Have You Checked Your Insurance Policy?

I'm sure that all of us have been reading about what's going on in Southern California. My wife and I spent about ten years out west. In fact two of our children were born in Southern California, and our third was born in the great state of Massachusetts. We have been through fires, flood, earthquakes and hurricanes. We truly understand just how devastating wild fire can be, we've seen fire burn right up to the house and stop. If one does not believe in God I just don't understand. My Bible says the earth will be judged by fire. 2 Peter 3:7 "But by his His Word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men". In the days of Noah the earth was judged by water; and the Word says at the Second Coming it will be judged by fire. This fire is described in the book of Revelation 19:20; 20:10-15.

I'm a people watcher and I believe that we all should have the facts. My friend Tony S. sent me a link that took me back to days of yesteryear. I enjoyed watching a program called "Dragnet", the star was a character named "Joe Friday". His famous line when questioning a witness he would say "Just The Facts". This program ran from 1952 - 1959, then 1967 - 70. I believe that we all should have the facts. In order to make the best decision for our lives. We should understand that we have a clear choice of where we will spend eternity. Some walk around with the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Still some walk around saying to themselves let's live for today as we may die tomorrow. I believe that we should live our lives expecting Jesus Christ any moment. 2 Peter 3: 8-9 "But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord One Day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like One Day. (9) The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. God may have seemed slow to these believers as they faced persecution every day and longed to be delivered. Know that our God is not slow; He just is not on my or your timetable. Psalm 90:4 "For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night". Moses reminded us that a thousand years are like a day to the Lord. God is not limited by time. It's easy to get discouraged when years pass and the world doesn't get better. Some wonder if God is able to see the future. But assume that God has our limitations. God is completely unrestricted by time. Because He is eternal, we can depend on Him. Please understand that our God is an on time God. We must stand and wait on God's timing. Psalm 39:5 " Behold, you have made my days as hand-breadths, and my life time as nothing in your sight; surely every man at his best is a mere breath." The shortness of life is a theme throughout the books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Jesus also spoke about it (Luke 12:20). Remember Judges 7:19 "So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands". It's always important to trust God. There marching orders come from the Lord, then to Gideon, to the 300 soldiers. The night was divided equally into three watches. The beginning of the middle watch would have been around 10:00 P.M. many in the camp would still have been awake confusion of the enemy. Gideon's army simply watched as the army of Median fell into panic, confusion, and disordered retreat. "Not one man had to draw a sword to defeat the enemy. Now regarding a Deceitful Heart Jeremiah 17:11 "As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid, so is he who makes a fortune, it will forsake him, and in the end he will be a fool".

There is a right way and a wrong way to do any task. Jeremiah says that the man who becomes rich by unjust means will end up Foolish and Poor. Whether at school, work or play we should strive to be people of Integrity in all of our dealings. Getting a Promotion, Passing an Examination, or gaining Prestige Unjustly will never bring God's Blessing or Lasting Happiness.

Now, Doom of the Beast and False Prophet. Rev. 19:20 "And the beast was seized and with him the False Prophet who performed the signs in his presence by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the Beast and those who worshipped his image, these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone". The lake of fire which burns with brimstone ("Sulfur") is the final destination of the wicked. This lake is different from the abyss ( Bottomless Pit ) referred to in Rev. 9:1. The Antichrist and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. Then there leader, Satan himself, will be thrown into that lake ( 20: 10), and finally death and hades ( 20:14). Afterward, everyone whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake Of Fire (20:15).

"Bottomless Pit" Rev. 9:1 "Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him". Most likely it is a good angel, that has fallen to the earth. The key to the bottomless pit is normally held by Christ (Rev. 1:17-18), and it was temporarily given to this other being from heaven (see also 20:1). This being, whoever he may be, is still under God's control and authority. The bottomless pit represents the place of the demons and of Satan, the king of demons (9:11). See also Luke 8:31 for another reference to the bottomless pit ( also called the abyss). (Rev. 1:17-18) When I saw Him, I fell at His Feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am First and the Last, (18) and the living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. As the Roman Empire stepped up it's persecution of Christians, John must have wondered if the church could survive and stand against the opposition. As always Jesus is with us evermore, reassuring John that he and his fellow believers had access to God's strength to face these trials. If you are facing difficult problems, remember that the power available to John and the early church is also available to you ( see 1 John 4:4). Our sins have convicted and sentenced Hades. He alone can free us from eternal bondage to Satan. He alone has the power and authority to set us free from sins control. As believers we don't have to fear Hades or Death, because Christ holds the keys to both. All we must do is turn from sin and turn to Him in faith.

Every time I attempt to control my life and disregard God, I'm setting a course which leads directly to hell. But when we place our lives in Christ's hands, He restores us now and resurrects us later to an eternal, peaceful relationship with Him. Most of us have life and health Insurance, plus Homeowners and Automobile Insurance but we neglect "Eternity Insurance" Why do we procrastinate when it comes to Eternal Salvation. We cannot hide from Christ; He knows what sin is in our hearts and minds, and still He loves us, the sins we try to hide from God need to be confessed to HIM. Jesus is knocking on the door of our hearts every time we sense we should turn to him. Jesus wants to have fellowship with us, and he wants us to open up to Him. Jesus has proven to be patient and persistent in trying to get through to us. The lamb of God is a gentle Savior. Make no mistake about it God will separate his obedient followers from Pretenders and Unbelievers. How well do your actions separate you from Pretenders and Unbelievers? My God is in control.

We all get tested from time to time and it's important that we measure up. We should remember, know matter what, Flood, Fire or even Hurricane/Tornado our God is in control. If I lost everything, it would be my prayer that I totally Trust God. Even in total destruction and loss, "TRUST GOD"

Humbly Yours in Christ,
Jim

"We fathers must earn the right to be heard".

Men our actions speak louder than words, I heard this many times growing up from my parents. As father we must accept each person just as he or she is. this is especially true in the home, do we always put our best foot forward? Children learn values, morals, and priorities by observing how their parents (me and you) act and react every day. How many times in our own way do we try to tell someone to do it this way or that. Our wives, children even those who we work with. we are to be in a position of Learner and Servant. We should appreciate each person, and time will tell about the future. Stay with me for a moment , if parents exhibit a Deep Reverence for and Dependence on God, our children will catch these Attitudes. As the strongman in our families we are held by God, accountable for each child, who has been entrusted to us. By allowing our children to see our reverence to God.

Teach them right living by giving worship an important place in your family life and by reading the Bible together. Remember as Husbands and Fathers it's our job, no our Responsibility to never compare any of our family members to one of greater ability. As a Husband and Father looking back I confess that I made mistakes in the rearing of my family. It's imperative that we check ourselves daily. This can be done at anytime during the day. When my family was young and my children were preteens I would depressurize on my way home in my automobile. I would talk everything out with my Lord. If we don't repent from our sins, we may never receive the full blessings of the Father.

In the book of Numbers we're reminded: The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations. OK, Moses pleaded with God, asking him to forgive his people. Isn't it wonderful to know that we don't have to wait for someone else to stand in the gap for us, all we have to do is repent. Moses plea reveals several characteristics of God: (1) God is immensely patient; (2) God's love is one promise we can always count on; (3) God forgives again and again and (4) God is merciful listening to and answering our prayer requests. God has not changed since Moses day. Like Moses, we can rely on God's love, patience, forgiveness, and mercy.

Remember it's very important to repent from sin and ask for forgiveness. As a man we should be strong enough to ask to be forgiven. Daily I ask for WISDOM... Proverbs 16:16 "How much better to get Wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver".

Until next time

Humbly Yours in Christ,
Jim

Nehemiah

There are few times in our lives when we think that everything is going well and there seems to be little to no problems that we know of. We have a good family life. We have found a good church to attend that helps us to learn and to grow. And we have a good job which helps us not only to pay the bills but to have some prestige. Those are times we need to keep our eyes open and look around to see how God is going to use us. God does love us and He is going to bless us simply because we are His children, but there are times when He will put us into places in order
to accomplish His will.

Such was the case several times in the Old Testament. These include Queen Esther whom was used to protect the Jews and this was the case with Nehemiah, cupbearer to king Artexerxes (Nehemiah 2:1). The problem from Nehemiah's day was that the walls of Jerusalem had been torn down (Nehemiah 1:3). If it truly is a God-given task that we have on our hearts then our requests will be granted when we go to the "authority" figure seeking permission and possibly
even when we seek funding.

In Nehemiah 2:4 Nehemiah went to the king to seek permission to step away from his role as the cup bearer and to return to "home" where his fathers were buried to rebuild it. Since he was favored in the king's eyes he was granted permission to go. Not only that, but the king also sent him with letters to other provinces to give Nehemiah safe travel as well as timber. Again, the king granted the request, but he didn't stop there. The king also sent officers and calvary to accompany Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:9).

It wasn't until Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem that he saw just how much devastation there was that he knew the extent of the damage and how much work was going to be needed in order to accomplish the rebuilding task. And to make matters worse, even though Nehemiah was there with the king's permission and was going to accomplish God's will, but there were also those who opposed the work. As you can see in verses 19-20 there were those who mocked and ridiculed Nehemiah.

Despite the opposition Nehemiah and the rest of the Jews were faithful and began the work to repair the walls around Jerusalem / Judah. The work was divided upon families and the prominent Jewish leaders. Each leader was given a section of wall or gate in order to repair (Nehemiah 3).

Then in Nehemiah 4 the opposition goes from being ridicule and mocking to being active opposition and the enemies plotted against the rebuilding of the wall (Chapter 4). So in 4:16 half of the men worked on the wall while the other half of the men stood protection. They would then rally to where ever the trumpet would sound and converge to help in the event of an attack.
Despite all of the obstacles the wall was completed and God's will was accomplished. Even then opposition continued.

Just because they were following God's will did not mean that opposition would stop. This is a very important lesson for us to learn. Even when we are following God's will and seeking to serve Him we will still run into problems and have difficulties in life. Even with the problems we should continue to serve Him and to overcome. His will is going to be done, if not by us then by others. Then we will fail to receive the blessings that accompany serving God and
seeking His will for our lives.

It is always better to follow God's will for our lives rather than to get comfortable and stop seeking His will and stop serving Him. In those instances we risk losing the blessings that He has bestowed upon us when He raises up someone else to help.

In Him,
Benjamin

"One Of God's Creations"

Today I'd like to share with you about my new acknowledgement of "goats". Before you go to another site just wait a moment and you just might as I did learn something.

Approximately one month ago my wife and son purchased four goats to keep three acres of land clear behind our home. As I peer out of the window amazed at how much vegetation these creatures of God can consume I'm astounded. This past weekend I found myself again watching the goats. One was standing on an uprooted tree trunk that would tip one way and then the other. As he was stretching to reach vegetation just out of his reach his weight was causing a sea saw action, he never fell or lost his balance. He got up on his hind legs and that just blew my mind, I thought to myself that my God is truly an awesome God.

I started doing my research on goats and I was curious to see just how the Bible portrays goats, sheep's etc. These animals are surefooted and are mentioned in both the Old Testament and the New Testaments. In the Old Testament Sheep/Goats were referred to "Atonement". Leviticus 16:1 "The day of atonement was the greatest day of the year for Israel. The Hebrew word for atone means "To Cover". Goats were used as a sin offering.

Atonement: The reconciliation of God and man through the death of Jesus Christ. Aaron had to spend hours preparing himself to meet God. Now we can approach God anytime (Hebrews 4:16). What a privilege! We are offered easier access to God than the high priest of Old Testament times, still, we must never forgot that God is Holy nor let this privilege cause us to approach God carelessly. The way to God has been opened to us by Christ. But easy access to God does not eliminate our need to prepare our hearts as we draw near in prayer.

Now, getting back to the goats, everyday I find myself watching them while I'm praying and praising God outside. It's truly amazing how surefooted these animals are. They have hooves and dew claws which allows them to run, jump and leap from any surface in reckless abandonment. Now days I tend to look at things more closely. I enjoy sitting on my front porch rocking as I take notice of how creative, how amazing, how marvelous my God is. I see deer, rabbits, snakes even foxes on our property and it's amazing how they take care of each other. I've also noticed most of these species respect each other as long as one does not invade the others space.

I now have a better understanding of Matthew 25:32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." Jesus used sheep and goats to picture the division between believers and unbelievers. Sheep and goats often grazed together but were separated when it came time to shear the sheep. Ezekiel 34:17-24 also refers to the separation of Sheep and Goats. Matt. 25:31-46 God will separate his obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers. It's important that we communicate intimately with the Father daily. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. As Christians we are to treat all people we encounter as if they are Jesus is no easy task. What we do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus words to us feed the hungry, give the homeless a place to stay, and look after the sick. Ask yourself this question, How well do my actions separate me from Pretenders and Unbelievers?

Have a great day in the Lord...

Humbly Yours in Christ,
Jim

"OUR CHRISTIAN WALK"

(Eph 4:17-32)

How many times have you attempted to read the Bible, with the best of intentions but your mind wondered. You see most of us just read the Bible opposed to studying it. When one studies the Word of God you truly will have the Bible open to you as never before. Why should someone want to understand the Word of God? I believe many of us who are saved, who know the Lord as our personal savior, are missing out on the blessings of God. "So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the gentiles, also walk, in the futility of their mind. I don't know about you, I for one do not wish to be void of the Word of God, as I was before my personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. People should be able to see a difference between the Saved and the unsaved. Paul told us to leave behind the old life of sin. Non believers have no doubt in their own abilities. Intellectual pride, and rationalizations will keep people from God. If we don't rely on Jesus, we will soon believe that we don't need God. Their is a big difference between knowing the right words and living them out. Don't be content to have the right answers about Christ. Let your life show that God's power is really working in you.

Verse 25:27 "Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. (26) BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, (27) and do not give the devil an opportunity. How many times have you heard some one say something that just wasn't true? Lying to each other disrupts unity by creating conflicts and destroying trust. It's my prayer to be a "Powerful Man" A man of God , to walk in power. Know matter what ones past has been you can call on Jesus Christ for a life changing experience. As a Christian you may become humble but also bold. Your confidence will come from the Holy Spirit. Always control your spirit, remember Eph. 4;26 "Be angry and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger". Now in John 2;4 Jesus was angry at the dishonest, greedy practices of the money changers and merchants, and he particularly disliked their presence on the temple grounds. They were making a disparagement of God's house of worship. As born again people we must realize that we are being watched by others. I believe that some are waiting to say: If that's a christian then I don't want to be one. As followers of Christ we have the obligation to be Christ - Like, a christian. I'm reminded of Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His loving kindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; (10) but repays those hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face. Enough said every promise that God has uttered will come to pass... Some time in the future we will look into " The promises of God".

Remember someone is always watching, the father has promised that He will never us.

Humbly Yours in Christ,
Jim