Our Nation Needs the Gospel!

Godlessness destroys nations.  History records the demise of every civilization, no matter how powerful and indestructible it may have appeared.  The United States is no exception.  Listen to what the Apostle Paul spoke to the men of Athens concerning the "unknown god" that was among their objects of worship:

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.  And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him.  Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In Him we live and move and have our being', as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are indeed His offspring.'  Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.  The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead!"  - Acts 17:24-31

The "man," of course is Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, God's anointed King, true God in human flesh!  We live in what the Bible calls "the day of salvation," (II Corinthians 6:2), the time between the first and second coming of Jesus when Christ has sent out His ambassadors to proclaim the message of "repentance for the forgiveness of sins."  Jesus said, "Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand."  He said, "Repent, or you shall likewise perish (in your sin)."  Jesus did NOT accept people as they were!  He gave them His Spirit and performed heart surgery and then they "came as they were" outwardly, with a new heart, a new mind and a new will, and became followers of Jesus, now seeking to obey HIS Word and God's commands out of thanksgiving to God for His amazing grace.

A false gospel has replaced the true Gospel in our nation and around the world and it is leaving people in the depths of their sin and deceiving them by telling them that "God" (whoever or whatever they believe to be "god") loves them and all is well.  This "gospel" presents no standard for righteousness before a holy God and no need to repent or confess sin.  This "gospel" is like poison water and it is 100% fatal to those who "drink the koolaid!"  It leaves out Jesus and it leaves out the cross!  Jesus now becomes just another "religious leader" who can be quoted ... albeit from a book that you can't trust because it starts out by saying that God created everything ... a fact those without the Spirit of God must refuse to accept because it makes them accountable to their Creator!!

Every true Christian should be speaking out against this false gospel.  Remember what Paul wrote to the Galatians:  "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the Gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed!" (Galatians 1:6-8).

Some were perverting the Gospel by saying that you could earn salvation by your own works.  Today's perversion is even worse, because it declares that God loves everyone, everyone goes to heaven eventually, and you can believe in ANY "god" or even no god at all, and you are still OK.  Deception works because those being deceived don't know they are being deceived!  So we worry about people dying of physical disease and argue about which lives matter when literally ... yes, literally, billions of people around the world and millions in our own nation face the wrath of Almighty God, the one true God, for eternity!  Shame on pastors and other Christian leaders and those who stay in churches where this false gospel is being proclaimed.  Interfaith dialogue and the acceptance of all kinds of sin are rampant IN the visible church today!  It is a disgrace and a slap in the face of God!!  He will not be mocked!

Do you know what would fix our cities and schools?  The Gospel!  Do you know what could transform our jails and prisons?  The Gospel!  No, not everyone is going to believe.  God knows those who are His and He gives new life to all whom He has given to the Son.  How?  Through the Gospel.  Where the Gospel is proclaimed and believed even by a remnant of people lawlessness decreases, for the power of the LIGHT displayed by obedient Christians bears fruit and influences society.  While some pray for "revival," I pray that preachers and teachers would turn back to the Gospel because it is the only message that carries with it the power to bring revival, which begins among God's people.  The "lukewarm church" will be vomited out of Jesus' mouth!!  It's time to FIRE UP!!!

If you or anyone else is attending a "church" that does not call people to repent and trust in Christ alone what are you doing??  The lawlessness we see around us is because the true Gospel is not being proclaimed in churches and communities around our nation ... the Gospel that confronts people with their sin and offers God's grace and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.  Where people are allowed to remain in their sin undisturbed the Gospel is not being proclaimed.  I tell people that I preach to myself because I need to hear God's Word every day.  Paul wrote to Timothy that, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man (and woman) of God may be complete (mature), equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3:16-17).  Did you hear that?  The Word of God is profitable not only for teaching but for reproving and rebuking and correction and training in what is right in God's eyes.  You and I NEED to know what GOD says in His Word.

If people really wanted to offer the possibility of change for communities and our nation, they would call in Gospel preachers and fill auditoriums and stadiums and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  That would mean declaring all other religions to be false and confronting people with the reality of their spiritual condition apart from God's grace in Christ, and that most certainly would offend people.  Those who are preaching "social justice" in place of the Gospel in our cities are a huge part of the problem.  The true Gospel calls people to be obedient citizens, submitting to rightful laws and willing to face the consequences when they break them.  Where is that message from pastors and other Christian leaders?  Instead, they justify criminal behavior in order to promote "victimhood" and shout "racism" from the mountaintops in order to actually produce rebellion without control.  It is like starting a wildfire, knowing it will spread and having no plan to put it out!!

Our nation needs the Gospel!!  Jesus Christ is Lord!  It is not up for a vote.  One day soon every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that truth ... and for those who have not believed in Him there will be eternal judgment from the God they did not know.  So long as I have breath, I will proclaim the one and only true Gospel, the only message that IS "the power of God for salvation to those who believe!"  What will YOU do?  What ARE you doing?  Every believer is called to testify!

We are now in the fourth week of a series of messages entitled, "You Are My Witnesses," here at Lighthouse.  Go to our website at lighthouse-ministries.org and listen to God's Word.  Find hope for yourself and for others to whom God may be sending YOU!!  No one and no thing can deliver you from God's just judgment against sin ... only Jesus ... when you repent and believe.  The Spirit of God may even be using these words to call someone today!  It is not MY Word that has the power to change human hearts, but GOD's Word.  And "how can they hear unless someone tells them?"  

"Is there hope for our nation?" some ask.  Barring a sudden reversal brought about by the preaching of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ the unequivocal answer is, "NO!"  Yet it is our responsibility not only to pray but to proclaim the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God ... because we who believe are witnesses for Jesus Christ and our nation needs the Gospel!

"Live as people who are free ..."

"Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  Honor everyone.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the emperor" (I Peter 2:16-17).

These verses appear in the context of God's call to His people to "be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.  For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people" (I Peter 2:13-15).

In our present circumstances we are being told that the Bible commands Christians to submit to government ... period.  Whatever the government says, we are told, we must do ... unless it directly comes into conflict with a clear command of Scripture.  This has led to churches closing and Christians being restricted in some places from even gathering for prayer or Bible study in their homes.  It began with mask mandates and is now moving to vaccination cards.  These topics are even dividing Christians as some believe Scripture demands an almost absolute obedience and submission to government, while others believe there are limitations but do not know where to draw the line.

First of all, the Bible does NOT teach total or absolute submission to government, because to do so would place the government above God. There are times when we must say, as Peter and the apostles did, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).  Romans 13:1-7 and I Peter 2:13-17 are being used in Canada AGAINST the pastor who refused to agree not to preach at the church he is serving and so was placed in jail.  The authorities just placed a fence around the church this week to keep people out!!  Who is using these verses to condemn him?  Other pastors!!!  These two passages do NOT give the government authority over the Church.  They instruct Christians to live as good citizens, obeying the laws of the state ... where the state has rightful authority over its citizens.  When governors and rulers break the laws of the government itself, or made demands that are contrary to God's Word, Christians have no God-mandated command to submit to the whims of a person simply because they have a position of authority.

So what did God mean when the Spirit inspired Peter to write, "Honor everyone.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the emperor"??  Read it a few times and realize that God is not saying, "No matter what the 'emperor' does or says, you must honor what he/she does or says."  That would be to approve of evil, which we must never do.  As followers of Jesus we must show "honor," respect, to everyone, so far as possible ... EVEN to the emperor.  But we must LOVE the brotherhood (fellow believers), and we must FEAR God!  Do you see how people have twisted this by pulling out the words, "honor the emperor," as though that is what God is telling us to do in every circumstance.  We must show honor to the position because the position is ordained by God.  Christians are never commanded to honor evil people or evil actions.  Nor are we called to submit to every dictate of those who are in authority over us if it is contrary to law and to conscience.

I hear people say that they can "get used to wearing a mask."  "What's the big deal?" people ask.  The answer:  your God-given freedom as a child of the King!  "Live as people who are free!"  Free from what?  Sin and its consequences.  I have to answer to my Father in heaven and I am subject to my Lord, Jesus Christ.  Since it has been shown that all people wearing a mask does little if anything to "slow the spread" of this or any other virus, we are free before God to decide for ourselves if it is healthy for us to wear one.  I speak for those who are forced to wear one at work all day and for children who are forced to wear one in school, and for passengers on airplanes and other places where people are not being asked to wear one, but forced to wear one.  The consequences of wearing a mask all day for some of these is both physical and psychological/emotional.  But it is more than that.  It is an acknowledgment of governmental authority that goes beyond that given it by God.  And you should be aware that human nature will always take more and more and more power if given the opportunity.

All Christians, and especially Christian leaders, are supposed to seek wisdom from God.  To concede such authority to government is not wise and is not mandated by Romans 13, I Peter 2 or any other passage of Scripture.  Jesus said that we should give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.  My health and well-being belongs to God, not to government.  The same is true with the vaccine.  I have never seen, in my seventy years of life, such a concerted effort on the part of people from every walk of life, including the religious community, to shame and guilt people into getting a vaccine that may or may not be good for your health, either in the short-term or in the future.  This should be your choice.  The arrival of a "vaccination card" is the next step in robbing people of the free exercise not only of religion, but of life in God's world.  Travel, activity and even purchasing (buying and selling) are being targeted as being restricted to people who have "complied," who have submitted to government mandates.

I believe one of two things is going to happen over the next year or few years:  either we will move past this and return to a time where we will be free to make these decisions for ourselves once again ... OR the restrictions will become more severe, there will be another virus or another disease, or some other reason for government to "clamp down" on the freedom of its "subjects."  And this will lead ultimately, in a short amount of time (5-10 years??), to the worst time in human history, as economies collapse, lawlessness continues to increase, poverty, shortages and starvation become virtually worldwide, and the governments of the world unite in a global attempt to produce "stability," with the arrival of a one-world government, headed by the Antichrist.  Yes, people are ready.  The world is waiting with open arms. 

And they will arrive at a place where they believe they have succeeded.  Finally, "there is peace and security," they will say.  And "then sudden destruction will come upon them" (I Thessalonians 5:3).  But notice verse 4:  "But YOU are not in the darkness, brothers (believers), for that day to surprise YOU like a thief."  Surely, you can see this day coming.  But listen to God's call in verses 5-6:  "For you are all children of light, children of the day.  We are not of the night or of the darkness.  So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober."

Perhaps you believe it is loving others to wear a mask and submit to other governmental dictates that go beyond their God-given authority to punish those who do evil and to reward those who do good (read I Peter 2:13-14 and Romans 13:3-5 again).  But is condoning the removal of personal freedom really "loving your neighbor"?  Is going along because you have been made to feel that you must really what God is calling His people to do?  It has already led to shutting down churches and eliminating Christian fellowship and corporate worship, things that God commands His people to do.  All in the name of "safety."

My comfort, and I pray yours, is that my God reigns!  By His grace and strength I will stand, and I pray you will, too, upon the unchanging truth of His Word, looking to Jesus for wisdom to navigate these waters and to be faithful to Him.  Do not be blind to the attempts of evil powers and people to take control of your life.  "Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil (for doing what is contrary to GOD's commands), but living as servants of God."  

"Putting an end to RACISM!!"

"We need to do SOMETHING to end the 'systemic racism' of our society and to promote 'equity' for all people!"  That's what we're being told.  Yet the very people who want us to "do something" are doing everything they can to make matters worse by refusing to see their own racism!  You don't combat racism (if that's really what you want to do), by declaring that everyone who doesn't agree with you is a racist.  You don't fight racism by jumping to the conclusion that because some "white people" are racist, the majority of white people are racist ... if not all.  You don't fight racism by judging the thoughts and motives of those who have different political views than those you have.  You don't defeat racism, prejudice, abusive treatment, and more, by attempting to treat the symptoms, by showing favoritism, by demanding reparations for past sins on a national level, by convincing people they are victims, by handing out money, by talking about "social justice," as though passing a few laws can effect the kind of change that is needed in our society.  So what do we do??  "We need to do SOMETHING!"

As a white, Christian, male (strike three in some people's eyes), some would probably tell me I need to just be quiet because until I confess my own "privilege" and take a knee before the American flag and admit that "black lives matter," I am part of the problem.  Saying that I believe that ALL lives matter isn't good enough, even though I believe that is what the Bible says.  I have never doubted that black lives matter.  Why?  Because I know that all men, women, boys and girls are spiritual beings, created in the image of God.  GOD is the Giver of LIFE, and HE alone determines the value of life.  As a pastor (strike four to some people), I long for people to know the freedom that comes only from knowing Jesus Christ.  I know that God sent His Son to gather to Himself "a chosen race," a remnant, from every people, tribe, nation and tongue.  I have neither the right nor the desire to discriminate between one race or another.  God tells me there are two groups of people in the world:  those who know Jesus and those who don't.  Those who know Jesus have, by His grace alone, been redeemed by the blood of Christ shed on the cross, and by faith have received forgiveness and life.  Those who do not know Jesus will perish in their sin unless they hear the Gospel and, by the power of the very Spirit of God, are born again and believe in Him.  Thus I labor to share the Gospel and support the work of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world, to every people, tribe, nation and tongue, because "there is no other name under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

By God's amazing grace we live in a nation of opportunity.  Those who have gone before us fought for freedom for all, and there is a reason why people from all over the world want to come to our country:  because they see opportunity for a "better life."  They USED to believe they could come here and work hard and make a good life for themselves and their families.  But those who demand we must do something about racism are now working to take that dream away from them and from many who have lived here all their lives, because they want to GIVE them everything for free and so give a "minimum" standard of life away to EVERYBODY ... and then leave them "at the bottom" of our society to "work for us," so long as they vote a certain way.  "Government will take care of you" has now been offered as a substitute for "the American Dream."

You see, the original "American Dream" had something that the current "American Dream" that is being offered doesn't have:  belief in the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Because He is the Creator of the world and of human beings (a fact now denied in our schools and in many "churches"), God knows what people need and what makes them free.  He even knows what will change human hearts from their sinful selfishness to godly love that offers a "hand up" to people, not just a "hand out."  If you really want to "do SOMETHING" about racism (which most people don't), you must begin here, with the spiritual problem with which every person, no matter what their race, is born:  DEATH ... spiritual death that leaves us in such a state of selfishness that no one matters but ME!!  Those who are spiritually dead don't honestly believe that ANY life matters, because they refuse to acknowledge that THIS life is not all there is.  It is "the blind leading the blind."

As we enter into what some call the Christian "holy week," few will grasp the reality that knowing the one true God, believing in His Son Jesus Christ (eternal God in the flesh), and living by the power of His Spirit, is the only hope for putting an end to racism.  When you know your own sin and believe that God sent His Son to save all who believe in Him, you understand that you are not better than anyone else.  "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  And "the wages of sin is death ... BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!" (Romans 6:23).

Jesus came to reconcile to the Father a remnant from every people, tribe, nation and tongue.  How do you put an end to racism?  There is really only one way:  "Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ!"  Those who are truly followers of Jesus are not racists.  We are not "bigots," we're not prejudiced.  We believe everyone should have equal rights under the law.  Yet here again, people are not crying out for "equality," they want "equity."  Nowhere in the Bible or in God's plan is there anything about everyone having the same "stuff."  It isn't in there!!  Those who demand "equity" are teaching people to hate this nation, to hate their neighbor, to feel oppressed, and to live like victims, instead of people who are created to be what God calls them to be.  Having no identity in Christ, they have no power to overcome because they remain spiritually dead, unable and unwilling to do for themselves what others cannot do for them: trust God, love others, believe He is with them, work hard, and live to praise the One who gave them life.  This is what all churches ought to be preaching and teaching because this is what God says in His Word.  "Stop feeling sorry for yourself.  Get up every morning desiring to serve the Lord.  Look for the opportunities He has placed before you and use the gifts He has given you to serve HIM by serving others.  He will provide and He will make a way.  Give thanks for every blessing and trust Him for tomorrow" (Read Matthew 6:19-21, 25-34).

You know your life matters when you know that God paid the highest price possible to "purchase" you to be one of His blood-bought children through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.  You know your life has meaning when you are living for Jesus and you start living like a "victor" rather than a "victim."  You find joy and hope and peace every day when you trust your Father in heaven to walk through this life with you, no matter what your circumstances, and you know your future is in His hands, both in this life and in the life to come.  

By now you probably realize that WE will never put an end to racism. The best we can do as followers of Jesus is live godly lives in obedience to the God who has shown US mercy and grace, and then pass it on.  We must live to encourage those around us to do the same, and where we CAN speak, even in the political realm, we must speak God's truth, even though doing so will be seen by some people as being "hateful or bigoted," because we must point out sin in order to lead people to repent and believe in Christ.  It's who we are.  It's why we are here.  "You are the light of the world ... let your light shine before others, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14,16; see also Ephesians 5:1-21).

I will rejoice this week in remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for all who believe, and I will thank God that by His grace alone I am one of them.  I will rejoice in knowing that my Savior rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where He is now seated at the Father's right hand, reigning over all things until He comes again to gather His Church to Himself, and to bring true justice to all by carrying out God's judgment upon the nations, upon all those who have rejected Him and His Father and the testimony given by His Spirit for almost 2,000 years.  And yes, I will grieve that so many do not yet know the love of Christ, and so as long as God gives me breath I will do my part to tell another one, or two, or ten, or a hundred.  

Will you join me?  All who believe in Jesus will one day live in a world without racism.  Until then, may our Father in heaven give us wisdom as we set our hearts on Jesus and live to honor Him in all we say and do.  Pray for those who know Jesus Christ as they labor in every area of life, including politics.  Pray for those in law enforcement, who deal with the worst of human nature, with people who often are living without hope and without God in the world.  Pray for the true Church, those who stand upon God's Word, to stand firm on the truth, as many around us declare our call to repent and believe in Jesus Christ is itself "hate speech."  

And finally, celebrate Jesus' resurrection every day by rejoicing in God's love, praying for all He has promised, and giving thanks for every blessing ... for He really is GOOD ... ALL the time!!!

"The Mark of the Beast"

Jesus Christ is returning to earth to gather His people and to bring judgment on the rest of mankind.  The entire history of mankind, recorded in the Bible, the very Word of God, reveals God's plan step by step.  Human history goes back approximately 5500-6000 years.  Evolution is a lie.  Creation by the Word of God is true.  Before God said, "Let there be light!" He saw the end from the beginning.  Nothing surprises God ... nothing!!

That means 2020 was not a surprise, and neither is 2021.  The above paragraph includes several statements of truth, and yet many of those statements are rejected by the majority of the human race alive on the earth today.  Deception is found at every level of human existence.  If you don't believe this, you are being deceived.  Jesus Christ is Lord ... yet another fact rejected by the great majority of people on this planet. People will believe in UFOs before they will believe in Jesus.

And we have now been presented the evidence that people will do virtually anything to "feel safe."  So cruise lines will now REQUIRE vaccinations ... and that will be only the beginning.  Over the past few years several thousand people in Sweden have received microchips implanted in their hands/wrists with all of their personal information recorded in it.  They can use them to purchase anything.  No more credit cards, passwords, etc.  How convenient can you get?!!  And the technology is being used to some degree in Spain, France, Germany, Japan and China.

But wait, here is the best part:  if you are ever in an accident, or you have a medical emergency and cannot communicate, the chip will communicate for you!  This is for your good ... REALLY!!  This is for your safety ... REALLY!!  There is so much fraud and identity theft going on that you would be foolish not to protect your finances.  The answer??  A microchip.  Still think this sounds far-fetched??  Are you sleeping?

The Antichrist will have a "Vice President," a helper to oversee the earth's population.  This "false prophet" and the system around these two evil personages will cause all, "small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast (the global economic system) or the number of its name" (Revelation 13:16-17).

It will happen, perhaps sooner than most imagine ... and truly, there is nothing you or I can do about it.  "How close are we?" I am sometimes asked.  God knows.  We who believe God's Word to be true are told to be ready and to be living for Christ and proclaiming His kingdom until He comes.  So what do we do?  We tell people about the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  We study God's Word so we know what to expect as we see these things unfold before our eyes.  We preach Christ and Him crucified and live as followers of Jesus Christ, gathering with those who believe in Jesus and encouraging one another.  We stand firm in our faith, believing the Bible to be God's Word and growing in our knowledge and understanding of God's will and purpose.  We reach out to others in the name of Christ, showing God's love and sharing the Gospel, calling people to repent and believe, trusting God to bring new life to those whom He has chosen to be His.  Jesus knows His sheep and His sheep will hear the Good Shepherd's voice.  This is no time to stop testifying, to be quiet, to panic, to give up!

We are not here to save the planet or to change the world.  We are here to preach Christ, the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life.  NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him.  Jesus entered into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey ... last time.  The next time He will come on a white horse from His throne in heaven.  The first time He was crucified ... according to God's plan to redeem His chosen ones through the sacrifice of His Son.  The next time every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ IS Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What will happen next?  You can read it in His book.  You NEED to read it in His book.  What will the "mark of the beast" be?  Watch.  We may already know.  God DOES know.  To those who know Jesus, He says, "Fear not!  I am with you!!"

  

"Stop Lying to People!!!"

 Listening to many around me, including many politicians and the news media, I often feel like screaming, "Stop LYING to people!"  They can't hear me, of course, and even if they did they would ignore my pleas because in their current spiritual state they cannot "see" the truth or know the truth.  They are spiritually blind and unable to discern what is false from what is true.

What is worse is when the lies come from those who claim to be Christians, and even from those who claim to be pastors and teachers ... and professors and others.  A local university was on the news because some students on campus dared to state that LGBTQ is sin and to invite someone to enter into dialogue with them and try to convince them that they are wrong.  Of course the news media fully embraced the story and interviewed those who rallied to support "the LGBTQ community."  The president of the school quickly declared that while sexual intimacy is for a man and woman in marriage, he wants to make sure all of his students know they are loved.

It always comes down to this:  Love.  "We must love everyone because God loves everyone."  But what does "loving" someone mean?  Do you show someone you love them by lying to them?  Do you avoid telling them the truth because it will make them feel bad?  Is that really love? And what if the truth could actually set someone free from the deception in which they are living ... a deception that could have horrible consequences??

When it comes to LGBTQ being sin, the truth is that it is sin, that all sexual immorality of any kind is sin.  There are many heterosexual sins, including lust, pornography, abuse of various kinds, adultery and more.  The sin of those who "identify" as LGBTQ is not greater than any other kind of sin ... but it is sin.  To say otherwise is a lie and it leaves people to live IN their sin, rather than to turn from it.  Every person has temptations and all too often we act on them.  That's why God calls all people to repent, to turn from sin to righteousness.  And He tells us what righteousness in His sight looks like throughout His Word.

Following His resurrection Jesus sent His disciples out into the world to preach "repentance and forgiveness of sins" to all nations (Luke 24:47).  Earlier in Luke's Gospel he records Jesus saying, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:5).  To "repent" is to turn around.  It requires acknowledging your sin, seeking God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and desiring to live in obedience to God's commands.  God says a LOT about sexual immorality of all kinds in His Word because He knows it is one of the biggest temptations for many.  What God created to be beautiful and good as an expression of love between a man and a woman has been twisted and perverted because of the sinful nature within each one of us.

Love demands that we call people to repent and point them to the grace of God in Jesus Christ that offers forgiveness to the "worst sinner" ... which is ME!  Paul wrote in I Timothy 1:15-16:  "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."

There is good news here!  No one is beyond God's grace ... if and when they are convicted by the Holy Spirit of their sin and by the power of God they repent and believe.  God is more than able to save "the vilest offender who truly believes!" 

We in the Church must be willing to face the ridicule of those who accuse us of being unloving and hateful in order to expose the lies of the enemy and proclaim the truth that is able to set people free.  We will be persecuted, as the students were who stated "an inconvenient truth" on campus.  But we must speak, for we have been sent into the world to be light in the darkness.  Jesus says to us, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:13-16).

There is no greater "good work" than to love God because He first loved you, to stand upon His Word ... and to declare the truth concerning sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8), pointing people to the one source of forgiveness and life:  Jesus Christ!!

"So you want 'equality'??"

"Equal rights" has long been an issue, in our nation and in the nations of the world.  Those with power and money (the two almost always go together) have often sought to oppress those without power and money.  Yet, our nation, from the beginning, proposed a different template, one based on the unchanging Word of the one true God.  Understanding that government is not "above" God, or even above those being governed, our forefathers wrote "The Declaration of Independence," a document all but forgotten in this age of "ME first!"  

Many quote the idea that we have certain rights given by God, namely,  "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," but few know the context of this statement.  Let me share it here:

"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the power of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

I share this quote from "The Declaration of Independence" for two reasons:  first, to point out the necessity of a standard that goes beyond the mere judgment of men to impose upon all mankind.  The writers appealed to "the laws of nature and of nature's God."  They then refer to our "Creator" as the one from whom our "inalienable rights" are received.  These rights can only be granted or taken away, therefore, by this God.  Truly, He is the God of creation, who alone established the "laws of nature."

My second reason for quoting these words is to point out what is missing and how inadequate human intentions and documents are to accomplish that "safety and happiness" that only God can provide.  What is missing in "The Declaration of Independence" and what is missing from the conversation of our Congress in the discussion of "The Equality Act" is the truth of man's condition and the need for confession of sin, repentance and faith in Jesus Christ!

Of course, one should not expect a society of men to have either the desire or the ability to establish the Kingdom of God.  The best we can hope for in this world is a nation where the majority of the people know their Creator, humble themselves before Him, and confess their DEPENDENCE upon Him.  That may have been the United States of America at one time, but it most certainly is not our nation today.

"Equality" is just the latest word to be redefined by those who foolishly imagine that the God our forefathers wrote about does not exist and that there are no consequences to their actions.  They do not realize that by their actions they are assuring the judgment of God upon this nation, and that the only possibility of even temporarily avoiding this sure and certain judgment is the cries for mercy from those of us who have been given LIFE and LIBERTY and HAPPINESS by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, whom we acknowledge as LORD!!  How long the Almighty God will withhold His judgment we do not know, but it will come.  It must come.

How then should we respond to such attempts by government to change the standards of "the Laws of Nature" that have been established by "Nature's God"??  We must not only speak out, but we must also point people to our Creator and to His Word, calling them to confess their sin, to repent and to believe in Jesus Christ.  We must speak of the coming judgment and urge people to "Repent! for the kingdom of God is at hand!!"  

When Isaiah saw the vision of God recorded in Isaiah 6, God sent Isaiah to a people who would not see and who would not believe.  Like Isaiah, we who believe today share God's truth among a people who are hostile to God and to His Son Jesus Christ and to His truth.  Apart from the Spirit working in them, they are spiritually dead and will remain so until or unless God Himself opens their eyes.  God knows those who are His and when the last one has placed his or her hope in Jesus Christ the trumpets will sound and the judgment of God will come, not only upon the United States, but upon the nations of the world.

Much must yet happen until that day ... but we are drawing closer with each passing hour.  It could be years, it could be months, it could be weeks or days before the countdown of the last seven years leading up to Jesus' return begins.  "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:30-31).  

Jesus is coming!  Are you ready???

"So many people ... so many needs ..."

People need the Lord!!!  And oftentimes, they need you and me!  All around us there are people with needs.  If you have a family, there are days, weeks, months when those in your immediate family and extended family keep you busy praying and trying to help in any way you can.  If you are part of a church family, the number of people with health needs, and a variety of other needs is almost endless ... and often many of the needs remain unspoken, so we pray for God's protection and guidance for our brothers and sisters in Christ as they navigate the waters of life.  And then there are the countless number of people we know in our communities and in other places around the world whose needs are at times hidden and at other times urgently on display.  In a moment when you or I may become overwhelmed by all the needs around us, someone may say, "I don't know how God does it!"  Which, of course, is a silly statement.  He IS God, after all!!

I have been "thoughtful" over the past week or so ... reflecting on the many people around me and the truth of my/our inability to meet even most, let alone all of those needs.  As someone said to me just today, "Men like to 'fix' things."  It's true, most of us do; and sometimes we can even make things worse by trying too hard to fix something that is beyond our ability to do.  After all, we are NOT God.  To be fair, women like to fix things, too.  At times we just go about it in different ways.  Sometimes people just need a listening ear and the knowledge that someone cares; that they are not alone in their struggle.  But even then, what people really need is HOPE!  Everybody needs hope.  You cannot live long without hope.

Most people, however, live without true hope.  Actually, most people fake it.  They pretend.  People "hope" they will avoid the worst of the many BAD things that can happen in any given moment, and when faced with real trials, sufferings and struggles of various kinds, they "hope" things will get better.  Despair sets in when people LOSE hope ... when they think things can't or won't get better.  That's where God comes in.  That's where faith in God comes in.  That's where faith in the one TRUE God comes in.

Sadly, many people (actually, MOST people), do not KNOW the one true God.  But for those who do, the words of the prophet Isaiah are exactly what you and I need to hear, and what we need to share, in those moments when life and the needs all around us seem overwhelming.  Listen as God speaks to those who needed hope through the words of the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 40.  Isaiah speaks of comfort for those who are God's people, who believe in Him, who know that He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.  He points out the greatness of God that is beyond measure.  And then he asks a whole list of questions exalting the wisdom and power of God.  Read through Isaiah 40 until you get to verse 25, as God begins His conclusion with the following words:

"To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.  Lift up your eyes on high and see:  who created these?  He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power; not one is missing. ...

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God'?   Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint, and to Him who has no might He increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:25-31).

There is the hope every person needs, but most will never find, because they do NOT know the Holy One, the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Creator of the heavens and the earth ... YOUR Creator and mine!  As one who by His grace and the work of His Spirit knows this God, my burden for people is lifted by knowing that everyone I talk with needs one thing:  Hope in the Lord!  And what they NEED to hear, whether they know it or not, is that this almighty God has made a way for sinners like you and me to draw near to Him, to be adopted into His family and to live this life without fear, no matter what the need, the trial, the struggle we or they may be facing.  JESUS, the Christ, God's promised Savior and King, is the way to the Father, and when by His mercy He calls you to believe in Him, to confess your sin and your need, and to trust in Jesus for forgiveness and life ... when by grace you are adopted into HIS "forever family," HOPE is born; a hope that stands firm in the midst of every trial, every need.

People need the Lord!  And they need you and me to tell them about the God they don't know, or to remind them of the Savior they have received.  This is the "fix" they need.  It's the hope you and I need ... every moment of every day.  And GOD is able.  HE can handle what you and I can't.  Be an instrument of healing and hope by pointing people to Jesus and through Him to our Father in heaven.  Trust His Spirit to do the rest, according to the Father's will.  Sleep well ... Jesus is on the throne and the angels are still singing!!

"Have you thought of JESUS today?"

It's Monday.  Have you thought of JESUS today?  For Christians, for those who know the one true God, Father, Son and Spirit, it is easy to think of Jesus on Sunday.  Gathering with God's people in worship must, or at least should, bring us face-to-face with the reality of our need for forgiveness and life that come only through faith in Jesus, the Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Then Monday comes ... and for many the Bible is left lying there, closed, as minds are set on a thousand other things.  So the question, "Have you thought of JESUS today?"

I began a new series of messages yesterday entitled, "I AM," intending to hear Jesus' words in the Gospel of John as He says, "I am the Bread of Life," "I am the Light of the World," "I am the Gate for the Sheep," "I am the Resurrection and the Life," "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life," "I am the True Vine," "I am the KING!"  Yesterday we looked at Jesus' words in John 6:35:  "I am the Bread of Life.  Whoever comes to me shall never hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Jesus called the people to "eat His flesh and drink His blood," then explaining that the words He was speaking were "spirit and life" (vs. 63).  Jesus, God in the flesh, was calling people to come to Him by faith, believing that He was/is the Messiah, the Christ, God's "Anointed One," and to believe in His sacrifice on the cross as the "atonement," the payment for their sin.  After His resurrection He told the disciples to take the Gospel to the world, calling people to "repent," to turn from sin, and to receive forgiveness through His blood.  Biblical "faith" means accepting the testimony of God's Word that Jesus IS who the Bible says He is and that all who believe in Him will be saved from God's judgment against our sin.

The heart of the message is that you will find satisfaction for your soul ONLY in Jesus, when your heart and your mind is set on HIM.  Is it any wonder that so many are living like the old song from "The Rolling Stones," as the words so appropriately said, "I can't get no ... satisfaction!"  They lament, "And I try, and I try, and I try and I try!!"  I stated yesterday, "Do not be surprised if you feel malnourished and dehydrated if you are not eating and drinking Jesus through reading, studying and meditating on the truth of WHO He is and WHAT He has done, is doing and will do for those whom the Father has given Him."

Spiritual hunger and thirst is a choice that billions make every day.  It is a choice many even in the visible church make every day.  If you choose not to "feed" regularly on the one book in the world that will point you to Jesus Christ then your soul will never be satisfied.  As I pointed out in the message, "Food, alcohol, sex, drugs, entertainment, adventure ... and more ... all scream out, 'THIS will satisfy!' ... but in the end, nothing does!  Commercials on TV, advertisements on your phone and in stores and everywhere else promise to deliver, but fall short.  Government tells you they will help you find it by giving you money and other 'things,' but their resources are woefully inadequate to give you spiritual satisfaction."

Jesus says, "I am the Bread of life!  Whoever comes to ME (by faith) shall never hunger, and whoever believes in ME shall never thirst."  You need to "eat and drink" the truth about Jesus that is found in the Gospel as it is revealed and explained in the Bible, GOD's Word.  The emptiness inside, that so many express in a variety of ways, cannot and will not be filled by anything or anyone else.  Only Jesus can satisfy your soul, for only He can bring you to the Father for forgiveness and new life by His Spirit.  Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:44).

Our Father in heaven uses His Word and sends His Spirit to bring new life to those whom He gives to His Son to be part of His Bride.  These will receive Jesus as Savior and Lord today, and in the near future will receive Him as King when He returns in all His glory!  Just as you feed your body every day of the week, you need to feed your spirit.  Do not leave your Bible lying unopened during the week.  If you live around Allendale, Michigan, come and join us at Lighthouse Community Church on Sunday mornings, or listen online at lighthouse-ministries.org at about 11:00 a.m.  If you don't live near Allendale, seek out a church body where the truth of God's Word is believed and taught, where you can share fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ.  Then take God's Word during the week and read it, pray, worship, trust and obey out of an abundance of thanksgiving for God's mercy and grace to you in Jesus. KNOW that He is with you and live as a light in the darkness (next week's message!).

Have you thought of Jesus today?  If you have read this, now you have.  Don't stop.  Begin every day by setting your mind on Him and live to serve Him with gladness in your heart.  In the "good times," rejoice and give Him thanks.  In the "hard times" trust Him and seek His wisdom and strength, knowing that you are not alone.  Jesus truly IS the food and drink you need not only to survive, but to live with hope, peace and joy in your heart.  THINK about JESUS!!  You will be glad you did!!

"Politics without JESUS isn't pretty!"

What we are currently witnessing in our nation is politics without Jesus!!  It could be said that this has been true since the founding of our nation, or any other nation for that matter.  There has never been a nation where the ruler and all those who governed with him were true followers of Jesus Christ.  Even the nation of Israel, in the centuries before Jesus came, had ungodly, fallible, sinful rulers who ruled over them.  The time when David and Solomon were kings of Israel was the closest mankind has ever come to being ruled by the principles of godly government laid out for us in the Bible, God's Word.  But even then, they were far, far from perfect, and the consequences of their sin was obvious.

In that sense, we should never expect perfection from anyone who is in a position of government.  Human government, though ordained by God to restrain evil, does not have the power to eliminate it.  The only power able to restrain sin is the Spirit of God and the Law of God.  People say we must separate "religion and politics."  Those in the United Nations actually blame "religion" for most of the wars that have been fought throughout history.  This is why there is a big push toward the "unity" of all religions."  Such a "counterfeit unity," they believe, might allow people to live together in peace.

What they don't understand is human nature, though the picture is right in front of them.  Paul explains human nature in Romans 3:10-18:

"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.  Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.  The venom of asps is under their lips.  Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.  Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.  There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Do you want to know what is wrong with the political systems of mankind?  Look no further.  As someone has said, "the enemy is US!"  Mankind, men and women, cannot govern ourselves apart from the gracious work of the Spirit of God, our Creator.  It is only when God graciously makes His chosen ones "new creations" in Christ, giving us a new heart, a new mind and a new will, that we are able and willing to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and live under HIS authority, desiring to be obedient to HIS perfect and righteous Law.  Separate THIS religion, the only true religion, from politics and you have  ... what we see in front of us.

I write in " ... the end.", "Your life and mine only have meaning when we acknowledge that life is all about God.  He created us for Himself, and for those who have been given new life in Christ, He RE-created us for Himself.  The idea that you are a free agent and that you can do whatever you want, say whatever you want, live however you want and all will be well, is the result of ignorance, of not knowing the one true God.  He will vindicate Himself when Jesus returns to reign over the world.  If the history of mankind on the earth does not end with Jesus on the throne in Jerusalem, ruling over the nations of the earth, then God's Word is not true and there is no hope beyond the grave and no hope for us today as we live in a world that is increasingly hostile to the God who reveals Himself in His Word, the Bible.

If these things are not true, as the Bible reveals them, then anything goes ... then there is no such thing as a holy, just and righteous God, no such thing as sin or judgment.  There is just nothing!  You live, you die, and then ... nothing!  But because these things ARE true, we have something to talk about that matters to every person who is given 'ears to hear' by God Himself through the work of His Spirit.  And it all centers around this truth:  Those who are united to Jesus Christ by faith live with hope and a deep sense of purpose as we await His glorious return."

It should be quite obvious that your hope does not rest in government. To the extent we are able, we must seek to influence those in political office toward the Law of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Politics without JESUS isn't pretty!  No human government can sustain itself.  History proves that over and over.  Greater governments than ours have fallen from corruption within.  For years we have had a multitude of groups "lobby" our government officials and even bribe our government officials to do what THEY want them to do.  Today we have take another step as groups like Black Lives Matter, Antifa and white supremacy groups, LGBT+ and others try to take matters into their own hands, rejecting virtually any form of government except their own.  Human nature is sinful and requires government, but a government based on anything other than biblical principles will eventually become so corrupt that it falls from within.  There is nothing to hold it up.  Evil rises to the top.

Where is our current mess heading?  Judgment!!  Unless God, the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who reveals Himself in His Word ... unless He determines to show mercy to a nation so undeserving.  I will be surprised if that happens, but God's plan will unfold as He determines. In the meantime, I will hope in the Lord, my God, and I will take comfort in the fact that my Lord Jesus Christ will return as King one day soon.  Until then, I will proclaim the good news of forgiveness and life through faith in Him.  I pray that you will join me!!

"A 'Global Reset' without GOD!"

By now you may or may not have heard about the "Global Reset" that is underway.  Perhaps you heard something about it and thought it was one of those "conspiracy theories" and chose to ignore it.  I would encourage you to look it up and see what those in positions of power are planning for the human race and for the planet.  Having been "hidden" for some time, the current pandemic has become the catalyst for the nations of the world to come together through organizations like the World Economic Forum to "unite the world" in facing what they consider to be the main threats to the existence of mankind on this planet and "working together" to solve them.  Sounds good, doesn't it?

All of this is real.  It is happening.  In addition to the World Economic Forum, you can look up the Davos Agenda 2021.  Those with money and power, some in plain sight, some behind the scenes, are seeking to control the governments of the world and to bring them together through a common NEED:  health and safety.  When mixed with words like "equity" and "climate protection" and "social justice" and "gender equality" and other nice-sounding words and slogans, people are deceived into believing that the "agenda" is for the welfare of mankind.  Suddenly government control doesn't sound so bad ... until it becomes personal and you suddenly realize the freedom we once enjoyed has been taken away.

Are you depressed yet?  Take heart!  "OUR GOD REIGNS!!"  The agenda being enacted as we speak includes every part of human life, from economics to education, from social norms to social justice, from science to religion ... everything must be "reset" in order to eliminate Christianity!!  If that sounds paranoid, you have not yet understood that just as Satan worked for 2,000 years to eliminate the Jewish people before the Messiah, the Christ, could be born ... the one who would CRUSH HIS HEAD ... so Satan is at work not only to eliminate the Jewish people yet today, but also to eliminate those who know the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of God's promises, His Anointed King, JESUS, the eternal Son of God!

If you look up the agenda of these people it is exclusively secular.  "God" and "religion" have no place in their plans ... EXCEPT when needed to persuade "people of faith" that this is what "God" wants:  for everyone to work together for the good of mankind.  In their ignorance and spiritual blindness, they do not know that it is God's intention to use even their evil plans to accomplish His purpose to gather His chosen ones to Himself and then to pour out His wrath and judgment on the rest of mankind before establishing the reign of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem for a thousand years.

Examining God's Word to see the signs of Christ's soon return, many think we cannot know when Jesus will return.  But Jesus rebuked the people in His day for not discerning the signs of the times.  How much more should we be aware of what is happening in the world around us and how these events point to Jesus' return??  People often quote the phrase that says Jesus will come "like a thief in the night."  Listen to what Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:3-4:

"While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape.  BUT YOU (believers) ARE NOT IN DARKNESS, brothers, for that day to surprise YOU like a thief.'"

The wise will understand what is coming on the world and will stand firm in their faith in Jesus Christ.  While the leaders of the world plan their "great reset," God is planning His own great reset!!!  But first, there will be a great apostasy, a great falling away of many who claim to believe in "a God," but do not know who He is and who do not trust in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and eternal life.  Many of these claim to be "Christians," but have no problem uniting with other religions in believing in a "generic god" who is impotent to intervene in the actions and plans of those who do not worship him/her/it.  This "generic god" does not exist, except in the imagination of people who are living without hope and without God (the one TRUE God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) in the world.

We who by God's grace know the one true God, and who trust in His Son Jesus Christ for salvation from the coming wrath of God, must live in the power of His Spirit to proclaim the truth, so long as He gives us breath!  There are yet some who need to hear the good news of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to be delivered from sin and death.  The Gospel is still the power of God for salvation for all who believe.  We must point out the work of Satan in the world today, but we must not be overcome by evil.  Instead, we must seek to build up the one true Body of Christ by speaking the truth in love, teaching, correcting, reproving and training those who believe in righteousness.  Jesus said, "I WILL build MY Church, and the gates of death (the gates of hades), will not stand against it!"

Jesus presents a picture of a Church that does not waver, that is not blown about by false teaching, and we must be that Church!!  Every true believer ... those who believe the Bible to be the very Word of God, who confess Jesus Christ as God in the flesh, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all who would believe, who rose again, ascended into heaven and who is coming again in power and glory ... every true believer must and will stand firm in our faith in Jesus Christ by the power of our risen Lord within us.  Be aware of what is going on, and then dig deep, trusting in the Lord your God, knowing that "if God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).

Do not allow fear and anxiety to overwhelm you!  He is with His true children and He will never leave or forsake us.  Jesus Christ is Lord!!

"CHURCH!! Are you ready???"

The "church" is not what most people think "it" is.  The true CHURCH is not a building or an organization.  The CHURCH is a living Body, the "ekklesia," literally, "the called-out assembly."  When Jesus said He came to build His "church," this was the word He used, and the Bible, God's Word, tells us that God knows those who are His because He chose us in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid (Ephesians 1:4).  All that Jesus came to do through His death on the cross was and is for this Body, and all He is coming to do when He returns is to gather this Body, some from every people, tribe, nation and tongue, to Himself, in what the Bible calls the "Rapture."

As I have said previously, someone commented recently that there will be no Rapture, that the word does not even appear in the Bible.  But it comes from the Latin translation of "caught up" or "gather up,"  as this event is described in I Thessalonians 4:13-18 and elsewhere.  There WILL be a Rapture and those who have died previously as believers in Christ Jesus will have their bodies raised from the grave and reunited with their spirits at the sound of the trumpet call, while those who are still alive will be transformed "in the twinkling of an eye" and all will meet the Lord Jesus together in the air.  MUCH more could be said about that event, but my purpose today is to talk about the TIMING of the Rapture and the importance of knowing the order of the events leading up to it and what comes after it.

I and others believe the Bible teaches the timing of the Rapture to be AFTER the "Great Tribulation,"  and that the Rapture will be followed by the "Day of the Lord," God's wrath and judgment upon those who remain on the earth.  Why is this important?  I have shared before that many in the visible church today who claim to know God, to believe in Jesus and even to be filled with His Spirit seem to "lose their faith" in the face of suffering and trials.  They question God or they question their own faith or they question what they have been taught.  Something must be wrong!!  

What is wrong is their "theology," or their lack thereof!!  They don't know the sovereign God who works ALL things together for the good of His people, of those who love Him because we know He first loved us.  If your theology is right, you understand that God is wiser than you are and that He is with you in the hard times just as He is with you in the good times.  You understand that His ways are above your ways and that faith means trusting Him when you don't understand what He is doing.  Bad theology leaves people vulnerable to doubts, worry, anxiety and fear.

The same is true when it comes to "end times."  If you believe the true Church will be "raptured" BEFORE the Great Tribulation, and you see the temple being rebuilt in Jerusalem and a man rising to power and the nations coming against the Jewish people and you keep expecting the Rapture to take place and it doesn't, what will happen to your "faith"??  God SAID that His people are not appointed to suffer His wrath, and if the entire final seven years is His wrath, believers should have been protected and taken from this world before the Antichrist comes and certainly before the Great Tribulation occurs.

So I ask in my book, " ... the end.", ... "What if much of the visible church is planning to be 'raptured,' only to be called upon by God to endure the Great Tribulation??"   Some have quoted Revelation 3:10, "Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on earth," and taught that God is promising to deliver His people BEFORE the Great Tribulation.  But is that the case?

I write, "God has 'kept' the Church through persecution and trials since its beginning!  He 'kept' Noah and his family during the time of the flood.  He 'kept' Israel through the plagues in Egypt.  The question we need to answer on the basis of God's Word alone and not on our own ideas or theories is this:  Is the entire seven years, Daniel's 70th week, the Great Tribulation AND the Day of the Lord?  Are they one and the same thing?  OR, does God make a distinction between the two?"

If you would like to read much more about this you may order my book by emailing me:  pastorsteve@lighthouse-ministries.org.  I urge you to pray for understanding, not only of "end times," as we draw nearer to these events every day, but also an understanding of God's call to suffering for His people.  There IS a purpose in trials and suffering and God is able to strengthen us who believe for whatever He calls us to bear.  Faithful endurance is part of our calling, so stand firm in your faith in Jesus Christ whatever you may be called to bear, whether today, tomorrow or at any point in the future.  Our Father in heaven is with us.  Our Savior Jesus Christ is Lord and is reigning over all things from His heavenly throne.  And His Spirit dwells within us, empowering us for the battles at hand.

Do not allow the circumstances of your life or in the world to turn your attention away from Jesus, for IN THE END ... WE WIN!!!  We WILL endure, "by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony!"  ARE YOU READY???

"Lies, lies and more lies!"

It seems to be getting harder by the day to believe anyone, about anything!!  I know that doesn't sound very encouraging, but it is simply stating the obvious.  People lie to cover up their real thoughts, their intentions and their purposes.  Many have gotten so used to lying that they believe their own lies ... a sad and desperate state in which to live.  I don't blame people for being disillusioned and discouraged as we live in this world today.  Whether in politics, the workplace, the "news," or even in the church, people have a hard time being honest.  As someone has said, "They wouldn't know the truth if it hit them between the eyes!"  

But there IS a source for truth that CAN be trusted and that exposes the lies and deceitfulness of those who do not know the one, true and only God who reveals Himself in His Word, the Bible.  The writer of Hebrews explains, "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:12-13).

That should strike fear into the hearts of those who have not confessed their sin before this holy God and who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and found new life and freedom in the power of His Spirit ... but it doesn't.  Those who don't know God don't care what He says, or what you and I who believe say.  But there is another problem today ... 

It is not a new problem, but it spells disaster for millions and for our nation.  People who CLAIM to be "Christians" or "people of faith" reject the clear teaching of God's Word and lead millions astray.  They lie ... and then they lie some more ... and people think they are "good people."  But apart from Jesus Christ and the work of His Spirit not one of us is a "good person!"  So "Christians," from the Pope to the President (former and current), along with countless "pastors" and even "Christian" professors, and many "in the pews," declare abortion to be a woman's right, homosexuality and all kinds of sexual immorality to be acceptable, along with lying, stealing, cheating and all sorts of other sins.  In fact, these "Christians" now declare that you don't even need to believe in Jesus for forgiveness.  "You're fine!  It's those pesky judgmental CHRISTIANS that are the real problem.  They need to be silenced!"

The foundation of our nation is NOT "cracked," it is GONE!!  Yet as sad as that is, and as horrible as the consequences of that truth are and will be in the very near future, the Church, the true Body of Christ, has real TRUTH to proclaim.  Our God is not wringing His hands, wondering what He is going to do.  God has revealed His plan throughout His Word and judgment is coming.  God speaks truth in His Word, and though some twist and distort it, to their own destruction and to the destruction of those who listen to them, all that God says points to the soon return of Jesus Christ.  But first ... some things must happen.

In the third chapter of my book, " ... the end.", I look at four "snapshots" of the events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ.  The passages are Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:1-15; II Thessalonians 2:1-12; and Revelation 11:1-3, 12:1-6 13:1-5.  Look those passages up and read them if you want to know the truth about the future.  I close the chapter with the following words ... 

"Why is God so specific?  So the wise will understand!!  People today fall away, deny God exists, reject His Word and live without hope because they don't know God!  People today leave the church because they never knew or trusted the God who works all things together for good to those who love God and who are called according to HIS purpose!  People are afraid and anxious because they don't believe that 'if God is for us, who can be against us?' (Romans 8:31) ...

Live with hope every day!  Live in victory over doubt and fear and anxiety every day.  Know that you live in His presence every day (if you believe in Jesus) and that He is with you now and will be with you forever.  Then testify to the TRUTH, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes!"

THIS is the only way to combat the lies being told all around us. Expose the darkness, speak the truth of God's Word as you have opportunity to those who may listen, but don't get caught up in all the political turmoil and think that you and I are going to somehow save our nation for God's impending judgment.  We have a greater responsibility!!  Live for Jesus.  Live with Jesus.  Point people to Jesus Christ, the only Savior and Lord!  Testify to the truth amidst all the lies, and one day you will stand before Him clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ that is yours as the gift of God received by faith.  Be encouraged as you hear the words of David in Psalm 37:

"Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.  Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.  Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act" (Psalm 37:1-5).

"Be strong in the LORD!"

Some weeks are longer than others.  A lot can happen in seven days.  A lot can change in seven days ... especially when those "seven days" are "seven years!"  God reveals in His Word that He has ordained a period of seven years at some point in the near future where He will fulfill His purpose to establish Jesus Christ as King on this planet, on the earth.  As events unfold around you today, God is at work in the leaders of the nations, in His true Church and even in those who are evil and who are rebelling against Him and His Son Jesus Christ, to "set the stage" for an all-out attack on the Jewish people who dwell in the land He gave to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  This attack will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ ... but before that ... other things must happen! 

I write in my book, " ... the end." ...

"Your life can very quickly spiral out-of-control if your heart and mind are in the wrong place.  How do you face the 'unknown' of today, tomorrow, next week, next month, unless you understand what lies ahead?  Most people today are like the proverbial ostrich, who sees trouble coming from a distance and sticks his head in the sand, thinking he is protected!  So people today pretend that all is well when it isn't, and rarely if ever, think of the God who promises to pour out His judgment upon mankind ... EXCEPT for those who are truly His children through faith in Jesus Christ.

We live in difficult times and the Bible says clearly that they are going to get worse!  But we who are part of Christ's Body, His Bride, the one true Church, the 'ekklesia,' the 'called-out ones,' are called to be light and salt right up to the sounding of the trumpet calling us to meet Jesus in the clouds!  Satan does his best to distract you and me so we will not set our hearts and minds on Jesus Christ, so we will forget that we who have been born again by His Spirit and who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ have all we need to persevere and to live for the glory of our God!!

That's why the Apostle Paul writes to the Church in Ephesus about the need to put on the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-13:

'Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.'"

More and more and more people are being misled today, whether it is by the news media, politicians, or even the medical community and pastors and leaders in churches!!!  The only source of absolute truth is God's Word, the Bible, yet even here Peter warns that there are some things in Paul's letters that "the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures" (II Peter 3:16).  In these days you must be a student of God's Word and know what it says or you will be deceived.

There WILL BE a seven-year period during which a world leader will arise, the "Anti-Christ," whom the nations of the world will follow.  His agenda will be to deceive, and God will allow him to appear to succeed as he is indwelt and empowered by Satan.  We will examine these things further throughout this year.  What is crucial for YOU today is to know the God who rules over ALL the events going on in your life and in the world around you!  

He is "the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End."  You will find in studying God's Word that He is always faithful to those who know Him, who trust Him, who seek Him, who draw near to Him through His Son Jesus and who live to obey Him.  Do YOU know Him?  Have you placed your trust in Him?  Or is He "the unknown God?"  I pray today for YOU as you read these words, that HIS Word will speak to your heart and call you before His throne to find rest for your soul.  "Come to ME," He says, and if, by the work of His Spirit your ears are now open and your eyes can see the foolishness of living without Him, He will receive you as you come!  HE is Lord!

So be strong in the LORD!  Rely on HIS strength and not your own.  You can KNOW that He is with you and that nothing happens by chance.  Through His strength you can and will overcome ... even death!  Rest in Him and find in our God, our Creator, our Savior and our Lord all you need for today and every day!

If you would like a copy of my book, " ... the end.", please contact me at pastorsteve@lighthouse-ministries.org.  The cost is $15, plus $5 for shipping.  If you have always wanted to study Revelation, you can do so by reading it in the context of the rest of Scripture.  Gather a small group together in your home or in your church.  Study guides are available for $10.  Both the book and the Study Guide contain 12 color timelines that will help you understand the sequence of events of the final seven years leading up to Jesus' return.  May the Lord use His Word to prepare His Bride for the return of her Bridegroom!

"Perseverance comes from knowing GOD!"

An amazing number of people today refuse to acknowledge that God exists.  Even amidst the chaos around us, they imagine that mankind can and will somehow find a way not only to survive, but to "advance" civilization toward their goals ... which are centered around a world without God!!  Truly, as the Psalmist writes, "The fool says in his heart, there is no God!" (Psalm 14:1).  

The result of such foolishness is hopelessness and despair.  How do you overcome the temptation to give up and then to give in to the flesh and just live for the things of this world?  You get to know God, the one TRUE God, your Creator, the Creator of all things, and you come to the point where you draw near to Him through faith in Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the One who suffered and died to pay the penalty for sin for all who believe, who rose again, who ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, bringing all things to pass according to His will and His plan.  You confess that HE is wiser than you are and that He is at work in your life and in the world ... and in this you find the comfort, hope and strength to persevere through trials and uncertainties.

In my book, " ... the end.",  I write, "How few people today KNOW this God, the only TRUE God, our Creator?!!  Psalm 121 begins by declaring 'I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth' (Psalm 121:1-2).  Knowing the one true God is not only essential for eternal life, but necessary for living in this world with hope and peace and joy.  Because of the ignorance of many concerning faith in the sovereign God who rules over all these things and who is in control of the future, the hearts of millions of people are filled daily with doubt, fear, worry and anxiety, OR with anger, despair and a sense of hopelessness.  

The study of 'end times' can be just an academic study that has little bearing on your life unless you understand that this is God's Word and it reveals truth about God, about life in this world, about the purpose of your life and everything that is happening all around you.  When you know God and His plan to establish His eternal kingdom in the new heaven and the new earth, and you see His plan unfolding just as He said it would, doubt, fear, worry and anxiety are replaced with faith, hope, peace and joy in Christ.  As Isaiah says, 'How beautiful on the mountaintops are the feet of those who bring good news; who say to Zion, OUR God reigns!' (Isaiah 52:7)."

"Zion" refers to Jerusalem and to God's plan to send Jesus to defeat the enemies of His people, literally, and to reign in Jerusalem, literally, for 1,000 years.  While the previous administration in our own nation was surrounded by people who believed what God's Word says about His future plans for the Jewish people and for Jerusalem, the current administration appears largely ignorant of what the Bible says about these things.  What effect that will have on the relationship of the United States to Israel, or upon the recognition of Israel by other Arab nations around them, we do not yet know ... but THIS we do know:  God's plan for the Jewish people, for the United States and for our world continues to move toward the return of Jesus and judgment for those who do not know God, but salvation for those who by His grace know Him as "Abba, Father," through faith in Jesus Christ.

All of this affects how you live your life today!  When you KNOW the God who chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and who continues to gather their physical descendants to a narrow strip of land that HE gave to them more than 4,000 years ago ... when you KNOW the one, true God who sent Jesus Christ into this world to save YOU, the God who gave you new life by His Spirit and enabled you to believe, then you live today with hope AND with zeal for HIS kingdom.  What happens in our own nation, while important and part of God's plan, is less important than what God is doing in His Church and through His people all over the world.  There is ONE true Church, and God knows those who are His.  Are you one of His children by faith in Jesus?

Only if you are, will you persevere through life's trials and testify that "God is good ... ALL the time!"  You will know that He is with you, that He will never leave you, and that when your time in this world is finished you will be with Him forever, and will one day live in a new heaven and and new earth of His making.  Perseverance comes from knowing God!!  Draw near to Him today, reading His Word, praying in the name of Jesus, trusting Him in good times and in suffering, trials and even death, for we who believe in Jesus have victory and we WILL overcome!  Praise GOD, our Creator, our Savior and our Lord!!

"Jesus is NOT returning today ... or tomorrow!"

Much like the news media today many keep saying they hope Jesus will come today ... that the Rapture will take place and we will be whisked off to heaven ... but GOD says otherwise!  Quoting from " ... the end." ...

"Where does your knowledge of 'end times' currently come from?  Is it what you have heard from others, read in books, watched in the latest television movie or film, or just imagined yourself?  There is only one source of truth on this subject and it is the unchanging Word of God, the Bible.  So what is it that God has revealed?  Where do we start?  How can we know that we are part of the group called 'the wise,' who will understand and be ready for these things?

To begin, understand this:  Jesus is NOT going to return TODAY!  I know that most people who talk about this subject believe the Rapture is the next event in God's timetable to the end, but that is not the case.  This is part of my purpose in writing this book.  If Christians believe the Rapture is the next thing that will happen in the entire 'end times' scenario, then the study of these things is purely academic because we will be gone before any of it begins to take place.  But the Rapture is NOT the next thing on God's prophetic calendar!  How can I be so sure?  Because the Bible says THERE WILL BE SIGNS PRECEDING JESUS' RETURN!" (" ... the end.", pages 19-20).

Someone commented recently that there is no such thing as a "Rapture," that the word is not even in the Bible.  Sometimes it is better to remain quiet than to open your mouth and reveal your ignorance.  The word, "rapture," comes from the Latin, "rapturo," which means "caught up."  It is the term used in I Thessalonians 4:17 to describe the gathering up of believers prior to the pouring out of God's wrath on "the day of the Lord."

Matthew 24:1-3 is a crucial passage in understanding the sequence of events as Jesus laid them out.  Jesus was telling the disciples what would happen BEFORE He returned.  Verses 4-14 give a general overview (this passage is parallel to Revelation 6 and the opening of the first six seals of the scroll of God's judgment on the earth and upon mankind), and then Jesus gets more specific in Matthew 24:15-31.

Why is this important for YOU ... TODAY???  Jesus told His disciples, "In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  Indeed, Jesus WILL come to defeat His enemies and ours at the battle of Armageddon, but BEFORE that happens the Antichrist will appear, the governments of the world will be united against Israel and the Church, true believers, will be persecuted and will go through the Great Tribulation.  Over the coming weeks I will continue to share verses and passages of Scripture that make these things clear.  I offer you my book, " ... the end.", because it puts all of these Scriptures together, along with timelines, so you can study it yourself and/or with a group of believers.  You should accept nothing I say unless it is in accord with the Word of God.

But think about this:  if most people in churches all over this country and the world are being told either that Jesus is coming ... sometime ... so don't worry, OR that the Rapture could happen at any moment, what are they to think when these signs begin to unfold and when the Antichrist is revealed and the Great Tribulation begins??  They will question the Bible, their teachers, and perhaps God Himself!!  God even tells us that many (those who do not truly know Christ or trust in Him) will fall away.  Why?  Because they did not love the truth!  (II Thessalonians 2:12).

What is happening in our nation today is part of God's plan to bring judgment, and the censorship of "conservative" voices is following the rejection of God's voice that has been taking place in our nation and in the visible church for the past 60 years or more.  It will not get better.  So how do we respond?  In speaking of the destruction of the earth by fire Peter writes, "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!  BUT according to His promise WE are waiting for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (II Peter 3:11-13).

The true Church, God's chosen ones, in whom His Spirit is at work, will receive wisdom from God to know the truth and to be ready to endure, to persevere AND to testify!!  Let your voice be heard and point people to Jesus Christ.  He is not returning today ... or tomorrow ... but He WILL return according to the Father's plan, and it will be glorious for those who know Him as Savior and Lord!!