If you have read a number of my blogs I have written about the signs which will occur indicating the end for the world as we know it.  I am not concerned about December 21, 2012.  I am well aware of what the Bible prophesizes about the signs that will indicate when the end is near.

Writing blogs requires a lot of research and what I find can be very disturbing.  Accord to the Rockefeller Foundation this year, 13,000 will be killed in England at the Olympics by bombing.  They have 20,000 caskets on standby.  You read daily of the number of military that have been assigned to re-enforce security.  They also predict within the next ten years they believe there will be an earthquake in Indonesia that will kill approximately 40,000.  Then a tsunami comes that almost destroys Nicaragua.  Next a once in a millennium drought linked to climate change occurs.  It didn’t estimate how many will die from starvation.  It doesn’t say what causes the climate to change, which was a surprise. It looks like they missed the first prediction and no massacres happened at the Olympics. What about the others.

We are being told the present drought has caused a shortage in corn and soy.  Farmers are having a difficult time obtaining hay to feed their cattle.  It appears food costs could be raising.  If not this year, possibly next year.

Revelation 6:6 – “And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, ‘A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay.  And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.’”

I then read about President Obama’s National Defense Resources Preparedness Executive Order.  The new Executive Order puts the government completely above the law.  The United States can become under martial law without a national emergency.  Only the president has the authority to take away the legitimate freedoms of U.S. citizens. What is extraordinary in the new Executive Order is that this supreme power is designated through the president to the secretaries that run the Government itself:

• The Secretary of Defense has power over all water resources;
• The Secretary of Commerce has power over all material services and facilities, including construction materials;
• The Secretary of Transportation has power over all forms of civilian transportation;
• The Secretary of Agriculture has power over food resources and facilities, livestock plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment;
• The Secretary of Health and Human Services has power over all health resources;
• The Secretary of Energy has power over all forms of energy.

They can simply be done for “purposes of national defense,” allowing the government to do what it wants, when it wants, how it wants, to whomever it wants, all without any judicial restraint or due process.

What if some sort of disaster occurs prior to an election?  Could a president establish martial law and forgo elections.  Could he remain in office for a number of years while we continue to be under martial law?  These are some of the questions that citizens are asking as I researched the Internet.

Revelation 13:7 & 8 – “And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.”

World-wide Christianity continues to increase.  My concern is: will Christians have the spiritual maturity to withstand what is to come?  What will happen when God’s holy people are being conquered?  This is not something I expect to happen within the next few years but God keeps His promises.

We have been told by Scripture not to let the hindrances of life distract us from living a Christian life. Those hindrances can include work, money and amassing material items, ambition, church-made-rules, setting too high standards that can’t be met, having the wrong non-Christian friends, TV, the Internet & games, Facebook, etc.  Hindrances have caused many to not find time to pray or read their Bibles daily.  When the end times come I am afraid too many Christians will not have the faith and spiritual maturity to withstand what will happen.  They will be blinded and easily deceived by Satan.  This is no longer your grandparent’s world.  We are living in a different era requiring a different way of living.  If we are to be with God throughout eternity we, as Christians, had better be prepared to meet situations that we have never encountered before.  There is nothing this world can offer that is better than what God has prepared for His holy people who the Bible says will be conquered.  Be prepared!  Think about your future and not instant gratification.

Those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life have a promise made by Christ.  “Anyone who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, will have ever-lasting life and will no longer be condemned an outsider.” 

Those who have lived by the principles Christ taught and have the Holy Spirit will be with God throughout all eternity.  This is a promise we can count on and God will remove all fear when we are faced with severe persecution.  Don’t ever doubt our Creator can make committed Christians fearless!  There is no need to worry.  If your name is in the Book, God will give you a faith you have never had before.  He will not lose one of us to Satan and you can count on His promise.  (Future blog: How to know if you are in the Lamb’s Book of Life.)

How strong is your faith? Have you ever had a problem trusting what God promises? What may we learn about trust and faith from the Israelites who spent 430 years in captivity in Egypt? How can anyone read the first four books of the Bible, Genesis to Numbers and wonder why these people were unable to trust God? Let’s review what they witnessed God do.

God spoke to Moses and told him to go to Egypt and: “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers —the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob —has sent me to you.’” “ And I (God) have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.”

God told Moses to go to Pharaoh and ask him to let the Israelites go and worship in the desert. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and the Israelites watched as God caused nine plagues to occur. Moses told Pharaoh if you don’t let my people go, God will turn the Nile River, streams, canals and ponds into blood. Pharaoh didn’t and God did as He promised. The next plague was frogs everywhere in Egypt. Then there were gnats, then flies, next sickness on their livestock, boils on Egyptian men and animals, tremendous amounts of hail did damage to crops, locusts were everywhere, darkness and then the death of each Egyptian family’s first born son and animal. Pharaoh finally let them go. Before they left they asked their Egyptian neighbors for their articles of silver and gold and they received an abundance.

They finally witnessed the Passover when they were told to place blood of lambs on their doors to protect their first born from being killed. God tells Moses to tell the Hebrews that they are His chosen people and He will build them into a great nation. As they began their journey they saw a pillar of cloud guiding them by day and a pillar of fire leading them by night. They get to the Red Sea and saw that Pharaoh and his army were coming after them. God tells Moses with his staff point it to the sea and it will divide. It divides and the winds blow until they have dry ground to walk across. Once they get on the other side they see the Army follow them. They watch as the waters recede and drown every Egyptian and not a one survived. They travel to Marah. They could not drink the water because it was bitter. God told Moses to toss a piece of wood into the water and it would become sweet and it did.

They then began moaning because they didn’t have bread. God sent them six days a week Manna or bread from Heaven. He then flooded their camps with quail. They journeyed on and ran out of water. God told Moses to take his staff and strike a rock. Water poured out sufficient for everyone and the animals.

The Hebrews were attacked by the Amelekites. God told Moses to raise his hands. When Moses hands were up the Israelites were winning. When he took them down they began losing. He sat on a stone and Aaron and Hur stood beside him and kept his hands up. The Israelites won. This should have given them faith that they could defeat anyone. But it didn’t. They had a real faith and trust problem.

Israel arrives at Sinai and God gives them the Ten Commandments. Then God speaks to them from the mountain. He teaches them social responsibility and adds laws of justice and mercy. God tells them to build a tabernacle and gives specific instructions. He teaches what to and what not to eat. He teaches sanitation. He instructs them how to treat disease. They are given a course in sex education.

God told Moses to send out some men to explore the land of Canaan which He is giving to the Israelites. Twelve were sent. They reported back and ten said they couldn’t defeat them and Joshua and Caleb said they could. They said descendents of Anak lived there. They were seven to nine feet tall and possibly taller according to graves being uncovered recently.

God did not create us to fail. To become successful requires trust, hope and purpose. Doing my research and reading national newspapers I didn’t realize the number of people who live everyday without hope, faith or trust. Whether it is in the Middle East, Africa, Mexico or the poorer sections of American large cities many live in areas where government is corrupt, incompetent and dysfunctional. Many suffer from malnutrition, unemployment, living where there is a lack of security and in heavy crime areas, feeling despair and stress without sufficient finances to provide medicine and nutritional needs. Many are members of religions that offer little hope and no assurance of eternal life in heaven.

My purpose for writing is to share with those who are living in better conditions but have little or no hope for the future because they have allowed others to define who they are or what they can become. Who you associate with and who you listen to really matters.

If you knew that God created you to be successful and positive would you live differently? I believe most people allow the devil to blind them spiritually. If you have never heard what the Bible teaches and what God promises, Satan and his demons wouldn’t have to worry about you trying to improve the world by testifying about the gospel to others. He is no longer concerned that your life will change spiritually. So what does he do? He puts people into your life, if you are a Christian, that have a critical spirit who hold you back from doing what God created you to do. Who you associate with can alter your purpose, faith and vision. They can destroy any trust in God or any hope you may have. There are people who you think are friends who will discourage you from being what God intended you to be. Only associate with people who are encouragers, believe in you and treat you as a child of God. Stay away from all those who have that critical spirit. They can bring you down or discourage you from finding your purpose.

What have we learned throughout history? People today are little different from those Israelites having witnessed every possible miracle and still could not trust God. What would you have to witness in order to believe that God has a plan for you and he wants you to live a holy life? Do you feel unworthy? Is it because you don’t trust God when He says you are worthy because He made you worthy? When He says He will meet your needs if you practice His ways, does He? Let’s ask again. What will it take for you to develop a complete trust and have faith to believe what God promises you? Have you allowed the two negative influences, your carnal nature and influences from evil spirits to provide doubt in regard to God? If so, do you realize what you have been missing? Think of what the Hebrew people suffered when they could have had complete prosperity if they only had trusted God. If you find yourself in the same situation maybe you can learn from what they did not do and do it. Realize the importance of faith and having trust in God. Do you want to suffer as the Israelites did or do you want to live in the land of milk and honey? It’s our choice. Trust God and see if your life doesn’t change.

Pick up a newspaper or view the Internet and it is clear Christians  are being persecuted worldwide.  In one example a Christian pastor is being imprisoned in Iran for almost three years because he refused to deny Christ and faces a death sentence.  But there are possibly 100 million more facing similar conditions.  Christians are being imprisoned in Egypt for building churches.  Christian churches are being bombed in Nigeria.  Somalia has beheaded some.  The situation is very bad in most every Islamic nation as well as in China and North Korea.

Pope Benedict XVI has spoken out about the persecution but little emphasis has been put on options to correct the condition.  One option could be to demand western governments to become involved.  Clergy from all denominations should take action.  Why is there not a concerted and collective effort by millions of American Christians to become supporters even if it means protest marches in love?  We have rallies in Washington, D. C. for every other cause. Isn’t it about time 200 million Christian Americans bring attention to these worldwide persecutions?

Christian leaders in Muslim nations live day to day not knowing when their time is up.  When will it be time to demand that they have a right to worship just as other religions do?  Are we to turn our heads each time a church is bombed in Africa or Asia?

Revelation 13:7 – “It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.” NIT

Revelation 13:9 – 10 – “Whoever has ears, let them hear. ‘If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go.  If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.’  This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”

Are we not aware that the goal of the Antichrist is to eliminate every Christian from the face of the earth?  Shouldn’t something be done to slow the process? Or do we assume it is God’s plan for ending the world as prophesized?  Should we do nothing by ignoring the persecutions and assume the Antichrist is about to take over.  I think not!

The world is filled with rulers and people who are fierce, wicked, and cruel.  They delight in persecuting and killing Christians.  It will take those with courage and boldness to take action. Isn’t this what the United Nation is supposed to do, stop countries from violating one’s civil rights? The UN wants to prosecute President Bush for water boarding, a supposed civil rights violation. But what do they do for persecuted Christians—nothing.  Are we willing to wait until they come after every Christian or is now the time to stop these atrocities?  It takes those with courage and boldness to take action. Churches should inform and make members aware of what is happening.  There should be prayer groups crying out for these persecuted souls who need  God’s protection.  Would it be wrong to pray for those who are doing the persecuting so that their hearts might  be softened so that they will heed God speaking to them?

We are told thousands of Christians are leaving Egypt.  The next thing we may hear is that Christians are being fed to the lions.  It has happened before when crowds in the Roman arenas  cheered as Christians died terrible deaths.  Thousands of Christians were executed often in cruel and unusual ways, with animals regularly playing a role,  all for the entertainment of a depraved populace.

What about church leaders.  Do they have any responsibility to take action in protecting our own?    What would Jesus do during these serious times?  Would He play a passive role?

“First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.  Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”  By Pastor Niemoller

There are hundreds of ways to find good jobs and get hired.  They tell you how much money you can make and all of their fabulous benefits.  You may never know how much you will like a position until you actually begin to perform.  Most end up disliking what they do.  As a result, they do not succeed.

I started working in the fifth grade delivering newspapers.  After a year I began setting pins in a bowling alley.  This was prior to having to have a work permit.  If you applied and could do the job you were hired regardless of age.  I then spent three years in a shoe-shine parlor with four others working after school and summers.  I then became an elevator operator when they had to be run manually.  I did this for two different hotels. I then spent four years in the Navy. One summer I worked as an electrician’s helper, one logging, another was working on The Dalles Dam and one picking fruit. I know what it is to work without a goal.  I worked for money in order to buy what I wanted.  None of those jobs were dream jobs to me and I can’t say I did any enthusiastically.  These jobs did buy me cars, clothes, an education and basic needs.

I heard a sermon on Ephesians 6:5 – 9 and it changed how I worked.  “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.  Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.  Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.  And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.”

Instead of the word slaves, inserted was the word employees.  It went like this: Employees obey and respect those who you work for whether they are watching or not.  Work as an employee of Christ wanting to please God in whatever you do.

This took my mind off of me and focused onto Christ.  I started seeing work as more than just a job.  Instead of focusing on myself, I saw what I was doing was helping others.  The Apostle Paul says we are not to do our best only when we are being watched but remember God is watching every second through the Holy Spirit that is within us.  We are not to waste time conducting personal business when we should be working.  We should not extend our break periods.  We should always arrive early for work and not leave until our time is up.

I recognized that working for God and others made work much more enjoyable.  Working for a large corporation in management overseeing hundreds of employees I found that helping others become successful was extremely rewarding.  It was like when I was a high school coach and seeing players become star athletes and knowing you helped was exciting.  It is great when you can assist a person in becoming better.

When you have a job you really like, you don’t worry about the time.  It seems you can hardly wait to get to work and most evenings you stay later than required.  That doesn’t mean you can’t have a balanced life and it doesn’t require being a workaholic.  It’s great when work becomes fun.

When I started my own business it was doing something I had always enjoyed doing.  I spent hours preparing and trying to learn all I could in order to help others.  A few years ago I no longer needed to work financially.  I now work because I like what I am doing and I continue to help people.

Some people work because of the recognition their position gives them.  Some have a goal to become rich.  If you were to ask Jesus about work what do you think He would say?  Would He say: get the best paying job you can find; or get a job that you can Lord it over others?   Would He say quit school early and take a job that requires little skills?  Would He not ask us to seek a vision as to how we could improve the life of others and our own?  That could include producing new products, working in education or the medical field.  It could be building bridges.  I would think He would say it isn’t so much as what you do as to how you do it.  What is your attitude, who do you focus on, how prepared are you or do you do your very best?  Are you making work enjoyable?  Adam was given a hoe and a rake and God told him to get busy. Genesis 3:17 – “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you.   All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.”  (I assumed scratching required the hoe and rake.)

God doesn’t expect all of us to become engineers.  Scripture does tell us how to enjoy what we are doing.

Proverbs 13:11 – “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.” NLT

Proverbs 23:4 – “Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.  Be wise enough to know when to quit.” NLT

Having served my country during war time, I feel a patriotic duty to point out the direction our nation is headed.  We have a choice as to which direction we want our country to go as voters.  We have two candidates with two different ideologies.  President Obama stated:  “If you’ve got a business—you didn’t build that, someone else made it happen.”  When I started my business in 1987 it would have been great if I had someone to help me, particularly the government.  Now the latest Government regulations have been costly to our business and I am restricted at the amount of information I can provide my clients.  Most of us in business realize the government cannot create wealth.  Gov’t revenues come from American workers and from foreign loans.  Yes, governments can print money based on thin air!

The government did not build America, it was a belief in a God who created each of us with equal opportunities and gave us founders who believed we should be a republic having liberty and freedom to pursue our dreams.  That is exactly what our forefathers did.  Those that succeeded were those who prepared themselves and were willing to take risks that many were unwilling to do.  Many had Pilgrim’s determination that grew this country.

When I started my business my faith and assurance came from God and not from government.  If you have never started a business you may have no idea the requirements you must meet to open your doors.  It doesn’t stop there.  You are continuously reporting and paying taxes.

There are fiscal conservatives who believe all government spending is taxes.  With less government spending and less taxes needed.  The consumer stimulates the economic growth with fewer taxes and more money for buying power.  Progressives think government spending fuels the economy.  The more spending, the more economic growth, the more jobs and more need for taxes. The result can be a huge government of bureaucrats restricting our freedom.

Democrat representatives Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer believe that food stamps and unemployment checks stimulate the economy.  President Obama is working with Mexico to make sure we sign up more Mexican nationals for food stamps.  Nothing like this has ever happened in my lifetime.  This is not Biblical teaching.

II Thessalonians 3:10 – “Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”

The Bible teaches, Genesis 3:19 – “By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made.  For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

The Bible is very clear that if we want to eat we need to work for it.  If we live by God’s ways He will meet our needs.  We are being told: don’t worry—the government will meet your needs and it is not necessary to work. All we need is your vote, otherwise you may be held accountable.  Our dependence must be on God and our willingness to work.  Don’t let the government try to take the place of God as they seem to be doing.

What we need is positive leadership.  The genius of entrepreneurship has always made this country run.  It does little good to trash business and put down those who have accumulated wealth.  We must have leaders who encourage and not discourage. Obama said he would increase taxes on the rich, even if it meant less revenue just because it was the fair thing to do.  We don’t need leadership as Sen. Patty Murray (D) has implied; we will take you into a recession if you don’t tax those millionaires.  Why would any administration have it in for small business owners, investors and successful wage earners?  For those of us who lived and worked under the Reagan administration and saw what Americans could produce when we were all pulling together can’t understand why they don’t do the same.  We are sitting on a gigantic opportunity to get this country back to robust growth. Look at North Dakota with an unemployment rate of 2.9% because of natural gas.  We have more natural gas that is the cheapest power in the world.  We could create millions of jobs and raise billions of extra dollars in taxes.  But we have people who do not believe that God put it there for us to consume.  We need leaders who will put more faith in God and get back to the Christian principles that made this country what it was.  When we let those who are anti-God put down Christian principles, we as a country started our rapid decline.  We need leaders who will humble themselves, get on their knees, repent, ask for forgiveness and God’s Holy Spirit to guide them.  Regardless of party affiliation, I doubt if there would be but a few leaders who would even consider doing so.  We need leaders to be like those in the 1770s.  It is apparent we don’t have that many who would put the country ahead of their political ambitions.

Unless we make a total commitment to serve God we probably will not pursue the study of Scripture.  Without understanding Scripture we would not know the “mind of Christ” or how to “Walk in the Spirit”. We may be able to figure out what it means to “have the mind” of Christ, but how many know what it means to “walk in the Spirit”?   That is why it is so important to know who is urging us?  Thus, we will not know what comes to us is spiritual or what comes to us from the flesh.  It is a must that we know the difference. How else will we know when the Spirit is leading us or if it is an evil influence or coming from our feelings or imagination?  There is little chance we will know when to follow God’s guidance if we do not have spiritual knowledge and understanding.

Psalm 139:27 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;”

Hebrews 4:12 – 13 – “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

Scripture and the Holy Spirit provide us with the truth.  It also helps us define our motives and our purposes.  We should receive a conviction when we have made a wrong decision.  At that point it should become very clear what we should have done.  Sometimes the only way we know how to “walk in the Spirit” is through repeated experiences.

There should come a time in every Christian’s life when we have but one motive and one desire and that is to serve God.  It normally occurs once we have become willing to give up control and depend on God.  Most find it very difficult to give up control because of a lack of faith that God will do as promised.  When we plan, does our plan seem better than what God would plan or allow?  Have you tried asking God for help in planning?  Did He fail to answer immediately and you couldn’t wait; or just plain didn’t answer?  Was that your fault or God’s?

Psalm 43:3 – “Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me.  Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.”

Adam’s sin was choosing to do his thing separated from God.  As a result, God left him by withdrawing His Spirit.  Are we just as guilty?  Our repentance and acceptance of Christ, God gives us His Spirit that we will no longer be separated.  This is a new experience that we have never had before.  It may take time to relinquish and become dependent upon God and accept our partnership arrangement that He offers.  Can we then describe “walking in the Spirit” as walking hand-in-hand with God and depending on Him for advice, direction and purpose?

Galatians 5:25 – “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

John 5:30 – “I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.”

This was Christ’s principle on earth.  The Son could do nothing on His own.  That total denial is our ultimate goal in serving God.  Everything Christ did was laying the ground work to fulfill His death on the cross and His resurrection.  After He was resurrected He told His disciples that they would receive “power from on high” or the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  That power was the ability, the talents and the confidence to live as Christ taught we should live and we would “walk in the Spirit”.  With this power we can become obedient to God’s Will and ways.  Without the Holy Spirit our flesh or carnal nature was in control and could not meet God’s requirements.

Romans 7:15 – 17 – “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.  But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.  So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”

Paul realized He could not live the Christian life without God’s help.  Too many become Christians and believe they do not have to study Scripture or pray, they can do it on their own.  They end up no more than just a professing Christian without the power from God, struggling each day and wondering why living a Christian life is so difficult. They wonder where is this joy, peace and love they talk about?  They must understand that the Bible says we must surrender our old nature and let the new nature control.  It’s the one that God gives us when we receive the Holy Spirit.  We must learn that God will not force Himself on to us.  For the power to work, He must control but only with our permission.  Are you ready to give it so you can “walk in the Spirit”?

If you are a Christian, God wants you to become successful.  He will provide adequate direction and purpose so you can be a success.  You may not want to take the time or the discipline necessary to become outstanding.  Most are unwilling to put forth the effort and are willing to accept being just average or less.  Let me give an illustration that might encourage you to let God change your life positively by setting goals that can improve your life to be greater than you could ever anticipate.

My first job after graduating was being a high school basketball coach.  I heard of a coach who had more wins than most coaches in high school.  Prior to the first practice he would meet with all interested in trying to make the basketball team.  He would tell them that they would be judged on the following: character, competitiveness, pride, attitude and work ethic.  He then would elaborately explain what each meant.  For example, character would be having adequate grades, honesty, relationship with others, no smoking or drinking of alcohol, law abiding and a positive example to others.  He would explain pride in what you do.  Arrogance was not acceptable.  Humility went with pride.  And on he would go.  There would be no doubt in anyone’s minds what was expected.

He stated that the first week of practice you would be judged on each of these characteristics.  The second day the person having done the best in work ethic and competiveness would be number one.  They would practice with the first fifteen at one end of the court and those rated 16 through 30 would practice at the other end on fundamentals and basic drills.  Each day, that first week, you were rated 1 through 30.  If you were number 30 you either gave up or worked harder.  At the end of two weeks of excruciating practices 12 made the varsity and the remaining ones went to the junior varsity.

The coach said his job was to do whatever it took to prepare them to being winners.  If they were unwilling to work hard to be winners they should not be on the team.  An individual had to ask themselves how badly do I want to be a winner.  Am I willing to submit to everything required to help the team win?

Apply the same principles to being a Christian.  You can be on God’s success team or you can play on the junior varsity.  Or maybe you would rather just be a fan and watch from the bleachers.  It is your choice.   If you want God to make you a success you must play by His rules.  Do you think you can be on His team if you keep on deliberately sinning as the world sins?  First, He may have you work on some fundamentals to get you prepared.  He may need to cause certain situations in your life to overcome your lack of confidence, that feeling of unworthiness or inadequacy, so He can build you up.  The events you are given may not be pleasant.  God will look at your reaction.  Do you remain positive, with a can-do attitude?  If not He may have to allow more unpleasant things to occur and see how you handle them.  Did you think making the team was going to be easy?  Read what the Apostle Paul had to go through to be on God’s team. 

Is it worth it, you may ask?  That is the question you must ask yourself.  Do you want God to make you a success or are you going to go through life just getting by?  Your chances improve by reading your Bible daily and praying continually.  Allow the Holy Spirit that is in you to give you guidance and check you before making wrong decisions.  Why do you think God gave you His Spirit if He did not want to help you become the best you can be?  In turning out for basketball would you have felt okay if you were rated number 30 every time?  Do you realize it is the devil who wants you to think you are just no better than number 30?  Being a child of God everyone can be number one on His team.  But you must keep playing by His rules no matter how holy and righteous you may become.  Many athletes, with tremendous ability, often think they are good enough that they don’t have to work very hard to get better and it hurts the team.

Having spent over 30 years in management and supervising thousands of people over time I looked for the same qualification in promoting those into management positions.  It was their character, their work ethic, discipline, reliability, attitude, confidence, pride in their work and their relationship with other people.  One of the greatest assets was their willingness to prepare.  Basketball required preparation.  Being on God’s team required studying the Bible, developing a relationship with Him through prayer.  At work, preparation required reading management books, going to seminars and continually doing things to help become a better leader.

God does not guarantee everyone can become an NBA player, especially if you are only 5 feet tall.  Your height did not prevent you from becoming a doctor.  However, you can make the choice.  If you really study your Bible and pray, God will help you become the best you can be.  Are you willing to make that commitment?  It starts with discipline and preparation.  Then allow the Holy Spirit to take over.  His God-given purpose is there to help you, if you will let Him.  It is Satan that wants to convince us that we are failures.  Reject him!

Genesis 1:28 – “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  God provided everything they could ever want or need in the Garden.

Deuteronomy 8:18a – “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power* to get wealth,…”  *(ability, talents, confidence) –power defined  You are given the ability to obtain it.  It is not given as a gift.

Psalm 35:27b – ““Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”  God is pleased at our success.  Make His team and let Him bless you.

If we are getting close to the end times, who would God select to be the next president? Possibly 85% of Americans do not believe God has anything to do with selecting a president.  I do!  Let’s take a hypothetical illustration and see what your choice would be.  If we were getting close to the end times and the Bible predicts there will be a one world government, who would of the two, God choose to destabilize financially and disarm America to loose our superpower status in the world?  Will the selection depend upon God’s time-plan for the world to end?

No one knows who God will select regardless of their dreams. Dreams are often influenced by evil powers to deceive.  We do not know positively that we are getting closer to the end times.  But Christ told us what to look for and most Christian theologians agree we are seeing those signs indicating the end could be near.  The direction we are now going indicates we could be running off a cliff financially.  We see no evidence that President Obama is going to change direction in foreign policy or economic philosophy.

Romans 13:1 – “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (NIV) You would have to believe God continues to be in control of what happens in the universe; otherwise you should stop reading any further.

Consider, if we are getting closer to the end, which of the two candidates would fit into God’s plan to allow a change to permit a world government? Is there any question?  Matthew 24:3 – 8 – “Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, ‘Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?’  Jesus told them, ‘Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.  Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.  But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” (NLT)

Let’s look at other warnings given in the Bible as to what will occur as we come closer to the end times.  Our first sign was the establishment of Israel in 1948 as a nation.  Another sign was the six day war of 1967. For 1,906 years Jerusalem was a divided city among nations.  The war with Egypt, Syria, Jordan and the PLO allowed Israel to retake Jerusalem that had been their nation’s capital.  It had been Israel’s capital and Temple City since 1004 BC when it was established by King David and was taken over by Rome in 70 AD and destroyed.  It remains a holy city to Judaism, Christianity and Islam today under Israeli control.

Assume you have an American president who believes that everyone in the world deserves independence and freedom in a socialistic society.   Would God select a president to build up America or one to change it from its original purpose?  We know there are many who believe the best solution to man’s problems is for everyone on earth to be equal financially.  For that to occur many believe it would take a one-world government and a one-world religion. There would be no rich nations or poor nations.  They would take wealth from the rich nations and give it to those that are poorer.  The world would then be more equal and we would eliminate anyone being poor.  There are some among us who believe this is possible but the Bible says there will always be those who are poor.  However, there will be a one-world government but for the wrong reasons.  Not for what you think but for the power and control it would provide to those who think they know better what everyone needs.  Indications are government wants to have complete control over what each individual does, even what they eat and how much they drink at a time.

The Israelites rejected having judges who received guidance from God.  They wanted to be like all other nations and have a king. They wanted laws, an army and a human leader.  They no longer wanted to rely on God and His appointed judges.  They thought a new system of government would improve their nation.  It was their disobedience to God that a king was allowed. Had the Israelites submitted to God’s leadership, they would have prospered beyond their greatest expectations as Scripture suggests.

Does this story sound anything like what we have seen happening in America the past few years?  Would you say that America has rejected God as our supreme leader?  Have we refused to let God lead us, our family and our government?   Are we Americans living more like the pagan world lives? Do we want to be more like European nations?  What difference, if any, do you see between the Israelites during Samuel’s time and a number of American politicians today?  Are we seeing less crime and an improvement in morality?  Are we seeing a spiritual revival in the world?

If we are to take the Bible literally that would also mean God has an obligation to curse anyone who curses Israel as quoted in Gen. 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  Is Scripture implying cursing and blessing individuals or would this apply to nations? When I am presented with facts, throughout history those nations who attacked Israel were retaliated against, it must include nations. Therefore, should we not be concerned when our government is not supportive of Israel? The U.S. failed to support Israel in the blockade of Palestine and President Obama wanted them to give up covenant land. Should we not expect God to fulfill His promise? In the past it is possible that God has used hurricanes and other natural disasters to tell us to be supportive of Israel as we have previously written with extensive facts. Thus, I suggest that if previous hurricanes were the curse, as many believe, then this year we might expect some tremendous damage and we have.  We have had record flooding, drought, failed crops, record tornadoes, heat waves and forest fires.  It is also possible that the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico could have been the result of a curse. It all boils down to God must keep His promise that He made in Genesis 12:3.

Consider the Arab Spring, the rioting and armed conflict.  We hear of Iran, Russia, China and others building up greater armies and weaponry.  Are we not hearing rumors of war?  Scripture says in the end times all sorts of natural disasters will occur.  Christ says there will be signs and that if we read the sign we will know when the end is getting near.  Satan does not want us to realize we are getting closer to the end time.  I believe to deceive people he inspired the global warming or climate change belief. This will cover up what the signs are really telling us about the end drawing neigh.

So why do I believe President Obama could be the one that God selects?  The way we are headed will place us in a very poor condition to intervene in the world’s problem.  President Obama policies would probably be more likely to put us on a road to financial collapse.  This fits in with Scripture telling us we are headed for that one-world government and a one-world religion.  Could you ever see this occurring with a financially healthy, positive, superpower America?  I believe if President Obama is our next president we have only a number of years before God determines the Tribulation.  That fits with the signs of the time.  If he is not re-elected it could be possible that God plans to let the world go on longer.  This is why I believe God will select the next president depending on when He wants the end to come.

How do we handle what is ahead?  The closer we get to the finish line the more committed and obedient we must become to God’s will and ways.  We need to approach each day more positive than the day before.  We must be examples as Christians, that we are winners and not victims.  To get many to see what Christ has done in our lives we need to continually be upbeat.  I believe there can be a great spiritual renewal ahead.  God is going to give everyone one last chance before it is over regardless who becomes president and Christians must be ready to participate.  Christians have tremendous opportunities ahead of them.  Prepare immediately to take advantage of the ministry God will make available for each one of us.  Whoever God allows to become president we need to accept him.  No matter what, we must pray for our country and our leaders daily.  Trust God’s planning; it will work!  Did you make a choice?