Once Upon a Time

 

The artist formerly known as Aldrich Design…

Once upon a time I was a graphic designer. I worked over 30 years in advertising and later 10 years as a freelance book designer. I am retired from that and now focus living wherever the Lord leads.

I truly believe that this world is in the end of the end times and that Jesus Christ will soon return. As of the writing of this edited post (May 2, 2022) the world is enduring much hardship related to a global pandemic. This along with economies around the world on the brink of collapsing, wars on the rise and governments desperate for solutions shows that we are in what Jesus Christ in the Bible referred to as the birth pains…

❝And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. —MARK 13:3-8

And we are well into these pains.

The only hope for mankind is this same as it’s been for centuries, in Jesus Christ. 2000 years ago He gave His life on a cross to pay the penalty for your sins and mine. He died, was buried and three days later rose from the grave. Death could not keep its stranglehold on Him. He, the Son of God, now sits at the right hand of His Father waiting for the time when He is called to rescue His Bride, the Church. That time I believe is fast approaching. As the the birth pains will lead to God’s judgement and wrath upon an unbelieving, evil world so also will they lead to the harpazo, the snatching away, otherwise know as the rapture of the Church.

❝For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. —1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

If you haven’t given your life to Christ for your salvation I implore you to get right with God now! Salvation is the free gift of God. You cannot work for it. It’s by grace that you have been saved…

❝For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. —Ephesians 2:8-10

Getting saved is as easy as A, B, C. That’s because God through His cross did all the work for us.

How to be SAVED — THE SIMPLE ABC’s OF SALVATION

Salvation is a gift and it is a choice. God freely gives, but we must receive it, take it as our own. Salvation is as simple as ABC…

(A) Admit that you are a sinner. Romans 3:10 says: “There is none righteous, not even one.” And Romans 3:23 says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

(B) Believe Jesus is Lord. Romans 10:9-10 says: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.”

(C) Call upon His name. Romans 10:13 says: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

That’s it. That’s how to be saved. Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. —John 3:16-18.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

 

There’s much truth to this quote from William Shakespeare. The world (the “producers” and “directors” that control the “script”) tells us what to think, what to buy, how to act. They pull the strings of humanity like a puppeteer does with a marionette. They distort and replace God’s perfect and holy ways for their debased ones while guiding mankind wherever they desire. None other than Satan is the master puppeteer. And most go along ignorantly even blissfully while caught up in his grand deceptions.

At one time people knew the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. We knew that 2+2=4 and the difference between men and women. Even if we didn’t know God we we had an inner understanding of His precepts. We understood the sacredness of marriage and the sanctity of all human life—born and yet to be born.

Those sacred, God given precepts still stand, but today mankind has slipped into the peak of debauchery. Man has basically given God the finger and said, “Screw you! I’ll live my life as I want!” Sorry for the intense language, but we need to wake up and admit this world is decaying rapidly—morally and spiritually. Stop thinking that some next election with getting in the right political leaders is going to make a difference. How’s that been working for us the last several years?

We are at the end, folks. And the answer remains to be not in some futile hope of this world and those in it, but in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and that whosoever believes on Him will be saved and have life eternal. We are saved, not by our works or our goodness, but only through Jesus and His blood that He shed on the cross. Period.

Stop holding on to this world and pretending that things are normal! The evidence is clear for those willing to see. Get right with God! Turn to Jesus!

 

There is a longing (or there should be) in the heart of the Christian that nothing from this world can fully satisfy. The things of this life, as wonderful as many are, are like vapor, a fleeting mist. One day they’re here and the next they’re gone.

We know the only true and lasting satisfaction is found in our relationship with Jesus our Savior. Yet even at this late hour the world continues to tempt us with all its attractions and distractions. It’s a battle to stay focused on who and Whose we really are. Our Savior, our Bridegroom, longingly awaits to call us Home, to our true home. We’ve always been just sojourners here... just passing through.

May the Lord help us to keep up the good fight and to stay focused on Him as we continue proclaiming His Good News.

“He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

And remember... the more you look forward to the next world the less you’ll need from this one.

Maranatha!!

Jesus warned us that there would be days like these…

 

 

Dear friend,

All the above, the “birth pangs,” as they are known, are happening now and increasingly so. These prophetic, biblical signs are what Jesus spoke of two thousand years ago. You'd have to have been living under a rock the past several years not to see that the world, as we knew it, is not what it once was. “Normal” has gone bye-bye.

I truly believe, what Jesus promised through the Apostle Paul, that the Church, His Bride, will soon be “caught up” to be with the Lord forever.

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. —1 Thessalonians 4:17

And those who don’t know the Lord will tragically be left to face seven years of God’s wrath upon the earth.

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. —Matthew 24:21-22

Now is the time to get right with God. Now is the time to turn to Jesus Christ and be saved. He is the only way, truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. No one will get to Heaven except through Jesus. He suffered greatly, shed His blood on Calvary’s cross and created the way for you and me to be reconciled to God, to be forgiven and justified. And it is by faith in Him and what He did that saves us.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. —Ephesians 2:8-9

God made salvation unto eternal life so easy for us... because it cost Him so much. It is by and through His grace. It’s a gift, so it must be received by faith. Think of it like winning the lottery. There's a check for a million bucks waiting for you, but you need to accept the check.

Everyone will experience eternal life. Death and the grave are not the final stage. The question is where you will spend eternity? Heaven or Hell? God honors your choice. Please choose Him. Believe in Jesus and all He did for you.

I'll be praying for you.

Change Is Here

Here in New England as the seasons come and go I'm reminded that change is inevitable. Thankfully the Lord and His word never changes. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. With this constantly changing and increasingly uncertain time we’re in we can find and know that “peace that passes all understanding” in Jesus Christ.

……The world is changing so very quickly. The words of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, “Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore,” comes to mind. Who on earth would have thought a year ago that things would be this crazy? Well, some of us have been watching things get crazy for years, though I don't think anyone figured on this scenario.

……To the point… things aren't going to get better. There is no more “normal.” Normal is gone. Change is here to stay. Welcome to the Late, Great Planet Earth (as you knew it).

……Those who study Bible prophecy have been shouting the warnings of these days for a long time. Most are tired—those doing the shouting as well as those doing the listening. “Where is the promise of His coming?” say the naysayers. Jesus Christ's promise of His return has fallen on many a deaf ear. But as stated above, God does not change. He keeps His promises. Jesus is returning. And many indications point to that being very soon. How soon? I don't know, but the surest signs shout in these increasingly evil days.

JD Farag posted these TOP 10 Bible Prophecies in his weekly prophecy update*…

10) Mocking of Bible prophecy and the Lord’s return — 2 Peter 3

9) Sudden destruction of Damascus Syria — Isaiah 17:1, Jeremiah 49:23-27

8) Allied invasion of Israel, led by Russia, Iran and Turkey — Ezekiel 38-39

7) Massive earthquakes increasing in frequency and intensity — Matthew 24:4-8, Luke 21:10-11

6) Increase of wickedness — Genesis 6:5, Luke 17:26-29

5) Increase of lawlessness — 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

4) Global cry for peace and security — 1 Thessalonians 5:3

3) Intoxicating obsession with dividing Jerusalem — Zechariah 12:1-3

2) Confirming of a 7-Year peace agreement with many — Daniel 9:27

1) Forming of a one world religion, government, and economy — Revelation 17, 18, 13:11-18

[* Click here to watch this prophecy update. ]

……All of the above are in play right now. We're quickly running out of time. There are terrible, horrific times ahead. You can dismiss this reality and believe that all will come back to normal, like maybe things will get better once we get or keep the right person in office. Or maybe we’ll get back to normal once we get that cure-all vaccine. By the way, please research this vaccine that is being rushed into production. The rabbit hole on that goes very deep and dark.

……The USA is a divided nation and that divide will only grow more intensely after November 3rd. People are not ready for what is coming. Some here in the US think they’re ready by prepping with food, guns and ammo—armed and ready for the crap to hit the fan. Others are indifferent or foolishly optimistic for things to get better. But those who believe the Bible and its prophecy regarding these last days are awake and prepared with the only true preparation that will save us and that is trusting in Jesus Christ. He is our only saving grace, our only salvation, and He remains our only hope.

……Time is running out.
Change is coming quickly.
……These warnings will end without notice.
Be ready—turn to Jesus.
……He is coming soon.
Believers: Believe and shout this on the rooftops.

The Loneliness of the Christian

Come!

It couldn't be any easier— because it cost God everything.

Salvation is a free gift. It does require humility— humbling yourself to see your need for a Savior. Realizing that there is a God with whom you are accountable. And repentance. Biblical repentance means that you have a change of mind— turning from yourself, your old life, and turning to God, accepting the new life He desires for you. It means that you will die to yourself, but become born again in Christ Jesus, through the cross of Calvary where He paid the penalty for our sins.

Your own works will not save you. You and I could never do enough good works to please God. It took His own Son to do the work. And the work has been done. Jesus declared, His last words on the cross, “It is finished.” Now it's up to you to accept or reject His gift.

If you want to know more contact me. This is the greatest decision you'll ever make. You only get one shot at this life. You may not have tomorrow.

Time is short. Today is the day of salvation.

—Dave

BIBLE PROPHECY IS COMING TO PASS…NOW!

Click the link…
BIBLE PROPHECY IS COMING TO PASS BEFORE OUR VERY EYES!

Bible Prophecy Brings Us Hope - Pastor JD Farag

The Apostles‘ Creed, The Resurrection, and The Rapture

The Apostles’ Creed is the oldest creed of the Christian faith. I grew up reciting this every Sunday. It's a beautiful and forthright statement of faith, of what the believer in Christ believes.

At the end of the creed it says, “I believe in...The Resurrection of the body...” That is the believer in Christ's very hope! Our blessed hope, where this body of corruption shall one day put on incorruption. The believer's body will be transformed into a glorified body fit for Heaven.

I don't know about you, but this 65 year old body of mine looks forward to that day! An incorruptible body means that it will never, ever see decay again! No more pain. No more disease. No more sorrow. No more worries. No more sin. No more evil. And the best part? Spending eternity with the God of the Universe who created me.

Jesus Christ made it possible for one, everyone, to have this hope. Through His death, burial and resurrection He made eternal life in Heaven available to all who believe on Him. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

As I’ve stated so often, we are living in such tumultuous and unpredictable times. Yet the Bible did predict just what these present times would be like hundreds of years ago. In the past few years Bible prophecy has sped up. Events are now materializing at break-neck speed. Evidence is pointing to this “blessed hope” for the believer to happen soon. It will take place in what is known as the rapture. The apostle Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians speaks of it:

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (died in Christ), lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up* together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

*Caught up in the original Greek language is the word, harpazo, which was later translated into the Latin word, rapio, where we get the word rapture. It means to be caught up, taken by force, snatched out of harm’s way.

The rapture is God’s rescue mission for the Body of Christ. All born-again believers in Jesus will be changed into glorified bodies “in the twinkling of an eye” and caught up in the air to meet Jesus. Sounds like an episode from a sci-fy show doesn’t it?! But I do believe in it with all my heart, just as I believe that Jesus Christ is the only way, the only truth, and the only life. He is the only way to the Father. The only way to Heaven.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

A rescue mission? 

“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” (1Thessalonians 5:9-11)

What follows this great event, called the rapture, is another event that is also great, but horrific. It’s called the Tribulation. It is God’s wrath, His judgement upon an unrepentant world. For seven years it will be Hell on earth. There are many that are aware (even many who don’t believe in Christ) that something terrible is coming. Whether they believe it to be a great world war, governments collapsing, frightening weather and geological events, or a combination of all the above; people know something is about to break. Once again the Bible predicted these things would happen and we are already seeing precursors, what the Bible refers to as “birth pains.”

Prepping supply companies are thriving. Many people are stocking up for whatever might happen. But all the prepping in the world won’t keep one safe from those seven tumultuous years to come.

So God has promised to keep His Church from this horrific time via the rapture.

Many Christians say that those who are looking for Christ and this blessed hope of the rapture are just escapists. To that I say, “Guilty as charged!” Yes, I do want to escape what is to come and go to the place that my Savior has been preparing for me—“and for those who long for His appearing.”

Are you rapture ready?

What does it take to escape God’s wrath to come? How is one counted worthy to do so? His name is Jesus. If you have trusted in Him as your Savior and Lord, believing that is through God’s grace only and not of your own works or righteous deeds, you will be saved from having to go through the Tribulation. That’s what it takes to escape.

I hope to see you on the Other Side, that great “by and by!” It’s going to be glorious.

Please, come to Jesus Christ. Trust in Him now. Time is running out.

I’m praying for you.

—Dave

On Eternal Security - Wise Words from Jack Kinsella

Humans know right from wrong because right and wrong are relative to actions. One can do right, or one can do wrong. Saving a person from being hit by a streetcar is a right thing. Pushing him in front of one is wrong -- one might even say, 'evil'.

But good and evil are outcomes -- and the outcome of our actions is known only to God.

Allow me to illustrate…

You are in Vienna, Austria, and the year is 1905. A man is painting a landscape portrait of downtown Vienna and doesn't realize he has stepped back into the path of a street car. You see him, and push him to safety.

You did the right thing, right? It was a 'good' thing that you did, and not 'evil', right?

If you knew what the outcome of your good deed in 1905 would be -- that is, if you knew at the time that you had just saved the life of Adolph Hitler and knew what he would become -- did doing 'the right thing' result in a 'good', or 'evil' outcome?

The first lie of the Garden of Evil was that man should trust in himself and on his own understanding. The Scriptures teach the precise opposite.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

The doctrine of eternal security flies in the face of that first lie by removing man from the equation altogether. Eternal security says that human righteousness is as 'filthy rags' before the Lord, therefore, Jesus paid the FULL penalty for sin.

It teaches that man plays no greater role in his salvation than that of accepting the gift of Pardon offered him by repenting (which means to change one's mind) about his sin and trusting in the shed Blood of Christ as a completed work.

The Scriptures teach us we can be; “confident of this very thing, that He which hath BEGUN a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phillipians 1:6)

One doctrine, that of salvation plus works, teaches that once He hath begun a good work in me, it is up to ME to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

The other, that of eternal security, teaches that, once He hath begun a good work in me, HE will continue to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Which doctrine lines up best with the main theme of the revealed Word of God?

We return to the message of salvation, but presented WITHOUT the implicit promise of eternal security for the believer…

“You are lost and deserve to go to hell. But Jesus has made a way for you to be saved.
All you have to do is believe in Him and not sin again. Go to church, learn the Bible, quit smoking, drinking, swearing, having lustful thoughts, avoid all your old sinful friends, do good and don't sin, and you shall be saved. But if you continue in sin after trusting Jesus, you will go to hell anyway.”

If one discounts the doctrine of eternal security as some kind of Satanic lie, then giving the Gospel in any manner differently that the one above is deceptive advertising.

But the Scriptures teach; “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” (Galatians 6:15)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2nd Corinthians 5:17)

If one is turned into a 'new creature' through God's extension of Sovereign grace accepted through faith, how then does one turn ONESELF back to the old creature by an act of human will (sin)?

Finally, there is the logic argument, as further advanced the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians.
“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Galatians 2:21)

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” (Romans 3:28)

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Jack Kinsella, 1952-2013 — Founder of The Omega Letter
The above article was taken in part from the website, Rapture Notes. For the full article click the aforementioned link.

Do you know Him?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29)

The first paragraph are harsh words from Jesus Himself. This knowing goes beyond head-knowledge knowing. It refers to an intimate communion with God, with Jesus Christ. Many know a lot about Him, but few truly know Him.

In the second paragraph Jesus tells us the one thing we must do, that is of utmost importance, believing in Him. Not just facts about Him. James 2:19 says that “even the demons believe and tremble.” God's will, His desire, is that no one should perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16), but there is that thing called “free will” that He gave us.

We choose where to live, what to buy, what to think. God didn't create a bunch of robots, but a human race with the ability to freely think and freely choose... to freely choose or freely reject Him and His most amazing grace.

Knowing Him begins with, “I believe, Lord – help me with my unbelief!” That prayer has the power to transform a life from meaningless to purposeful... from guilt and shame to forgiveness and joy... from knowing about Him to truly knowing Him.

Know God, know peace. No God, no peace.

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

—Come To Jesus, Chris Rice

. . . . . . . . . . . .

When you fear God you fear nothing else!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

❤️“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” —Proverbs 9:10When we come to know God, through Jesus Christ His Son, we discover how deep His love truly is for us. Fearing God, with this understanding of His love, brings joy, peace and contentment—such that this world can never give. In this we discover our purpose, His purpose for us, and what life is truly all about.

Life without Him, without Jesus, is one consumed with fear, worry, discontent and a sense of purposelessness. I know. I've been in both places. And I am so glad that I know Him now, my True Peace, my Almighty Father, Lord, Savior, Brother, Wonderful Counselor and Friend.

How I desperately wish that all those I know, who don't know Him,
would come to know Him. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    
“There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.” 

—1 John 4:18

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
—Proverbs 9:10

“The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else. ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord.’”
—Oswald Chambers,
“The Highest Good – The Pilgrim’s Song Book”

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❤️

For the believer in Jesus Christ...

. . . . . . . . . . . .

For the believer in Jesus Christ this world is not our home.
We are but sojourners passing through, carrying the banner of our Savior, sharing His life and love with each other; and to all who have an ear to hear, testifying of His Good News and giving warning of the consequences for rejecting so great a salvation.

. . . . . . . . . . . .   . . . . . . . . . . . .   . . . . . . . . . . . .   . . . . . . . . . . . .

Who Would Believe

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Who would believe
That this Jesus is real
That this God-Man really came
And gave His life
Shed His blood
Willingly
For you and for me

Who would believe
That this Jesus is alive
That He really
Rose from the dead
Just as He promised
Just as the prophets prophesied
For you and for me

Who would believe
That this Jesus is alive
In all who believe on Him
In all who trust in His Name
And know Him as
 
Lord
Savior
Friend
Almighty God
Emmanuel
King of Kings
Prince of Peace
Redeemer
Deliverer
Comforter
Love
Life

Who would believe
That this Jesus is wanting
To know you
To forgive you
To live in you
And give you new life
And life abundantly

And that He's calling you now

Who would believe
That He's coming again
To gather His Church
To take them home
To a place He's prepared
To dwell with Him forever
And He's coming soon

Who would believe
That such a thing
As simple
Child-like faith
In this Jesus
Turning to Him for forgiveness
Could save the worst of sinners

Who would believe?

I believe

Please believe
 
. . .

PREPARING FOR THE WORST OR FOR THE BEST?

Severe weather, earthquakes, other natural disasters... Times like these we wonder how best to prepare, how to avoid being impacted by what may come our way. Man is generally pretty adept at taking care of himself in physical matters. But let's face it, there's more that's out of our control than what we can control.

On top of these disasters we are also witnessing wars, rumors of wars, civil unrest, anarchy and lawlessness in general on the rise.

Many, seeing the troubled signs of the times, have resorted to prepping, storing up supplies for months and years to come, in hopes of avoiding any hardship. But the Bible has predicted that a time is near that no amount of human prepping can prepare for the trauma that is coming.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” —Matthew 24:21

The signs pointing to the arrival of this Great Tribulation are shouting loudly now. Bible prophecy is truly unfolding before our eyes. But who is watching? Who is paying attention? Sadly, for the most part, people are asleep to these times and have become so anesthetized from the entertainment world. One doesn’t have to go far these days to find distractions that prevent one from dealing with reality.

The only way to prepare…

There remains but one way to prepare for what’s to come and it's not trusting in Donald Trump or any other world leader. It is in knowing Jesus Christ and trusting in Him for your salvation. Believing in Him and the finished work that He did on the Cross. He did it all for you, for me and the rest of mankind. And it’s a gift, freely given to all who will believe and receive.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” —John 3:16

So how will you prepare for the days to come? Will you store up for yourself goods on earth or treasures in Heaven?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” —Matthew 6:19—21

Why prepare for the worst when you can prepare for the best. The best is yet to come.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” —Matthew 11:27-29

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” —John 14:1-3

Jesus is not only preparing a place in Heaven for the believer, but He has also promised to take the believer out of the world before the Tribulation begins. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s called the rapture, the snatching away of the Body of Christ, where both those who have died in Christ and those who are alive at the time are taken up to Heaven.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’”  —1 Corinthians 15:51-55

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” —1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

I pray you think on these things and take them seriously. Time is so very short. Eternity is forever. Where will you spend it?

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus.

“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” —Titus 2:13

”What do you think will happen on September 23rd?”

“Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.”

“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”

—Revelation 12:1-6

SOMEONE ASKED ME RECENTLY, “What do you think will happen on September 23rd?” I answered that I didn't know and honestly I don't. But, I do believe with all my heart, that this is a sign from God, a warning, a heads up (just as I believe this eclipse was). I do believe the Lord God Almighty is doing all He can to get our attention.

“AND BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY, and my reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” —Revelation 22:12-13

What is this “work” we are to do? It's very simple: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” / “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” —Romans 10:9,13

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” —John 3:16

Jesus paid for your sins and mine. He said on the Cross, “It is finished.” Our part is to believe and receive this amazing gift of salvation that He offers.

I'm very bold about my faith here on social media, but in person I fail miserably in my boldness for what I believe. Let me state for the record then (if I haven't been clear enough) that I do believe with all my heart, Jesus Christ is coming soon.

The signs, His signs, His warnings, are screaming at us. Signs in nature... Signs in civil unrest... Signs in wars and rumors of wars. Just to name a few. These have been occurring for a while now. I've mentioned them for years now here on Facebook. It's time to wake up and face reality.

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” —Romans 12:11

Amazing Grace... Only Christianity

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Think about it... Only in Christianity is one saved by grace alone, by faith alone. All other ways/religions are dependent upon ones own works and righteousness, "What I've got to do to earn my way to Heaven."

So whether you're Muslim, Orthodox Jew, Mormon, Jehovah Witness, Hindu... anything other than a believer in Christ, your faith says you need something other, or something extra, than Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross. You could belong to a Protestant denomination or be a Roman Catholic, but if you're trusting in your own righteousness you won't make it to Heaven. Being a member of a church denomination won't save you. Only being a member of the Body of Christ will.

Jesus paid the price for your sins, mine and for the whole world's. He Himself said on the Cross, "It is finished." There is nothing left to do other than to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." (Acts 16:30)

Sounds too easy? It is for us, but it cost God dearly. How can anyone want to remain a slave to some mere, man-made religion that doesn't save you, when God offers such an amazing gift that guarantees you shall be saved?

The world is growing darker and time is running out. If Christ isn't your savior please accept Him now. He loves you and desires for you to know Him.
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Putting on Your Full Armor

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As the world churns darker day by day it's crucial for the believer in Jesus Christ to “armor up.” There's a great battle going on that makes all the world's wars look like playground skirmishes. It's a battle for the souls of men and woman, young and old. It's a battle that's about as old as Creation itself. And the chief adversary in this war is relentless, desiring to conquer and destroy as many souls as he can — especially now, knowing his time is short. (*Revelation 12:12)

The good news is that the believer in Christ has already won the victory since Satan was defeated by the Cross, but the battle still rages. Satan can't take away that victory because the believer is secure in Christ, but he can attempt to destroy our witness. We're saved by the precious blood of our Savior. And we were saved not to sit back and dig our heels into the world's ways, but to be witnesses, testifying of His Good News, that through faith in Him we can have eternal life. (**John 3:16)

So Satan’s work seems to be in overdrive now. Just look at your daily news for details. And so the believer must be prepared to take a stand for what he or she believes and dig their heels into following Christ, desiring Him and to know Him above all else. We were given marching orders to share Christ, to make Him known and to make disciples. If we resist taking this stand then we’re showing how much this world owns us.

The devil will do all he can to trip up the Christian to cause him to fall. Put your armor on. Not armor as the world understands, but the Armor of God. And be prepared to fight. As someone once said, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.

If you don't know Jesus Christ as your own savior, then delay no further in making that decision. I believe that time left to make that decision is extremely short as Bible prophetic signs are unfolding and speeding up. Jesus is coming back to rescue those victorious ones from the coming wrath of God. But even if Christ were to delay His coming you have no idea when your last living day on earth will be. The often quoted question, “Do you know if you'd go to Heaven if you were to die tonight?” remains an imperative one. You can be sure by trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ who paid for your sins and mine.

If you know Christ, or have just come to know Him, I leave you with our marching orders, the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul...

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness 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.

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.“ – Ephesians 6:10-20

— — —

*Revelation 12:12 — “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

**John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
**John16:33 — “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
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An apology – The Shack

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Some of you know that I was involved with designing The Shack book. At that time, over 10 years ago, I was captivated by the story and felt honored to be part of the graphic creation of the book. I was so drawn into it, wanting to know the God it portrayed. There’s no doubt that the story has deeply spoken to many.

I have deep regrets now of not just being involved with it but also in promoting it. The movie release of The Shack has brought all this back to my mind and I felt the need to apologize to all who I may have led astray by my promoting the book. I look back and see how little discernment I had. And I regret and apologize also for waiting this long to publicly share this.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? There are many, but the greatest being that it advocates what is called Universal Reconciliation or Universal Salvation. Meaning, since Jesus died for all then all are saved whether they believe it and receive Him personally or not. This is a grave distortion of John 3:16. One just needs to read the rest of that passage to understand that there is a condition for salvation in that one must believe in and accept Christ as Savior personally:

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” —John 3:18

One is indeed saved by God’s grace, but we have this thing called “free will” to receive or reject His grace, His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Many will still say that the book was intended as just a work of fiction, but the author himself, William Paul Young, is quoted as saying, “The Shack is theology. But it is a theology wrapped in a story.” 

Embracing The Shack, as I did, led me to other books, other authors who had started out on the straight and narrow, having solid Biblical beliefs, but strayed off into apostasy land. Rob Bell, Jim Palmer, Brian McLaren, to name a few of those by whom I was inspired. That “inspiration” led me to the edge of this Universalist belief. I thank the Lord that He pulled me back from that edge.

The Shack’s story wonderfully painted this picture to me of an incredibly knowable and loving God, one full of forgiveness, but without being judgmental. The fact is that there are two inseparable sides to God. He is both love and judge.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on Him.” —John 3:36

Again, this thing called “free will” has given us the ability to willfully accept God’s gracious gift of His Son, Jesus, who died on a cross to save us from our sins, or willfully reject His gracious gift. Jesus did die for the sins of the whole world, but tragically most of the world has and will refuse Him.

For more on The Shack you can find plenty of reviews online, such as:

https://www.thebereancall.org/content/when-people-say-shack-just-novel-excerpts-warren-smith
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2017/02/10/how-the-shack-distorts-our-view-of-god/
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/e2medianetwork/2017/02/wwutt-shack-vs-bible/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCl3NPrhrgE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCjdAX63uzM