In the past two months I have had hits from 71 different nations receiving my bi-weekly blogs.  Some countries I have never heard of before.  I had no idea of the outreach my writings would go.  We have had over 6,000 years of recorded history and why did it take so long for computers and the Internet to be discovered?  We think of our latest technology inventions over the past fifty years as being so necessary that if they were taken away it would shut down the global economy.

In 1900s the majority of workers were on the farm.  It took six people to do an average task.  Today it takes one to do the same job because of the modernization of machinery.  In the 1960s it use to take 50 people for us to take a merchandise inventory done manually in an average national chain store.  Today, less than ten people can do the same job in about half the time with wands and hand-held computing.  Why has it taken so long to learn how to build equipment to improve productivity in every work area?  Are we more intelligent today than they were 1000s of years ago?  Or, could it be that God held back technology development because it would lead to the world’s moral destruction.  Could this have been the downfall of those living in Noah’s time whom the flood destroyed?  Were they too intelligent for their own good?  Maybe we are being set up for a one-world government as described in Revelations.

We have men in power in most every nation, including the United States, who are doing everything possible to prepare for a one-world government.  This could never have been a possibility without the development of the Internet.  There is no longer any need to go to a bank or write a check.  Within a short period of time there will be no need for money.  All buying and selling can be done over the Internet and at anywhere in the world because of it reaching world-wide.  The dollar will no longer be the world’s trading currency.  It is just a matter of time.

On my e-mail site it gives a list of different sites available.  I can click on one and get YouTube.  I went to that site and it offered a number of sites that were very suggestive.  Anyone at any age, living in any country, could easily watch what was available.  We are corrupting the morality of people of all ages everywhere.  Whatever one wants to watch it seems to be available.  With the cruelty shown in games, on TV, in movies and in books it is causing a world’s society to become numb to violence. It is almost seen as acceptable if you can get away with crime.  But are we not entering the end of time as the Bible says we would and that we would be able to tell by the signs?  Can you not see the signs?

The sixth 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 short period.

It is anticipated that there will be evil rulers with no conscience, who use their power to destroy those considered their enemies.  I believe God is allowing an example as we witnessed this past year and currently in Syria rulers who could do anything one could imagine to stay in power.  If you want to see what an evil leader can do watch today’s TV news.

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 will be evident in every country on earth.  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. How much of this was partly caused by what they have been watching on the Internet, TV and movies?

It is believed, when we hope the church is raptured, a radical ideology or theology will change the world when all restraints are removed and fanatical teachers spread their beliefs.  A worldwide anti-God movement will exist.  This will include the continual teachings of evolution, situation ethics (no absolute rules), moral freedom and self-sufficiency (man is not accountable to anyone), sexual permissiveness (everything is acceptable), and death education (there is no life after death).   How much of this will be emphasized as a result of the Internet?  For everything positive that the Internet provides there is a ton of potential for evil.  But how else was Satan to deceive the world without having the availability of the Internet, TVs and movies to spout his deception and evilness?  How long would the world have lasted if all of these inventions occurred 1800 years ago?  Are they truly the blessing that most of us believe they were meant to be?  What are your thoughts?  Do you agree or disagree?

A person professing to be a Christian who has not changed their attitude and behavior after accepting Christ is not a Christian.  To become a Christian the Bible states one must repent of their sins and begin a new spiritual direction.  Becoming a Christian requires change.  That progress may be rapid or gradual.  But without change you will continue to live as the world lives and that is not scripturally acceptable.  The process of working out one’s salvation must begin immediately, once a person has asked for forgiveness and accepted Christ as their Savior.

II Philippians 2:12 – 13 – “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,  for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

We must emphasize we are not to work for our salvation as it comes from God’s grace and is a gift not something that we can earn.  Believing one can work for their salvation has caused many to live a chaotic life.  That becomes a form of legalism which so many believers try to promote.  We must never believe that making a mistake or having sinned will prevent us from entering heaven.  Salvation will not make us perfect and the Bible teaches that our sins, past and future have been forgiven.  However, working out one’s salvation does require commitment and determination to persistently live to please God.

We are to guard against what the world teaches and not be influenced by its temporary pleasures that we know are wrong.  The love of power, money, fame or sexual lusts can cause a Christian continual frustration.  We must not deliberately sin.  We will have enough problems with “missing the mark” or “sin by omission”.

We are told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  We must work with reverence and doing so seriously.  Becoming a Christian may be easy but living a Christian life is not so easy.

I Peter 5:8 – 11 – “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power forever and ever. Amen!”

Lions attack the young, sick, those struggling and animals who are not alert or who are alone.  The time to be most aware of Satan is when we feel persecuted or suffering.

Don’t allow fears to distract you from pleasing God in your attitude and behavior.  There are no shortcuts to working out one’s salvation.  We must just be careful in what we believe and in how we live.  We must continue to be cautious and focus our attention and devotion onto Christ.  God does not expect us to work out our salvation on our own.  If you try you could become frustrated and discouraged as I have seen a number of Christians try to do.  If your temperament is being a perfectionist you could become depressed very easily.  Satan will bombard you with doubts and temptations regularly.  We cannot allow him to question our salvation and our faith.

I believe a part of working out one’s salvation is receiving the Holy Spirit.  Most believe the Holy Spirit comes automatically once a person accepts Christ as their Savior.  I do not.  We may receive salvation in our head but not into our heart.  Acts 8:14 – 17 – “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.  When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 13:3 – 8 – “Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.’” The parable is about people accepting Christ as their Savior.   Did they all receive the Holy Spirit or just the ‘seeds’ who were planted in good soil?

I have seen too many Christians struggling because they did not receive the ‘power’ to overcome their sinful natures that the Holy Spirit provides.  Many are continually discouraged and wary.  They live in constant worry and fear that they will not have enough money to meet their debts, or concerned about their job, their families, health, politics, etc.  Their lives are in a continual state of stress.  The Bible tells us that once we receive the Holy Spirit we will have God’s help in everything we do.  Why don’t they have the peace and joy that God promises?  This is why I believe working out our salvation includes making sure that we receive the Holy Spirit to assist us through every phase of life and every problem we will ever encounter.  God knew we could not please Him on our own.  Therefore, He will give us the Holy Spirit to guide us in the working out of our salvation.  We are required to read the Bible and put into practice what we are taught and inspired to do, by Scripture and the Holy Spirit that lives within us.  Do not let Satan or his emissaries cheat you out of your faith and let you fail to receive the Holy Spirit.

What if after death you find that you missed heaven?  Here are some Scriptures you may never hear in church.  Matthew 7:13 – 14 – “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.  But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” NLT

You may believe that the gate is wide and all you have to do is accept Christ as Lord, accept Him as your Savior and that is all that is required.  Therefore, many Christians struggle with must I work my way to heaven or isn’t God’s grace sufficient.  Once my sins are forgiven are there further requirements?

Salvation is not necessarily a feeling.  It is God’s promise that if we accept Christ, we commit and surrender to Him; He will allow the Holy Spirit to enter into our lives.  Once we receive the Holy Spirit we may experience an immediate or a gradual change to become more like Christ in our disposition, kindness, gentleness and love.  Everyone may not recognize having acquired the Holy Spirit the same way.  My personal experience was that I wanted to change so that I could please God.  Tremendous changes took place in my life almost immediately.  Changes I had tried to do on my own and did not have the will power to do so.

Matthew 7:21 – 23 – “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”

The requirement to enter heaven is that we must actually do the will of God in order to be accepted.  The question would be: Does every professing Christian live by and do God’s will?  It sounds like prophesying, casting out demons and performing miracles will not necessarily assure a Christian that they will automatically become a member of God’s family.

Matthew 10:38 – 39 – “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.  If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”  Christ is telling us that we must identify with Him.  We must be willing to suffer and face death, if necessary, as a testimony that Christ is Who He says He is. We are to be His witnesses.  If we live by the ways of the world we could lose our relationship with God.  Are we allowing leisure, popularity, financial security, power, fame and the world’s lusts control us?  If we cling to the life of the world we could lose our eternal life with God.

Matthew 12:32 – “Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.”  Every person must know the unpardonable sin.  How we treat the Holy Spirit that is within a Christian is extremely important.  Yet, many either do not recognize He is with us or we intentionally ignore Him.  This may be a deliberate hardness of the heart.  It is the belief that anyone committing the unpardonable sin will never ask for forgiveness.  Ignoring the guidance of the Holy Spirit will most likely reject the requirement of repenting or reversing direction of one’s life from being worldly to being spiritual.

Matthew 12:36 – 37 – “And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.  The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”  Jesus reminds us that what we say tells what is in our heart.  This reveals what our heart is focused on.  We must allow the Holy Spirit to change our thinking by giving us a new attitude and a different motivation.

Matthew 15:8 – 9 – “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.”  God requires that we do more than just act religious.  More is required than just reading and studying the Bible.  We must live according to God’s will and this is to develop the mind of Christ and deny our self-centeredness, become humble as a servant and follow the teachings of Christ.

Matthew 18:3 – 4 – “Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.  So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”  Many Christian are similar to the Apostles.  They want positions in Christ’s kingdom.  Our earthly natures can exempt us from eternal destinies.  We can become so concerned about becoming someone that we lose perspective of our future in eternity.  We must see ourselves as team members and be willing to do whatever the team needs.  Christ stressed the importance of humility and having sincere hearts.  Matthew 20:26b-28 – “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 24:9 – 14 – “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.  And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.  Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved.  And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.”  All over the world Christians are facing persecution and death.  There are false teachers preaching health and prosperity only.  Their messages are what people want to hear.  They tell you such as: God wants you to be rich.  If you have enough faith you will never get sick.   There is really no sin or hell.   God tells us He wants us to have an abundant life but that means loving Him with all of our heart and others as ourselves and He will meet our needs.  If we do not focus on Christ and times get severe, we could be one of those who could fall away.  If that were to happen, our Christianity was probably in our heads and never in our hearts where it must be.

Hebrews 13:5b – 6 – “For God has said, ‘I will never fail you.    I will never abandon you.’   So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.   What can mere people do to me?’”  Christians who are materialistic do not trust God to take care of them.  Insecurity can lead to money, which can become the root of one’s spiritual problems.  A Christian with a heart experience will find contentment in all things.

Doug Lee and I wrote a book, “God and the Bottom Line”.  We believe people can become whatever they desire to be.  Doug uses his experiences as a pro playing basketball for the NBA New Jersey Nets, the Sacramento Kings and a CEO.  My experience comes from being in management with Birds Eye Frozen Foods and Montgomery Ward.  Here is what our experience has taught us:

Everyone is motivated by the need to satisfy four basic spiritual needs: Everyone, conscious of it or not, longs to be loved by God and to love God in return; everyone needs to be unconditionally accepted by God, the way a parent accepts a child; everyone yearns to have an identity to be special in God’s eyes; and everyone needs a spiritual purpose in life, and serving God is the only purpose worthy of our best efforts.

Because these needs are instinctive, people are only aware of a void in their lives that longs to be fulfilled. Those who are influenced by their worldly natures try to satisfy spiritual needs with physical acts. Hence, a person who instinctively longs for God’s love attempts to satisfy the longing with physical love. The same person longs for acceptance, identity, and purpose and seeks to fulfill these needs the same way.

As a longtime manager and consultant, I’ve had the opportunity of working with many different people, each unique in personality, talents, temperaments, and career circumstances. It is safe to say that no two people are exactly alike. However, in time, one begins to see the overall sameness that lies beneath the surface, at the heart, or core, of individual needs. When people’s individual needs are reduced to the lowest common denominator, business and career circumstances have a way of becoming incidental, even superfluous.

Some of those I have worked with could be described as “frenzied” in their efforts to satisfy their spiritual needs. Some sought to fill the need to be loved by engaging in multiple love affairs. Several tried to satisfy the need for acceptance and personal identity by joining every group imaginable, including sign-toting, do-good organizations; political action groups; hobby or special interest groups; and/or immersing themselves in their careers or any number of “causes.”

Then again, not everyone searches for spiritual answers like this. I’ve worked with others who seemed to simply give up and withdraw. Their unfulfilled needs to be loved and accepted left them detached and embittered. They had no clear identity or purpose in life save getting by from day to day. In effect, they sulked like unhappy children.

The spiritual needs that motivate some to engage in a misdirected and undiscerning search and others to withdraw can never be satisfied by physical acts, no matter how well-intentioned they might be. Instinctive spiritual needs can be satisfied only by spiritual means, and the recovery process can take some time. Nevertheless, recovery and fulfillment begins with the single, life-changing decision to serve Christ and yield daily to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

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

A person may have motivation but it takes discipline to achieve goals.  Was there ever a time that you decided what in life who you want to be or what you wanted to do?  Have you accomplished it?  Doug decided that he wanted to excel in basketball.  He realized that two things would help him reach his goal.  It would take self-discipline and preparation.  He was determined to prepare by shooting as many as 500 baskets a day.  If that required shoveling snow off the pavement he would do so.  If you want to be an accomplished pianist you must be motivated to practice continually.  My objective was to develop leadership skills and become a part of management.  Besides my college major, I read probably fifty books on management and leadership and attended that many seminars. This was in addition to reading the Bible daily and constantly studying for my Bible class that I taught. How willing have you been in preparing for your advancement? What may you expect if the only thing you do is show up for work or school?

You may set other goals such as becoming debt free.  Indebtedness probably resulted from a lack of self-discipline.  You may be motivated but have you set a plan or budget and had the discipline and determination to work your plan?  Then what are your chances of meeting that goal?

The problem with establishing goals is when we begin, the initial wave of enthusiasm passes, and it will, there is an inclination to settle into a kind of treadmill mentality.  Once preparation begins, the excitement soon passes, life returns to dealing with the day to day pressures that surround us.  So before any more steps are taken we need to learn how to maintain momentum and stay charged.

A person who is truly committed must believe that God is in complete control.  No matter what situation you may find yourself accept that the Holy Spirit is with you.  One thing that Scripture and the Holy Spirit taught us was how God expected us to live as a Christian.  There are certain things we must do and many we must not to do.

We have found that living a holy life requires a lot of self-discipline.  However, living as God instructs makes life much more bearable, easier to achieve goals and is more satisfying.  Never forget the need for setting goals, making a plan to meet that goal, then preparing, having the self-discipline and determination to never quit until it is reached.

Wouldn’t you like to know that the Bible says there will never be an end to the United States?  Or, does it?  Many theologians interpret Scripture differently but you make the decision.  Is the Bible describing America or another kingdom?

Daniel 2:24 – 49 – Daniel is asked to tell King Nebuchadnezzar what his dream meant.  In the king’s dream stood a large statue that was awesome in appearance.  Daniel can describe the statue and define what each part means as follows:

1. The head was pure gold and Daniel said it stands for the Babylonian Empire and King Nebuchadnezzar.  They were the world’s power.
2. The silver chest of the statue represents the Persian Empire which shall conquer the Babylonians and did in 539 B.C.
3. The statues belly and thighs made of bronze would be the Greek Empire and that happened in 334 B.C.
4. The iron legs shall be the Roman Empire and they were in 63 B.C.
5. The feet of clay and iron stood for the breakup of the Roman Empire into strong nations (iron) and weak nations (clay).
6. The United Kingdom represented the strong nations and they controlled a major territory around the world in Africa, Asia, Australia, North America and beyond.  From there we find it broken up into individual nations, strong and weak ones.

Daniel 2:44 – “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

Which kingdom will stand forever and will never be destroyed?  Are we talking about God’s kingdom or is it the United States as many believe?

You choose: Is it God’s Kingdom or the United States that is in Daniel’s dream.  Assume you have an American president who believes that everyone in the world deserves independence and freedom.   Would they build up America or tear America down?  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.  They then would take wealth from the strong nations and give it to those that are weaker.  The world would then be equal.  There are some among us who believe this is not possible and 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 know better what everyone needs to be healthy and happy.

You may understand why this verse can be interpreted so many different ways.  If you believe this Scripture is illustrating the United States you may want to build her up rather than tear her down.  If you believe in a one-world government you may want to get people fighting among themselves through the Marxist method of divide and conquer.  Use any crisis that develops to take control.  Promote the fear of man-made climate change and you can destroy big oil and their money & power over the world.  Big oil/gas could stop the progression to a one-world government.  Promote promiscuity and immorality, so the church cannot interfere and cause the family unit to fail.  If you don’t see Satan at work toward the one world government and religion it is only because you are not reading your Bible.

If there is a one-world government and an Antichrist as the Bible says, then America will come to an end.  Therefore, I believe we are talking about the kingdom that Jesus will rule for a thousand years and then take us with Him to a new earth and a new heaven.

The Antichrist, who will rule, will come from the European Union which now consists of 27 nations.  He shall be a Jew.  For example, George Soros is a Jew, by birth, but not the Antichrist.  President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a Jew, by birth, but not the Antichrist. They also are not of the European Union but examples of Jews who are anti-Semitic. The Antichrist could be one of many.  Therefore, I cannot accept anywhere in the Bible that it refers to America.

It has always amazed me throughout history and today how many people Satan has been able to deceive.  I hope I am wrong and Daniel is prophesying that it is America and we are the world’s answer to peace, individual freedom and longevity.   Are we on the right path for that to happen?  If you believe socialism is the answer, entitlements and big government similar to what we see in Europe is what we want; then we will play a part in that one-world government.  But remember, there will be one dictator who will remove all personal rights and freedoms. You then must have a mark in order to buy or sell. Everyone will be treated equally if you accept his rules and accept the religion that He will require. How did you choose? For myself, I prefer what we have had for the past 230 plus years but, some day there will be an end to the U.S.  How soon will that be?  Your choice could make a difference!

Did you have a perfect childhood?  Have things happened that have caused you tremendous shame and guilt?  Have you felt unworthy, unloved, rejected, feel mistreated, abused, abandoned, not good enough, stupid, ugly and alone and are looking for a life of contentment? Have you craved attention and have been willing to do most anything to become accepted?  Have you tried alcohol, drugs, being promiscuous to satisfy your imperfections and life only became worse?   What do you think your chances are of being a happy and a lovable person?  Do you feel your life is too damaged to be repaired and overcome all of the negatives? Have you given up hope and believe this will be your life forever?  What are the chances your life will change if you dwell on the past?  If you want a new life, you must start all over.  Is that possible?  Tell me: “How do I erase all of my past bad memories”?  The sad thing is you probably can’t.  However, there is someone who can help.  The reason He can is because He knows more about you than you know about yourself.  Christ is the one person who can give you complete hope in the future.  You have been developing yourself for living life in this world.  Think about preparing for eternity and what that would take.

First you must believe that Christ is really the Son of God.  Eleven of Christ’s closest followers were willing to die violent deaths because of their belief that He was Who He stated.  The Bible records the death of the Apostle 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.  History tells us 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.  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 Who He said He was. Would these apostles be willing to die for a lie?  Would you?  Following is more evidence:

After Christ’s death and resurrection, 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 would baptize them with power.  “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.”   “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.  A short time later, 8,000 mostly Jews, were converted to Christianity.  Today, there are close to two billion Christians who believe Christ is who He says He is.  How much evidence does one need?

You must be willing to trust, by faith, there is someone that has the ability to forgive every sin that you have ever committed and can eradicate all guilt.  But, you must also believe there are evil spirits and evil people who want you to think that you can change nothing and you will always be hopelessly lost.  From the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden, everyone has been given a choice as to their final destiny.  The majority of the world rejects the one who can truly bring you hope and happiness.  He will tell you that the only way you can find happiness is by putting yourself above everyone else and not submitting or being accountable to anyone but you.  How have you done so far on your own?  Do you want someone to help you get a better life?  How about the One who created you?  Do you think He can straighten your life out?  It doesn’t make any difference whether we are a Christian or a non-believer.  If we cannot feel forgiven and have a complete “born again” experience we can be saddled with an unhappy and unfulfilled life forever.  Yet, life was not meant to be lived that way.

What is that “born again” experience?  It is called surrendering one’s self-centeredness and starting a new life free from everything in the past that has been negative.  There is only one way to obtain that new start.  It is to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  To some that may sound too radical and too simplistic.  How can I be sure it will work?  The first step may be the hardest—it requires faith to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He came to earth to die in our place for the sins we have committed.  If we have the faith to accept Him as God’s Son, believe that He can forgive us and we are willing to repent (change how we have been living and live as Christs teaches—Luke 13:5 – “No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”), we can start life all over with a clean slate having had all of our sins and guilt erased.  God knows you cannot change your life on your own and become a new person without help.  He promises that once we accept Christ, God will put His Spirit into our lives to help us progressively become a new person with a tremendous future having advantages in front of us.

From my own experience the Holy Spirit is within to help us, gradually change our thinking and how to see life from a different perspective.  If we will allow, the Holy Spirit will help us change all the things we were doing trying to buy or find true happiness.

Now, to make it all work we need to be held accountable.  Mark 12:30 & 31 – “’And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’  The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

The more you love God and others the more accountable you will be in living your life.  We want to please those we love the greatest.  Pleasing them requires living a life that we know they would want us to live.  Loving God and others gets our minds off of ourselves, sometimes our biggest down fall.  So if we live for God and others, rather than ourselves we will be able to live as our Creator wanted us to live.  When we live like that there comes a joy, happiness and a fulfillment that we did not have living for ourselves.  Everything that we did, wanting to find that acceptance, happiness and love is replaced by knowing that we are pleasing God and others in how we live.

This does not mean you will no longer have any problems.  But there will always be that Spirit within you to give you reassurance, council and assist in working through any situation you may encounter.  Knowing you are not alone, there is always someone who loves you, can bring you that new life and you can start all over again.  It is never too late to start as Satan wants us to believe.

What if every morning you got out of bed to face a new day and said a prayer being thankful that you were still alive.  If you went to work and daily thought about, this could be your last one; would there be any stress or uneasiness?  This must be how the people of Israel must deal with life.

What if you had neighbors on both sides of your home threatening one day to kill you?  When you solicited support everyone refused to help or do anything about it.  How long would you stay in your home?  What if a “dirty bomb” were exploded in New York City?  Then the CIA reported that there were possibly 20 more located somewhere in the U.S. and possibly more in New York City.  Would you consider moving to New York City or out of the country?

Israel a tiny country that was established in 1948 had a population of 1,174,000 by 1949.  By 2000 the population had grown to 6,289,000.  It is now about 7,836,000 in 2012.  It doesn’t seem rationale that people would move into a situation where such tensions exist daily.  The only explanation is that the Old Testament said the Jews would return to their homeland.  Another prophecy that is being fulfilled.

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

The Old Testament predicts that Israel will be attacked from the north.  They point out that Russia and Iran will lead other nations and God would defeat them and protect Israel.  Were the Iranians to launch a nuclear strike on their own against Israel’s defense, many believe Israel could retaliate and it is possible that Iran could be obliterated.  At least Tehran and most of the major population centers in Iran.   Many believe it would be suicide for Iran, but people with an apocalyptic world view may be willing to take the chance in order to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth.  But why would Israel want to start a war when the Bible tells them that God will directly intervene in their defense by causing severe natural disasters on those coming from the north. 

The above possibilities are affecting the entire world.  A result is the ridiculously high gas prices.  Some believe it could reach prices so high that it would slow the world’s economy and affect stock markets globally.  What would happen to economies and markets if Israel were to attack Iran?  It might delay the expansion of nuclear armament for a short time only because of the limited amount of destruction they would cause.  It is also possible that a strike on targeted nuclear sites would be the thing that the Bible says will draw Iran, Russia and others to attack Israel.

One hope that we see is sanctions on Iran by the United States and the European Union.  Beginning July 1^st the European Union has said they would join in a boycott of Iranian oil.  Many oil shippers have recently refused to sail into Iranian ports.  Other shipping companies have cut back considerably on the amount they are carrying.  The role of oil in the Iranian economy generates 50% of government revenues and over 20% of the Gross Domestic Product.  In addition, U.S. sanctions are being placed on access to international finance requiring them to trade gold and staples with Russia and China.  This is causing consumers to spend less than normal.  An economic crisis could cause President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be replaced.  He is in major disagreement with Iranian parliament and some of the nations clerical.

There are so many challenges facing the world today that it has had a tendency to slow the global economy.  In addition to what normally happens during an election year, we have a U.S. and a sovereign debt crisis in Europe, tension from Iran’s growing nuclear armament and the oil/gas escalating prices.  We also have a world that has gotten so far away from the Ten Commandments that it makes one wonder what God’s plan for the world really is at this particular time in history.  My biggest concern is that the United States is not referred to in the Bible as coming to the rescue of Israel or whether it will even continue to exist.  It seems like this might be a good time for an American spiritual revival!  Those start with prayer asking God to help us change our lives, worship Him and treat others as we would like to be treated.  Any volunteers?

This time of the year over a billion will participate in Easter and millions will take time to remember the Jewish Passover.  Christians believe God used the Passover as a time for the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ to take the place of the Jewish Passover.  The Passover starts April 6, 2012 and Easter is April 7, 2012.   Therefore, Christ’s Resurrection was to replace the remembrance and celebration paid to the Passover.

I Corinthians 5:7 – “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us.”  (NKJ)  Do you think the Crucifixion and Resurrection was a coincidence that just happened at that specific time?

Paul reminds us that Passover commemorated the time God passed over all the Israelites and sent the death angel to kill all first-born in the land of Egypt.  Christians take this time to remember the Crucifixion and Resurrection when Christ willingly shed His blood as a substitute for sinful man so he could be redeemed through the acceptance of Jesus as God’s Son with the ability to forgive sins.   Without the Resurrection and the forgiveness of sins, no one could have escaped the ultimate death of man’s spirit.  So it was Christ who took our place, so man’s sins could be forgiven and sinful man could be redeemed and be judged righteous.

I Peter 1:18 – 21 – “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,  but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”  NIV

Peter states that Christ was foreordained to be our redeemer before the foundation of the world.  He did not die on the cross by accident.  The shedding of His blood was God’s plan from the very beginning.  As redeemed we are to live with faith and hope in God.  Our God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and is the same God whom we believe.  Faith is the key word in a Christian’s lifestyle.  “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.”  (Hebrews 11:6) – We come to Christ by faith, we are saved by faith and we must live by faith.  Not only are we to live with faith, we are to live a life of hope.  Hope came by the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we may live with God in eternity.

As a result of Adam and Eve being deceived by Satan and having sinned against God, became cursed and separated from God as He had stipulated and promised would happen.  As a result, we all were born with a carnal, self-centered nature separated from God.  No one, no matter how much they worshipped God or lived a Godly life, prior to the Resurrection could become a part of God’s family—they were separated.  Upon death, God’s people went to Seoul, Abraham’s bosom or Paradise until they could be forgiven by Christ.  They then were released to heaven to be with God and a part of His family.   Others who were not God’s people and died, the Bible teaches went to a place of torment.

From the creation of Adam God did not want a robot.  Everyone had to make a choice between what was considered good and what was determined to be bad.  With everything conceivable needed by man being available in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve made the wrong choice.  God had made one thing off limits in order for them to be given a choice.  We have a similar choice today.  We can accept Christ as the Messiah or we can deny and reject Him and/or God.  It is our choice.

For those who question that Christ was God’s Son or that He was not resurrected and spent forty days with His many disciplines, history states that over 500 witnessed Christ being alive after having been crucified on a cross.  The Bible tells that Mary Magdalene was the first, before sunrise on what Christians call Easter Sunday, found the rock rolled away and the tomb empty.  She ran and told Peter and John.  They came and confirmed what she had told them.  The second time that Mary looked into the tomb she saw two angels sitting where Jesus had been laid.

Matthew 28: 1 – 2 – “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.”  The guards who were posted to make certain no one could remove Christ’s body stood in fear and seemed paralyzed.  The angel told Mary and the others: Matthew 28:5 – 7 – “But the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.’”

Now we must ask this question: Has the great deceiver Satan, turned Easter into an Easter egg hunt, bunnies and parades so that we would miss the significance of what Passover and the Resurrection really stood for?  Many will celebrate Easter but most will not understand its significance.  To some it is just another religious holiday.  To children it could be just a fun day to hunt for eggs.  However, to God, it was a time set aside for man to remember Christ’s sacrifice, its purpose and to worship their Creator. Had Christ and the Resurrection never happened the world could be in such a mess that we could end up in the same evil society as Noah knew.  How many will miss Easter’s intended purpose and fail to thank and worship God?

MY GOD TEACHES LOVE

If you do not believe there is a God and life after death you must depend upon yourself and the government for survival.  If you believe in a God, you probably do not need to depend upon government but rely tremendously upon God’s help and your own accountability.  The God we believe in promises, if we do His “will” He will meet our needs.  Based on the fiscal deficit of governments around the world, I would rather have a God I could believe in and trust to give me guidance in living a good life than anyone else.

Luke 12:24 – 26 – “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?   Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”

I don’t go to bed at night worrying about tomorrow.  I am not stressed out because I don’t drive a Jaguar. I am not concerned about those who predict a reversal of the planet’s magnetic field is going to happen around the time the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012. I don’t believe in the unimaginable horror coming that all of the nuclear plants will meltdown, volcanoes will erupt and we will have flooding of Biblical proportions caused by global warming.  But, of course, we need to be talking about the same God Who makes these promises that we can depend upon that won’t occur until the Tribulation and no one knows that time or day.  Religious radicals have a God who teaches hate and killing.  My God’s love is unconditional and even inconceivable.

Luke 10:27 – “He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  We are told to love God and others as ourselves.  My God teaches not to hate or be revengeful.  We can’t be talking about the same God who is asking for total elimination of everyone not believing as their God teaches.

Love requires obedience.  You are not going to be faithful, committed and obedient to someone you do not love.  The more likely you love God or others, the greater you will be obedient and committed to showing kindness.  You cannot read the Hebrew Bible and not realize in the New Testament Christ, the Son of God, loved His Father God, to the point of dieing willingly to bring a new covenant of grace and love.

Love promotes respect.  A person having problems loving is an individual who will have a difficult time in life and normally a rebellious attitude.  Marriage without a certain amount of unconditional love and respect will struggle. Until we learn to return God’s love, it could be difficult to love one’s neighbor. True love does not concentrate on what not to do but on all we can do to show our love.

If a person struggles with a rebellious attitude it may be because of being unaware of how to love.  A child that has a problem understanding love normally will have a difficult time showing respect to parents and authorities.  Love must be shown and modeled for children to pick up on.  You cannot teach hate and payback and see a person full of God-kind of love.

The Book of Hebrews says one can enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.  There can be temporary benefits from wealth, popularity, status and achievement and be blind to the long-range benefits that God’s kingdom offers.  Believing in a Christian God helps us see beyond the world’s value system to visualize the eternal valves that the Bible promises.

People living without a belief in God may have troublesome times expressing any unconditional love.  I would suspect that the love they know and give requires something in return.  But, of course, that is true of some types of religious people also.  Most people never understand the love God has for them and that He expects us to have that same kind of love.   Just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean you have developed an unconditional love.  I have known a number of Christians who continue to love as the world does.    However, it is a process.  It is something that can be learned and acquired over time.

Having a loving attitude, you don’t take everything personably.  Also the unbearable becomes bearable and in the world’s darkness there is a glimmer of light.  If we believe in Jesus we can accept things that we may not be able to understand and the problems in life that we encounter, we can still remain calm and at peace.  The life we live, to a great degree, depends upon our meaning and understanding of love.  I conclude that those non-believers in the Judeo/Christian God have a different perspective when it comes to love and the treating of others.

There are a number of Jeremy Lin’s and you could be another.

If you are a NBA fan and follow basketball, on radio, in the newspapers and TV sports, they keep talking about Jeremy.  Why didn’t the Golden State Warriors see the potential in him?  Why did they cut him from the squad?  Joe Lacob, one of the Warriors owners, his son played ball with Jeremy in Palo Alto.  He was aware how well Jeremy had done at Harvard.  He knew he was a very smart individual.  But Lin would have made $800,000 and was released to make room on the Warriors’ salary cap.

There are others just like Jeremy Lin having tremendous potential and yet they often get lost in life.  Having worked in nine Montgomery Ward stores and spending 23 of those years as a store manager I have worked with thousands of employees.  Once in a while you find these kinds of people in different organizations.  They often are individuals with innate leadership abilities that just don’t always seem to show.  In fact, they may not realize their own potential.

We hired a thirty year old young lady to work in our shipping-receiving department. She was a little shy and had a somewhat shaky self-image. In spite of this, she was hard working. It was her willingness to chip in wherever needed that caught my attention. I invited her to our weekly sales training meeting. The ball was in her court.  Attending the meeting meant that some of her work would pile up while she was absent, making her job harder. She was not ordered to attend, but by doing so she showed initiative.

She accepted the challenge and began attending the meetings. As she learned, her enthusiasm grew. Then a suppressed personality began to emerge. Instead of being quiet and reserved, she became increasingly outgoing and self-confident. I made her a full-time salesperson and she excelled in the job. Her industriousness had not lessened and now she had become gracious and helpful with customers.

I then asked her to take a commission-selling job, which meant the end of a regular guaranteed paycheck and only minimum pay guaranteed plus commissions. Her initial response was panic! Pushing people too hard or too fast is always risky. Self-confidence can be as fragile as a desert flower—swift to blossom and quick to die. She and her family were in no position to take a financial risk. One week without a normal paycheck could result in a financial catastrophe. As it turned out, the teaching-nurturing training she had gone through was adequate for her to take this next step in her career. She accepted the job. Eighteen months later she was my top commission salesperson. Later she became manager of our furniture department. After I transferred out of that branch, I heard she was managing a large furniture store in Alaska and doing extremely well.

I grew up an only child with little encouragement.  It is possible others didn’t see a lot of potential in me either.  It wasn’t until I began reading and studying the Bible and believing in the promises God was making that my life totally changed. (Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”) Scripture can be the most encouraging information you will ever read.  It was like the Holy Spirit had planned my life and I was following His leading. Positive things just started happening and my confidence grew.  I kept getting promoted and God became more and more important in my life.  I realized that the more I helped others the more they helped me.

Are you one of those individuals with leadership abilities but for some reason have avoided taking risks?  One of the first things I want to find out when arriving in Heaven is to know what my potential was and what could I have accomplished if I had applied myself more.  I did learn that it takes determination, tremendous preparation and hard work to obtain goals.  I also know that most people are unwilling to spend the time or effort to prepare and prefer not having any extraordinary aspirations.  There is little chance of becoming successful in your chosen field if you are not enthusiastic and put forth the effort necessary to become special in what you do.  The first place to start is reading the Bible to understand that the Holy Spirit wants to be your partner and guide you in the direction toward success.

How many Jeremy Lin’s are among us who are extremely capable only needing encouragement and to be discovered?  Parents, you may have a child and with your assistance can make a difference that could become a standout in a career, not necessarily in sports.  Forbes Magazine says there are 1,226 billionaires on the planet.  Think of the potential our young people have today.  Be the one that inspires and puts a spark in the life of others.  That is what Christians are told to do along with spreading the gospel and helping change lives.  Be a fan and find someone to reassure and root for! Maybe that someone could even be you, who knows?

I Corinthians 2:9 – 12 – “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

Ephesians 3:19 – 20 – “and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”