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Like A Thief In The Night

One night a thief broke into a house he thought was abandoned. As he walked then the darkened house with a flashlight he heard a voice from the kitchen that said, “Jesus is watching you.’ He stopped and said, “who’s there?” There was no answer so he thought he must have imagined it. But after he took a few more steps, the voice said again, “Jesus is watching you.” He decided to walk toward the voice, just before he entered the kitchen, he heard it again, “Jesus is watching you.” He swung the flashlight up and saw a parrot talking in a cage. The parrot said, Jesus is watching you.” The their turned flipped on the kitchen light and said, “Why you’re just a dumb bird.” The he looked in the corner of the room and seen a huge Rottweiler couching. And the parrot said “Get him Jesus.”

You might think it’s strange that Jesus would compare Himself to a thief. Of course, Jesus isn’t identifying with the sin of stealing. But just a good thief (that’s a oxymoron).that tries to sneak in quickly and quietly and escape with His people. That’s an accurate description of how Jesus will rapture His church.

We should all be living as if Jesus was crucified yesterday; raised from the dead this morning, and is coming back this afternoon.

1 Thessalonians 5: 1-4 tells us, “But concerning the times and the seasons, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come to then, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.

We should know these 4 things

1. Jesus will return, But we don’t know the exact day.

Can you imagine a thief sending you a text or email saying, “Just wanted to know that I’m coming to rob your house tonight.” Of course not. Thief’s don’t announce when they’re coming. They sneak in and out.

When I was growing up my Dad used to do military funerals when a soldier or veteran would pass away. My father would keep all the guns in his closet. One night when no one was home the house was broken into and all the M16 rifles were stolen. He was very upset because they trusted him with these rifles. For a long time there would be someone home, or a neighbor would be watching the house.

Jesus told us to keep watch, because you don’t know on what day the Lord will come. We need to understand, if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and not let the house be broken into. So we must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect him (Matthew 24:42-44),

There have been times throughout history when many people expected Jesus to return. We use the Gregorian calendar now, but when the Julian calendar turned from year 999 to the year 1000, people expected Jesus to come for a new millennium, the same was true in the year 2000. People were on their best behavior, In the year 1000 history says that worldly goods were sold and money was given to the poor. Prisoners were set free, and many traveled to Israel to wait for Jesus’s return,

In the second and third chapter of Revelation, Jesus gives messages to the 7 churches, which represent all churches of all time. When He wrote to the church at Philadelphia, He says, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I also will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (Revelation3:10).

In Luke 17 Jesus compares His return to a couple of Old Testament events. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the dat Noah entered the ark. Then the flood cane and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and suffer rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son Of Man is revealed (Luke 17:26-30).

Are You Ready?

Advice To Someone Younger

What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you? The best advice I could give someone younger than me would be: find your purpose, work hard, and realize that God is bigger than you. I believe this is a firm foundation for having a meaningfully for life. Let your purpose guide you and giving yourself permission to dream big. A person’s vision is a unique gift to develop. When you have a When you have a vision for a purposeful life you have to work hard. Working hard requires action, and the self disciplined to push through tough times and put forth a plan for a daily effort to build what you envision. Through it all remember God, God because your faith is the center of your life. Some treat God like a back up plan. Trusting in and something larger can bring peace and perspective to your journey.
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The Appointed Feasts Of The Lord

Leviticus 23 is the single chapter of the entire Tanakh (the canonical collection of scriptures) that sums up everything. God’s eternal plan -from chaos to eternity is ingeniously revealed through the nature and timing of the Seven annual feasts of the Lord. Shockingly, the entire human race exists between two feasts. God’s colander is it’s essence.

Sacrifice is a major feature of the feast. Believers in the anointed One (Jesus) are not responsible the’s feasts, but I think knowledge of them enhances our faith. Jesus kept every one of them without fail, even celebrating Passover on His last night on earth.

These feasts still remain significant today.

It was on Mount Sinai that God gave Moses the dates and observances of them.

The Spring Feasts:

Passover: Commemorates the blood of the lamb saving Israel from death in Egypt. The prophetic fulfillment as when Jesus died on the cross as the ultimate sinless Lamb of God. April 21, 2027.
Feast of Unleavened Bread: Lasting seven days, it represents removing leaven (sin). The prophetic fulfillment was Jesus‘s body, which was buried, completely free, corruption and sin. April 22-28 2027.
Feast of First Fruits: Occurring on the Sunday after Passover, it involved waving the first sheaf of the barley harvest before God. The prophetic was Jesus being resurrected becoming the first fruits of the resurrection from the dead. April 25, 2027.
Pentecost -Feast of Weeks: Held 50 days later, it celebrates the wheat harvest and the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. The prophetic fulfillment was the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers, birthing the global church and writing God’s law on human hearts. June 10-12, 2027.

The Fall Feasts:

Feast Of Trumpets: Occurs on the first day of the seventh month. It is marked by the blowing of the Shofar (ram’s horn). It signifies a day of solemn rest and awakening. September 11-13, 2026

Day Of Atonement: Occurs 10 days after the Feast of Trumpets, it is observed with fasting, deep repentance, and affliction of the soul. It is considered the highest day of the year in the Bible. September 20-21, 2026
Feast Of Tabernacles: Begins five days after the Day of Atonement and lasts for seven days. It celebrates the fall harvest and remembers God‘s provision during the wilderness journey. September 25-October 2, 2026.

The spring feast mirror the first coming of Jesus, and the fall feasts look forward to the future, prophetic events, including judgment day, and the gathering of His people and His eternal reign.

Improving Your City

What’s one thing that would instantly improve your city? The number one thing that would improve my city would be the proper use of our local tax dollars. City taxes should properly fund essential public services like infrastructure maintenance, and community operations that benefit all residents. The key word is all. Our public safety services are failing, I think it’s unsafe to let drug dealers stand on a public road with a large amount of drugs in a clear Ziploc bag and call the police warrants no response. Our ambulances are falling apart, if you have to worry about the ambulance breaking down, something is wrong. And be careful which roads you drive down, there are so many potholes that it becomes a danger of breaking your car. The main roads there are flock cameras for surveillance, I could wonder where our high taxes are going but the answer is “pockets.” Nothing is being done because we are a small rural town everyone has forgotten about.

The Biblical Difference Between Murder and Killing

The Bible makes a clear distinction between killing and murder.

The command in Exodus 20:13 translated as “Thou shalt not kill” is more accurately translated is “Thou shalt not murder.”

Ratsach is murder is the Hebrew word used in the Ten Commandments means the unauthorized, intentional, or wrongly taking of a human life.

Harag is general killing a Hebrew word for broader types of killing, including warfare or slaying animals.

The Bible treats certain types of killing as lawful rather than sinful murder:

Self Defense: If a thief breaks into a home at night and is killed, the defender is not guilty of murder. Exodus 22:2 says, “If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him.

Warfare: God sometimes commanded or permitted the Israelite army to fight in wars.
Capital Punishment: The governing authorities had the right to execute people for serious crimes like premeditated murder. Genesis 9:6, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will by shed by man, for God made man in His own image.”
Accidental Death: In the Old Testament there were “cities of refuge” where someone who killed another person by total accident could flee safely so they were not executed as a murderer. Numbers 35:22-25 says, “But if he shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait, or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him so that he died, and he was not his enemy and not seeking his harm, then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. The congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.”

Murder is the deliberate, unjust, and malicious destruction of an innocent human life. Because the Bible allows for capital punishment, self defense, and war, it doesn’t teach total pacifism. It guards the sanctity of human life by outlawing illegal and hateful homicide.

My Longest Trip

What’s the longest trip you’ve ever taken? If you have read any of my past blog posts you know I do not fly. I always drive. My road trip was about 2,500 miles round trip to San Antonio Texas. It took 3 days to get there, with a 3 day stay and 4 days to get home because we spent time seeing the sights on the way home.
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Let All Things Praise The Lord -Psalm 150

The Book of Psalms mirrors real life. It’s full of joy, sorrow, anger, and doubt. But it refuses to leave us in despair. Instead, the entire journey terminates in a resounding “Hallelujah!” In the end is praise.

This is the end of praying the Psalms. But it will begin again at a later date.

Budget Travel Tips

What’s your best tip for budget travel? When I plan travel I make a daily expense note. I have a set amount of money to spend on souvenirs. I keep that in mind when I walk into the gift shop. I bring my own cooler and snacks so I won’t have to buy them at a higher price. If I need drinks or snacks, I find a grocery store where I am instead of buying at a hotel or convenience store.
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Time Is A Natural Filter

We live in a world obsessed with quick impressions. We judge connections by immediate chemistry, fast responses, and enthusiasm of quick conversations.

It’s important to keep in mind that words are cheap, and short term behavior is easily manicured. If you probably want to know what you mean to people, stop trying to decode their mixed signals. Just let time do the talking.

Time is the ultimate, corruptible filter of any relationship. It reveals naturally how someone thinks about you.

Anyone can be charming, supportive, and attentive. It takes zero effort to wear a mask when everything is easy. However, maintaining a facade requires a lot of energy. Eventually, the mask slips. Time for a choice between performance and reality, revealing whether someone’s respect for you is a core trait or just a temporary tactic.

Many of our daily interaction are driven by proximity. There are situational friendships, and people who only value us for our convenience will quietly fade away the ones who generally care or actively build a bridge across the distance.

Time is our most finite, valuable asset. We always make room for what we prioritize. I have learned the hard way when people use the, “I’ve just been busy” excuse over a span of months. They are telling exactly where someone ranks on their priority list. Busy is a choice, alignment is a choice. How someone allocates their time over a long period of time. Tell you everything you need to know about your place in their life.

Time uncovers loyalty. We all go to seasons of abundance where we have lots to offer, and seasons of route where we need a shoulder to lean on. Time guarantees that both seasons will happen. When people no longer serve a specific purpose or benefit for someone, time reveals if they love you or if they just loved what you could give them.

We shouldn’t rush to cut people out of our lives, or force closure through dramatic confrontations. And we don’t need to play detective we just need to step back, protect our peace, and be observant.

We need to let time do the filtering for us. The wrong people will naturally select themselves out, and the right ones will stand the test of time.

Cartoon Characters

Who is your favorite cartoon character? I didn’t really have a cartoon character growing up because I didn’t get a chance to watch television. But on the rare occasion I did I liked Speedy Gonzales. He was known as the fastest mouse in all Mexico. He always made me laugh and I didn’t get much of that as a child. And he was clever, heroic, quick-witted, and fiercely protective of his fellow mice.
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A Call Of Duty: Living As A Soldier For Christ

Years ago, I heard a story about a man named Audie Murphy a World War 2 soldier. He was a small-statured man who saved the day when 200 Germans and six tanks overwhelmed his unit. At one point, he jumped on a tank after it burned and fired a gun for an hour killing 50 of them. He did this while having shrapnel in his leg he later recalled wondering how he was alive. We all like stories of heroes, and I think for good reason. We all want to be someone with courage who doesn’t back away when the battle heats up. Someone who runs toward danger in the service of others, sacrificing their own safety for the well-being of their friends.

I wonder how much more we should be soldiers for Jesus, those who follow Him. After all, He is our Leader and Commander who sacrificed Himself by enduring the cross, and physically, emotionally, and spiritually, took the penalty of our sins and reconciled as God.

The original text for Timothy 1:7 in Ancient Greek tells us “For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and of love and of self-control.”

The key is to be strengthened by God’s grace. God’s grace is not just a pardon for sin. It is the power of living. God’s grace is His constant never ending, gracious disposition. If we are in Christ Jesus, God is 100% for us -now and forever. There is nothing that will change that. Not because He thinks we are amazing, but because we are in Christ Jesus. And that I think is meant to strengthen us.

In 2 Timothy 2:3-4 Paul tells Timothy, “You therefore must endure hardship, as a good soldier of Christ. No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier.” A good soldier is not merely a soldier. Someone who is in the military could be dishonorably discharged and if so he wouldn’t be a soldier at all. Paul commands Timothy (and you and I) to be good soldiers of Christ Jesus.

To be a good soldier is to be willing to suffer. Paul says to Timothy in to share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Paul, who is in prison for sharing the message of Jesus is saying to Timothy. Suffer with me for the truth of the gospel and for our Lord.

The first mark of a good soldier is the willingness to suffer. To share in suffering literally means to suffer hardship with someone else. That is not calling us to go looking for opportunities to suffer, but it is most certainly calling us to choose that path when there is a fork in the road, and the other path is cowardice. Choose the path of suffering for Christ and His truth. That is what a good soldier does. We have plenty of opportunities to suffer for Jesus, and when we suffer in the path of obedience -slander, mocking, or worse, we need to remember that we are joining a group of saints, both now and the cloud of witness who have gone before us.

A good soldier is on duty all the time. Paul goes on to say in 2 Timothy 2:4 “No one on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please Him who enrolled him as a soldier.” a good soldier is never on leave. His assignment might change, but he is called to active duty at all times. No matter what we do in life whether it is changing diapers, cleaning or mowing the yard we still need to be a faithful soldier and do it for the glory of God. A good soldier is not tied up and not or so inner woven with worldly affairs that it Hibbetts them from faithful service to Jesus. A good soldier doesn’t allow themselves to be tied up and become ineffective in service to their King.

When a person joins the military, all that they are belongs to the military -their body, their time, their skills, their effort, everything. They are the militaries 24 hours a day. When we choose to become believers we belong to Jesus. Romans 14:7-8 says, “For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

There is no time when a mother is not watchful over her children. And there is no time when a father is not leading, guarding, protecting, or providing for the mother or his children. There is not a time when we shouldn’t be concerned for unbelievers, friends, parents, or children. There is not a time we should be indifferent about loving and caring for other believers. There is not a time when we should not be watchful and vigilant over our own souls. Proverbs 2:23 says, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

There are many false teachers that ravage the church, stray friends that walk away from Jesus, and a bloated governments that will always lust for more authority to rule our lives telling us when and how to do something. And a good soldier stays active all the time against the spiritual forces of evil.

Charles Spurgeon wrote “The good Christian is a soldier in an enemy’s country always needing to stand on his watchtower, constantly needing to be contending, though not with flesh and blood, with far worse foes, namely, with spiritual wickedness in high places.”

A good soldier aim to please his commanding officer. A good soldier wants to please, the one who enlisted them, namely Jesus in everything and at all times. That is their chief aim. They are not mostly concerned with other duties that have not been assigned to them. Where ever Jesus has us, we should aim to please Him and glorify Him. Listen to how Paul says it in Acts 20:24, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Paul said his aim was not to live as long as he possibly could or to make a bucket list of exciting adventures to get it done before he died. His aim was to finish the course that he was put on by Jesus. His aim was to please his master. So wherever we are at home or away, we should make our aim to please Him.

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither” – C.S. Lewis

The Mindset of Financial Success

How does your mindset affect your financial success? Our financial success depends a lot on our daily behavior, and habits. Believing that money is extremely limited can lead to fear, hoarding cash, or avoiding risks. Viewing money as a renewable resource can help us spot opportunities and invest in ourselves. Recognizing that growth is possible helps stop self-sabotage and start taking productive action. I believe this is how our mindset affects our financial success.
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Neglected Souls

Mullein plant used in history for respiratory ailments

“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” -Matthew 16:26

Many people have little time for God, even believers. They are too busy with everyday things to be bothered by reading the Bible, or praying.

People go to church only on Christmas and Easter thinking it’s their “duty.” They go to church every Sabbath and then act like they paid the “debt.”

The Bible warns against neglecting our souls. It is possible to harden our hearts, until we lose our zeal for God.

Soul neglect happens when we stop caring for our inner life. It’s easy because, when you don’t pay attention, our flesh (worldly desires) can take over. Our souls slowly fade, not through a sudden choice.

An uncared-for soul leads to deep exhaustion. We begin to feel anxious or stressed, or that feeling of never having enough energy. Just like a plant needs water and sunlight to grow our souls need attention.