God?

What has happened to America? There is too much hate among us. I John 3:14 – 20 – “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

Paul goes on to define love which is the requirement needed to receive eternal life with Christ. If we want to know what true love is we must follow the example set by Christ. Love requires real sacrifice and a servant’s heart. Laying down our lives may mean giving up our rights. It may mean putting the needs and interests of others before our own. Love develops a heart for sacrificial giving and provides selfless attributes in us. There becomes a desire to serve others without any reciprocal expectations. How much of this kind of love do we see in America today?

Americans no longer seem to have an unforgiving spirit. Mark 11:24-26 – “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.”

In the Scripture above Jesus told His disciples that if anyone held a grudge against another person or if they became angry or bitter over something that was done to them or if they had an unforgiving heart they had better get over it if they wanted their prayers answered. Being self-centered human beings that we are and having a carnal nature it is sometimes difficult to overlook something that someone has done to us. Life is not always just a “big bowl of cherries”. However, if we as Christians want an advantage at work, school or at home we had better learn to get rid of the baggage of having an unforgiving heart. Which do you see more of: revenge or forgiveness?

Americans appear to be an angry lot: Ephesians 4:26 – 27 – “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” What may be the result of being angry? It can become a sin. The apostle Paul says that we can have strong feelings without being sinful. Paul is talking about our temper. There are ways to express and control our anger. If our anger causes bitterness, wrath and malice, anger can control us rather than we controlling it. Therefore, there may be times we have feelings of anger but they must not affect our Christian attitude and our actions to the point we commit sin. Anger can become dangerous and must be under the Control of the Holy Spirit within us. There is a lot of anger in America today. There seems little desire to reconcile. It is either “My way or the highway”. Have you ever seen a government more political and divided?

Lincoln talked about the evils of America. Prior to his address at Gettysburg, 48,000 men were killed in three days on the battlefield. Our country was full of hatred, anger and unforgiveness. We were a much divided nation full of evil. How would you rate America today as a nation comparing us to the time of the Civil War or how the Bible would define it in the books of Chronicles? I would suggest God is not the one being worshipped and He is the one that either prospers or punishes a nation. Which one do we qualify? Are we an evil nation as defined by the Bible needing punishment or should God be prospering us?

In 1890 the life expectancy was 43 and today it is 79 allowing us to live, on average, an extra 36 years.  It used to take more than a year to travel from New York to Los Angeles and some died along the way.  We live at a time when we have many of the things they did not have more than a hundred years ago.  We have electricity, cars, airplanes, trains, technology, immediate communications, household appliances, and a much better standard of living.  There was a time when horse and buggy were the main transportation.  There was no inside plumbing and you had to travel outside at night to use the lavatory.  But we have many more advantages:

One of my blessings is to have been born in America.  Where else do they have the freedom of speech and worship as we do?  I am thankful for the career opportunities that exist.  I am thankful for our Christian heritage.  What other country has been blessed with the abundance that we have?  However, it didn’t just happen.  God made and prepared this country so that people could come who felt they didn’t have the freedom to worship as Scripture taught.  It reminds me of what He promised to some Israelites.

Isaiah 41: 17 – 20 – ““When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the Lord, will answer them.  I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.  I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus.  I will give them fountains of water in the valleys.  I will fill the desert with pools of water.  Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.  I will plant trees in the barren desert—cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine.  I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means—that it is the Lord who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it.”

When was the last time you thanked God for giving to we Americans such a beautiful country with a tremendous amount of natural resources?  In addition, He took Christian men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to provide our constitution and laws to guide us.  You have allowed us to become the most powerful and prosperous nation on earth.  One of our purposes is to become the world’s peace keeper and to spread Your gospel to all peoples in every nation.  For the millions of America Christians we have been grateful.  It was Abraham Lincoln that established the Thanksgiving holiday in gratitude to our Creator in 1863.

After 150 years we have done as many before us.  We turned the purpose of the original holiday to material things rather than the giving of thanks to God Who deserves it.  Instead of counting our blessings and achievements we are hearing too much whining.  People are not content and satisfied with what they have; they want more and are not always willing to earn it.

I am blessed for knowing God’s Word and what He promises.  He allows me to have a personal relationship with Him.  He provides me with His Holy Spirit into my life that guides and watches over me.  He gives me my faith and what wisdom I have.  I live a life of peace with a joyful, positive attitude.  He inspired me to be motivated and be prosperous.  There are times He has protected me from accidents and serious problems.  His Spirit has taught me to have a servant’s heart, to be confident and stay humble.  He has instructed me to share love and be generous with what He has given me.  He teaches that we can all be successful.  We can be successful parents, teachers or leaders in whatever endeavor we choose.

Why are so many Americans disrespectful and disobedient to God?  They refuse to rely and be dependent upon God and put their trust in self or government.  Why are their takers rather than givers?  Show me someone having fame or fortune that has the same joyful and peaceful calmness that many needy Christians, living as Christ has instructed us, have.

One thing that God taught, we were to give a tenth of what we had to the Temple or His ministry. It had to be our very best, without spot or defect. Yet it is so hard for so many to be givers.  What would motivate them to give to God’s ministry as taught by Scripture?  What blessing could they receive?

Matthew 6:20 – “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”

Being generous and giving is like storing up treasurers in heaven.  I have wondered if someone like Billy Graham were taken to heaven like the Apostle John was and God said: Tell My people, every time Christians charitably give it is recorded in heaven.  Those who give will receive a 20% return annually, compounded and that amount will be given to them when they spend the 1000 years with Christ on earth.  Do you think Christians would give more knowing it was being recorded for their future use?

It shouldn’t just be on Thanksgiving that we count our blessings but, daily.  If you watch carefully and patiently you will see God intervening in your life.  These “It’s A God Thing” occur more than we realize unless we are alert and expecting.   I count each as blessings!

The end time’s signs tell us it is getting much closer. America has been a peaceful nation trying to defend the rights of freedom to everyone on earth. Most Americans, in the past tried to live according to God’s commandments. For years we have been blessed and prospered. There has never been a nation like us. As a world power we are losing our influence. America has allowed non-believers to dictate how we are to live. In general, Americans no longer fear God, worship Him or follow His ways. We have become a much divided nation that Scripture says cannot stand. We are in the beginning of failing.

Read or listen to the news and we are less powerful in foreign affairs. In addition, we are turning America into a socialistic government. Review what has happened in the past four years in America and you can see we are heading in an unfamiliar direction. There has been a 20% gain in Social Security disability checks and we now have 8.94 million receiving $140 billion from disabilities. That is a 29% increase in payouts. We have a fifty percent gain in food stamps. There are 46.5 million Americans declared living in poverty. You can see we are creating a new class, dependent on government and not God, who will vote for a larger government and higher taxes on those who work.

In the past year, temporary employment has increased 57%. We have the largest amount of part-time workers ever. If we counted the number of people willing to work but are not seeking employment, unemployment would be approximately 13% instead of 7.3%. Nevada has the highest rate at 9.3%.

Many of us believe for the end times to happen, America must continue losing its influence in the world. In addition, we need to fail financially. We would then be unable, financially, to intervene in keeping the world at peace. We are seeing the end-time signs that the prophets and Christ told us to look for.

We are told that there will be World War III. It will start around the Euphrates River. Turkey, Syria, Iraq and the edge of Iran is the location where the last war will be fought.
Revelation 9:14 – 15 – “It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.” That means approximately 2.2 billion people will die.

Two signs tell us when the last seven years will occur. Peace achieved between Palestine and Israel in order for the Jewish Temple to be built. The Temple Mount will be under the direction of the United Nations. Once the Temple has been built and the Jewish begin animal sacrifices the Anti-Christ will put a stop to the sacrifice. He will take over and the war begins and in 3 ½ years Jesus returns to stop it or all mankind would be destroyed. This will be a time worse than anything we have ever seen or will ever see again.

Matthew 24:15 – 19 – “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!”

Genesis 6:5 & 12 – 14 – “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

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 as do our kids. 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?

A worldwide anti-God movement will continue to exist even though they begin to realize there is a God. This will include the teachings of situation ethics (no absolute rules), moral freedom and self-sufficiency (man is not accountable to anyone), sexual permissiveness (everything is acceptable, same sex-marriages and homosexuality included), and death education (there is no life after death). This is what prophesized will happen during the one-world government and the one-world religion. Hasn’t it already started? Isn’t our administration promoting this permissiveness?

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 for most and the beginning for those whose names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

When Israelites stopped fearing God and following His commandments bad things happened.  America has stopped fearing the Lord and following His commandments.  Should we not expect to lose God’s protection and His blessings?  This not only applies to nations it also applies to individuals.

You may wonder why we have such devastating hurricanes or typhoons like just happened in the Philippines.  Anytime there are mass murders in schools or other public places do you wonder why God allowed it?  Is it Satan that puts these thoughts into the minds of people?  Satan does not want us to fear God or follow His commandments.  The devil knows that we are getting closer to the end-times and there will be all kinds of natural disasters and his influence will also end.  He will do whatever he can to deceive us.

What does it mean to fear God?  It could mean, to a Christian, we are to respect, reverence, and awe or fear the final judgment and punishment if we lack fearing God and doing His commandments.  There are a number of Scriptures that tell us why we should fear God.

Psalms 89:6 – 7 – “For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?  Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?  In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.”

Psalms 33:6 – 9 – “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.  He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.   Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.   For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”  Verses 18:19 – “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”

Psalms 34:9 – 10 – “Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.   The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”  The Lord promises that if we fear him He will provide for us.

Psalms 33:18 – 19 – “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”   If we fear God He will protect us.

II Corinthians 7:1 – “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”  To perfect holiness it is done out of fear or reverence for God.

Psalms 128:1 – 4 – “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.   Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.   Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.”  When we fear the Lord we are promised blessings and prosperity.

Proverbs 10:27 – “The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.”  Deuteronomy 5:29 – “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!”  If we want to add length to our life and in generations to come, we must fear the Lord.  Living without alcohol, smoking and being stressed out gives us a much better chance for a long life.

We are even told in the Bible that we can learn to fear the Lord.

Psalms 86:11 – “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” We are to have an undivided heart, a heart that has been surrendered to God.

Years ago, Americans respected those who lived lives according to God’s ways. Today, people make fun of those who do.   It seems we hear more about what atheists want than what God wants for America.  We have allowed non-believers to change the way Americans live.  Should we not expect God to allow disasters to occurred?