The Bible And Current Events

I’ve been thinking and praying about what’s going on in the world. As I’m sure many people have.

History seems to be hurtling toward the Last Days, as we find ourselves trying to navigate through an increasingly hostile world.

Politics are dividing our country and even our churches. People are becoming more cold-hearted, selfish, and angry. We are experiencing a breakdown that feels irreversible. While these problems do not have simple solutions, there is guidance in scripture.

America was originally founded on Christian principles, but this foundation seems to have started eroding after World War II. These days it seems the downward trend in building faster.

The government, the educational system, the entertainment industry, and the media no longer share these values, which means Christians are becoming alienated from the dominant forces in society. To have good, decent values means being demonized, ridiculed, and marginalized.

Persecution is what is happening to Christians in America. To be presented for righteousness sake means that we are hated or opposed for solely following Jesus and living for God.

We are experiencing religious suppression, stereotyping, threats, intimidation, and litigation. I think America is a long way away from persecution that involves the torture and death that took place in the New Testament and occur in other countries today. But who knows what lurks around the corner? I never in my wildest dreams thought following Jesus would be under fire as it is now in the United States.

I think about how early Christians suffered more severe persecution than anything we currently face, and we never find them responding in anger. Instead, they found that suffering had positive benefits.

They discovered suffering promoted character. In Romans 5:3-5 we find that it promoted courage. Acts 4:19-20, Acts 4:19-20 proved godliness, and 2 Peter 5:10 produced joy. there are more scriptures I’m sure).

There are three decisions we must make during these times, to stand for truth, draw support from each other, and derive our security from the Lord.

When we view the current political climate in light of God’s eternal plan, there are decisions and steps we must make in advance in order to prepare ourselves for that moment when persecution comes.

How do we prepare ourselves:

  1. Be determined to stand for truth. It is imperative that fear of rejection, criticism, and loss does not cower us into hiding the truth. We must be prepared to stand for God’s truth without bending.

“Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” – 2 Corinthians 16:13-14

2. Draw support from one another. We cannot be believers alone. We need the company of others like ourselves who we can share encouragement, struggles, and victories. It’s easy to feel alone and discouraged, but the fellowship of others who have your beliefs will draw strength, discipline, knowledge, encouragement, support and love. It’s important to have a “church family.” A courageous example can spur any one of us to say, “If they can do it, by God’s grace so can I.”

I think the key to standing firm in the face of persecution is to remember who we belong to and where we are going. We belong to Jesus, and He secures us in His hand. Therefore we do not need to fear the danger of losing our reputation, our jobs, our finances, or even our physical lives. Jesus said,

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” -Matthew 16:25

In Matthew 24 God predicted the future of world history and the end of the age. I think Matthew 24 represents a description of the first half of the tribulation period, but I may be wrong, many have different theories concerning this. But these trends are not going to happen at the speed of light. They are going to increasingly characterize the last days leading up to the rapture of the church, as they vibrate through time.

3. Derive our security in the Lord

It is in God that we find security. Throughout the Bible, there are aspects of God’s character, we find the depth of His goodness, love, hope, and sovereignty during changing and seemingly hopeless circumstances that are more firmly rooted and understood in the hearts of the sufferer. None of us want to suffer if we walk with Jesus, we know it will come. And we need to be prepared for it.

About Me

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I march to the beat of my own drum. Some people say I’m cold, but I like to spend time by myself. I have an energy that makes it hard to make friends, but when I do I am a true friend.

Lazy Days

Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

Lazy days make me feel rested. It has been proven that rest days do wonders for your emotional health, making it easier to keep your cook when you’re sad, angry, or irritable.

Rest days are crucial to resetting our overload button. Too often guilt and self-judgment get in the of taking time off for self-care.

Society has made people think that resting means lazy, which isn’t the case at all. It’s easy to get brainwashed into thinking that we never work enough or that we are slackers. But the human body needs rest to function properly.

Rest helps us think clearly, focus and make good decisions. It also helps us handle our emotions and reduces stress.

Spiritual Awareness

Spiritual awareness is being conscious of spiritual ideas or matters. Some think of their soul, a spiritual path, a spiritual leader, a religion, or even unseen forces in the world or their lives.

The Apostle Paul writes a lot about spirit focus and flesh focus throughout the Bible.

The Bible makes it clear that there is a real spiritual realm where activity happens constantly. While most people pay no attention to anything that they can not see physically others cultivate their spiritual awareness through a relationship with God.

Spiritual awareness is precisely explained in Ephesians 6:12,

“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

There are several ways to see and understand spiritual awareness in scripture. One of the most enlightening ways is when Daniel is trying to understand the truth of God’s will.

While Daniel was speaking and praying, confession his sins and the sins of his people in Israel, God instructed him in 9: 22-23,

“Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding. At the beginning of your petitions, the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.”

While Daniel was still in prayer and confessed sin in making his request of God, Gabriel the angel came to him and told him that there was heavenly activity to respond to Daniel’s spiritual activity of prayer.

Just like Daniel, we need to be spiritually aware that God is working behind the scenes when we pray. God pulled back the curtains for Daniel and He can do it for us. This is why prayer is so important.

When we think about the sources of temptation, conflict, and confusion being a result of unseen dark spiritual activity. We begin to live spiritually aware lives, understanding the limited power of people, and the immense need to learn to exert spiritual power if we are going to flourish in this world.

My pastor explained it this way, “there is a spiritual war going on above us. The war that is going on with Isreal and Hamas is what is going on above us right now in the spiritual realm.

When we develop this awareness that the most recent activity taking place at any one time is spiritual, and recognize the insignificance of human action in comparison to the invisible spiritual power at work in the cosmos, we then lose our fear of people and discover what it truly means to be in awe of God.

Spiritual awareness is about seeing the world spiritually, getting beyond the superficial view that human resistance is responsible for our difficulties.

Being Successful

When you think of the word “successful,” who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?

Most people when they think of being successful being rich having a big house, and expensive cars.

When I think of being successful is running the race and finishing it well. Having a vision of victory that awaits me at the end of my life.

Being committed to running the race until the very end. Having integrity until the very end.

Being successful and rich isn’t about money, cars, or mansions. To me, it’s about being honest and having integrity. Living a peaceful, content life. And striving to please the God of the Universe.

Fighting the good fight and keeping the faith.

Heart Condition

What if I told you a had a heart condition? We all have heart conditions.

Our heart condition depends on the things we allow into our hearts. They form from thoughts and attitudes, and ultimately, shape the deepest part of our being. No matter what our circumstances are, if your heart is right, you’re going to be okay.

But if things so wrong in our hearts and go left unattended, they can become deeply rooted and harder to deal with. The quicker you can detect a wrong heart condition and get it straightened out, the better off you are.

We need to guard our hearts at all costs. Because it’s easy to let something creep in, that can hurt us or others.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us,

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

It doesn’t say someone else will guard your heart. It doesn’t say God will guard your heart, or your neighbor will guard your heart, or your partner will guard your heart, or even your pastor. It says you need to guard your heart.

You’re in charge of guarding your own heart. Which is pretty much a full-time job because we don’t know on any given day what’s going to come up. You don’t know what somebody may say to you that may hurt you, disappoint you, or let you down. Then suddenly, there’s a wound in there that needs to be dealt with.

My daughter works with the public and she gets bombarded with people saying ignorant things to her at any given time. It she’s pretty good a guarding her heart.

We have to constantly work with the Holy Spirit to keep our hearts right.

God gave me a revelation that my real life is the one that inside. There is nothing more important than your life -what’s in your heart.

Life is not our circumstances, the kind of house we live in, the kind of car we drive, or that kind of job you have or even how much money we have. People can have the best of things in life and still be miserable.

Matthew 5:8 says,

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Taking time to keep your heart pure is similar to cleaning out your basement or attic. Once you turn on the lights and start looking around, don’t be surprised to find some things you didn’t expect.

Jesus said some pretty strong things about the heart. “If you see a woman and lust after her, then you have already committed adultery as far as your heart is concerned. (Matthew 5:28). Lust has tremendous effect on the heart, think about how it can destroy the lives of people who look at pornography so easily.

Satan tries to shoot darts into our hearts of hatred. The Bible says if you hate your brother, it’s no different than if you murdered him. Look at all the hate that is taking over today. We have to raise our shields to avoid this to keep our hearts pure.

I have found that I read God’s Word early in the day and continue through my day praying and asking Him to guide me, it’s easier to protect my heart.

Even if I feel like doing the wrong thing and I choose to do the right thing I am growing -and God is pleased.

When we develop self-control, and keep our commitments, keep our word and do what we know Gods wants us to do He is pleased. If He is pleased then He will bless up and show us favor.

I’m not saying that you have to ignore your feelings. We have to take care of our emotions. Tell God how you feel and God will give you strength and power to get through.

Dwelling In The Presence Of God’s Glory

Dwelling in God’s presence sounds east. From experience, I can tell you it takes renewing the mind and effort to seek Him continually.

That being said, there are many ways to dwell in God’s presence. Here are a few:

  • Trust God
  • Seek forgivness
  • Study scripture
  • Pray daily
  • Practice kindness
  • Serve others
  • Express gratitude for all God’s blessings
  • Fellowship with other believers

The more time you spend dwelling in God’s presence, the more you will experience life and heart-transforming benefits.

The time we spend with God is supposed to be worth it. Every second will increase your joy, peace, and help you grow spiritually.

Ephesind 1:16-17 Paul says,

“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom, and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”

The benefits of being in the presence of God -His glory

The Benefits of dwelling in God’s glory are,

  1. The fullness of joy and delight in the law of the Lord

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, the eternal pleasures at your right hand” – Psalm 16:11

Being in the presence of the Lord brings joy and knowledge of the path God wants for you.

The Holy Spirit reveals the truth to us, helping us know God, understand scripture, and be convicted by sin (John 16-7-14).

2. God’s perfect peace

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal” -Isaiah 26:3-4

During my life I have felt loss, confusion and brokenness. Feeling like I could not trust anyone around me. When I hit rock bottom, I felt like God was my only hope. I would cry out to Him for comfort and peace and He carried me to a much better, safer life.

3.Comfort in difficult times

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower, the righteous run to it and are safe” -Proverbs 18:10

Because we are human beings we will we will experience countless difficult times. God will not prevent difficulties, but He is always there to help us through them.

I remember times when I was struggling to pay bills and close to having my power shut off. God came through in the nick of time. We received a check out of the blue in the mail for a computer error with our insurance reimbursing us for the overpayment.

God provided comfort with a thought, giving you hope in hard times. His help and comfort come as a feeling when we seek Him in our troubles. Other times, He will use people in your life to take care of our needs as a way to help us. His comfort is beyond our comprehension.

4. A safe, personal, and intimate relationship

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” -Proverbs 3:5-6

About 10 years ago we were experiencing a very bad drought season in my town. The farmers had trouble getting things to grow and our lawns and plants were drying up. I had been bad for months with no sign of rain in sight.

One day my church decided to get together at a local park and pray. My pastor reached out to other churches to join us to pray for rain. Quite a few showed up. Began holding hands and praying for rain. Within about 20 or 30 minutes. The sky grew dark and it began to rain. We had a huge thunderstorm that day. That ended the drought.

I often think if people could put aside their differences and pray for things to get done, imagine what could be accomplished. It’s a shame what is happening in the world today. There is so much hate and greed we are destroying ourselves to the very core because we refuse to set aside our differences.

5. Spiritual strength

“My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” -Proverbs 73:26

If we stand on our own strength we will fail. Using God’s spiritual strength will allow us to persevere and succeed,

Spending time in God’s Word and talking to God, gains His strength. He gives us strength we need for each task we are working on and seeks to see us through to the end.

When we have the confidence that we are on the right path we can gain the joy and peace that God as to give us.

A Good Neighbor

What makes a good neighbor?

A good neighbor is someone who is respectful, friendly, and considerate of others. Someone who will is willing to help you, but also stay out of your business and respect your lifestyle. They is nothing worse than a nosy neighbor.

Someone who keeps their children and pets in check. I had a neighbor who had four aggressive dogs, and let them run loose. Every time I would walk out to check my mail, or get in my car they would come and try and bite me. I had them attack my dog as I was bringing her to the car. Which caused a very expensive veterinary bill, but refused to help pay the bill.

What I Could Do For The First Time

What could you try for the first time?

I would like to try going up in a hot air balloon. I would love to get a unique view of the breathtaking land below me.

Intercession For Others

An intercession is a specific form of prayer where we stand before God on behalf of someone else. We can also intercede for our country. It’s about being a spiritual advocate for others and when we intercede for a country, we stand in the gap for them.

We see this in the Bible when Daniel intercedes for Israel by praying for God to restore Jerusalem and the Temple, free the people from captivity, and forgive the sins of the nation.

God responded to Daniel’s prayer by sending the angel Gabriel to provide understanding about Israel’s future. Gabriel told Daniel that after 70 years of captivity, his people could look forward to 70 weeks (490 years) of blessings, mingled with conflict.

When I think about prayer throughout history, I realize mankind has always reached out to God. Regardless of where they live, age, or even beliefs. It’s as if we are hardwired to communicate with Him.

It’s remarkable that had God created this concept of communication process of prayer for us. Think for a minute about billions of people all over the world over thousands of years praying to God. Imagine those prayers that have ascended to His holy throne.

Not only is He willing, but He wants to listen to us at any given time. We don’t need a special formula and we don’t even have to be in a kneeling position. All we need to do is to talk to God be honest with Him and speakinh from our hearts.

We can stand in the gap. Lik Daniel standing in the gap for Israel, like Ester standing in the gap for her people. We can stand in the gap for our country.

Ezekiel 22:30-31says,

“I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out my indignation on them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have brought their own way on their heads, says the Lord God.”

Praying to God is imperative. We can stand in the gap for people and the problems of the United States. We can stand in the gap for politicians to receive wisdom and pray the Lord will bring us godly leaders.

Our world is being destroyed by nonbiblical values. We need to become intercessors and stand in the gap. If we don’t our country will be destroyed.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us,

“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up the other; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.”

The key to successful intercessory prayer is to rely on the promises God had laid up throughout scripture for us. We do not have to wonder what His will is for our nation or our leaders. He has made it plain in His Word that He desires godly leadership.

When we are fully persuaded of God’s promised, we an pray with confidence, knowing that He hears us and we are declaring His will in the earth.

The Battle Over Values

There are people in this world who like to deconstruct the works of good and like to cause harm to other people causing pain and sorrow by doing evil things. If you pay attention it’s easy to see. It’s all around us. They prefer darkness to light and are in a constant battle with the light of the world. If you read the Bible you can see everything It taught is happening or has happened.

These things are written on the pages of the Bible.

Jesus is a known harbinger of the values of the eternal kingdom. And the values of the kingdom include peace, joy, meekness, gentleness, compassion, mercy, and truth. These are values the world does not possess, not appreciate. These are the values Jesus came to instill in people. I can not imagine people not wanting these things to be prominent in there lives.

This battle rages because of the fear people with worldly values are being exposed for their ugliness, and their bad behavior. The Bible tells us,

“For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, not anything secret that will not be known and come to light” -Luke 8:17

Some people are oblivious to the values of heaven. Therefore are ready to fight anyone who would dare expose them. It’s a whole lot easier to feed their flesh than it is to seek righteous living. They think they can reign in the world with absolute freedom doing all sorts of things. The end justifies the means for some people whereas if you go against the values of heaven they get praised for it.

God promised to reward us for how we serve Him on earth.

Truthfulness, compassion, love, kindness, meekness, and justice are values Jesus taught. These values are hard to be found in our world today.

Jesus warned His children that,

“A servant is not greater than His master (God). If they persecute me, they would persecute you too” – John 15:21

Jesus says that it would not be easy for His children to live by the values of heaven on earth. But to look to Him who is in the end will have justice. And that they would receive crowns for their good deeds.

Principles I Live By

What principles define how you live?

Each of my principles I live I try to center around the Lord, with the mind of giving glory to Him. I let love be my guiding principle. God is love, and the Holy Spirit pours His love into my heart and soul.

I take time each day to pray and have a connection to Him.

Obedience builds faith in Jesus, and produces God’s favor in my life.