END TIMES

    Let me begin by stating that I do believe in the Spiritual gifts and have experienced and witnessed them being manifested correctly and validly.  I am not a dispensationalist nor a cessationist.  I don’t believe that any of the spiritual gifts, specifically, the gift of tongues, have ceased to exist for the ministry and benefit of the Church.  That just doesn’t line up with the Holy Scriptures but that’s all for another study.

    I have been concerned lately with a lot of “prophecies” I’ve been seeing/hearing/getting in forwards from friends connected with President Trump’s time in office and potential comeback.  Don’t get me wrong, I am an avid Trump supporter and firm believer that he was terribly wronged and I am concerned with the direction of our country.  What concerns me most is that smack of the QAnon conspiracy theories.  One that I heard the other day seemed to be saying that Trump will ultimately prevail and Christians will be rewarded and riches will be coming our way soon.  Other teachings I’ve heard include that the world is coming to an end but not to worry because we Christians in the Church will be “raptured” out before the “Tribulation” begins.

    In fact that last teaching is my main concern and is a teaching that has caused me a lot of concern for many years.  The American western evangelical Church has I’m afraid been misled, to put it kindly, regarding the End Times.  We have been fed a propaganda of escapism that just isn’t scriptural.  We have been depending on teaching that can be traced back to an ecstatic utterance given by a woman in a prayer meeting in England ca. 1821.  Do research on the origins of pretribulationism.   Better yet let’s read scripture.

    Let’s start with Jesus words in the Gospels.  Always, always, always begin with the Word.  Jesus is the Word.  His words are the Word.  His words, His Word, is ultimate truth.

   In Matthew 24 Jesus is asked what will be the sign of His coming or arrival (parousias Gk.).  That Greek word was often used as referring to the arrival or appearance of an important person or supernatural being.  That will be important as we later look at a statement of Paul regarding Christ’s coming and the “rapture” of the Church.  The point of this passage in Matt. 24 is that AFTER a discussion of the end times and difficult times for Christians, Jesus makes this statement in verses 29 -30 “Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days... then will appear the sign of the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and He send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”  “Immediately after...”  Jesus words.  This, in my have humble opinion, is a description of the Second Coming and the Rapture.

    The same discussion appears in Mark 13 and more specifically verses 24-27 almost verbatim.  In Luke the words are a little different however the timeline is the same concluding with Jesus’ statement after a discussion of what sounds a lot like the tribulation He describes in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:27‬ ‭NASB1995

    Again, always, always, always begin with the words of Jesus, not writings of left behind series authors or other late great books of the recent past.  More to come...

Do we really become angels when we go to heaven?

   I've never said anything when I've seen comments made when people are grieving. But now we're going through this time and it's my turn. Hopefully, people will read carefully what I'm about to say. Miriam's father is not and will never be an angel. When he left this life, heaven didn't gain another angel. 

   I have heard so many Christians as well as others not necessarily professing faith say that when a loved one has "passed away" that heaven has another angel. Humans don't become angels. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor.5:8) but not as an angel. I don't know what form or "glory" (1 Cor. 15:35-40) we will be in, but I suspect because the final resurrection has not occurred yet that we are in spirit form and will one day be given heavenly yet physical bodies because our earthly bodies will be raised and "transformed in the twinkling of an eye..." (1 Cor. 15:52). 

   To call someone who has "graduated" to heaven an angel is just bad and totally wrong theology.  Instead we should think of them as standing in the presence of God the Father worshipping Him in all His Glory as children of God, His children!  Yes we are created "a little lower than the angels" (Heb. 2:7) but even the angels marvel at how much God has loved us.  The angels were created and sent to minister to us (Heb. 1:14).  In fact we are considered brothers of Jesus when we come to know Him as Lord and Savior.

   I know Elden "Dean" and  Kathryn knew Jesus.  I know not only because of the way they talked, but how they lived.   Yes they may not have been perfect, only One was, but they also aren't angels.  They are Children of God!  And because of that, I hope to one day stand beside them again in heaven worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.

Do you KNOW Jesus?

2 Tim. 1:12b

…for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

For we know the name of Jesus, we may know about Him, we may even have asked Him into our lives, but do we KNOW Him? Are we intimate with Jesus? Paul uses the Greek word oida, in the perfect tense which indicates to know intimately, to have seen and considered. Paul is saying that not only do I know Him but I have known Him, I have seen Him. I know Him so well that I am convinced of His reality, of His realness, of His closeness. I know His strength and power. Paul was not just acquainted with Jesus but knew Him in a much deeper way, at a much deeper level.

I am acquainted with other people, but I know my wife. I know her in not only the Biblical sense that “Adam knew Eve”, but after forty years of marriage I know her on a much deeper level than words can even describe. Our spirits have connected at such an indescribable depth that I am convinced that nothing could ever come between us, that even though someday in eternity we will have new bodies, I will still recognize her immediately. Even though I might be struck blind I would still recognize her. If I lost all hearing, I would know her touch and her presence. I know her because I have spent time with her. I can sit and be quiet with her and I can sit and converse with her. I trust her with my very life.

This is the kind of knowledge that Paul had of His Lord. He had complete trust in Him. Because he spent time with Him, because he learned of Him by talking with Him and learning everything he could about Jesus. This is the kind of knowledge that the Lord wants us to have of Him. He desires to spend time with us and is willing to teach us and give of Himself. He is the living Word (John 1:1, 14). If we want to know Jesus we must spend time in His Word, the scriptures. We must spend time conversing with Him in prayer. We must sit with Him in quiet times of listening as well as times of petition.

I know in Whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard the life that I have given to Him until that glorious day when we will see each other face to face.

My Heart, Christ’s Home

Rev. 3:20
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.
When we welcome Christ into our hearts, it is like welcoming someone into our home. Except with Jesus, He desires to come into our house and clean it top to bottom. Not only does He desire to clean and occupy our house and make it his home, He wants the deed to the house as well. Jesus desires total surrender of everything, every room, every closet. And He wants to fill it with His furniture and appliances, things that are useful for His purposes. We become His home here on earth.
At the same time, Jesus Christ welcomes us into His Father’s house, the Kingdom of Heaven. But we’re not just welcomed as visitors or guests. If you welcome someone into your home, they usually only have access to certain rooms. You might usher them into the living room or a formal sitting room. If you are very familiar with them you might welcome them into the kitchen to sit at the bar or table and share a drink and food and fellowship. If that person is staying with you for an extended period, you might welcome them to make themselves at home and help themselves to the refrigerator and the guest room and bath. But only the true children have complete access to the whole house and all its contents. Your children may run freely through any room and use any piece of furniture or appliance or utensil. And only your children are allowed into the most intimate of all rooms, the master bedroom, to come and snuggle with their parents.
So it is with the Father, when we become His children, we are given access to all the riches of His Kingdom. We may dine on all that He has to offer. He desires to feed us with the pure milk and meat of His precious Word. We are given comfort and shelter. He welcomes us into intimate fellowship with Him, to sit at His feet and listen to His voice and at times to be held in His arms. So it is that our hearts become His home and that home then becomes interconnected with His heavenly home. Thus we have fellowship with the God of heaven, Lord of the Universe, King of kings, Lord of Lords, becoming children of the King!
John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…

Stand Up In God's Strength

Daniel 11:32
"And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action."

In times of great difficulty smooth talking leaders often arise and subtly turn the hearts of believers away from the ways of God. Great promises are made, half truths are told. Little by little, bit by bit, people swoon and are swayed by seemingly gifted orations. Just enough truth is given to make it sound good. At the same time, if we are not truly seeking after God’s truth our eyes get blinded. We may easily be convinced to follow after the deceiver.


It begins in childhood when one child convinces another to go along with him to get into the snacks that are forbidden. In adolescence it continues when one teen convinces another to go along for a dangerous ride or take an occasional drink at a party or try an illicit drug. As adults, one is pressured to cheat their employer by taking an extra few minutes for lunch or take something home the company will never miss. Husbands’ hearts are turned away from their wives by airbrushed pictures of other women. Politicians promise great change and whittle away at our freedoms by making new laws to circumvent old laws and standard public morals.


In times like these true believers need to begin to stand up and speak out. Those who truly know Him will finally begin to take action. The Church needs to begin to speak out against injustice, prejudice, immorality, murder of the preborn, and abuse of the weak and the helpless. Christians need to come out of their own safe little worlds and return to God’s Word and its commandments to do and not just be. In fact, when we truly know God we will display His strength by taking action.

Blessed Reflections

As I was praying this week, I began to reflect on my life thus far. Funny how you do that more after you hit fifty. You start reading the obituaries more, not because you're concerned about who died, but how close to your age they were. But back to the point, I realized that even though there are things I would have liked to have accomplished, millionaire by age forty, retired at fifty-five, seriously though a doctorate, my own senior pastorate, a home paid for and no debt, a pottery/art studio for hobbies...all in all...I am blessed... no... immensely blessed. Life... no, God doesn't always lead us down the roads we would necessarily choose. But then, that's probably a good thing. What if I had done this or done that, pursued this degree or stayed with that job? I might not have married the wonderful woman that I did and then we wouldn't have had the 'perfect' kids that we did. (Oh my gosh, I might have had some of those horrible brats I've seen in the stores and restaurants through the years!) Or worse, none at all!
All kidding aside, I truly believe that I am hugely blessed with four of the best children in the world. I have been reflecting on how each has turned out, each with their own special talents and abilities and callings. Each with a unique entreprenurial drive that has taken them down different paths. Each with a spiritual awakening at an early age that has continued into adulthood and continues to deepen. It amazes me as I talk with each of the depth of their spiritual insights and maturity. Just a few days ago, these were children that couldn't find their own shoes or make a peanut butter sandwich for themselves. Now they are making huge lifechanging decisions on their own, affecting the physical and eternal lives of others. Now they are beginning to have children of their own that are already becoming spiritually aware. (Don't blink you'll miss it! It all flies by too fast.) I would love to have the last thirty-five years back again, there's a few things I would do differently, but then the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, had a plan. Some day I'll know all the whys and wherefores and then I'll understand. Until then I'll just try to enjoy the ride and continue to try to make a difference.

Philip. 1:4-6
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Loving Them Into The Kingdom

Under an early budding maple tree her granddaughters played on a warm March afternoon. Annie the black Labrador retriever began a low mournful howl. Then within seconds the wail of sirens begins to wind its way up the valley coming to a stop not too far away. One by one more than a half dozen sirens get louder and louder then halt. First come the volunteers then a sheriff’s deputy, a rescue squad, then finally the loud blast of a fire truck.

Turning every event into a learning experience Mimaw catches her breath and says to the girls, “We should always pray when we hear sirens, for the person who might have been in an accident or fire and also the emergency people, the policemen and firemen as they help people.” Right there in the side yard the three held hands in a circle as Mimaw began to pray. “Lord be with the people who may have been in this accident or fire and protect them. Also be with the people who are helping them, the police and the firemen and EMT’s. Amen.”

Suddenly another siren is heard, four year old Bella catches her breath and says, “We better pray!” Bowing her head she closes her eyes and begins to gently rock her head side to side. “Thank You God that you are so big and strong and can take care of everything. Oh, God pleease watch over the people in the wrecked car. Be with the policeman and the fireman…” Another lesson learned. Who knows what these little ones will become as they grow deeper, ever deeper into God’s kingdom.... The God Who created them and put them into her care knows.

Philip. 1:4-6
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.