The Hope in Our Future

This is the time of year when we consider what we've accomplished and what the new year will bring.  Better still, we Christians know who is in charge of our futures. Knowing and believing this takes so much worry and pressure off of us.

Thanks to our heavenly Father, we are always watched over by him. Psalms 33:18 and 19 (BBE) assures us, "See, the eye of the Lord is on those in whose hearts is the fear of him, on those whose hope is in his mercy; To keep their souls from death; and to keep them living in time of need."

But whenever we feel anxious or depressed, we need to read Psalms 43:5 (BBE) and ponder what it says. "Why are you crushed down, O my soul? and why are you troubled in me? put your hope in God, for I will again give him praise who is my help and my God."

Remember too that we can please our Father by doing what Psalms 147:11 (BBE) says. "The Lord takes pleasure in his worshippers, and in those whose hope is in his mercy."

And we know that God's mercies are new every morning but Lamentations 3:24 (BBE) explains why. "I said to myself, 'The Lord is my heritage;' and because of this I will have hope in him."

What a heritage that is! If it wasn't so, we'd be as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:19 (BBE). "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most unhappy."

Though the world may wish us a prosperous and happy 2020, we know that our eventual destination is heaven. We know too that a day will come when wickedness is banished forever. Revelation 21:3 (BBE) gives us the wonderful promise of the Father himself living with us. "And there came to my ears a great voice out of the high seat, saying, 'See, the Tent of God is with men, and he will make his living-place with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God.'"

This promise is why I want as many people as possible to read my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many sincere churchgoers have never surrendered their lives to Jesus, assuming their works are good enough. They aren't sufficient and neither is sincerity a reason for salvation.

On Thursday, I hope to post about what hell is. People have so many silly and unbiblical notions about that place of punishment.

Saturday Song: Dr John, "Right place Wrong Time"

This seems to have been the story of my life. Whatever I did often offended others or caused them extra work. I know now that many folks who I offended were selfish and my desires were at odds with their plans. In God's sovereignty, things worked out for his glory and my benefit.

Listen to this song here.

Why do we often end up at cross purposes with others? It's because of incorrect expectations. For example, people in the first century expected Christ to kick out the Romans and establish an earthly kingdom of Israel. Even Christ's disciples were fixated on this notion, as Acts 1:6 and 7 (BBE) demonstrates. "So, when they were together, they said to him, 'Lord, will you at this time give back the kingdom to Israel?' And he said to them, 'It is not for you to have knowledge of the time and the order of events which the Father has kept in his control.'"

Earlier in Israel's history, false prophets were claiming that their captivity in Babylon would be short. Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles, saying in Jeremiah 29:10 (BBE) that, "For this is what the Lord has said: When seventy years are ended for Babylon, I will have pity on you and give effect to my good purpose for you, causing you to come back to this place." It happened, just as he said.

Before that, the king of Asyria sent an official called the Rab-shakeh who came against Jerusalem to besiege it. He bragged in 1 Kings 18:33-35 (BBE), "Has any one of the gods of the nations kept his land from falling into the hands of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena and Ivvah? have they kept Samaria out of my hands? Who among all the gods of these countries have kept their country from falling into my hands, to give cause for the thought that the Lord will keep Jerusalem from falling into my hands?"

But we read in 1 Kings 19:6 and 7 (BBE) what God spoke through his prophet about the fate of this man. "And Isaiah said to them, 'This is what you are to say to your master: The Lord says, "Be not troubled by the words which the servants of the king of Assyria have said against me in your hearing. See, I will put a spirit into him, and bad news will come to his ears, and he will go back to his land; and there I will have him put to death by the sword."'"

We're also warned in James 4:13 and 14 (BBE) about, "How foolish it is to say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into this town, and be there for a year and do business there and get wealth:' When you are not certain what will take place tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist, which is seen for a little time and then is gone."

So what might seem like the wrong time to us is used by the Lord for his plans.

On Monday, I'll post about the hope in our future.

God's Mercy for Gentiles

One thing we Christians tend to forget is that we have been given the privilege of becoming God's people. It's too easy for us to think we're special and therefore have the automatic right to the throne room of God. But according to the Bible, we have been invited in because of God's mercy.

Of course we aren't the only dense ones. The Jews of Christ's time assumed they were the only folks God cared about. That wasn't god's plan from the beginning, as we read of Christ in Isaiah 11:10 (BBE). "And in that day, the eyes of the nations will be turned to the root of Jesse which will be lifted up as the flag of the peoples; and his resting-place will be glory."

God also welcomed the gentiles so they could help his people. Look at Isaiah 49:22 (BBE). "This is the word of the Lord God: 'See, I will make a sign with my hand to the nations, and put up my flag for the peoples; and they will take up your sons on their beasts, and your daughters on their backs.'"

Jeremiah 16:19 (BBE) shows how pagans will come to faith in God. "O Lord, my strength and my strong tower, my safe place in the day of trouble, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, and say, 'The heritage of our fathers is nothing but deceit, even false things in which there is no profit.'"

Another verse which the first-century temple rulers glossed over is Malachi 1:11 (BBE). "'For, from the coming up of the sun till its going down, my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place the smell of burning flesh is offered to my name, and a clean offering: for my name is great among the Gentiles,' says' the Lord of armies."

God also sent a former persecutor of the church to reach those who weren't Israelites. We're familiar with the story of Saul and how he went to Damascus to arrest Christians. God told Ananias to lay his hands upon Saul and pray for his healing. When he objected, God said in Acts 9:15 (BBE), "But the Lord said, 'Go without fear: for he is a special vessel for me, to give to the Gentiles and kings and to the children of Israel the knowledge of my name:'"

What a blessing God has given through Jesus to the entire world! No one who has a broken spirit and a contrite heart will be excluded from the Israel of God. This is one of many reasons which we celebrate Christ's birth.

I'll be writing about the Israel of God and what it means in my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many churchgoers lack the understanding of this magnanimous offer which the Lord gave us.

On Saturday, I hope to publish the truth about God's sovereignty in our lives.

Jesus: Saviour of His People

We know that Jesus is called the Saviour but God also saved his people. One way was in battle.

When King David was free from his enemies and Saul, he sang this song which 2 Samuel 22:2 and 3 records. "And he said, 'The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour, even mine; My God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my safe place; my saviour, who keeps me safe from the violent man."

And even though Israel was unfaithful to him, God sent saviours to save the nation. As 2 Kings 13:5 (BBE) describes regarding the oppression of the king of Aram, "And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they became free from the hands of the Aramaeans; and the children of Israel were living in their tents as in the past."

Since Christ is God incarnate, the verse in Isaiah 43:11 (BBE) is true. "I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no saviour but me."

Even though Mary had the Son of God growing inside of her, she still knew who her saviour was. The paradox of God and Christ being saviour didn't confuse her at all.  Luke 1:47 (BBE) quotes her as saying, "My spirit is glad in God my Saviour."

The angels also confessed that Jesus was the saviour. Luke 2:11 (BBE) tells us, "For on this day, in the town of David, a Saviour has come to birth, who is Christ the Lord."

After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the apostles proclaimed Christ as the saviour. Acts 5:31 (BBE) shows Peter's answers to the temple rulers when he and the others were arrested. "Him God has put on high at his right hand, as a Ruler and a Saviour, to give to Israel a change of heart and forgiveness of sins."

So we can tell that there is no confusion of whom the saviour is. Jesus and his father save those they chose from both temporal and spiritual danger. And even when we die, we merely go home.

I'll be writing more about the Godhead in my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? Some folks think that whatever they can't understand mustn't be true. What a foolish notion that is, especially regarding the Trinity.

On Thursday, when we Canadians celebrate Boxing Day, I'll post about God's mercy on gentiles. How nice that we are included in the Israel of God!

Saturday Song: BB Gabor, "Consumer"

This time of year is the most profitable for stores. I've heard that the last two months of the year make up for the previous ten in sales. That's why the day after American Thanksgiving Day is called Black Friday.

A singer named BB Gabor released this social-comment song on an album in 1980. It highlights our consumer culture and how fanatical some folks are about getting inside the stores first.

Listen to Mr. Gabor's song here:

The problem with possessions is that they sometimes possess us. We buy a smart phone but it needs apps. We buy a DVD player and it begs us for disks. We buy a car and it requires insurance, gasoline, and oil changes.

Jesus spoke about the eternal worthlessness of possessions in Mark 8:36 (KJV) when he said, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

Jesus might have had Proverbs 11:4 (BBE) in mind regarding riches and Judgement Day. "Wealth is of no profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness keeps a man safe from death."

And as Solomon also wrote, riches are fleeting. Proverbs 23:4 and 5 (BBE) reads, "Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money. Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven."

We also need to remember that God is our God, not the things we own. A rich, young temple ruler asked Jesus how he could gain eternal life. When the man told him how he kept all the law from his youth, Jesus saw that his wealth was his god. That's why the Lord said in Mark 10:21 (BBE), "And Jesus, looking on him and loving him, said, "There is one thing needed: go, get money for your goods, and give it to the poor, and you will have wealth in heaven: and come with me'".

On Monday, I'll post about how Jesus is the saviour of all his people.

Let's Ponder These Things Too

One of the biggest tragedies of this time of year is how busy people become. If they do think of Christ at all, it's just for an hour at church on Christmas Eve.

We read in the gospels how Mary pondered the supernatural things done in her and through her. Luke 2:19 (BBE) shows that she kept mulling over all the events of Christ's birth in her mind. "But Mary kept all these words in her heart, and gave much thought to them."

Certainly the prophecies she heard made her wonder how they would play out. We read in Luke 1:30-33 (BBE), "And the angel said to her, 'Have no fear, Mary, for you have God's approval. And see, you will give birth to a son, and his name will be Jesus. He will be great, and will be named the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his father: He will have rule over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.'"

A man also prophesied of Christ to Mary in Luke 2:34 and 35 (BBE). "And Simeon gave them his blessing and said to Mary, his mother, 'See, this child will be the cause of the downfall and the lifting up of great numbers of people in Israel, and he will be a sign against which hard words will be said; (And a sword will go through your heart;) so that the secret thoughts of men may come to light.'"

But Simeon wasn't the only one speaking God's words to those in the temple. Luke 2:36-38 (BBE) reads, "And there was one, Anna, a woman prophet, the daughter of Phanuel, of the family of Asher (she was very old, and after seven years of married life She had been a widow for eighty-four years); she was in the Temple at all times, worshipping with prayers and going without food, night and day. And coming up at that time, she gave praise to God, talking of him to all those who were waiting for the freeing of Jerusalem."

The prophecies from Simeon came to pass in Christ's life. Mary herself saw her firstborn rejected by Israel and crucified. John 19:25-27 (BBE)describes the scene.  "Now by the side of the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple who was dear to him, he said to his mother, 'Mother, there is your son!' Then he said to the disciple, 'There is your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her to his house."

This shows us the importance of those scriptures quoted in Christmas pageants each year. By pausing and analyzing them, we gain more from the words.

I'll be writing about the certainty of prophecies in You Think You're Going to Heaven? Our faith isn't based on wishful thinking and hopes based on our desires for happiness. Scripture is God's Word.

On Thursday, I'll post about the arrival of Israel's Holy One.

Saturday Song: Depeché Mode, "People Are People"

We certainly do live in a violent world. What makes it worse is inconsequential divisions such as skin colour, religion, and place of birth. The English technopop band Depeché Mode recorded this song in 1982 and it's still relevant today.

Listen to this thought-provoking song here:

Ever since Cain killed Abel, humanity has been at war with God and itself. But we aren't the only creatures who fight one another. Revelation 12:7-9 (BBE) informs us, "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going out to the fight with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels made war, And they were overcome, and there was no more place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was forced down, the old snake, who is named the Evil One and Satan, by whom all the earth is turned from the right way; he was forced down to the earth, and his angels were forced down with him."

I know that there are different opinions on when this happened or will happen. The point is that war is a part of our fallen world. There will always be those who want to fight others as long as we humans are in charge. As Psalms 120:7 (KJV) says, "I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war."

A day will come when we will have peace but it won't come through any human agency such as the United Nations. Isaiah 9:6 (BBE)for tells of the one who will bring war to an end eternally. "For to us a child has come, to us a son is given; and the government has been placed in his hands; and he has been named Wise Guide, Strong God, Father for ever, Prince of Peace."

We read in Hebrews 2:8 and 9 (BBE) that Christ is the one who will rule humanity eternally. "You put all things under his feet.' For in making man the ruler over all things, God did not put anything outside his authority; though we do not see everything under him now. But we see him who was made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, crowned with glory and honour, because he let himself be put to death so that by the grace of God he might undergo death for all men."

What a wonderful day that will be for those who place their faith in Christ! But for those who refuse his magnanimous offer of salvation, it will be a terrifying day. May all who read this be those whom Christ will praise and then admit them to his eternal bliss.

On Monday, I'll be posting about the things we should ponder at this time of year.

Why Was Christ Called the Prince of Peace?

Isaiah 9:6 is one verse commonly quoted during this season. The Bible in Basic English renders it as, "For to us a child has come, to us a son is given; and the government has been placed in his hands; and he has been named Wise Guide, Strong God, Father for ever, Prince of Peace."

Cynical people might say that Christ was far from being a peace maker. To them, he was a teacher who got killed for telling people to be nice.

The truth is that Christ came the first time to save sinners from hell. Even the Samaritans who heard him teach understood this. John 4:42 (BBE) quotes the villagers as saying, "And they said to the woman, (whom Christ met at the well) 'Now we have faith, but not because of your story: we ourselves have given ear to his words, and we are certain that he is truly the Saviour of the world.'"

But this salvation was of the soul, not the temporal nation of Israel. Even after Christ's resurrection, his disciples still had the political kingdom notion stuck in their heads. Luke records in Acts 1:6 (BBE), "So, when they were together, they said to him, 'Lord, will you at this time give back the kingdom to Israel?'"

A day will come when Christ will return as conquering king and judge of humanity. As Isaiah 9:7 (BBE) prophesied, "Of the increase of his rule and of peace there will be no end, on the seat of David, and in his kingdom; to make it strong, supporting it with wise decision and righteousness, now and for ever." By the fixed purpose of the Lord of armies this will be done."

We also read in Isaiah 2:4 (BBE) how Christ will rule forever. "And he will be the judge between the nations, and the peoples will be ruled by his decisions: and their swords will be turned into plough-blades, and their spears into vine-knives: no longer will the nations be turning their swords against one another, and the knowledge of war will be gone for ever."

What a glorious time that will be! But for many folks, their future is eternal separation from all of God's goodness in hell. That's why I'm working on a book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? I hope it steers people away from that horrid place.

On Saturday, I hope to publish my take on a song from 1982 and why we can't live in harmony at this time.

Israel's Hope

Throughout the Bible, we read about the Messiah. Israel's hope was that he would come and rescue them from their punishment for sinning. Though the people felt abandoned, God measured out the time of chastisement for their nation time after time. And even though they kept wandering away from him, he still cared about his chosen people.

One example of Israel's apostasy and their laments is written in Jeremiah 14:8 and 9 (BBE). "O you hope of Israel, its saviour in time of trouble, why are you like one who is strange in the land, and like a traveler putting up his tent for a night? Why are you like a man surprised, like a man of war who is not able to give help? but you, O Lord, are with us, and we are named by your name; do not go away from us."

I feel sad for all those generations of Israelites who waited for Messiah to come. God sent prophet after prophet, promising a coming saviour, but he seemed to take his time in arriving.

Why did it take Christ so long to come? Galatians 4:4 and 5 (BBE) explains, " But when the time had come, God sent out his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, That he might make them free who were under the law, and that we might be given the place of sons."

At the time of Christ's birth, the Holy Spirit told a man named Simon that he wouldn't die until he saw the Messiah. Luke 2:27-31 (BBE) records, "And full of the Spirit he came into the Temple; and when the father and mother came in with the child Jesus, to do with him what was ordered by the law, Then he took him in his arms and gave praise to God and said, 'Now you are letting your servant go in peace, O Lord, as you have said; For my eyes have seen your salvation, Which you have made ready before the face of all nations; A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.'"

The Apostle Paul also spoke of Israel's hope to Jewish leaders when he was a prisoner in Rome. Acts 28:20 (BBE)quotes him as saying, "But for this reason I sent for you, to see and have talk with you: for because of the hope of Israel I am in these chains."

During the darkest time in the northern hemisphere, we acknowledge and celebrate the Light of the world: Jesus the Christ. Through him, all who call upon him for salvation are rescued from hell.

This is the main theme of my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? May the Lord bless this work of my hands.

Thursday's post will be about why Christ is called the Prince of Peace.

Saturday Song: James Taylor, "Fire and Rain"

Family-oriented holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas can be hard on people who lost somebody through suicide or another form of death. All the happy wishes sound hollow when a loved one is missing from the traditional family gathering.

This song by James Taylor was written for a friend of his who died. Listen to it here.And though we Christians miss our loved ones who are faithful and whom God calls home, we know that we'll see them again someday. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (KJV), "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."

And as he explained in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 (KJV), "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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."

So, what do you think of this song and what I wrote. Please comment below. But if you don't want to, I wish you and yours a blessed Christmas. We'll all be together someday.

The Destroyer of Hope: Foiled

To put it mildly, Satan was furious at Christ's birth. He knew his scriptures and how this seed of the woman would defeat him. It didn't take that snake long to take out his wrath through Herod either.

We read in Matthew 2:16 (BBE) how the Devil tried to kill Christ. "Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was very angry; and he sent out, and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all the parts round about it, from two years old and under, acting on the knowledge which he had got with care from the wise men."

When Jesus began his preaching ministry, Satan tried to tempt him to take a shortcut to glory. In Matthew 4:8 and 9 (BBE), we read about the third and final attempt that snake made to derail the plan of salvation. "Again, the Evil One took him up to a very high mountain, and let him see all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; And he said to him, 'All these things will I give you, if you will go down on your face and give me worship.'" But Jesus knew that he had to die to pay for the sins of his chosen ones.

I believe that Satan tried to dissuade Christ again in the garden on the night before his crucifixion. Luke 22:44 (BBE) demonstrates how Christ struggled with the temptation to refuse the cross. "And being in great trouble of soul, the force of his prayer became stronger, and great drops, like blood, came from him, falling to the earth."

When Christ was crucified and then resurrected on the third day, that snake tried to cover up his failure through the priests. Matthew 28:12-14 (BBE) tells us what happened when the soldiers guarding the tomb reported to them about what happened. "And when they had come together with those in authority, and had made their decision, they gave much money to the watchmen, saying, 'Say, His disciples came by night and took him away secretly while we were sleeping. And if this comes to the ruler's ears, we will see that he does not make you responsible.'"

By the way, letting a prisoner escape was an offense punishable by death. That's why Satan, working through the priests, bribed those men and covered for them.

So we can understand that the Devil is continually fighting a losing battle against Christ. This is our hope which extends throughout history. God never has lost control and never will. In his plan, everything the Devil does works out to our eventual good and God's glory.

This is another aspect I'll point out about salvation in my book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People must realize that Satan is a mere created being whom God controls.

On Saturday, I'll feature a lovely and tender song by James Taylor which he wrote for a friend.

What is This Hope We Celebrate?

I feel sad that most people today are missing the point of Christmas. All they hear in the malls are songs about Santa, trees, and snow. None of those things were part of the first Christmas.

Even though we don't know which day Christ was born on, December 25th is when we remind ourselves, and the unsaved world, of the fulfilled hope of the saviour.

As early as Genesis 3:14 and 15, (BBE), we read of God's plan to rescue us from Satan's deception. "And the Lord God said to the snake, 'Because you have done this you are cursed more than all cattle and every beast of the field; you will go flat on the earth, and dust will be your food all the days of your life: And there will be war between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed: by him will your head be crushed and by you his foot will be wounded.'"

This pictorial language shows that Christ, who is the seed of the woman, will be killed but his resurrection will crush Satan's power of eternal death over us.

When God called Abram and gave him the name Abraham, he promised something wonderful. Galatians 3:8 (BBE) says, "And the holy Writings, seeing before the event that God would give the Gentiles righteousness by faith, gave the good news before to Abraham, saying, 'In you will all the nations have a blessing.'" That blessing was Christ.

And defying our kind of logic, Christ's birth was announced to the lowest individuals in first-century Jude an society. Luke 2:10 (and 11 BBE) tells us what the messenger of God said to certain shepherds. "And the angel said, 'Have no fear; for truly, I give you good news of great joy which will be for all the people: For on this day, in the town of David, a Saviour has come to birth, who is Christ the Lord.'"

By the way, Christ means the anointed one; the messiah which Israel waited so long for. And as we just read, Jesus is he who would conquer Satan, giving us life eternal.

I plan on emphasizing these truths in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? The world doesn't understand our joy. Therefore, we Christians must proclaim why Christmas begins with Christ. Our rejoicing  shouldn't end there either as he is the fulfillment of God's ancient promise.

On Thursday, I'll expand more on the hope of Christmas.