Global Pandemic 2020: Hope in Christ in a World at War

 
Who would have thought that the next Global war would not be fought with guns, tanks, and artillery? But here we are several months into the worst crisis our world has faced in my lifetime. Only this time the battle accoutrements are not swords but syringes, not gas masks but ventilators, not helmets but face masks, not iron shields but plexiglass barriers, not camo uniforms but scrubs and hazmat suits. The warriors are fearless heroes and soldiers on the front lines, yes, but they are doctors, nurses, CNA’s, EMT’s, RT’s, and the men in blue and red; all doing their best as they battle this pestilence while saving as many lives as they can. The battle rages, hundreds of thousands are casualties, and thousands more have fallen to the unseen enemy, Covid-19. May God’s protection keep them in this hour of trial.

Read more...

How to Receive Eternal Life

(Hover over the passages with your cursor to view them)

Click Here to learn how to receive the Free Gift of Eternal Life in Christ!

The Gospel in Video. Where do you stand?

For a greater understanding read a word from Pastor Mike concerning your soul and eternal life:

Can I Know I Will Spend Eternity With Christ?

By far, the number one symptomatic issue plaguing humanity is sin. Sin is simply wrongdoing by God’s standards which includes wrongs against Him and our fellow man. All of us are guilty where we stand Rom.3:23. But sin is only a symptom of a much worse problem which is death, Rom. 5:12. And death is the point of no return. Therefore the Bible teaches that it is death that is our number one enemy. Neither the greatest Doctor, the greatest Scientist nor the greatest Physicist has ever found a way to overcome that enemy. But there is one who has, Jesus.

Read more...

Global Panic, the Rapture of the Church, and the Coming Antichrist…Some Thoughts.

Up front I want to say that I do not believe that we can know the exact day or hour when the Lord will call (rapture) His church to heaven (but we can know the season in which it will occur, (

1 Th 5:1-10), and it is soon. Please be aware the things written in this post have to do with the panic and upheaval of current life in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic spreading across the world. Adding to that, we must also realize that the worst of this pandemic may soon pass allowing life to return to a semblance of normal…maybe.

Now, concerning the coming Antichrist, it must be said that future and specific prophetic events in the Bible do point to a time when the world will one day turn their attention and allegiances toward a global leader. In order for that to happen, “something” or “some things” must occur that place the world under or within a dire situation that calls for a leader to rise with answers. The Bible refers so him in metaphorical terms as the First Beast who rises from the sea of world inhabitants (Rev 13:1) and the Man of Sin or Son of Perdition (2 Th 2:3). 1 John 2:18 simply refers to him as the Antichrist. Although many antichrists (false messiah’s) have come and gone throughout the church age, John, using a definite article, pointing to one that will come in the future, one they had all heard of. 

Interestingly, when speaking to the people of His day, Jesus made a subtle reference to the world rejecting Him, but freely following another. Here is what He said:

John 5:43 (NKJV) “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.”


Read more...

The Sifted Heart and It’s Lord

 

 

The “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon, was not a stranger to spiritual sifting in his day. He once wrote of how the Bible speaks of it in the following way:

  “For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.”—Amos 9:9.

The sifting process is going on still. Wherever we go, we are still being winnowed and sifted. In all countries God’s people are being tried “like as corn is sifted in a sieve.” Sometimes the devil holds the sieve, and tosses us up and down at a great rate, with the earnest desire to get rid of us for ever. Unbelief is not slow to agitate our heart and mind with its restless fears. The world lends a willing hand at the same process, and shakes us to the right and to the left with great vigour. Worst of all, the church, so largely apostate as it is, comes in to give a more furious force to the sifting process.
Well, well! let it go on. Thus is the chaff severed from the wheat. Thus is the wheat delivered from dust and chaff. And how great is the mercy which comes to us in the text, “yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth”! All shall be preserved that is good, true, gracious. Not one of the least of believers shall be lost, neither shall any believer lose anything worth calling a loss. We shall be so kept in the sifting that it shall be a real gain to us through Christ Jesus.1

What is amazing about Amos’ text and Spurgeon’s sentiments is that all who are true believers need not worry on that final day, for it is Christ who upholds the faithful. The chaff mixed in with the wheat will have long since been swished away by the sifting breeze of the winnow and the sharp slice of the divine scythe. Only those intimately acquainted by the blood of Christ will be found in His mercy–yes, from the wafting wisp of the dimly burning flax of a believer, to the ambassador for Christ on mission–all will be saved on that day.

Although we can rejoice in these facts, it is no secret that this sifting of the church is taking place right before our eyes. The true believers are making a stand and the false are on the sidelines. Self-gratification has gripped the hearts of Western civilization even to the point that many believe they do not need the Lord.

Dear church-goer, please make sure your salvation is sure. Please make sure you are in the faith. Here are a few litmus tests:

These are not exhaustive and are only meant to take you to a place of consideration. It is a known fact that in the church today there are many who profess to be Christians but are only deceiving themselves. It is my sincere desire to see all believers turn fully to Jesus. Consider this: Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” 2 All this passage is really saying is there are many who are lying to themselves. But on that day no lie will stand even though one is proffered. We must remember, “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.”3 the Apostle Paul echoes this with, “In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”4

The best time for sifting the heart and the church is now, while there is still time to repent and turn to God. For on that final day when the world stands before God, time will be spent, and salvation will no longer be available, (Rev. 20:11-15). What stops you from doing this now? What holds you back from the inheritance of eternity with Christ and life-everlasting?

1- C. H. Spurgeon, The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith: Being Precious Promises Arranged for Daily Use with Brief Comments (New York: American Tract Society, 1893), 267.
2 – The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 7:22–23.
3 – Mark 4:22
4 – The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ro 2:16.

The Sifted Generation on Kindle $3.99
 
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Uncertain about the Future? Read on!

Hope1
 
EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.
 
 
In a recent “Point of View Commentary” by Kirby Anderson, he stated: “Most of us in modern society feel over scheduled and over committed.”* Although it is nothing new I believe this has been the way people have felt for years in the modern digital and fast food era. It is also a major contributor towards the anxiety and worry that many feel an a daily basis. You would think that technology would allow things to get finished quicker and in return give us more time to relax but unfortunately that isn’t true; it doesn’t seem to be how the human mind operates. What ends up happening is we just fit more in to our schedules only to produce added anxiety. Can we handle this? Most can, yes, some just barely, others no way. But what happens to the mind when it gets overloaded? We simply shut-down. I recently experienced this with an executive I know. Over a four week period he requested the same information from an associate four times. In each instance his response was the same. Why? Overload.

Read more...

The Most Amazing Sight!

tabernacle1
 

 

Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys 
Ex. 40:36–38

Artists have tried to depict it, film-makers have tried to capture it, and authors have tried to describe it, but meticulous as our efforts may be fully capturing the transcendent beauty of the Shekinah glory of God is out of reach. This had to be the most amazing sight in world history.  By day, a huge cloud extending from heaven to earth and by night a towering fire of brilliant luminosity. The Bible states from the time Israel had been delivered from Egypt the cloud and fire of God’s presence was with them, Ex. 13:22. Never during that time was the presence of God removed.

Read more...

Hosanna. God Save Us!

Palm Sunday2
 
8  And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9  Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ 10  Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
 
12  The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13  took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!”
 
The Word Hosanna, ὡσαννά, Save now; or save, we pray; is an emphatic exclamation of praise to God. In the week prior to His resurrection Jesus rode on a colt, the foal of a donkey into Jerusalem where the people of the city had spread leafy branches and palms on the road before Him. There are many things we can look to for a better understanding of this celebratory moment. Here are a few:

Read more...

The Choice is for Eternity

 

choiceCross
All of us who have prayed for and spoken with the unbelieving have at one time or another been told, “I don’t believe in God, therefore I don’t believe in the judgment of God.” It’s a common mantra of atheism to say such things. But is it correct? Not according the Scripture. The Bible tells us:
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. —Revelation 20:11-15

Read more...

The Bride of Christ has Made Herself Ready

new_jerusalem1
 
The Bible teaches of an upcoming Wedding Day that the Church should be elated over!!

 

Rev. 19:7-9 states:

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ “ And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

The passage above speaks of two distinct events, the Marriage of the Lamb and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Both of these events are reminiscent of the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony where the Bride would become betrothed to her Groom and he would go away to build her a home. In the meantime she would wait anxiously for his return with shouts from his wedding party of “The Bridegroom Comes!” When the shouts were heard she would run out to meet him and they would share each others love in the wedding chamber then proceed to a banquet that would last for up to seven days. He would then take her to her new home. The one caveat is the timing of the grooms return to her. For he could never return until the home he built met the approval of the his father. Jesus used this wedding ceremony imagery often in His Parables. Some of the passages where it is used can be found in Matthew 24-25, Rev. 19 and in John 14:1-3. In John He stated:

Read more...

Christian Persecution in Ukraine and Around the World

– Somalian Persecution Photo –

My heart is bleeding for the believers in the Ukraine, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. I am sending out a request for Men and Women of Christ all over the world to pray for these genuine believers who have stood for Christ in the midst of hate and demonically driven hostility. The senseless targeting of Jesus’ children is plain nonsense! The families left behind are hurting along with our Lord who will one day avenge all the deaths of His sons and daughters throughout the ages (see Rev. 6:9-11). I must interject that when one dies to the Lord it is always in keeping with  2 Tim. 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” David Guzik writes: “It is the way that you live that makes you a martyr, not the way that you die.” These men who died in Ukraine did so because they first trusted Christ and were living on mission for Him. Please read the following from Christian Aid Mission:

Christian Aid Mission has received word from ministry sources inside Ukraine that church leaders are being targeted by terrorists in the volatile Donetsk region.

Read more...

Global Pandemic 2020: Hope in Christ in a World at War

 
Who would have thought that the next Global war would not be fought with guns, tanks, and artillery? But here we are several months into the worst crisis our world has faced in my lifetime. Only this time the battle accoutrements are not swords but syringes, not gas masks but ventilators, not helmets but face masks, not iron shields but plexiglass barriers, not camo uniforms but scrubs and hazmat suits. The warriors are fearless heroes and soldiers on the front lines, yes, but they are doctors, nurses, CNA’s, EMT’s, RT’s, and the men in blue and red; all doing their best as they battle this pestilence while saving as many lives as they can. The battle rages, hundreds of thousands are casualties, and thousands more have fallen to the unseen enemy, Covid-19. May God’s protection keep them in this hour of trial.

Read more...

How to Receive Eternal Life

(Hover over the passages with your cursor to view them)

Click Here to learn how to receive the Free Gift of Eternal Life in Christ!

The Gospel in Video. Where do you stand?

For a greater understanding read a word from Pastor Mike concerning your soul and eternal life:

Can I Know I Will Spend Eternity With Christ?

By far, the number one symptomatic issue plaguing humanity is sin. Sin is simply wrongdoing by God’s standards which includes wrongs against Him and our fellow man. All of us are guilty where we stand Rom.3:23. But sin is only a symptom of a much worse problem which is death, Rom. 5:12. And death is the point of no return. Therefore the Bible teaches that it is death that is our number one enemy. Neither the greatest Doctor, the greatest Scientist nor the greatest Physicist has ever found a way to overcome that enemy. But there is one who has, Jesus.

Read more...

Global Panic, the Rapture of the Church, and the Coming Antichrist…Some Thoughts.

Up front I want to say that I do not believe that we can know the exact day or hour when the Lord will call (rapture) His church to heaven (but we can know the season in which it will occur, (

1 Th 5:1-10), and it is soon. Please be aware the things written in this post have to do with the panic and upheaval of current life in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic spreading across the world. Adding to that, we must also realize that the worst of this pandemic may soon pass allowing life to return to a semblance of normal…maybe.

Now, concerning the coming Antichrist, it must be said that future and specific prophetic events in the Bible do point to a time when the world will one day turn their attention and allegiances toward a global leader. In order for that to happen, “something” or “some things” must occur that place the world under or within a dire situation that calls for a leader to rise with answers. The Bible refers so him in metaphorical terms as the First Beast who rises from the sea of world inhabitants (Rev 13:1) and the Man of Sin or Son of Perdition (2 Th 2:3). 1 John 2:18 simply refers to him as the Antichrist. Although many antichrists (false messiah’s) have come and gone throughout the church age, John, using a definite article, pointing to one that will come in the future, one they had all heard of. 

Interestingly, when speaking to the people of His day, Jesus made a subtle reference to the world rejecting Him, but freely following another. Here is what He said:

John 5:43 (NKJV) “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.”


Read more...

Uncertain about the Future? Read on!

Hope1
 
EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.
 
 
In a recent “Point of View Commentary” by Kirby Anderson, he stated: “Most of us in modern society feel over scheduled and over committed.”* Although it is nothing new I believe this has been the way people have felt for years in the modern digital and fast food era. It is also a major contributor towards the anxiety and worry that many feel an a daily basis. You would think that technology would allow things to get finished quicker and in return give us more time to relax but unfortunately that isn’t true; it doesn’t seem to be how the human mind operates. What ends up happening is we just fit more in to our schedules only to produce added anxiety. Can we handle this? Most can, yes, some just barely, others no way. But what happens to the mind when it gets overloaded? We simply shut-down. I recently experienced this with an executive I know. Over a four week period he requested the same information from an associate four times. In each instance his response was the same. Why? Overload.

Read more...

The Most Amazing Sight!

tabernacle1
 

 

Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys 
Ex. 40:36–38

Artists have tried to depict it, film-makers have tried to capture it, and authors have tried to describe it, but meticulous as our efforts may be fully capturing the transcendent beauty of the Shekinah glory of God is out of reach. This had to be the most amazing sight in world history.  By day, a huge cloud extending from heaven to earth and by night a towering fire of brilliant luminosity. The Bible states from the time Israel had been delivered from Egypt the cloud and fire of God’s presence was with them, Ex. 13:22. Never during that time was the presence of God removed.

Read more...

Hosanna. God Save Us!

Palm Sunday2
 
8  And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9  Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ 10  Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
 
12  The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13  took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!”
 
The Word Hosanna, ὡσαννά, Save now; or save, we pray; is an emphatic exclamation of praise to God. In the week prior to His resurrection Jesus rode on a colt, the foal of a donkey into Jerusalem where the people of the city had spread leafy branches and palms on the road before Him. There are many things we can look to for a better understanding of this celebratory moment. Here are a few:

Read more...

The Choice is for Eternity

 

choiceCross
All of us who have prayed for and spoken with the unbelieving have at one time or another been told, “I don’t believe in God, therefore I don’t believe in the judgment of God.” It’s a common mantra of atheism to say such things. But is it correct? Not according the Scripture. The Bible tells us:
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. —Revelation 20:11-15

Read more...

The Bride of Christ has Made Herself Ready

new_jerusalem1
 
The Bible teaches of an upcoming Wedding Day that the Church should be elated over!!

 

Rev. 19:7-9 states:

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ “ And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

The passage above speaks of two distinct events, the Marriage of the Lamb and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Both of these events are reminiscent of the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony where the Bride would become betrothed to her Groom and he would go away to build her a home. In the meantime she would wait anxiously for his return with shouts from his wedding party of “The Bridegroom Comes!” When the shouts were heard she would run out to meet him and they would share each others love in the wedding chamber then proceed to a banquet that would last for up to seven days. He would then take her to her new home. The one caveat is the timing of the grooms return to her. For he could never return until the home he built met the approval of the his father. Jesus used this wedding ceremony imagery often in His Parables. Some of the passages where it is used can be found in Matthew 24-25, Rev. 19 and in John 14:1-3. In John He stated:

Read more...

Christian Persecution in Ukraine and Around the World

– Somalian Persecution Photo –

My heart is bleeding for the believers in the Ukraine, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. I am sending out a request for Men and Women of Christ all over the world to pray for these genuine believers who have stood for Christ in the midst of hate and demonically driven hostility. The senseless targeting of Jesus’ children is plain nonsense! The families left behind are hurting along with our Lord who will one day avenge all the deaths of His sons and daughters throughout the ages (see Rev. 6:9-11). I must interject that when one dies to the Lord it is always in keeping with  2 Tim. 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” David Guzik writes: “It is the way that you live that makes you a martyr, not the way that you die.” These men who died in Ukraine did so because they first trusted Christ and were living on mission for Him. Please read the following from Christian Aid Mission:

Christian Aid Mission has received word from ministry sources inside Ukraine that church leaders are being targeted by terrorists in the volatile Donetsk region.

Read more...

Using the Wisdom that Comes From Above

Jesus with the Disciples_discipleship
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
–James 3:13-18 NKJV


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