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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?

Good Friends And Getting Older

Has your idea of what makes a good friend changed as you’ve gotten older?

My idea of a good friend hasn’t changed. I have always looked for friends based on quality not quantity. A good friend can protect your energy, reduce stress, and offer genuine emotional support.

The Window Of The Soul

“The Lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light” -Matthew 6:22

Many quotes people use trace back to the Bible. The Bible influences numerous sayings and expressions, in everyday language. For example, “There is nothing new under the sun” didn’t originate with Shakespeare, but with King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:9.

But there are some sayings that are said to be in the Bible that are not like, God helps those who help themselves and godliness is next to cleanliness.

This is the problem with cliché phrases, and sayings. They are overused and often get misconstrued and misunderstood. Also, the context and where the originated is lost or forgotten.

Figurative language is especially prone to misunderstanding or being taken the wrong way or too literally. . When someone uses figurative language, we need to discern what they meant by what they said.

Most people can take things intended to be understood in a literal sense and convert the meaning to some abstract or theatrical sense.

The idea of eyes as a window to the soul is often taken to mean that others are able to see into another person’s soul or heart. But Jesus indicates the eye as a gateway, for what the person takes into their own heart. The lamp of the body is the eye refers to a candle or small, portable lamp set on a lamp stand. A source of light to see.

How Jesus uses this word relates to what we see outside of ourselves and what we allow to be taken into our minds and hearts. Think of the light as a figure or truth, the truth of God and His kingdom.

Science tells us how our physical health is connected to our internal health. Not just the effect of anxiety or stress, but physical health based on good nutrition, exercise, exercise, and a good immune system system.

When light (God’s truth) come through our eyes and into our minds and hearts, then our whole body is full of light also. Remember, we are not just a body, we are a soul and spirit within a body.

Consequently, if we let darkness come into our inner being, it will result in the unhealthiness of our life. The dark invade and spread throughout our lives.

John 3:19-21 tells us “This is condemnation, that the light has into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deed were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

When we seek to embrace the light, it makes us whole. But when we choose darkness over light, it corrupt us, and the darkness tends to overwhelm and block out the light in us..

The Lord knows who, and in what we trust. But too often, we are so caught up in all we do within a given day that we don’t realize where we are placing our trust.

What we entertain in our minds or carry in our hearts has a direct impact on our health and our inner being and character.

when we focus on Jesus and His kingdom we will be whole and healthy in our hearts. 1 John 1:5 tells us, “God is light” and He’s the creator of light. There is no darkness in Him.

When we embrace the glare of this world that masquerades as light, it’s only a matter of time before we are filled with its darkness.

One Thing I Can’t Live Without

What is one thing you can’t live without?

One thing I can’t live without is my faith in God. Without a Savior I would have no purpose or hope for a future. I already tried to live without faith and it nearly destroyed me.

In today’s world I can see what happens when people live without faith in God. People lose their morals and values and that leads to hateful behaviors toward others people. That is something I don’t want to be a part of.

Somebody Prayed

Think back over your life. Think of the moments where things could have gone terribly wrong -an accident avoided by a split second, a door closing that would have broken your heart, a difficult season where somehow you found the strength to keep breathing.

We often call those things “luck,” or “timing,” or “coincidence.” Yet, behind the scenes, a quiet and faithful work was happening. A mother, a grandmother, a friend, or a faithful neighbor whispered your name into the quiet and placed you in the hands of God.

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

There’s a song by Crowder that captures the exact mystery. “I’m only right where I am today because somebody prayer.” Prayer is never wasted. Even when the words feel feeble, or when you fold your tired hands in the dark. God hears every word.

Remember this, if you ever feel alone -like no human being is currently lifting your name to heaven. Jesus is your advocate, living forever to intercede for you before the Father. Someone is always praying for you.

The Past

What’s a small moment from your past that you still think about years later?

A small moment from the past that I still think about runs in the rear of my mind is a recurrent nightmare I had and what was the meaning of it.

It was a dream that I was being pushed through the inside of a slimy tube that had a face at the end. I remember being so frightened that I would vomit when I finally came through its mouth. I still look for the meaning of that dream. The fact that I had the same dream over and over must mean something.

Jesus Paid It All

There are moments when guilt tries to reminds us of our past. Mistakes we wish we could undo. Failures we wish we could erase. Sin Satan keeps bringing back to our minds.

But the cross tells a different story.

When Jesus went to the cross, He did not pay for some of our sins. He paid for all of them. Every failure, every wrong choice, every moment we fell short. The price was fully paid through His sacrifice.

This means we no longer have to live under the weight of condemnation. Grace has already be spoken over our lives. Because of Jesus, every saved person is forgiven. All we have to do is ask. Because of Jesus we are redeemed. Because of Jesus we are made new.

Satan may try to remind us who we were. But the cross reminds us of who we are now.

We are not defined by our past. We are defined by His mercy.

So walk in freedom today. Walk in forgiveness. Walk in grace. Walk in the new life Jesus has given you.

Because the truth still stands: Jesus paid it all.

Historical Events

What historical event fascinates you the most?

The historical event that fascinates me is what is taking place right now.

The peace deals in the Middle East will go down in history. I believe Bible prophecy is happening right before our eyes, whether people realize it or not.

The hostages exchanged, Israel troop redeployments, government/transitional arrangements for Gaza. But even the deals warn of its durability is uncertain while government is unclear there are underlying tensions that remain.

My son ask me the other day how this relates to the Bible today my answer was the Bible tells us in the book of 1 Thessalonians that “when they say peace and safety then sudden destruction comes in them. A major peace deal involving Israel and perhaps many nations could throw us into the end times.

I believe this peace is temporary or a “false peace” after which conflict returns and the tribulation period follows.

All of these things must take place for Jesus to return. President Trump may not know it but God is using him mightily to bring these to pass. I would say we are living in pretty historical times right now.

Drench Everything In Prayer

Drench every detail of your life in prayer, because nothing is too small for God’s attention or too big for His power.

Philippians 4:6 -7tells us, “In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Messiah Yeshua.”

Even though it isn’t practical to verbally our prayers about everything, we can live in such a way that we are aware of God’s constant presence with us and trusting God will help us moment by moment.

Drenching everything in prayer can seem very challenging and too much to manage. However, living out this guidance to praying about everything is not just possible, it is enjoyable.

When we pray about everything we develop a state of mind in which we are turning everything in our lives over to God.

Drenching everything in prayer isn’t an activity it’s a way of life. The wonder we can experience from doing this shows God that we are devoted to Him.

Screen Time

How do you manage screen time for yourself?

Every minute spent scrolling is a minute taken away from your goals. Choose wisely.

Balance is always the key. Too much screen time overstimulates the brain, and can alter physical brain structure. I believe in doing everything in moderation. Even too much of a good thing can be bad for us.

Prepare Your Heart For God Wisdom And Understanding

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” -James 1:5 (Jacob)

Wisdom is rarely a loud event. It rarely arrives with a sudden explosion of certainty. Often, it is a quiet alignment, a gentle shifting of our own noise out of the way so that God’s perspective can step in.

We often approach God asking for answers, when what He offers is Himself. We treat wisdom like a map to solve a puzzle or a shortcut to end a season of waiting. But biblical wisdom is more than accumulated facts or sharp intellect; it’s the skill of living well in God’s presence. It is seeing everything from His eyes.

Before wisdom can take root in us, the soil of our hearts has to be prepared. Just as a farmer clears rocks and breaks up hard soil before planting seed, preparing our hearts to understand requires some clearing out.

We must let go of our need for control. Understanding requires admitting that we don’t know the outcome. We cannot fill a cup that is already full of our own predetermined conclusions.

We must be able to invite correction with defense. Wisdom loves humility. When God highlights a blind spot in us, we need a heart that says, “Show me,” rather than defend ourselves.

We must wait with open hands. James reminds us God gives wisdom generously, which means His supply is never the bottleneck. But our receptivity is.

You Were Never Meant To Carry It All

“They should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” -Acts 17:27

If there is one thing that makes me uncomfortable, it’s uncertainty.

When faced with uncertain situations, I tend to tighten my grip on anything I can, just trying to hold the all things together. I have to make a real effort to give it to God.

As a follower of Jesus, I want to trust God wholeheartedly. I want to surrender my desire to control to His capable hands. But if I’m honest, the minute things feel uncertain, I am propelled to feel fear more than I remember God’s sovereignty.

No matter how we try to understand how the world works. God knows everything. He is in control of it all. Isaiah 55:8-9 Jesus, tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

The God who made the world and everything in it – He is Lord of heaven and earth. He did this so that we might seek God, and perhaps might reach out and find Him. Though our uncertainty may make us feel like we are in darkness, God is the light that is with us and guides us.

Everything we face in life can make us feel uncomfortable, the God of all will comfort us right where we are. As believers, we can count on the certainty of God’s nearness. God is near, and therefore hope is near.

Even in uncertainty, we can keep moving forward with steps of faith, trusting that every detail of our lives is held in the firm and faithful hands of God.

Needing Time

Do you need time?

Everyone needs time, time to themselves. It is important for mental health and well-being.

Time to recharge and reflect on the outside world. And also personal development, time to focus on ourselves and grow without the pressure of others.

Everyone needs to balance alone time with time with others. It’s about how we weigh solitude against social connections. These days, I value solitude rather than social connections.