Making a Difference in your Life, in the Parts that are for Keeps!
That is the shortest oxymoron I’ve heard.
We dare not say “NO” to “THE LORD.”
“He is Lord, He is Lord.
He is risen from the dead
And He is Lord.
Every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Consider singing that when facing martyrdom.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why do good things happen to bad people?
Why does everything happen?
Then somebody says, “Why not?”
The world is messed up.
People are messed up.
So we’re basically left comparing ourselves with others.
If we think we’re better than others, we’re the good people, and we deserve better things.
If we think some people are not as good as ourselves, they’re the bad people, and they deserve worse things.
If we’re in the top half (or quarter) of people with good things happening to us, we’re likely to think it’s because we’re better than others.
We may not actually say we’re better—we may say (or believe) we made better choices because we’re smarter.
Most people with more good things happening have trouble understanding most people below them in the world.
Most people with more good things happening think that people below them should come up in the world by doing what they do.
It is tempting for anyone to think that other people’s lives should be ‘fixed’ if they listened to our advice, because we’re ‘successful.’
When someone is clearly overloaded with ‘more than their share’ of bad, others with much more good in their lives don’t know what to do.
So they try to explain it without being able to relate.
Any of us can communicate loud and clear that we think we’re better than those in trouble on top of trouble.
Can we care—when we can’t explain?
Can we help—when we can’t fix?
Can we accept—when we’re uncomfortable?
Can we encourage—when we don’t have answers?
Can we touch—when we understand that we’re not better, really?
Can we pray with someone—when we don’t have anything to give?
Can we show, and tell, the love of Jesus, to anyone?
Jesus “went about doing good, because God was with Him.”
And then He told us to “Go and do likewise.”
To my memory of Daddy.
2020 is not just another new year.
I don’t know how much time I have left.
So I’m going to make the next minutes count, for me writing this, and for you reading this.
After I wrote this, I realized this is very much what Daddy would have shared if he was here today. (He would have been 115 years old February 1.)
– – –
First, bringing Thanksgiving and Christmas together:
Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One.
Give thanks because He’s given
Jesus Christ His Son.
And now let the weak say, “I am strong.”
Let the poor say, “I am rich,
Because of what the Lord has done for us.”
Give thanks.
– – –
We may not think of ourselves as weak.
We may not think of ourselves as poor.
But Jesus said we must come as little children, to enter His Kingdom.
So I thank God for sending Jesus, so we can come to Him weak and poor, and have our name written in heaven because of what the Lord has done for us.
Give Thanks.
– – –
2020—CLEAR, SPIRITUAL VISION
“In the last days perilous times will come.”
Hard times are not limited to the last days, but the Bible says it’s going to get really, really bad closer to the end of the world.
In the meantime, a few more promises to live by—guaranteed to all Jesus followers.
– – –
“We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”
That verse is engraved on my brother’s tombstone at The Grove, Texas for good reason.
He was a total invalid for 37 years, from polio at 6 months—and my parents cared for him in our home the entire time—major impact.
– – –
“You will be hated by all people because of my name.”—–Jesus said that.
– – –
“Beware when people speak well of you.”—–Jesus said that.
– – –
After a list of two dozen sins at the end of Romans 1, the Bible says, “Knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but consent with them who do.”
Read Romans 1, to the end of the chapter.
– – –
Back to the starting verse on perilous times—the most dangerous, most perilous place for Christians is comfortable—getting along, fitting in, included, and inclusive.
Ask yourself, “Am I living ‘called by Jesus’ daily—or—Am I fitting Jesus into the life I have chosen?”
– – –
We cannot go along with what’s happening in America—and happening fast.
It will sneak up on every one of us, soon.
I pray for a sense of urgency for each of us to be aware of the evil forces waging war against Christians in America, now, and be bold to stand for Jesus, counting the cost now, and not be surprised when persecution hits close to home.
– – –
Anyone God chooses to use mightily, He first tests severely.
Anyone God uses, will face persecution.
Do you want to be used by God?
– – –
Each of us ask ourselves, “What will I say, now, and on ‘that day’?”
Either:
I was faithful, I ‘fought the good fight,’ I lived for Jesus, and people knew it.
Or:
I went along to get along in America, and I was respected for that, like Lot—
—he first “pitched his tent toward Sodom—
—then he moved into Sodom—
—he became a civic leader in Sodom—
—he was “vexed with the filthy conversation of Sodom”—
—Uncle Abraham prayed to save Sodom if there were ten righteous people in Sodom—
—not found—
—Lot lost everything.
– – –
America is Sodom now—we may lose everything—may it be because we live for Jesus now, and don’t compromise.
Christian compatibility with the culture in America is now history.
Welcome a return to authentic, historical, Biblical Christianity, like our brothers and sisters who are sacrificing everything, around the world today.
– – –
I close with this:
In 2020—It will become harder to be a Christian, but it will be easier to tell who is a Christian.
– – –
Missionaries ?
or
Mission Field ?
– – –
MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A CLEAR 2020—A BLESSED NEW YEAR
How do you plan your day?
-Check your email?
-Check text messages?
-Check reports online?
-Check the news?
-Check your day planner?
-Write your day planner?
-Make phone calls?
-Check with your secretary/assistant/partner?
– – –
OR
– – –
Read what Jesus did to plan His day.
Maybe it wasn’t so much about planning His day, like we Americans think we have to figure everything out—schedule it to get it all done.
Maybe Jesus, God Himself, didn’t really plan his day.
Maybe He got His day planner in line by doing something more important—like ‘first things first.’
– – –
“As His custom was, He got up a great while before day, and departed to a solitary place, and prayed there.”
– – –
Get your Bible and check it out.
I think it mentions that a few places.
Sometimes He spent the whole night praying.
Other times the disciples watched Him pray.
– – –
Jesus—God—prayed to God?
Here’s a chance to get your theology fresh, and get a fresh start to your day, every day.
Jesus depended on praying to ‘His Father’—a very close relationship that directed His every move while He was here on earth—all the way, through the resistance from people, to the agony in the garden, and to the cross.
His Father will even tell Him when to come get us and take us HOME.
– – –
And He tells us we can pray to the same Father—Jesus said, “My Father and your Father.”
Do that today, every day, first thing.
“Whoever finds his life, will lose it . . .”
Whoever ‘gets it all together,’ will see it all fall apart.
Whoever “lays up treasures on earth, will find moth, rust, thieves ruining it.”
Whoever “lays up treasures in heaven, will find moth, rust, thieves not ruining it.”
Whoever ‘gives it all up’ for Jesus, will get what he can never lose.
He will find permanently secure investment—and peace and satisfaction now.
God gives eternal returns, generously, guaranteed.
Actually, the magazine Christianity Today has been leaning for some time.
But to openly join the other side calling for the end of Trump’s presidency departs from anything faithful to their name ‘Christianity.’
I am thankful for Franklin Graham weighing in decisively that his dad would be grieved by the magazine he founded.
Franklin went even farther and said Billy Graham voted for Trump.
It seems so many are losing their bearings these days, so those keeping their Biblical foundation stand out even more clearly—thank God for that.
Chick-fil-A, Hallmark Channel—who is next?
When I asked that question to two pastor friends of mine, they both answered (independent of each other), “The church.”
It only took a day or two for Christianity Today to meet their prediction.
One of the best, Biblical responses to this latest disaster is by Doug Giles on clashdaily.com.
Be sure to read that, and pray.
. . . TO FUNDAMENTALLY FINISHING OFF AMERICA.
That was the intent—the assumed ‘done deal’—that was thwarted in the last presidential election.
That remains the passionate intent of all those who lost in that election.
The frenzied flailing against everything that made America great, confirms the completed title above.
I plead for prayer for America more than ever.
I heard David Limbaugh talking about his new book, GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY.
I recommend it.
Declare to yourself a new appreciation for this new day.
Declare to God a new thanks in awe for this new day.
The sunrise today is very rare—the sun comes up only once today.
Today is a very rare day—there is only one ‘today.’
Something so rare—one-of-a-kind—is extremely valuable.
Today is more valuable than any other day of your life.
Why?
Because this is the day that the Lord has made—for you.
He does not promise another one.
Maybe someone reading this—maybe the person writing this—will catch a glimpse of inspiration, of rejoicing in this day, of trusting the One Who gave it.
Today is the only chance we have to “be glad in it.”
Infant baptism sends more people to hell than heaven.
– – –
Some professional survey organization should track statistics of infant baptized people, and how many lived for Jesus till they died.
– – –
The giveaway church practice that prompts and proves the opening statement above is this:
Every church that baptized someone as an infant will blanketly declare at their funeral that the person is in heaven because the church administered that baptism.
– – –
That funeral statement not only declares church authority to guarantee heaven by their ritual, but also gives false hope to all in the audience if they do what that church says—it’s not really about a personal decision to follow Jesus.
That gets tacked on a dozen years after baptism, hopefully.
– – –
But if the person in the casket stuck with the church enough to qualify for the church funeral, then they probably stuck with the church long enough to do the second routine ritual—‘reaffirmation’ confirmation—at 12 years or so, like everybody else (good church members).
And that will also be declared publicly at the funeral, as further guarantee of heaven.
– – –
If the church says you’re in heaven, you’re in ? ? ?
Can a person have a comeback and return to the narrow road after compromising to fit in with the Godless culture and appease its leaders?
Can a company have a comeback and return to the narrow road after compromising to fit in with the Godless culture and appease its leaders?
Not likely.
The cost is great for standing on Biblical values and standing up for them publicly now in sodomized America.
This is true for individuals and for companies—and companies are led by individuals.
The leaders of Chik-fil-A took a lot of heat for standing on Biblical values, and for stating so publicly.
But that will be nothing compared to the increased heat, the pounding, they will now face from the Godless culture leaders after their compromise this week.
AND, even that will be nothing compared to the persecution they will experience if they come back to the Bible, and declare it publicly, like they did before.
But they will again have God’s approval, God’s smile, and the overwhelming support of Christians who created the long lines at Chik-fil-A in the first place—an ongoing trademark at their restaurants.
Just how does this apply to the rest of us?
That depends on whether we follow Jesus and His Word?
“All who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
“Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is going to try you.”
So, “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
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