Do you believe God has no plan for your life? Is it because of your background or how you were raised? Why did God allow His Son to be raised by a blue collar working family as a carpenter for His first 30 years? Why were all of His Apostles from working families rather than from religious families or Jewish Rabbis? Does God like to take individuals from insignificant families, like King David and make them special leaders?

Your family, your background does not determine what God has planned for you. In our book, “God and the Bottom Line” leaving room for faith at work; God has a plan for each one of us and that includes whatever work or career we may have. Our work requires our very best as an example of being a Christian. How we work and our attitude tells others about what we believe. Do others see us obeying the Commandments of God to love Him with all of our might and others as ourselves? How we treat others is vital to worshipping God at work.

Proverbs 3:5&6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight,”

We are not to lean on our own understanding. We are to daily read and study the Bible so we know what God wants us to believe. The more we study the Bible the more guidance we receive from the Holy Spirit. John 16:13 – “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
As Christians we are expected to be different from those who live by the world’s rules. We are told by Scripture to be conscientious and loyal, and we are to be positive and encouraging servants. We are to do our best by being dependable and considerate of others. Employers and other employees can easily tell the difference between an excellent employee and a so-so employee. Guess who in most situations get the raises and promotions and set examples for others?

We should never be intimidated by our supervisors or bosses. As Christians the only one we are to fear is God. By not showing respect for those in authority and slacking off in doing our job, we must be afraid of displeasing God.

The apostle Paul says we are to do our best not only when we are being watched but to remember that God is watching us 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.

It is not unusual to work for someone who rarely gives due recognition or added rewards or praise; however, Scripture promises that many of our rewards will be waiting for us in heaven. So be patient; we are continually storing up treasures for eternity.

Paul instructs us as supervisors or leaders that God is not impressed with a person’s position but what we do in that position. Don’t you think God is aware when we abuse our leadership role or cause injustice to be done? God always knows what is going on. The day will come when He will settle up all accounts. God will have the last word!

When I became a Christian and a new person in the Lord, my entire life was changed. God wanted me to hear His message and put it to use. What a surprise I received when those in authority saw the new me. I was treated differently and better. Once I was promoted and became an employer and leader, I could tell who was working for a paycheck, who was a team member, and who followed the same advice I had been given. They were the ones I gave the extra raises and the promotions.

Do you want to improve your chances for success in the workplace? Make God your supervisor and then do whatever you can to please Him through your work and your attitude toward authority and others. God’s promises never fail for those who put into practice what He asks!

It is possible that as many people become converted because of the witness of a co-worker. Have you ever thought that God provided a job for you that you could witness to others? If you are doing your best, treating everyone kindly and doing whatever to help others, do you think they may want what you have? Everyone we come in contact with on the job could be a person put there by God for us to witness to? I am not talking about high pressure salesmanship. If we are to witness, God will open the door and the Holy Spirit will nudge us to respond.

I found that they will ask a question requiring a Scriptural answer. That is God opening the door. Then the Holy Spirit will give me information to respond. But I emphasize, I have to realize that it is God’s plan for my life that I am placed on the job to witness to people. But do not try to witness to a co-worker that God has not opened the door to. Once you have the opportunity to witness then invite them to church. I believe this is God’s plan that ordinary Christians have a mission to share with others.

Many non-believers do not like standards. They hate moral standards, artistic standards and cultural standards. The reason they do not like standards is because standards cause judgment. Most non-believers do not want to be judged. I agree with an article in Investment Business Daily by Dennis Prager. He suggests that if some art it is better than others, your art may be judged inferior. Therefore, all art must be equal. The same is true of people. Thus equal income for everyone.

As I read the article it made me realize why non-believers and many progressives do not want the Bible, Judeo-Christian principles or the original constitution of the U. S. They do not want to believe in a God, because, if they did, that would bring judgment and no one wants to be judged for anything they do. If everyone is doing it; it must be okay to do it.

Romans 12:3 – “ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
The Bible gives us standards to live by. No one wants to feel inferior and no one should. However, many will not tolerate free speech. If you disagree with them, they may believe you think you are smarter or just not informed. They do not want to hear what a Christian thinks or believes.

The Bible tells us that we are to have a healthy self-esteem but we must not over estimate ourselves. The Bible tells us the importance of being humble because of our commitment to Christ. We must never allow ourselves to become self-righteous.

God has given each believer a standard of faith to measure ourselves and that standard is Christ. We are to measure ourselves according to our relationship to Christ. If Christ were our standard we would never have to worry about being humble.

Many believe that the standards Christians live by are in a way is judging how they live. This is a major reason the world hates Christians. John 15:18–21 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”

The Bible says a person was either of the world or of Christ. There was no in between. When John was writing this Gospel, Christians were being persecuted because of the name of Christ.

Authorities could only ask if you were a Christian and if you answered yes, you could be punished by death. Jesus told His followers what they might expect. He told His disciples that the world would hate them. We are seeing more hatred toward Christianity than we have seen in centuries. A mature Christian replaces hate with love. It is a love than only God can give. The world suspects people who are different and non-conformists. A true Christian does not conform to the world’s way.

You may have no idea how hateful many people are who do not believe in Jesus Christ. Under no circumstance do they want to be judged for what they do. If they believed there was a God who promises hell to the sinner, they would absolutely not believe it nor would they change their life-style.

Most of our schools have taken God, the Bible and Judeo-Christians principles out of the class room. They realize that those three require an obedient life and standards to live by. Thus, they create standards and judgments. Rejecting standards there is judgment and a need for punishments. They think no one should be judged or punished. Everyone must be treated equally. They have replaced God with government. With governments help, why would they need a God?

John 7:7b – “but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.”

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” NLT John 10:10 – Satan’s plan is to keep you from having a rich and peaceful life. Christ’s purpose was to give us a rich and satisfying life. Whose plan are you following?

Jesus says that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. When we accept Christ as our Savior, we should expect a new vitality of life. For many, it is a new life worth living. However, too many Christians find their life is extremely stressful. Either they do not understand God’s promises or they do not trust that He will answer our prayers.

Philippians 4:6–7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Too many people become Christians and mistakenly believe they do not have to study Scripture or pray that they can live a godly life on their own. Sadly, they are just professing Christians without the power from God, struggling each day and wondering why living a Christian life is so difficult. They question where the promised joy, peace and love is? They must come to the understanding that the Bible instructs us to surrender our old nature and let the new nature control, which God gives us when we receive the Holy Spirit. God will not force Himself on us. For the power to work, He must control but only with our permission. Are you ready to let Him have that control so you can walk in the Spirit?

We are told to rejoice in the Lord. No matter how bad life becomes or how bleak everything looks, Scripture always says to focus on God. The Lord can restore anything. He asks that we have a heart that is selfless. Do not be anxious about anything and pray, with thanksgiving in your hearts. God will answer giving you a peace that only He can give.

True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. Peace comes from knowing we are citizens of God’s kingdom; we know what our final destiny will be and we can have victory over sin. What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. We are to program our minds with thoughts that are inspiring, encouraging, true, noble right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. We must replace harmful input with wholesome spiritual material.

Christ came to restore us to a life God created uniquely for each of us. That life is to be positive, a meaningful life free from negative fears. He came that He might destroy Satan’s hold on us and freed us from the slavery of sin and the fear of death. Christ, through the Holy Spirit, released us from restrains that hindered our potential and allows us to become what God created us to be and to live the life He planned for us. Satan attacks by providing us with problems that can become tremendously stressful. Chances are stress comes from demonic influence. It is a lack of trust in God and what Christ promised He would do in our lives if we were to trust Him. We need to continually be focused on Christ and know what those promises are.

Doesn’t most stress come from fear? 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” It isn’t unusual for a Christian to be stressed out. If you realize that most times stress results from fear which is based on guilt, a feeling of unworthiness and a belief that we probably deserve punishment. Scripture tells us that if we are fearful and stressful, we probably have not come to the point of having unconditional love in our hearts for God and others which we learn from the Bible.

When God says that Christ died that our sins could be forgiven, wiped clean and no longer remembered, can we trust God to really mean what He promises? Perfect love cannot coexist with fear. Negative fear has to do with death, failure and punishment; it should not be a part of a Christian’s experience. Too many Christians are unwilling to take on certain tasks because they fear failure. If the Holy Spirit leads us to do certain things, why are we fearful to accept the assignment and then get stressed when we do them?

Finally, fear and stress are optional. Scripture tells us that Peter, John and the Apostles feared for their lives when Jesus was crucified. Peter was jailed and he expected to be put to death within days. He was chained to guards when an angel woke him and they together walked out of the prison. The Book of Acts tells us that it was Christ’s resurrection that took away his fear and he became bold in spreading the gospel. When they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, their boldness allowed them to teach Christ’s resurrection to thousands upon thousands. Their witness of seeing Christ being raised from the dead and receiving the Holy Spirit, relieved all stress and made them fearless.

Is there an example in their lives that can apply to ours?

Study the Old Testament and God tells us what He expects of a nation and its people. When they deny Him and worship other objects He does not tolerate it. As I read China is building a number of long-range multiwarhead missiles, Russia continues to increase its nuclear power, North Korea continues to test its long-range missiles and Iran is building missiles and developing nuclear warheads, it becomes of great concern.

We have a president in favor of total nuclear disbarment and he seems to do nothing to establish protection to defend against foreign nations who are increasing their offensive armory. Our military leaders are stating that we need to add at least 1,000 nuclear warheads to our arsenal. In addition, we need to add tactical nuclear forces to our Army and Navy to deter attacks from North Korea and Iran.

Are we being set up to be destroyed?

Judges 10:6–10 “Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. They abandoned the Lord and no longer served him at all. So the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites, who began to oppress them that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites east of the Jordan River in the land of the Amorites (that is, in Gilead). The Ammonites also crossed to the west side of the Jordan and attacked Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. The Israelites were in great distress. Finally, they cried out to the Lord for help, saying, “We have sinned against you because we have abandoned you as our God and have served the images of Baal.” Verse 14 – (God said): “Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!” NLT

What has always made the United States different? The foundation of our country was created on Christian principles to love God and love our neighbor. Sure, many no longer live by Christian principles but it is our constitution, our form of government and the average American’s acceptance, realizing the necessity to conform in order to live in the greatest nation in the world. Though corruption exists there are enough honest, hardworking men and women with the integrity to be productive within the system.

What would happen if the average American were to no longer be guided by Christian beliefs? We would lose our freedom and rely on the government to meet our needs. We would become very much like many of the European nations. Does it sound familiar?

How do we keep America as it has always been? Do we let our government control our economy and enact socialist laws and programs? Or, do we change the hearts of individuals to maintain our freedom and our ingenuity? There is a big difference in philosophies being presented to us during this presidential election time. When do Christians really get earnest in praying for our country and our leadership? When do we start praying that America needs a spiritual revival? We must never let the U.S. not be a Christian nation. The consequences could be disastrous.

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

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

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

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

It is my belief that God is allowing nations to build up forces to punish America just like He has done to Israel so many times. We apparently have a president who does not read the Bible or study history. The only hope we have, is for Americans to repent and ask God for protection.

As I write, the news coverage is about the death of Prince at the age of 57. This past week my daughter was in the hospital, a friend informs me that he has lung cancer and said he may not live past 2016 and another tells me that a lesion has been discovered on his brain. Having had bypass surgery on my heart and my family was told I had a ten percent chance of living and the nurses in ER said to my daughter-in-law, a nurse; I had no chance of living in 2007. When this happens to most individuals your thoughts are usually negative. It seems like you are being influenced by demonic spirits trying to convince you of the worse. However, that is the opposite of what Scripture tells us to do.

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

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

James 5:15- “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”

Then why isn’t everyone that prays healed? We know that prayer is appropriate for every situation and is certainly appropriate in times of suffering and illness. Jesus sent out His disciples with instructions to heal the sick. I believe God answers every prayer. He may not do it in the way we expect or in the time we want. I have personally witnessed a number of individuals who were extremely sick that were healed and I believe was a result of prayer.

Fear! Isn’t it a lack of trust in God? Physical and spiritual walls must be broken through if we are to be free to stretch our endurance, abilities and potential. Athletes learn that they can catch their second wind only when they are willing to go through the pain of breaking through a wall of resistance. Once they push through that physical wall, their task becomes easier and their energy and endurance increase exponentially.

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

How we respond to any given situation tells us a lot about ourselves. Scripture tells us that God allows things to happen so that He can use us as His disciples. God has a plan for each one of us. Therefore, we must ask ourselves, how willing are we to be used? Are we more interested in our plan or in His?

As we study the Bible, those dedicated most to God went through some terrifying circumstances. The Israelites, the prophets, judges, King David, Joseph to name a few who were mistreated, persecuted and faced death continually.

I believe God allows Christians to go through pain, suffering or problems to get us to respond. Scripture says that once we accept Christ as our Savior, God will make us more Christ-like. When a Christian goes through problems, suffering or pain, as in my case, you immediately turn to God. Whatever it takes to drive us closer to a personal relationship with God is actually good for us. I wrote in “Miracle on the Hudson” that when a miracle takes place and a person realizes it, it can change the purpose and direction of their entire life. I have read of service men in a life and death situation promise God that if He will save them, they will live for Him the rest of their lives. Go through serious medical problems and see if you do not become more concerned about life after death and eternity.

We will all have needs, whether they are physical, mental, spiritual or financial. God promises to meet those needs. Yet, we worry and wonder why God, at times, is not meeting our needs. I have prayed with a number of people who seemed that all looked hopeless. They had lost faith and were struggling with why God was not answering their prayers. There is a reason for everything. If you ever find yourself in that situation read the following Scripture: Philippians 4:11b–13 & 19 “For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength… And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

I found myself not only content but trusting that God would do what was best for me and meet my needs. There was not one minute I can remember worrying whether I would continue to live or not. The point I wish to get across is that knowing the Bible teaches that God’s Spirit is with us every second. I trust God completely and know that He loves me and wants what is best for me. Suffering does get our attention and it is great that we know that God is with us to take us through it.

Matthew 6:25–27 & 33 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

These past nine years I have had good health! I lived 32 years after my first bypass with good health. Did God get my attention and has life changed since 1984 and the first operation? You bet! I praise Him that I am still able to work each week and glad that the stock market is doing better.

You must believe what the Bible says; God is in control. The devil can do only what God allows him to do. As a Christian, God’s Spirit is in you. God loves you and knows everything you are planning to do. He also has a plan for your life and wants what is best for you. If you believe this the following is for you.

The reason I write this, I believe God had opened a number of doors and He has closed doors in my life. I can recount numerous times I have been given opportunities that changed my life’s direction. I had no intention of going to college but God encouraged me to get an education and He made it financially possible. That changed my entire life. I am a believer!-

From the moment we were born, God knew if our name was going to be in the Lamb’s Book of Life and we would live with Him in eternity. If we were in it, God had a plan for each one of us and He gave us a temperament to enjoy doing it. We can accept or reject and still stay in the Book! We all know that our body’s carnal and self-centered nature will reject God and His plan at least for a time. It is up to our soul and spirit if we want to accept what God has planned. When we receive Christ as our Savior this requires a commitment and obedience to His will. Once we accept Christ as our Savior, we must prepare for temptations and trials that will come. Probably the stronger our will and the more self-control we have our testing will be greater. We must know God’s purpose and general Will for those who have become Christians before we get to His plan.

I Thessalonians 5:16 – 19 – “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;”

These are important verses for people, especially if they find themselves in troubling times being tested and going through life’s trials. We are to have an attitude of prayer at all times. How else are we to develop a relationship with God? As Evil tempts, the bad decisions we make or problems coming from others, never come from God. However, God allows what happens in our lives, especially if we caused it. But no matter the circumstance we find ourselves in, as believers, the Holy Spirit is with us to check us, inspire, encourage and guide us through it. We are to give thanks that God’s Spirit is there with us. His Spirit can give us peace and joy through any situation. And God’s Will can be fulfilled by each of us. We must learn to trust God completely and in all things. We must believe He is in charge of everything in our lives? In 1987 I was given an opportunity to start my own business. I believed that it was God’s will and trusted that He would help me. In fact, He built our business and others have told me they had experienced the same help from God.

Each day we are told to “pray continually”. That doesn’t mean on our knees throughout the day. It requires an attitude of prayer, as we go about living our lives. We are to give thanks to God and live filled with “joy always”. Throughout the day we must not ignore the Holy Spirit who is there to help us do God’s Will and fulfill His plan. Could it be that God is preparing us on earth for eternity?

We are told to give thanks in all things. That does not mean to give thanks for all things but “in” all things. When evil or something occurs that we have little control over our thanks is that God’s Spirit is with us to see us through any situation. It is very difficult for each believer not to assume they can handle anything on their own. But God allows some situations in order to build our faith so that we learn to trust Him completely. Without trusting God and asking for the Holy Spirit’s help some times our self-centeredness gives into temptations. When that happens it is quite hard to feel a sense of joy.

Joy comes from a continuous relationship with Christ and an awareness that the Holy Spirit is within us to meet our need. “Don’t put out the Holy Spirit’s fire.” We must keep in contact throughout the day.

It would be very unusual for a believer not to face times of spiritual, emotional, physical or financial suffering. Romans 5:3 – 4 – “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

In God’s eyes, suffering can be a positive and to us it is a negative. Suffering can test our patience. But usually God will not allow things to get out of control. He normally doesn’t give us more than we can handle. The Bible tells us we are under God’s protection. But if God were to protect us from all temptations and trials how would we develop perseverance, character and hope?

If we have the mind-set that no matter what happens in our lives it is a part of God’s plan and He is allowing it for a particular purpose; could we then handle temptations and trials more positively? As we approach life realizing that God has it planned out for us, then be aware that He also wants us to succeed with the help of His Spirit within us, to take us through each situation knowing that we will be better off once we have defeated the trial and completed the test.

Think of all the testing Paul went through. II Corinthians 11:25 – 27 – “Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” Yet, he was filled with hope, peace, joy and love. Why? Because of His relationship with Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that was in him. He had absolute trust in God. We must have the same. He knew that God was allowing everything that happened and God had planned out his life. Paul’s goal was not to be safe, prosperous and famous. He was preparing for the next step, living God’s plan and doing God’s Will while on earth.

Let me end with this illustration. You have an opportunity to make millions of dollars. However, there are people doing everything to stop you from doing so. Is He teaching you to be tenacious that all things do not come easy or is He telling you He does not want you to have that opportunity? It may not be the best thing for you. Do you become angry with those stopping you or do you try to find out why God is not allowing this to happen in your life? If it is the last then shouldn’t we give thanks in all circumstances and not blame the other people or get angry? We must continue striving to make it happen with the idea: is it God or people blocking that opportunity? If it’s God, better look for something else. If it is other people, God will help you find a way around the problem. One thing that keeps us from accepting God’s plan is fear. This is why we must learn to know when the Holy Spirit is encouraging us or is it demonic spirits discouraging us?

The older one gets, the more they wonder what it may be like dying. Most people fear death because they do not know what to expect. If you knew that things would be better and you could live in peace forever, never being sick and having a new immortal body, would that take the fear away? This is what the Bible says will happen to those who accept Christ as their Savior. Do you believe this promise?

Dr Moody in 1976 published his book entitled “Life after Life”. After reading his book it gave me a different perspective in what happens when a person dies. I read an interview that Dr. Moody gave describing what people who have had a near death experience shared when they came back to life.

“They say they became aware of what’s described as a tunnel, a passageway, a portal, and they go into this tunnel, and when they come out, they come out into a very brilliant, warm, loving and accepting light. People at this point describe such amazing feelings of peace and comfort. In this light they say that relatives or friends of theirs who have already died seem to be there to meet them and to greet them and to help them through this transition. Another thing they’ll often tell us is that at this point they are met by some religious figure — Christians say Christ, Jews say God or an angel. They say in this setting that this being, in effect, asks them a question, and they all say that words can’t convey it — that communication in this position does not take place through words as you and I are now using, but rather in the form of an immediate awareness. The way they summarize this question, or try to put it into words, is they say that he asks, in effect, “What have you done with your life? How have you learned to love?” At this point, they say, they undergo a detailed review of everything they have ever done in their lives. This is displayed around them, they tell us, in the form of a full-color, three-dimensional panorama, and it involves every detail of their life, they say, from the point of their birth right up to the point of this close call with death.”

I wrote when I was in my teens a neighbor lady would describe things to my folks that were going to happen and they did. One example she told me I was going to be invited to go out of town to a party and I shouldn’t go. Two weeks later I was invited to go to a skating party out of town. I couldn’t this time. On the way they were involved in a serious car accident. She was continually seeing into the future and in most cases they happened as she had described.

In the past few years more and more information has been given on paranormal experiences. Ghost stories and haunted buildings are on TV and there are a number of movies describing paranormal situations.

So what do we know happens after death? Prior to the resurrection of Christ, when a person died under the Old Covenant, both believers and non-believers went to Sheol (Hell or Hades). It was a temporary dwelling place for the soul. Luke describes a story that Jesus told in Luke 16:19 -26. The story concerned a rich man and Lazarus a beggar. They both died and went to Sheol. However, one went to Abraham’s bosom or Paradise and the other went to a “place of torment”. The rich man who was in agony saw Lazarus standing beside Abraham. He called out to Abraham and asked that he have pity on him and have Lazarus dip the tip of his finger in water and cool the rich man’s tongue. Abraham stated there was a great chasm between them and that he could not get to the place of torment from Paradise. Meaning once you are in the place of torment you could not cross over. Many believe the chasm between them was the Abyss or the Bottomless Pit where the most evil spirits are housed until the Antichrist will come.

The Bible is very clear about our ability to communicate once we die regardless whether we are a child of God or a non-believer. Those who have had a near death experience all say that they were asked: “What have you done with your life?” I have read where some having a near-death-experience believe they had gone into hell and it changed their lives forever once they recovered. Others tell of an experience that was so beautiful that it was indescribable.

The Bible has describe to me a place so exhilarating and exotic, where a number of relatives and friends are waiting to greet me that it will be like a reunion. My mother was one of ten children and we use to have a reunion where more than fifty relatives would show up. That will be one of the many benefits of heaven.

You cannot help but morn when a relative or friend passes on. It is human and normal. However, should we not be grateful and pleased when a Christian dies that they are going to a far greater place than any of us could ever imagine? More funerals should be times of celebration for the rewards that a believer will receive for having lived a holy life, putting God first in all things and loving others as ourselves.

I know a number of you are 100% believers that the climate is going to heat up and both coasts of America will be 20 feet underwater within the next few years. As a result, we need to change using fossil fuels and everything in the future must be renewable sources. That includes vehicles, energy producers and any power which causes CO2. Many are excited about electric cars that run on electricity. However, since 1998 there has been little change in temperature. Therefore, it is no longer called global warming. It has been changed to climate change. Now they can say any change in weather, such as: historic snows, record cold, droughts, heat waves or storms are now classified as man-made climate change.

According to Investment Business Daily, former United Nations climate official Ottmar ‘Edenhofer says: “One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with the environmental policy anymore, with problems such as deforestation or the ozone hole,” said Edenhofer, who co-chaired the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working group on Mitigation of Climate Change from 2008 to 2015.” He says that climate change policy is used to redistribute the world’s wealth.

If all of the oil, coal and gas nations that produce these fossil fuels were shut down, what would happen to their economies? What would happen to Saudi Arabia if they were unable to sell their oil? These people, using global warming or climate change, would change capitalism and establish global welfare states. Their plan is to intentionally change the current economic system so that all nations would be dependent on a one-world government to meet their needs.

The final result would be to have a one-world government with every nation following the same laws and judicial system. A one-world religion and dissenters would be punished and shunned. A one-world economic system would be established with a cashless economy in order to trace every transaction. In order to control the population everyone would be given a national number. Without that number they could neither buy or sell or hold a job. It would also require all Americans to give up their guns and ammunition. The 2nd amendment would have been done away with, as well as all of our constitution.

To those who are Christians and Bible believers, it tells us where all of this is heading. In the 13th chapter of Revelation, it tells about the Antichrist. Revelation 13:5–6 “The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.” He will be given 3½ years to do anything in the world that he wants. During this time he will unite all nations and all religions under his authority. He will merge Moslems, Hindus, Catholics, Protestants, etc. He will set himself up in the Temple the Jewish people will soon build.

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.” It appears the Antichrist’s goal will be to eliminate every Christian from the earth.

Revelation 13:8 “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” There will be people who continue to worship God and those who will worship the Antichrist. If a person’s name is in the Book of Life, because he has trusted in Christ for his salvation, apparently they will be given a power that enables them to withstand the powers of Satan and allows the Antichrist to do whatever without a Christian losing faith or taking the mark.

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.”

During the Tribulation, Christians had better realize that God is still in control and they need to live according to His ways. During this time Scripture tells us it is better to stand up for one’s faith than to take up arms and attempt to fight. We are required to show endurance and faith. If we are to die a martyr’s death, then so be it. Our willingness to be a martyr may give others the faith they need to stay the course. Don’t fall into Satan’s trap and turn away from God when hard times come. Instead, use those tough times as opportunities for testifying for God.

Many believe that true believers will be raptured prior to the Antichrist taking over. There will be many who know there is a God and that Jesus Christ is His Son and Our Savior. However, they had not accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. Once they see Christians raptured they will then accept Christ and become converted. It is these Christians that many believe Scripture is describing.

I am not advocating that we not be good stewards of the earth, air and water. These are all necessary for survival and we need to keep them clean. But they are not to be worshipped.

This past Easter 2016, over 61,000 attended Easter services from Central Christian Church in Henderson, NV. During these services, including our satellite churches, over 1300 accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is what took place:  Romans 10:8–10 “But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

We are taught according to Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Having been a Christian over 50 years, I have experienced God having kept His promise in my life and met my needs.

But I must warn you, there is a great possibility that you could immediately be confronted by demonic influence every day of your life. At the same time, the Holy Spirit will do everything to help you grow spiritually to become more Christ-like. Don’t be surprised if it doesn’t seem like a battle goes on in one’s mind to continue living like the world or live for God.

God’s purpose for everyone created, He wants us to become a part of His family and spend eternity with Him, Christ and the Holy Spirit. To be with God in eternity, we must learn how to live a holy life while on earth. Therefore, we all are told to be financially prepared for retirement and that we understand. God is saying: become spiritually prepared for eternity and we must know what is expected.

We must be careful as to what we allow into our lives. 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

The world is hostile to godliness. We must strive for personal purity. Satan wins many victories over Christians who are negative and divisive. Here is how Scripture tells us to live: Mark 12:30–31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Christian love can create circumstances in which conflicts can be solved. The gospel message is that love corrects man’s selfishness and perverted love. God’s love, as we know, is unconditional, unlimited and impartial. This love is not automatic or mechanical. It is this love that changes a person’s life. This is the kind of love Christ wants us to accept and practice. The more people that practice this type of love the more peaceful the world would become. Love is the one thing that can change everything and overcome hate!

The moment one is saved from our sins, our goal is described in the 13th chapter of I Corinthians verses 2 to 8 “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

As the Bible tells us, we are to live a holy life. Living a holy life is not possible without love. Love only exists when a person feels free. You cannot force someone to love. We can measure how much we love God by how much we love others. Are we compassionate and encouraging? Are we willing to accept our commission to influence others to also prepare for eternity?

We need to live a vision driven life. That vision is to do whatever it takes to please God. We must stay focused because Satan will do whatever he can to break that focus. But develop a vision of heaven and the years that we will live through eternity.

While we are selecting our next president, do you see Christian examples? We can judge one’s behavior by how they treat others. We need a leader who can help a nation that needs to repent and again worship God. I am afraid we are not seeing an example of Christian love. Love is one’s greatest way to inspire and influence others. We need to set the example for others.

Scripture and history tells us that God selected Abram and Sarai to begin a new nation. During the Old Testament times people worshipped pagan gods made of medal, stone or wood. There were no laws or rules to live by and immorality was rampant and women and children were treated as slaves with no rights.

God tells Abram to take his family and move to a distant country and He would promise Abram the following. Genesis 12:3 – 5 – “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.”

God told Abram that he was to live by the Commandments he would be given and he was to influence other nations. God made his Covenant conditional. Abram had to do what God asked him to do and he did. God’s purpose in creating Israel was to have a nation of people He called His own. This nation was to live by God’s standards of morality and they were to be an example to all of the other nations. This small nation throughout history has made a Godly impact on the world.

Abram built a number of altars to symbolize communion with God and a place for worshipping God. The altars were to remind the small nation of Israel of God’s promises and protection. God was to be at the center of every one’s life. Others nations began to realize that Israel’s God blessed them more than their gods were blessing them. The Israelites were able, with God’s direction and help, to drive out all of the immoral nations on land that God had given to Israel.

Genesis 17:4 – 8 – “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

The Old Testament covers God’s relationship with the nation of Israel and through His supernatural interventions, many believed there was a God and Creator of earth and humans. However, the 613 rules that the Jews were living by, did not make the change in behavior God expected from the Jews. Since God’s Covenant was conditional depending on the obedience of His people He sent His Son Jesus Christ to bring a New Covenant not only for the Jews but for the Gentiles as well. The New Covenant was based on God’s grace and the command that we love God with all of our heart and strength and others as ourselves. Love fulfills the Old Covenant and replaces it.

We believe that God chose America to do what Israel was told to do under the Old Covenant and didn’t. God used America to spread the New Testament gospel and to tell the world that God sent His Son to forgive the sins of those who would accept Christ as their Savior and God as our Creator. God’s purpose has been to prepare people for an eternity that would be spent with Him. Throughout history God has continually asked for obedience. During that time, most denied, rebelled and were disobedient.

Consider: there would be no Israel if it were not for the United States. Most every nation is anti-Israel and would like to destroy them. The Germans, Spain, Russia and others have tried to destroy the Israelites. Had it not been for America there would be no nation in 1948. President Johnson stopped Russia from attacking Israel.

America was also chosen so that all nations could see that by using Judeo/Christian principles He would bless them and use them to provide peace in the world by making the US a superpower. The result of God’s blessing, America has been protected as He also promised Israel’s protection.

America’s constitution was based on the beliefs of Christian men that God created all of us with unalienable rights. It basically says what our government cannot do. To protect our rights, the constitution was written to protect us from our government’s power by limiting what it could do. Our rights and freedom come from our Creator and not from our government.

However, America is doing what Israel did and is rejecting God and expanding the government over God. We know the punishment Israel has received from history by being disobedient. Why shouldn’t Americans expect God to treat us the same way? Has there ever been a more contentious time in politics than what is going on now? The only hope America has is to repent and begin worshipping God and living according to His Commandments: to love Him and others as ourselves. If there is little chance that would happen, then shouldn’t we Americans be prepared for God’s blessings being withdrawn?

Every nation that has accepted socialism or communism has failed or is failing. Argentina is the best example. Years ago, it was the number two economy in the world and now they are close to bankruptcy. Shouldn’t we live as our founding fathers planned, accepting God as our Creator and limited government?