Think on These Things

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy; think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8   For years there has been and still is talk of ‘how bad things are getting.’  I recall my good friend and mentor, who taught me much regarding the Bible had stated how many bad things that the nightly news in Spokane, Washington would report about.  That was years ago, where the vast majority of news consumed would be a brief nightly show, followed by the sports and weather report, with the daily newspaper also being read by many individuals.    Clearly the Bible teaches that things will “wax worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13), but should we take a moment to consider these things in light of the Holy Scriptures?   Just a couple of generations ago, there was a time where news took time to spread and much of the news was more local or state, rather than reporting on every evil that was found around the globe.    While horrific events that happened in far away places could be read eventually in many local or statewide published newspapers, there was a limitation to space in those papers, as well as a certain lack on interest.  For instance, one might not ever hear about a mass stabbing event in rural China, but now with the advent of the internet, likely that news will travel quite quickly and we might pickup the headline...

State National/Sovereign Citizen

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from Heaven, having great power, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every unclean spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!  For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual perversities, the kings of the earth have prostituted themselves with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her luxury.  And I heard another voice from Heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you not share in her sins, and so that you not receive of her plagues.  For her sins have reached to Heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.  Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.  By however much she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, by the same amount give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.  Therefore her plagues will come in one day; death and mourning and famine. And she will be consumed with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.  The kings of the earth who prostituted themselves and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing...

Falling Away

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is unveiled, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is honored, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, declaring of himself that he is God.”  2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4   Recently I spent some time researching churches found in Rapid City, South Dakota, in many instances, if they had a head organization, ending up on their website to see what it is they have in their Statements of Faith.   There are several things that I look for when looking into Churches that preach the truth of God, which ones are closest to following what the Bible says.  Here is a short list:   1.) Do they preach repentance towards God and faith in Christ (Acts 20:21) or simply neglect repentance?  Do they have a basic ‘sinner’s prayer’ that is found nowhere in the Bible telling the person if they just prayed that to contact them and let them know?   2.) What is their type of music?  Is it traditional or not?  Do they have flashy lights and a stage?  Is it a rock concert?  Is it honoring to our Creator or not?   3.) Do they believe in a literal six day Creation as the Bible teaches in Genesis chapter 1?   4.) Do they believe in a literal Flood that only Noah, his three sons and their wives (8 in all) were Saved through (Gen. 6-8; 1 Pet....

Deaf Ears

“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.”  Ezekiel 12:2   I’m not one to take much account of dreams.  There are those who proclaim I have dreamed this or dreamed that (Jer. 23:25) and I have seen articles written online about such-n-such a prophet dreams that this is going to happen or that is going to happen.  What I fail to see is the follow-up articles, by the same writers who promote such things, when these things fail to happen (Duet. 18:22).  Their dreams were not of God.   Last night I had a dream, not a prophetic dream, but a dream where I awoke having understanding about the times in which we live.  Now understand my background, for a living I clean commercial buildings and have done so off and on for nearly 25 years.  While it might not be a dream job, this has been the career where God consistently opens the doors, so that I might be able to work in ‘peace’ and provide an honest living.   In this dream there was another man who was a janitor for a building that I did not clean.  I happened to be walking outside this building and he had a flood of milky water outside the entrance, going down a half step of cement stairs to another sublevel basement entrance.  He was trying to mop it up and asked for some help.   I grabbed the mop bucket on...

Good Soldier

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize controls himself in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we an imperishable.  Therefore I run in this manner: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”  1st Corinthians 9:24-27   “You therefore endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  No one serving military duty entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him.”  2nd Timothy 2:3-4   When someone goes before God with a repentant heart and by faith believes into Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, forsaking their sins and being born again, they do not realize the battle that is set before them.   “But what does it say? The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the Word of Faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  Romans 10:8-10   “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, yes,...

The Whole World Astray

“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who leads the whole world astray; he was cast out onto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”  Revelation 12:9   “And the devil, who led them astray, was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”  Revelation 20:10   Let’s take a moment and consider something that is perhaps too big for most to actually contemplate in relation to the actually reality of the world that we live in.  Satan leads THE WHOLE WORLD ASTRAY.   Where does that lead to?  Well certainly the answer is found in the remainder of the verses in Revelation chapter 20.   “And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens 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, out of the things which were written in the books.  And 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 their works.  And Death and Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the...