Why you shouldn't look for God in "The Shack"

There is probably not one of us who has either seen the movie The Shack, or read the book, or at the very least, knows of someone who has, and thought The Shack was the best movie or book they have ever read.  Now, while I can believe such a book or film can be entertaining, and insightful; even plant seeds of faith in a non-believer; we have to be able to discern what is truth, and what is fiction.  The Shack is fiction, and dangerous fiction in that while it feels good on the surface, it has some false premises that can damage or even destroy ones relationship with Christ.  Below are just a couple of key points:

• In "The Shack", God the Father Himself comes to the shack...as a woman?  God has always referred to himself as masculine (sorry, ladies; but please stay, with me for a bit longer!) and never in the flesh.  That was Jesus's job, to be God in the flesh.  Jesus walked and talked with us on earth.  God the Father on earth could not be directly viewed by sinful man without dying (Exodus 33:20; Isaiah 6).   What The Shack does is recreate god in man's image; or, in other words, promote idolatry.

• What? No Hell?  The Shack implies through an underlying theme that all of mankind and even Satan and his fallen angels can and will be reconciled to God, enter Heaven, thus eliminate the need for Hell and the Lake of Fire.  Very appealing, but not very biblically Sound.  (Revelation 20:10-15)  Satan will not be let back into the heavenly realm, so he can try to overthrow God again.  Those who choose to reject God and his offer of love will not be forced to repent and be thrown into Heaven, as The Shack suggests.  That's not love, love respects freedom of choice.  (Ladies, you know that guy you had no interest in who kept pursuing you?  Would that be love if he forced you to love him??  God is not just a God of love, but a God of justice as well.

While The Shack can be treated as good, secular fiction, with a lot of biblical truths; one must be careful in regard to the half truths and falsehoods that are laced throughout the book and film.  This story paints a universal message, that all religions lead to God; while Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6)  So while all religions do lead to God, most lead to a God, sitting on a throne of judgment, seperating himself from those who chose not to have any relationship with Him while they were on earth.  The only place for an eternal human being to go who does not want fellowship with God is the lake of fire; the second death, that truly lasts for eternity.

Christianity is not a religion where you need to appease a god; it's about God's love for us, that He (Christ) died for us (Romans 5:8).  God has done all that needs to be done to reconcile the relationship between mankind and Himself, that will we have left to do is say, "Thank you, Lord Jesus", and spend time with Him; in prayer, in reading His word, the Bible, and sharing this good news with others.

Elections last for only a few years...

But who we choose to follow in spirit lasts for eternity.

For Etenity, we have another election to take place.  This election only affects the individual as to how they vote; not all of society.  You can choose to follow God, in Christ, or NOT to follow God.  That's it; up or down; yes or no.  A yes vote means you get to spend eternity with Jesus, and No vote (or abstention from voting) means you get to spend eternity apart from God. (That would be in the place prepared for Satan and his angels).

What has made the United States of America the shining light on a hill for the world?  Not because we are perfectly good (heavens, we do a lot more wrong than good at times!) but because we for the most part, Americans feared God and tried to to what was right.  We have been the most generous, the most tolerant, the biggest defender of freedom against tyranny, and have had the greatest inventors in the 19th and 20th centuries. And when compared to most nations, we have done more good around the world than all other nations combined.

Yet over the last 50 years, we have removed God from our public presence.  And we have become less good.  We have become less prosperous.  We are less generous. We have become more ruthless, and what was once considered evil, is now considered right, and vice versa.

Today, less than half of Americans consider themselves Christian.  I imagine there are much fewer than that who have a relationship with Christ.

So, In America, we voted for a Capitalist.  A contrarian to politics as usual.  Socially liberal, with a huge passion for business.  And this election is good for only four years.  (Got that Clinton supporters?  Only four years.  If Barak Obama's opponents can endure eight years, you can endure four. ;-).   However, the choice each and every one of us makes in the eternal election lasts us for...well...eternity.  If four years of fear from being a political opponent to Donald Trump is bad,  how much worse will eternity be in opposition to God?

Cast that eternal vote for God, in Jesus Christ, today!  This may be your last chance to vote!

Forgive this repentant, lazy, foolish servant...

I was reminded today of something.  The parable of the rich and and his talents describes a rich man who gave each of his servants a sum of money (a talent is roughly 30 kilos of gold, worth about 2.5 million US dollars). The good servants double the rich man’s investment, the lazy one did nothing with his money.  The rich man on his return congratulated the good servants and punished the lazy one.We all have talents

All of us in Christ have talent, on loan, from God.  The question is, what do we do with our talent?  For example; my wife’s gift is in art, and hospitality,  She can put out an wonderfully decorated spread for Thanksgiving, Christmas, barbecues, birthdays and tea parties; which she does with a passion several days a year.  So, she does her part.  What is your talent that God has invested in you, that you are sharing…or burying?

I’m burying my talent.  I have some pretty good speaking skills (when prepared) and I can write on the fly with reckless abandon, yet I am not putting these talents to work.  When was the last time I posted anything here…FOUR YEARS AGO?  When was the last time I encouraged anyone here?  Wasting my talent.  I’ve been that lazy, foolish servant.

What if no one reads what I write? Then I write for myself, to encourage myself.  But I must offer up my talent, no matter how few read it.  It only takes one person to be encouraged, to make my efforts worthwhile.  And it doesn’t matter if I know about it.  Getting “likes”, or “shares” may reward me with an inflated ego, and some personal satisfaction, but they don’t give God the glory.

So, forgive me for ignoring this page.  At least once a week, I will write and share my some encouraging words; here, and on other groups and pages.  May you enjoy and be encouraged by these words.

Preparing the soul/ soil (Jesus Calls All - 81)

The parable of the sewer (Mark 4) metaphorically describes the spreading of God’s word to the masses. Some of the word falls on deaf ears (the path); some is heard but not taken seriously (the rocky ground); and some is heard, taken seriously yet is placed on the back burner due to “concerns of this world” (amongst thorns). Finally, there is the word, heard, received, and responded to (prepared soil). This is the word that makes more “words”. This is the word that touches the heart, wakes the spirit within, and produces a harvest for the Lord.



Unlike the farmer, who plants most of his seed on good, prepared soil, most of God’s word falls on unprepared souls (soil). As a result, most of this gospel seed is wasted. Only a small percent of God’s word falls on the prepared ear, desiring the hope we all have. Perhaps, the soul should be prepared first, like the soil is.

What does it take to prepare the soul for God’s word? Like soil, each soul has different needs. Is the soul physically hungry? Feed it. Have they been hurt by another person who was or claimed to be a Christian, thus having a hard heart towards Christ? Show mercy and compassion to soften their heart. Have they been told that science disproves religion, so they think it is foolishness? There is evidence to the contrary, show them evidence. Do they have a twisted form of religion, compliments of a cult, so they refuse to believe Jesus offers a free gift to everyone who simply believes in Him? Study the bible with them (but beware of their traps, so you don’t join them!).

But most of all, share with them that which is most frightening to you: yourself. Your testimony of being broken and restored; the benefits and blessings you have received on this earth for following Jesus; the difficulties and challenges you still face daily, now made easier by placing your faith and trust in God, rather than yourself alone or a government created by other fallible humans. This requires exposing vulnerable parts of your life and past you normally would not want others to know.


These things all take time and for the most part, some kind of relationship must be established.  Unless, that person is ready to hear.  This is the person you will lead to Christ, today!  But wait a minute!  Who talked to them about Christ before you?  Who in the name of Jesus showed some compassion or work for them before you came along?  Who pointed out that the heavens declare the works of God and explained to them the necessity for there to be a creator of this universe?  Who prepared and planted the soil before you came along?  Who watered it?  Who pulled the weeds?  No doubt, the others who witnessed to this soul before you.


Sometimes we are blessed to see the efforts we put into a relationship with someone seeking the Lord. But more often, we are only preparing the heart for the word to be sewn or to water and care for it. While there is nothing better than to be part of the harvest for Christ; remember, without the preparer and sewer, there would be no harvest.


So share the gospel to all you meet. Believers and non believers.  You may be preparing soil, sewing seeds, watering or weeding; and never see the harvest of this soul until the day of His Glorious Appearing. Then again, you may get to harvest, or encourage another Christian to share Christ with others too!

Have the Seal Judgments Begun? (Jesus Calls All - 80)

Over the past year and change, we have witnessed a series of violent, warlike events in the Middle East. Staring with Tunisia, and followed by Egypt and Libya, now in Syria and who knows; maybe Iraq, Afghanistan and even Iran; and perhaps all the way into Southeast Asia and Indonesia. And it appears more and more the Muslim Brotherhood is in the middle of it all.

Revelation 6:1,2 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

Do you see the pattern? Could the Muslim Brotherhood (or a new Islamic Caliphate) be this white horse conquering nations? They seem to have been given leadership in Egypt and Libya so far, and who knows what kind of strings they are pulling behind the scenes elsewhere.

The next question one has to ask is: (especially if you are like me, a believer in the pre tribulation rapture) “Why are we still here?” The pre tribulation theory is, since the church is nowhere mentioned after Revelation 3, that the Church is no longer on earth; therefore, caught up.  Is that theory wrong?

Maybe the theory is wrong. Maybe it’s not. Time will tell. If the theory is wrong, be assured, God is not wrong. We need to be patient and look at where we may have misunderstood prophecy. Remember, the Jews misunderstood the role of their Messiah. And prophecy is not given to us to predict future events as much as it is to show us our God in action. If we use bible prophecy to predict the future we will be wrong more often than right. Let the events happen, then see how it fits the prophecy. That’s what (I think) I’m doing here.

Also, the church may not have been mentioned after Revelation 3 because, like the entire Western Hemisphere, it too is irrelevant, in regard to the judgments that are to come. We could still be here on earth as late as the 7th trumpet is sounded. (Revelation 11:15; I Corinthians 15:52) Remember, the Anti-Christ has yet to be revealed up to this time. It’s my opinion the church will be caught up prior to much of this, but I see no hard, scriptural evidence to support it.

But enough gloom and doom for the moment. The pre tribulation rapture theory could still be true. At Rosh Hosanna, (for 2012, this would fall on the evening of September 16) trumpets are blown. The last trumpet we hear could be that of the Shofar on that day, or the year following, or any other festival in the future that has the trumpets blowing.

Regardless of when we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, one thing is certain: we will meet the Lord in the air! We may lose our lives here on earth first; in which case, we will be raised up first! (1 Thessalonians 4:16) So, whether we are caught up before the nasty stuff hits the fan, or just before the worst of the worst comes down on mankind, be assured God is in control, He will not leave us or forsake us, and He will protect us from all spiritual harm. That’s the life that really matters! Life to our Lord is very precious indeed, but our earthly death is irrelevant to Him, and it should be to us as well.

So be prepared for an immediate or delayed rapture. For earthly needs, store up cash and marketable commodities; enough for yourself and to share with those caught off guard. Spiritually, be bold in sharing the gospel to all you can, praying continuously. Fear not, even at the risk of losing job, business, lifestyle, or life. This how treasure in heaven gets deposited. Besides, the soul you share Jesus with may be that last one saved before the trumpet sound we are waiting for is blown!

Jesus Calls All - 78

Exodus 3:10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.


When you are doing one career for 40 years (assuming you consider sheep herding a career, a few cattle ranchers would consider sheep herding a capital offense) it can be a very difficult challenge to transform into a leader of two million plus people overnight.


And Moses fought it tooth and nail, too. He wanted nothing to do with it. Fortunately, God wasn’t going for any of Moses’ excuses, either. God allowed Moses to run off for all these years to get him ready to lead. Managing a herd of sheep is no easy task. They keep wandering off in odd directions (kind of reminds us of some people we know…or…is that why God calls us His sheep? (Very funny, LORD!)


Anyway, every time Moses would make an excuse, God said he had it covered. God showed Moses a few miracles, gave him the eloquent speech he needed; including his brother, Aaron, everything Moses asked for, God provided, and more. God even introduced Himself to Moses by His name; I AM, for the very first time! (Exodus 3:14).


God cut Moses a lot of slack. This was the first time in 430 years that God had revealed Himself to anyone on earth, much less a descendant of Jacob (Israel). Today, He may expect more from us since we have His word, His teachings, and His prophets for reference. Moses had none of that; all he had was a verbal handing down of the history of man, and his forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. No Jesus, no Holy Spirit. But God was patient, as love is, and He provided Moses with everything he needed, and more. Moses is now known as one of the greatest leaders, prophets and judges in Israelite history. He was with Elijah and Jesus in the transfiguration on the Mountain. Wow, what a reward!


So when God gives us a command, don’t complain, don’t make excuses, and definitely don’t fight God. When God wins, you win too. Go do it, and God will make sure you will have His blessing on it and will provide everything you need, and much more!


If you don’t, someone else will; and THEY will get YOUR blessing!

Jesus Calls All - 77

Jesus calls All – 77 Why does God allow pain, suffering, struggling and bad things to happen to even good people?
Genesis 3:18b … "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.

 There is a benefit to all this misery we experience. Together with the good we receive, we now have this unfair blend of good and evil that we all deal with. Some get more of one and less of another. Education, attitude, faith and sheer luck (aka; the Grace of God) all play a determining factor in how much good, and how much evil each of us will have to deal with.

But the curse God placed on earth is for our sake? For our benefit?? How can we benefit from bad things happening to us?


1) We experience a blend of good and evil (as promised above) on earth; either in the acts of nature or our own selfish motives, and we get to choose: for good, or for evil.

The curse of Genesis 3:18 above promises mankind a blend of good and evil all rolled into one planet. We get majestic mountains with snow, delicious food, oceans that start the rain cycle, rivers and beautiful flowers. We also have floods, earthquakes, and diseases. And thorns on that rosebush we love so well.

In addition, we as humans, who know what is good and what is evil, all too often choose to do that which is evil. We will lie, steal, murder, covet, dishonor our parents and/ or worship the almighty dollar; instead of our creator. Worse, we make excuses and blame others for the consequences that have fallen upon us as a result of the evil things we have chosen to do!



2) It gives us a reason to persevere.



Romans 5:3,4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Defeating adversity gives us a huge sense of accomplishment and creates a bond with those who faced such tribulations together. Ask any football player, or one who has faced military combat. Even a simple family camping trip (when it rains) often becomes a fond memory in later years.



3) For everyone, it may point to our sin; a rebellion against God.

Proverbs 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
As a sinful people, when we choose to rebel against God, or even out of ignorance disobey His teaching, bad things will often happen. This can often be revealed to us when we turn to Him in prayer. Repentance and returning to God will either soften this punishment, or you will be led through it, usually coming out of the ordeal emotionally and spiritually stronger than before.




That said, the sin will never be counted against a follower of Jesus Christ. The non believer, who chooses to ignore the teachings of God will find themselves addicted to their sin (Romans 1:24), which will lead them to their doom.


4) For a Christian, it tests our faith.

Zechariah 13:9 I will bring the [one]-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This [is] My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD [is] my God.' "



Stress testing a physical object, such as a weld or a joint in a water or gas line, assures the connection between two pieces is strong enough to hold, and not break or leak. When difficulties face any of us, the Christian should see this as a test of faith: do we hold onto Jesus and trust Him, or do we try to take control of the situation? The non Christian has no faith, so he must rely on himself and his own determination. The lack of this faith in the Lord causes personal failures that remove all hope for this person…until they turn to God…or face death.


Ultimately, we can choose to follow a loving, caring God, who gave up His Son, Jesus the Christ, on a cross. All we have to do to choose God – to choose what is good and right - is to say, “Thank you Jesus, for your gift”. As a result, earth will be the only hell you will ever experience.

Should you choose to reject this free gift - or not make any choice at all - is the same as choosing evil. You are declaring you want to run your life your way, earning you eternity separated from God, in a place prepared for Satan and his demons. Fire and brimstone may or may not be part of this destination: terror and hate definitely will be.


And Earth will be the only heaven you will ever experience.

Jesus Calls All - 75

Why would God send anyone to hell? Especially if He loves all of us??

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Without a doubt, there is not one of us; be it Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Pagan or Atheist; that has not sinned - not broken one of God’s commandments -over the last 24 hours. We may not think it’s not that bad, but remember, God’s standards are much higher than ours.

We may work excessively in pursuit of money. Many have placed money in front of God on our priority list. Or perhaps we place ourselves over God with a selfish pride. How many other pursuits do we have that we have placed a higher priority than God? Have we cursed God? Do we keep a traditional Sabbath; on Saturday? Do we disrespect our parents? Do we murder (or hate others), commit adultery (or simply lust after another) steal, lie or covet? Maybe not all of them today, but all of us do one or more of these things daily. Sometimes multiple times a day! (Exodus 20)
So, we all deserve eternity in Hell. At the very least, we deserve the death we face. And this is where God’s love comes in. He gives us a way out, through His son, Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh (John 1:14). Christ took your place; your death sentence, when he died on the cross 2000 years ago. As a result, the physical death of your body becomes irrelevant. You have been offered a free gift of eternal life.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Accept this free gift, as you are, and you will be spared from Hell. Better yet, you live with Jesus in paradise, with no pain, suffering, tears, all that bad stuff we experience on earth. Don’t worry about cleaning up your life first – Jesus changes millions of lives each day. Humble yourself and surrender your life to Jesus. Get involved with a church where sinners like you and I meet weekly to give glory to God.

But it’s your choice. You can accept or reject this free gift. You can send yourself to heaven or to hell. You have been offered a free gift, a free pass into absolute paradise. But if you would rather spend eternity apart form God (in hell) God will respect your choice.

You see, it’s not God that will send you to hell. You will send yourself there.

Jesus Calls All - 74

When was the last time you prayed for courage?


1 Samuel 23:3,4  But David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"   Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."


On a daily basis, I hear about followers of Christ being persecuted simply for sharing Jesus with others. These reports create the impression that it’s getting more difficult to share the gospel with others without intimidation from others.


Yet at the same time, I have never been encouraged more by others to share my faith. At my workplace, I keep a bible out (inconspicuously) and have Christian music softly playing on the radio. And since I have started this policy, I receive positive feedback several times a week, a couple of inquiries as well, and I have yet to hear one complaint or negative comment!


I have come to the conclusion the following:


1. People of the United States of America and Canada are still primarily Christian. At the very least, they are not strongly anti-Christian. If they are not, they are curious enough to ask.


2. The media (regardless of political persuasion) is overplaying an anti Christian message to the point where we believe it, thus sending us and our faith unnecessarily into a prayer closet. Sure, there are atheist groups out there that will give you some grief, but even they can and will be polite about it. And you can always stop.


3. People want to hear about God. If you publicly display your faith, the curious and the inquisitive will ask you questions, for which you should have a ready reply. Even if the reply is, “I can’t explain it, all I know is when I put Christ first in my life, everything goes all right! I know someone who can answer your questions, though”. You can post these questions in the Christian FB groups will surely get you some answers. (Warning: you may get multiple opinions. Three theologians usually means four opinions.)


Fear not! The Lord will be with you whenever you do the Lord’s work. The Holy Spirit will be with you and guide your words. (Mark 13:11) And Christ said he will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). One thing I have learned is when you are worried about what others will think about you and your faith in Christ, lift up a simple prayer for courage to the Lord

Jesus Calls All - 13

1Thessalonians 5:16,17 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.

What happens when we pray? We communicate with God. We talk to him, make requests from Him for ourselves, family, friends or anyone we know that has a need.

God also talks to us. It is during this quiet time you may get to actually hear Him, in a still soft voice (I Kings 19:12) He will tell you what outrageous, crazy and often very basic and simple things He needs you to do.

You may like it. You may not. But go against it and you will regret it. Change your stinkin thinkin, do it anyway, rejoycing all the while, and you may find a new skill or talent (as in spiritual gift) you didn’t have before. Cooolllllll!!!

Pray while you wake up, eat, get ready for work, during the commute, at your workplace, at lunch, while you fight with your kids (this gets very interesting!), while winding down at night, and even as you go to sleep. Impossible? Yes, but perfection is not required. The more you succeed at this; however, the more you will actually find your day goes better, your job performance improves, your kids will not get the best of you, and overall, you are a much happier person!

The more you rejoice in the Lord, the more you pray and give praise, and the more you rejoice in the Lord!

Jesus Calls All - 73

The price of compromise with God’s principles?

Rev. 2:14-16 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

Compromise dilutes integrity. Politicians, in their attempt to pass legislation, bribe one another and will make concessions to the legislation being considered. This was originally designed to assure any bad laws would not get passed. Instead, today the result is good bills are diluted and become bad, and bad bills become even worse.

When a business or individual compromises their standards, the world tags them as a “hypocrite” and shuns them. We are furious with the leadership of Enron, Worldcom, the financial industry, and a host of other institutions and corporations who have profited from corporate welfare when they don’t even deserve to exist any longer. All have lost their integrity.

Compromise tolerates sin. Later, it endorses, and then later embraces. Drugs, violence in entertainment and sex, for example; once considered taboo, are now acceptable in society. The result is a global civilization becoming more self centered, more violent, and more apathetic.

Compromise dilutes your relationship with God. God wants all of you: hook line and sinker; lock stock and barrel. He doesn’t want you one day a week, or a few hours one day a week. He wants you 24/7/365. (And 366 days next year!) Yes you have a job and other responsibilities. Take God with you! Jesus would love to spend your workday with you, and the Holy Spirit will guide you and help you say and do the things that will help your day go better for you. You will most definitely strengthen your relationship with God.

Compromise caused the early Israelites to accept the teachings and idols of their neighbors, resulting in the weakening and eventual fall of Israel. Compromise enabled Balak ( mentioned above), King of Midian, to invite the Israelites to commit adultery with the Midianites. As a result, a plague destroyed 24,000 Israelites. (Numbers 25).

Where have you sacrificed your integrity for convenience? Where have you compromised your standards: with your work, your family, or with God? Reestablishing integrity is not an easy process. Your peers will find your repentance, “hard to believe” at first, but will later appreciate the change as they trust you more and more. Remember those with the strongest integrity are the ones who have the most value in the workplace, as well as with God. They are the ones who have the respect of others.

Jesus Calls All - 72

Philippians 4:11,12 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Having personally gone from owning a successful, growing business to bankruptcy in less than 6 months back in 2008; having been homeless as well as a landlord; having no certainty as to where my next meal will come from and having a well stocked pantry, I have learned to appreciate every situation I am in. Even the impoverished ones, for I know God will meet my needs, although usually at the last minute. You see, God likes to work on my greatest flaw, a lack of patience, whenever He can.

Most of us are fortunate to be fully employed, and are content with their standard of living. A few of us are unemployed or underemployed; yet by the grace of God can make ends meet. Maybe these people are not content, but in this case, a lack of contentment should serve as a motivator for them to push forward and excel, hopefully to the glory of God.

Then, you have the “occupy” crowd. This is a relatively small group of self proclaimed victims who have a wide assortment of gripes and have received a huge amount of publicity from a mostly sympathetic media. Meanwhile, videos of violence by these protesters can be found on the internet, with over 1000 (and growing) “victims” arrested as of this post. In addition, claims of support for them from labor unions, communists and anti American Muslim groups and even our own executive government are circulating across the internet. Since the media is ignoring these claims, no one has any idea as to their accuracy. Indeed, the love for one another is growing cold, as Jesus said it would.

You may not have everything you want, but do you have everything you need? This is what contentment brings about. Sure, you may still pursue greater things - to have more - to save, invest, play and of course give away to those less fortunate, but when Jesus is your life and your love, everything else becomes irrelevant.

And this is what the “occupy” protesters need to know.

Jesus Calls All - 70

I heard of a Christian family this week, in need of financial assistance, rejecting aid from one of their neighbors.  Why?  The neighbors were not Christians!  This is craziness!!  God used a non-believer to provide for them when they needed it the most.  What was this family waiting for; a miracle?!  God can and will use non believers, pagans, thugs and even secular humanistic atheists to promote His will; which at the very least is to make sure His own are provided for. (Matthew 6:32)  Accepting the aid and showing gratitude to this non Christian family was not only the right thing to do, but can also be used to introduce the neighbor to Jesus.  See example below:

Ezra 1:2,3  "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.  Anyone of his people among you--may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.

The king of Persia has commanded the Lord’s temple be rebuilt.  And all the Jewish exiles were welcome to go and help.  Furthermore, those who returned to Jerusalem were to be adequately funded for the trip home as well as the reconstruction costs!  The Lord used a pagan leader to provide for His people!

Ezra 1:4  And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.'"

When the Lord wants you to do something for Him, the obstacles will be removed.  The funding will be provided; from the most peculiar of places, too!  You will have everything you need to accomplish the task.  Don’t question where it came from (unless it was stolen!); give glory to God Almighty and put the resources to good use.  (Non believers seeking the truth are counting on you!)

Jesus Calls All - 69

Who will receive the greater reward in heaven?  The American Christian who out of his excess gives to missions around the world yet cowers in his faith with his neighbors; or the poor Christian who has nothing to give except for his life, and freely does so, rather than denouncing Christ.

Acts:4:19,20 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God.  For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

In your workplace, at school, or in your neighborhood, are people telling you that you should not (or even may not) speak or teach about Jesus?  What is your response??

We are blessed in the United States with the ability to speak our minds, and to promote and discuss any topic of our choice - including those of religion and faith – without government intervention.  Unfortunately, this is not the case around the world, and there are many in the US that want to see Christians and Jews silenced as well.  (Islam, strangely, seems to be getting a free pass.)

Nonetheless, there are employers here in the US that will terminate employees if anyone complains about hearing a Christian radio station coming from, or seeing a bible at another employee’s workplace.   Not because they dislike Christians, but because these employers know one complaint can grow into a lawsuit.

Knowing you can lose your job in the USA is enough to intimidate most Christians right into the closet.  However, in China, India, Iran, Africa and many other parts of the world, it’s not jobs being lost; it’s lives.  People are arrested, imprisoned, tortured and massacred because they will not recant their faith.

These strong willed believers are an inspiration to many of us.  We as Christians in some of the wealthiest nations need to develop a backbone for Christ or face the wrath of a returning Christ.  If Jesus called the church of Laodicea, “…wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked”; what will He call us??

So, who gets the greater reward?  It’s just a guess, but methinx it’s the latter. For if Jesus is worth dying over, He is certainly worth losing a job over.

Jesus Calls All - 11

What is your purpose for God?   Why were you created?

Jeremiah 9:24  But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.

We were created for the purpose of having an intimate relationship with God.  This is why God knows all about our intimate details, down to the hairs on our head.  (...which seems to be getting easier and easier to keep track of in my case!)

Once you deal with this, you begin a process where you learn that God is, has been, and will be, preparing you for the paths which He has made for you. (Jer. 29:11) Things of good and not of evil, with hope and purpose.

But without the relationship first, you will try to serve god and will serve this god via worldly, material things; possessions, wealth, employment position, as well as guilt, fear, and insecurity.  Any of these things are of a false god, not our Father in Heaven. They may inflate your ego; but overall, they will deflate you spiritually and make you weak for God’s Kingdom.  Finally, these “things” end up getting placed before God (Exodus 20:3); which, get in the way of that true relationship God and your spirit crave.  (Sounds like this is the work of the devil, you think?)

Once this relationship is established, any wealth, possessions and position you do acquire will be to God’s glory, not yours, and you will joyfully share your blessings with others.  And as your faith grows, so will your courage and boldness for Christ.

Jesus Calls All - 68

2 Samuel 10:11,12    Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you.  Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight."

They’re ganging up on you.  You are surrounded.   You can’t run, you can’t hide.  You can only fight you way out of this situation.

Well, not exactly.  There is one thing; one asset you can also use: your faith.  Prayer.  God is there with you throughout any mess you find yourself in.  He doesn’t care if it’s your fault or not.  He is there for you.  It can be as trivial as an errant golf shot putting your ball in a bunker or harsh words or actions resulting in a loss of a client or job.  It can be as severe as having a neighboring country (or in this case, two neighboring countries) to go to war against you.  God is there.  Be it the entire Israelite army (as in this case) or only the 300 chosen men that Gideon used (Judges 8), God is there. 

So, if God is there for everything, large and small, why don’t we discuss our problems and concerns to Him more often?  Because we don’t ask Him.  And when we do ask, it’s for the wrong, selfish motives. (James 4:2,3)  He wants to hear form us.  He wants to guide us as the one who sees all and knows the beginning from the end.  Don’t you think he understands the path we are taking may look good from our angle but he knows of something even better for you if you go a different path?  His path?

Whatever the challenges you face (and they are only becoming more intense and more severe) remember, The Lord our God will do what is good in His sight.  Seek his insight, follow His still small voice. (Proverbs 3)  The world is one big minefield…you must go through it…it’s part of life.  The Lord our God will do what is good in His sight.  

Courage for Christ - 4

Genesis 6:14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch...






Imagine, the world becomming corrupt and violent; (Have you read the news today?) and one man who has none of that tainted gene pool, caused when fallen angels breed with humans, gets to hear from God directly: Make a big boat in the middle of a desert, and seal it nice and tight. It will house you, your family and a sampling of the entire animal kingdom.


It’s not recorded, but I’m sure Noah had questions. What’s an Ark? What’s a flood? How do I explain to the rabbits, “only two?” But Noah believed, and followed (Hebrews 11:7)

Imagine the ridicule Noah and his family received building this monster of a box: about one and a half times the length of a football field, with a length to width ratio of 6:1, (the same ratio shipbuilders use today) 3 stories high. There was no water anywhere nearby to float this thing. But build he did, amongst the insults, the mocking, the teasing.

Today, it appears more and more the days of Noah are fast approaching. It appears more and more we will need the faith of Noah to listen to God, hear and bravely obey His commands each of us will be given. For those with the courage to follow, the rewards shall be great! Noah’s reward was he and his family were the only human survivors of the great flood. Imagine what your rewards will be!

Courage for Christ - 3

2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind




What are you afraid of? Persecution? A good solid mocking? Rejection? The latter seems to be the most common excuse for not being a bold witness for God. This excuse works well at work, too, for we all put off difficult, uncomfortable tasks and all to often end up wallowing in mediocrity. In addition, we use profainty, gossip, and rude and cold behavior to others, mostly because everyone else around us is doing it too. (Sheeple!:))))

But if God has given us the spirit of power and love, and of a sound mind, how much more are we capable of doing? Not just for God’s kingdom, but for your employer’s kingdom on earth; where we are supposed to be bearing fruit for His kingdom! This is where we are required to get uncomfortable with ourselves, and “do the difficult”.

Be that Christlike person in everything you do. Your actions will bear witness for Christ when words will never do.

Courage for Christ - 2

Numbers 13:30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."




God has given Canaan to the Israelites. It is indeed a land of milk and honey. But the inhabitants at the time were many, and they were huge! Ten of the witnesses convinced the others of the impossible task before them. Two of them pointed out the victory before them since God was the one really in charge.



Ten wimps, and two men of faith and courage. The wimps never saw their reward. Only the men of faith and courage entered the promised land. Where are you in this eternal struggle? Do you stand up or stand down for the Lord? Christ can sure use more courage and fewer excuses.

Is it the beginning of the end?

Or is it the end of the beginning?


In the spring of 2008, I could see the beginning of my company’s demise. But I had no idea what that would mean to myself, my wife, family and friends. Neighboring retail stores were closing up shop; many to retire, others relocated, and more just shut down. In total, seventeen stores would close down in a three block stretch of this downtown over a two year period. Ours was the 14th of 17.



The seeds of this demise started before we started our business. They were sewn before I was born. These seeds were planted in the early 20th century, when a few key people decided we didn’t need God anymore, man is now intelligent enough to solve all of man’s problems. Man can create a perfect paradise right here on earth.

Meanwhile, while God is watching all of this, He orchestrates the return of a remnant of His people, the Jews; Israelites scattered from 2000 years prior; to return to their native land, Israel. (No, not Palestine. Palestine was only a name given to the area by Rome.)  As other nations went to war against this tiny country, they have always been soundly defeated. God promised He would bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel.  As you can see, God is still keeping this promise.

These same intellectuals who tell us we evolved from apes are preventing us from praying in public or displaying anything Christian in nature (in the name of separation of church and state); while we spend millions of taxpayer dollars funding an Islamic (trophy) center near the World Trade Center (in the name of freedom of religion). Do you see a pattern?

Since God got kicked out of our schools, crime has skyrocketed, we went from being the largest creditor nation to being the largest debtor nation, selling our children and grandchildren into a state of bondage where we will work for other’s prosperity and receive crumbs for our efforts. Our largest exports are frivolous entertainment, computer software and printed, paper dollars. We import 70 of our energy in spite of having all the resources we need within our boundaries. Our very government who has created these energy shortages will not permit us to access them, due to their “Environmentally sensitive nature”. We produce half of the world’s food yet we import more food than any other country in the world. This reversal of fortune has taken place in less than 50 years. Abandon God, and He abandons us. (Read Deuteronomy 28 for a list of rewards for following as well as the list of curses for abandoning God.)


But I too, thought I had it all figured out. I believed, like the bankers, a huge inflation was on its way, not a recession/ depression. I used as much of other peoples’ money as I could, thinking I could pay it all back in diluted dollars. So while I leveraged my finances 8 fold, the banks leveraged themselves 80 fold! And we all fell like the house of cards we were. It was only when I realized how much of our wealth has been being sucked out of the United States did I figure out why things happened the way they did.

1. We abandoned our Lord and our God and we are now paying the price for it.

2. No money left. We wasted it all. We borrowed more, and wasted it too.  We print even more and waste that as well.

3. Our arrogance and self pride have given every two bit dictator the challenge to “take pot shots” at us, in order to knock us down a notch or two. And they’re succeeding. In many instances we actually pay them for their efforts at “taking pot shots” at us!



There are actually multiple solutions to this predicament we face ourselves with. God is in the miracle business. He is also in the blessing business. Our Lord and our God will return to us, if we return to Him. He will bless us as we bless Him, and His nation Israel. The other alternative is the United States will come to an end, very soon. If this is what happens, we should all pray that he blesses and protects all of us who honor and love Him in all we do.   Come quickly, Lord Jesus.