YOU and GOD

Most everyone has at one time or another been blessed by the romantic poem that begins with the line, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote volumes of poetry to the man she was in love with, Robert Browning, before they were married. Elizabeth’s parents disapproved of her marriage to Browning, so much so that they disowned her. Week after week, she wrote love letters to them, begging for reconciliation, but they never replied. After 10 years of this, Elizabeth received a huge box in the mail. It was all of her letters to her parents, unopened. Those letters are among the classics of English literature. But her parents were never moved by them toward reconciliation, for they never read one of them! (The Alliance Witness, 1/14/76).

How many of us let God’s beautiful letters go unread, year after year—letters that could bless us, build us, better us. Yet they often remain unopened, unread!

Martin Luther exclaimed, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me.” Yes, all of the above and more, but It must be opened!”

Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott said of the Book of books: “Within this volume lies the mystery of mysteries; happiest they of human race to whom their God has given grace to read, to fear, to hope, to pray, to lift the latch, to find the way; and better had they ne’er been born who read to doubt, or read to scorn.”

Yes, it is God’s book of grace, but it must be opened!

English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote: “For more than a thousand years, the Bible, collectively taken, has gone hand in hand with civilization, science, law—in short, with the moral and intellectual civilization of the species, always supporting and often leading the way.”

But, it must be opened!

It was said of John Wanamaker, the famous department-store pioneer, that when he was 11 he purchased a Bible for $2.75, paying for it in small installments. Later he said of the purchase, “I have made large purchases of property in my time, involving millions of dollars, but it was as a boy that I made my greatest purchase. That little red Book was the foundation on which my life has been built and has made possible all that has counted in my life. I know now that it was the greatest investment and the most important I ever made.”

The greatest, yes! But, it had to be opened!

French novelist Victor Hugo reportedly said that “England has two books, the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare, but the Bible made England.”

For sure, but it had to be opened!

Do you remember a time when your heart burned when you opened the Bible and read it?  It can, again, but only happen when in faith and spiritual thirst you once again will open the Bible!

Someone may say, “I open it when I can, but I just do not have enough hours in the day to read it often or consistently.” Well, someone has calculated that it takes 70 hours and 40 minutes to read the Bible through at pulpit rate. About 10 minutes a day will get you through the Bible in a year. A few minutes a day will get you through this remarkable book that is just long enough to tell you all that God wants you to know, yet short enough to carry in your hands. This book is deep enough to confound scholars, yet simple enough to speak to the simplest. It is timeless though timely. It is without error but warns us of the pitfalls on life’s pathways. “It reveals to us the holiness of God, the mercy of Christ, the power of Calvary, the way to heaven, and the life that wins. It contains all the answers we need, even when we don’t always understand the questions.” (Robert Lightner, The Savior and the Scriptures)

But it can only transform us if we open the Bible!

“For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Those words, “the whole world’s watching,” were chanted by demonstrators on the streets of Chicago in the summer of 1968, as policemen used force to restrain rioters from disrupting the Democratic National Convention. TV cameras were on the scene, and those history-making moments flashed onto screens all over the globe so that, indeed, the whole world was watching!

Today, the whole world is still watching as history is being made; but the focus of the world at this very hour is not on the streets of Chicago but, rather, the cradle of civilization—the strategic, oil-rich, trouble-laden region of the Middle East.

Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Libya, Syria—these nations are now in the forefront of the news. In a sense, not only is the whole world watching; the whole world is, at it were, holding its breath. The political and economic crises in these countries have created a volatile environment that is, to say the least, explosive.

In the middle of it all is Israel, which did not even exist as a modern nation until 1948. But, how the nations of the world act and react to Israel is of primary concern to those of us who believe prophecy is daily being fulfilled. Israel, inheritor of God’s ancient promises to Abraham, will be in the center of the spotlight of world history from now until the end of time.

In Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39, God gives us a preview of history that is written before it happens—otherwise called prophecy. These chapters relate to Israel and what will happen to her, in the latter times, when nations from the north invade what God calls “my land,” Israel. (Ezek. 38: 16) Consider with me these fascinating facts and how they impact every one of us today: The What, Where, When and Why of this yet future invasion of “the holy land.”

( Note: This blog post, up to this point, is nearly verbatim the introduction to a message I preached on March 23, 1980, at Thompson Road Baptist Church in Indianapolis. I have repeated the introduction, word for word, to demonstrate the relevance of God’s Word—then and now. The stage had already been set when that message was delivered 44 years ago, and nothing has changed.)

The curtain of the last act of history’s saga could rise at any moment. We call it the “rapture” (of the Church). After the rapture, during the seven years that follow, commonly called “the tribulation” (as depicted in Revelation, chapters 4-19), the events outlined in this message will ensue.

1. The What of the events in Ezek. 38, directed at Israel:
   • There will be a military invasion of Israel by Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. (Ezek.38:1-3) Most lexicographers and commentators identify these invaders as Russia, joined by Persia (Iran), Ethiopia, and Libya along with other nations from the north. (Ezek. 38:2-6,13)
   • The invaders will be divinely defeated. (38:4,6,13; 39:3,4)
   • The invaders will be devastatingly defeated, with 5/6 of them dying. (38:18,19, 20;  39:1-6)
   2. The Where of this invasion of Israel:
   • The invasion will take place in Israel. (38:8; 39:4)
   • The invasion will take place in the midst of the land. (38:12)
   3. The When of the invasion of Israel:
   • It will occur in the “latter years” (38:8,16)—after the first half of the 7-year tribulation—when Israel will be dwelling in peace. (38:11; cf. Daniel 9:24-27)
   4. The Why of this invasion of Israel:
   • It will be initiated by God to show the heathen that He alone is God. (38:16,23)
   • God will make His holy name known to His people, and show them—as well as the heathen—that He alone is God, the holy One of Israel. (39:7)

Conclusion: Of course, at this moment, Israel is at war with the Hamas terrorists, having been invaded October 7, 2023. This is not the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38, but it surely must be a prelude. Jesus warned: “When ye see these things begin to come to pass, then lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)

Are you ready?

(For further study, see J. Dwight Pentecost’s Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology.)

Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying, “I wish to preach not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife, to preach the highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, hardships, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.”

Jesus never offered a life of ease to would-be followers. He spoke of birds who have nests and foxes who retreat to holes, while He Himself had nowhere to lay His head. Those who followed Him had to get used to having a rock for a pillow.

Part of spiritual growth through discipline comes from weaving good habits into the fabric of our daily living. Paul said, “I keep under my body and bring it into subjection.” He explained that it was mental, spiritual, and physical discipline that he subjected himself to, “lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (I Cor. 9:27) The great 18^th-century evangelist, George Whitefield, once queried: “Why are men so great, some do ask…Well, the heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight; but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.” (Whitefield retired at 10:00 p.m. and arose at 4:00 a.m.)

Discipline from God—and for God—can be lifesaving. As the Scottish preacher and author William Barclay said, “We shall cease from self-pity, from resentment and from rebellious complaint, if we remember that there is no discipline of God which does not take its source in love, and which is not aimed at our good.”

Christianity Today once recounted this story: “Lord Joseph Duveen, American head of the art firm that bore his name, planned in 1915 to send one of his experts to England to examine some ancient pottery. He booked passage on the Lusitania. Then the German Embassy issued a warning that the liner might be torpedoed. Duveen wanted to call off the trip. ‘I can’t take the risk of your being killed,’ he said to his young expert. ‘Don’t worry,’ said the man, ‘I’m a strong swimmer, and when I read what was happening in the Atlantic, I began hardening myself by spending time every day in a tub of ice water. At first I could only sit a few minutes, but this morning I stayed in that tub nearly two hours.’ Naturally, Duveen laughed. It sounded preposterous. But his expert sailed; the Lusitania was torpedoed. The young man was rescued after nearly five hours in the chilly ocean, still in excellent condition.” (CT, February 1979)

What are you willing to do this year to harden yourself for the cause of Christ? When I think of the people around the globe who are suffering persecution, who are homeless because of wars—some trying to exist in third-world countries where ruthless authoritarians make it difficult not only to exercise one’s faith but to simply survive day to day—I am in fact ashamed to think of American Christianity. How flabby and faithless we have become! How lazy and lifeless spiritually! How indifferent and indolent in spiritual matters.

Is there a spiritual discipline that you could cultivate for Christ this year? Reading His word daily? Attending the services of your local church regularly? Praying intentionally and intensely?

Bad habits, educator Horace Mann said, are like a cable: We weave a thread of it, every day, and at last we cannot break it. Or, as another said, “The chains of habit are too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” (Charles Swindoll, Killing Giants, Pulling Thorns, pp. 66,69)

If that is true with bad habits, could it not also be true of that which is good that we cull and cultivate for the improvement of our work and witness for Jesus? Do not pray, “Lord, let me off easy.” Pray instead, “Lord, make me as big as my task.”

Strive this year to realize by faith the truth of His promise: “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” (Deut. 33:25) And, wherever the journey will take you, whatever the chasm you must cross, His grace will be sufficient for you—to His glory, in the Church, by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen!

“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.” (Phil.1:20)

When the post-exilic prophet Haggai stood up with a “thus saith the Lord” for the Jews who had returned from a 70-year exile, he spoke with the authority of God to the civil leaders in Jerusalem, led by Zerubbabel, to the priests led by Joshua, son of Josedech, and to all the people of in Jerusalem who had returned from Babylon. (Haggai 2:4)

Jeremiah prophesied before the exile had even begun that it would last 70 years. (Jer. 25:11) And, 140 years before he was born, Cyrus was mentioned by Isaiah (Isa. 45:1) by name as the king who would sign the decree allowing the exiles to return to their homeland. Cyrus the Great did just that in 535 B.C., exactly 70 years from the date of the first a wave of Babylonian deportations in 605 B.C. 

The exiles returned, laden with temple treasures and furnishings that had been trucked off to Babylon when Jerusalem and its temple and people had been marauded. When King Cyrus decreed that the Jews could return, he insisted that they do so with the plundered gold, treasures, and temple furnishings. The exiles returned in fulfillment of prophecy by the decree of a good but pagan king in 536/535 B.C. According to Ezra 3:8-13, they immediately began the work of rebuilding the once glorious but totally demolished temple that Solomon had built in unparalleled magnificence. But the foundation was barely begun when the builders were harassed by wicked regional opponents who cared nothing for God, God’s city, God’s people, or God’s temple. Their deceitful lies and opposition resulted in work on the temple grinding to a halt for about 15 years.

Enter Haggai, through whose mouth came “the Word of the Lord.” The prophet was a man of few words—but words that inspired by God’s people, coming at a crucial juncture in the history of the Jewish nation. The returning exiles, having met with opposition in their initial efforts to rebuild the temple, had settled down to spend their time, energy, and efforts in building their own houses. Their rationale was pinpointed by Haggai: “The people say, ‘The time is not come, the time the Lord’s house should be built.’” (Haggai 1:2) But with the fearlessness of a prophet on a mission from the most High, Haggai retorted: “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways.” (Haggai 1: 4,5). He went on to instruct his hearers to get up to the mountain and bring wood and “build the house and I will take pleasure in it.”

The heart of the prophet’s message is succinctly stated in Haggai 2:4: “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work, for I am with you saith the Lord of hosts.”

Be strong and work! That was the message then from God—delivered by a prophet who was God’s mouthpiece to a nation, to a people who had become spiritually complacent and, in fact, indifferent and even self-centered concerning the work of God.

It is a message that resonates in 2024. Compared to the houses of the returning exiles, our houses are probably mansions! We have become comfortable, indifferent, and complacent to the work of God and to the building of the House of God, the local church! (I Tim. 3:15) Oh, to be sure, the work has opposition. We have our critics. Wicked men still lie and oppose anything of God. So, though we started out with enthusiasm and even joy, singing as we were working, we have cooled in our efforts and in our pursuits of His building.

Where is the Haggai of this 21^st century who, without mincing words, will stand to bluntly and boldly proclaim: “Be strong Zerubbabel. Be strong Joshua. Be strong all ye people of the land, saith the Lord.”

As Bob Jones, Sr., once said: “America needs about six months of old-time, Hell-fire and damnation preaching. But the trouble is, we don’t have rugged preachers now who can do that kind of preaching. There are very few prophetic voices in the pulpits of America today. Preachers have become pretty good executives. They know how to oil the machinery of their churches; but they have lost the old, rugged, prophetic, knock-down and drag-out preaching that this nation had in the country districts when I was a boy. I don’t know in this nation today any preacher who preaches as the old country preachers did, who said ‘I seen,’ instead of ‘I have seen,’ or ‘I have saw,’ instead of ‘I saw.” But they HAD SEEN, and they MEANT what they said. They had vision. They had courage.”

God give us pastors and preachers today who will proclaim Haggai’s message—“Be strong. Work!”—with the power and passion of the old country preachers who “had seen” and meant it!

“Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine….” (2 Tim.4:2,3a)

In 1953, a small, struggling chemical company set themselves to producing a rust-prevention solvent and degreaser for use in the aerospace industry. It took 39 unsuccessful tries before they succeeded. That’s why that can in your garage, or on some shelf in your utility room, is called WD-40 (i.e., water displacement, 40^th attempt). I used my spray can of WD-40 less than two weeks ago. I am glad they did not quit on the 30^th or 35^th or 39^th try!

Things worthwhile usually don’t come easily or quickly. I read once that “a red clover blossom  contains less than one-eighth of a grain of sugar. Yet seven thousand of these grains are required to make a pound of honey. A bee, therefore, must visit 56,000 clover heads to get enough sugar for a pound of honey. There are about sixty flower tubes to each clover head.

So, the bee performs that operation 3,360,000 times to get enough sweetness for a pound of honey!” If you are a honey lover, as I am, you are grateful that God created the honeybee with a persevering constitution! Especially so that we can enjoy the pure goodness of Sourwood honey!

Winston Churchill made famous the phrase, “Never, never, never give up!” The Allied forces didn’t, and we won World War 2!

The key is most often old-fashion perseverance. It was what Jim Leyland attributed to his being able to hoist the 1997 World Series champion trophy after the underdog Florida Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians, four games to three. Leland had spent 37 years chasing this dream, and at the conclusion of the Series, as he stood at the winning dugout, Leland remembered those years he spent in the winter ball and instructional league with “guys like me that weren’t very good players, they weren’t going anywhere, thinking they have no chance to get to the major leagues.” Then, the Marlins manager said: “This win is dedicated to those guys. You’re looking at a back-up catcher in Double-A,” he said. “And I finally arrived at the pinnacle of this sport tonight, so there’s hope for all those guys out there. Don’t give up.” (Indianapolis Star, October 28, 1997)

We can all be glad that a lanky failure from Springfield, Illinois, did not give up!  Failure? Yes, in business, at age 22; in his bid to win a seat in the Illinois legislature, age 23, and again in business, age 24. Then he was elected to the legislature at age 25; his sweetheart died the next year; he had a nervous breakdown at age 27; he was defeated for Speaker at age 29, defeated for Elector at age 31; elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, age 37; defeated in his bid for a Senate seat, age 46; defeated in his bid to be Vice-President, age 47, and defeated again for a Senate seat, age 49. BUT he was elected President of the United States at age 52!  Thank God the 16^th President of the United States—one of the best—was a man that persevered! (Did you know that Abraham Lincoln, as a wrestler, lost only one of his 300 matches!)

George Truett pastored the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, for 50 years. His last charge to the church was the following: “My final word to you is ‘on and on;’ there remaineth yet very much land to possess. On until the last dollar of our building indebtedness is paid; on until the last seat in this great auditorium is regularly filled; on until our Sunday School attendance tests the capacity of Jackson Hall and this auditorium combined; on until our young people’s work knows no superior; on until our missionaries bless America and belt the world; on until our theological school is not exceeded on earth; on until our testimonies to the verities of God’s Word shames all skepticism. Yes, on and on until the King comes to say, ‘Well done!’”

So, welcome 2024! May our watchword be now and ever “On and on!”

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.3:14)

Jesus is pictured sitting near the Temple treasury observing how people were giving to God. (Mark 12:41-44)  While many who were “rich” cast great sums into the depository, a widow who lived in poverty cast in just two mites, called a “farthing.” This was the least valuable of any Roman coin, said to be worth about two-fifths of a penny. But Jesus said that her giving—out of her “want”—was “all that she had.” In God’s sight, compared to the rich people who were at that time casting in “of their abundance,” Jesus affirmed that “this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury…she of her want (poverty) did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” (Mark 12:43,44)

That evaluation cuts against the grain of how most people evaluate giving. Great sums of money left to one’s favorite charity—or given to one’s heirs, or to a person’s church—cause wonder, even amazement. A pittance dropped into an offering plate by some poor soul would not be given a second thought in this materialistic age, in which the latest lottery jackpot might have reached one billion dollars!

Picture Jesus watching you give to God in an act of stewardship, whether through an offering as part of church worship, or through an on-line gift that one gives systematically to support the work of God. Question: How would He evaluate your offering? He and only He can make a true assessment of your gift—whether it is sacrificial, by faith, out of abundance or “want,” and given cheerfully. (2 Cor.9:6,7) What do you think He would think about your giving last week? Last month? Last year?

I read a story about a father who had just purchased a meal at a fast-food restaurant for his son. The dad reached over to sample one of the boy’s french fries, asking, “May I have one?” The son responded by pulling the serving of fries closer to him and saying, “No, these are mine.” Not particularly overjoyed, the father had three immediate thoughts about his son’s stinginess:  (1) “He doesn’t understand where his fries came from; (2) He doesn’t realize that I could take all those fries from him, or bury him in fries; (3) He doesn’t realize I could get my own fries, and I do not need his.” (John Maxwell)

The late W.A. Criswell, pastor for half a century of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, once illustrated the importance of liberal, cheerful stewardship: “When God gits His, and I git mine; then everything will be just fine. But when I gits mine, and keeps God’s too, well then, what do you reckon God will do? I believe He will collect, don’t you?”

H.G.B., one of the “old-time” writers for the early Radio Bible Class (M. R. DeHaan) editions of Our Daily Bread, offered this testimony about giving in one of his devotionals: “August Hermann Francke, a well-known preacher of Halle, started an orphanage for homeless children. One time, when the pastor was in sore need of money, a desperate Christian widow came to him asking for ‘one gold ducat.’ Francke politely told her that he could not help her at that time, but the persistent widow begged him for the help. At last, Francke said the Holy Spirit moved him to help the widow and trust the Lord for his own need. A few mornings later the pastor received a note of thanks from the poor woman, assuring him that she had prayed that God would shower gifts of money on the orphanage in return for his generosity. H. G. Bosch writes: ‘That same day Francke received from a certain lady 12 ducats, plus a package from a friend in Sweden containing 2 more. Hardly had he put the money away when a total stranger dropped by to give him an additional 25 gold pieces. He now felt richly rewarded by the Lord, but shortly afterward, on the same day, he was informed that a certain prince had died, and in his will directed that a bag filled with 500 gold ducats be given to the work of the orphanage! Francke was deeply impressed that when the Lord pays back our ‘loans,’ He does so with an abundant hand, yea, ‘good measure, pressed down, and running over!’”

As you have no doubt heard it said, “You can never out give God!” Or, as my friend Lonial Wire would often testify about God’s faithfulness and generosity, “When I shovel out a gift to God to meet a (missionary’s) need, God shovels it right back to me; only, His shovel is a lot bigger than mine!”

At the start of a new year, maybe it’s time to reevaluate our giving to God. As in the Temple at the Treasury, God is evaluating the giving being done. Is He pleased with how and what and why you give to Him?

“Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38)

It has been almost 45 years since I met Dan. He was 18 then and headed for Bible college. His parents were members of the church I had just been called to pastor. Danny, as he is known to most of us, had been playing the piano and occasionally the organ at church. He would major in music at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, Minnesota. Upon graduation, he returned to Indianapolis and resumed music ministries as a lay person in our church.

I had coffee with Dan Brown a few days ago, for he has been a significant person in the ministry that I am still affiliated with as “pastor emeritus.” He still plays the organ. In the past 40-plus years, he has missed only a handful of services aside from occasional family vacations. In today’s mobile world, he is undoubtedly an exception. Most people have been members of several churches over the span of 40 years.

Danny is exceptionally bright. By his own admission, verbal communication skills are not his forte. But as one listens to his music, there is little doubt that he communicates deeply, soul to soul. He sings regularly, accompanying himself, and often composes the music that he sings. He writes poetry as well as hymns.

When Dan was about a year old, his parents moved to Three Hills, Alberta, Canada, where his father took some courses in the Prairie Bible Institute, founded and led by Dr. Lee Maxwell. A neighbor of the Browns, a widow, took an interest in Dan and invited him to practice his piano skills while serving as a “coach” and teacher of sorts. Jack and Ruth, both long-time members of the church I pastored, moved back to Indianapolis when Dan was about 8 years of age.

For most of his adult life, Dan has suffered with a mild case of a disorder known as Tourette Syndrome. Those who are afflicted with this are given to sudden uncontrollable outbursts, or sometimes just abnormal jerky movements known as tics; at worst, they might unleash a verbal volley of uncomplimentary oaths. It can be a terribly crippling disorder, especially if and when one must be with and around the public, where there are people who do not understand what is happening when an episode occurs. Danny has at times taken medication for this, but often the side effects have complicated matters. He has pretty much learned to live with it, and his piano and organ music, with his hymn writing, are therapeutic outlets. In this pastor’s judgment, Dan is a deeply spiritual person which, in the final analysis, has been the first and foremost factor in his ability to live and function with this neurological syndrome.

I said that Dan has a keen mind. At one time, he had been delving into some science and was struggling with matters that can only be resolved by faith. I visited him once in his home and had a heart-to-heart talk with him and, evidently, he got those issues worked out in his own mind and soul. He has a strong faith, and he is extraordinarily faithful in his service to Christ through his local church.

About 28 years ago, a young lady showed up in one of our revival services. It was not long before she was observed spending time before and after services at or near the organ where Dan was often playing hymns. In time, not only did she show interest in Dan, but Dan became interested in her; and, wouldn’t you know, they eventually married, had two children and, to date, have lived happily ever after. No one would have ever “pegged” them as a possible pair, but God….

Dan has made and is making a living by driving a truck locally. He recently bought a CNC router and is crafting beautiful creations in his garage, to complement his other interests. Sherie, his wife, tends to her chickens and various other animals she has adopted. The Browns love to travel and enjoy the wonders of God’s world in the outdoors.

There may be someone who reads this article who is taunted by Satan, society, or self because of a handicap that you are living with. Maybe it has you defeated, so that you are asking: “What could I ever do for Christ?” Let Danny Brown answer that question. In his words: “I determined to serve God anyway, and not let that obstacle get in the way.” You can do whatever God wants you—and has equipped you—to do! Be faithful. Use and cultivate whatever skills you may have, dedicating them to Christ and His church. And, even with a menacing affliction, God can and will use you for His glory. I have observed it first-hand in Dan’s life for more than four decades. God can do it in your life also. Decide today!

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil.4:13)

As we face a new year in this relatively new millennium, there is much cause for consternation. Economic inflation; brutal warfare instigated against Israel by the Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas; Russia’s continued assault on Ukraine; world health crises, as we are still reeling from the world-wide pandemic—these are just a few concerns that keep prognosticators busy adjusting their forecasts for the future.

Most of us were here to witness the second millennium A.D. give way to the third, and we are still living somewhat in the twilight zone between the two. Only those who are deceived can look to the future without wondering how long God will allow humans to continue in their arrogant atheism before He will once again intersect the unfolding story of history with a dramatic intervention onto the stage of world events.

Regardless of what this coming year holds for each of us, we can face the future hopefully, expectantly, and enthusiastically. God has given us some treasured truths about what He has planned for what we call “the end times.” The next major happening on that timeline of future events is called the rapture—a biblical teaching but not a biblical term, though used by Biblicists to refer to the “catching up” by Christ of His Church to meet Him in the air.

Here is a brief outline of the importance of this eschatological heavenly intrusion into human history, as recorded in I Thessalonians 4:13-18:

(1) Clarification: those who are “asleep” (I Thess.4:13) are those who have died since the inception of the church on the Day of Pentecost, having embraced Christ as Savior by faith, called “the dead in Christ” (v.16). God will bring the spirits/souls of these back with Him at the time of the rapture, their bodies being recomposed (“raised”) from their dead status and reunited with their souls/spirits, while believers who are at that time living on earth will be caught up, after the dead have been raised up, to meet the Lord in the air.
(2) Certification: the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from dead (v.14) certifies that those who have died in faith will come back with Christ when He returns to catch up His Church.
(3) Authorization: Paul set forth these future facts “by the Word of the Lord.” (v.15)
(4) Organization: The dead in Christ will be raised first; then, believers who are alive at that time will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. (vss. 16,17)
(5) Annunciation: This cataclysmic end-time event will be announced by a shout (the voice of the archangel), and with the trumpet of God heard worldwide. (v.16)
(6) Finalization. Paul, on the authority of God’s Word, declares “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (v.17) For the Church, we will be gathered together complete in Christ, to ever live in His presence. No more sorrow, separation, suffering; just eternal life with our Lord!
(7) Application. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (v.18)

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” (I Thess. 4:13)

Ellen joins me in the prayerful wish that the coming year will be a truly happy (blessed) one for you and your loved ones!