Hope for the Best but Plan for the Worst

In my post last Thursday, I mentioned being misled by people regarding the heavenly Father's character. They gave me the impression that I had to have great faith to get anything out of the Lord.

Since nobody taught me how to read the Bible, I fell for the lie that I shouldn't save for retirement as Christ would soon come. As a consequence of that error, I didn't save any of my wages in a retirement plan.

Christ's disciples also assumed he'd return quickly to make them leaders in his physical kingdom. They also appear to have misunderstood what the angels meant in Acts 1:10 and 11 (BBE). "And while they were looking up to heaven with great attention, two men came to them, in white clothing, And said, 'O men of Galilee, 'why are you looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come again, in the same way as you saw him go into heaven'".'" But no time was given for that event to happen.

We also note that the "last days" only started in the first century. As Peter preached in Acts 2:16 and 17 (BBE), "But this is the thing which was said by the prophet Joel; 'And it will come about, in the last days, says God, that I will send out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will be prophets, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams:'" Nobody then knew how long it would take for the end of this age to arrive.

This is why I believe Paul wrote what he wrote in 2 Timothy 3:1 (BBE). "But be certain of this, that in the last days times of trouble will come."

It was actually kind of the Lord not to tell his disciples how long the last days would last. That's why he said in Matthew 25:13 (BBE), "Keep watch, then, because you are not certain of the day or of the hour."

So, how do we live with this tension between watching for Christ's return and planning for our futures? We must be ready for his coming but sock away retirement funds in the event that we retire before then.

I wrote about how I failed to plan ahead in my book, How I Was Razed. Had I known how to handle the seeming contradiction of Christ's soon coming verses him not coming in my lifetime, I'd have a much larger nest egg in the bank.

If Christ doesn't return by Thursday, I hope to post about his reappearance.

Were the Proverbs About Christ?

A preacher named Voddie Baucham spoke in one sermon about the book of Proverbs being all about Christ. I doubted that until I read Colossians 2:1 to 3 (BBE) which reads, "For it is my desire to give you news of the great fight I am making for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh; So that their hearts may be comforted, and that being joined together in love, they may come to the full wealth of the certain knowledge of the secret of God, even Christ, In whom are all the secret stores of wisdom and knowledge."

Voddie pointed out that since all wisdom dwells in Christ, all the references to the wise son or man refer to Christ. Being perfectly righteous, Christ fulfills all the proverbial sayings about Wisdom.

But some smarty-pants person might ask about Lady Wisdom. How could she represent Christ? The truth is that she doesn't. This woman is a literary device which shows us how valuable wisdom is.

As for the fool, that's us. One example of this is Proverbs 11:29 (BBE) which says, "The troubler of his house will have the wind for his heritage, and the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted."

In my How I Was Razed memoir, I wrote about how I foolishly turned my back on God due to the lies a cultic church taught. It took the loss of my house and a bad condo deal to make me realize my folly.

And which one of us can boast of never despising wisdom? Proverbs 1:7 (BBE) condemns all of us. "The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching."

Certainly we were unwise rebels as children. Proverbs 22:15 (BBE) reveals this. "Foolish ways are deep-seated in the heart of a child, but the rod of punishment will send them far from him."

Only the Trinity possesses all wisdom. As we read in Jude 1:25 (BBE) about the complete wisdom of our Master. "To the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, let us give glory and honour and authority and power, before all time and now and for ever. So be it."

I also apologize to those who are awaiting my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? I'm not used to writing in a didactic style so compiling my book is becoming difficult. Even so, I hope to have time this summer to buckle down and edit it.

On Thursday, I'll post on the subject of God's X-ray vision.

What if Christ were Your Employer?

This might sound weird to new believers but we must work as if Christ were our boss. No matter how nasty our supervisor or manager is to us, Jesus expects to work as his ambassadors in the workplace.

Though we can hardly compare employment to slavery, especially with so many labour laws forbidding mistreatment of workers, we still must have a Christ-like attitude. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:5 and 6 (BBE), "Servants, do what is ordered by those who are your natural masters, having respect and fear for them, with all your heart, as to Christ; Not only under your master's eye, as pleasers of men; but as servants of Christ, doing the pleasure of God from the heart;"

Peter wrote essentially the same thing in 1 Peter 2:18 (BBE). "Servants, take orders from your masters with all respect; not only if they are good and gentle, but even if they are bad-humoured."

Another reason for being well-behaved in all circumstances is that it makes those who slander us and Christ look stupid. In 1 Peter 3:15 and 16 (BBE), it says, "But give honour to Christ in your hearts as your Lord; and be ready at any time when you are questioned about the hope which is in you, to give an answer in the fear of the Lord and without pride; Being conscious that you have done no wrong; so that those who say evil things about your good way of life as Christians may be put to shame."

God won't be ashamed of us either if we repay poor treatment with respect. Look at what Hebrews 11:16 (BBE) says about the faithful folks throughout history. "But now their desire is for a better country, that is to say, for one in heaven; and so it is no shame to God to be named their God; for he has made ready a town for them."

Christ feels the same way about that too. Hebrews 2:11 (BBE) reads, "For he who makes holy and those who are made holy are all of one family; and for this reason it is no shame for him to give them the name of brothers,"

For these and many other reasons, Let's strive to be the best examples of believing Christians our friends and coworkers have ever seen. I wasn't the best example all of the time myself but I know for sure that people knew there was something different about me. You can read more about that in my most recent book called How I Was Razed. Please message or e-mail me if you want to buy a copy.

On Thursday, I'll be posting about how to be free in prison. That sounds contradictory but it's possible.

Why Thank God for Our Accomplishments?

Along with praise, God loves it when we thank him. But what about the things we've accomplished on our own, such as holding down a job or raising well-behaved children? The Bible shows us that we're given the strength and ability to do things like that.

First of all, we don't know the future. The Bible in Basic English renders James 4:13-14 this way: "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."

We tend to glory in our strength but God is the one who gives it to us. Our attitude is as foolish as the examples in Isaiah 10:15 (KJV) which reads, "Shall the ax boast itself against him that  heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that  shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it  up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."

The truth is that without the power and gift of life from the Lord, we're helpless. Jesus said in John 15:5 (KJV)  "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that  abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for  without me ye can do nothing."

Also, our society despises weakness but God works best through yielded people without the might to do much. Look at what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV). "And he said unto me, My grace is  sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the  power of Christ may rest upon me."

Tragically, the people who mentored me when I was a new Christian didn't understand this. They wanted to wield the power of God for their own aggrandizement and taught me to want the same. My How I Was Razed book shows how futile that was and how the Lord is glorified in our inabilities.

Why Was Power Given to the Disciples?

Now that I've established that it's belief which separates disciple from willful doubter, I must explain why signs and wonders were done by Christ's disciples. It wasn't for show but to bring God glory and validate his message.

The job given to the apostles was to go into all the world and preach the gospel as well as baptizing and teaching disciples. John 15:26 (KJV) records Christ's explanation of the Spirit's work. "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:"

Furthermore, the Spirit gave the apostles prophecies, both foretelling events and forth-telling the Word of God. Look at what Christ told them in John 16:13 (KJV), "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come."

Additionally, God sent the Holy Spirit to confront error and those who preached it. 1 John 4:6 (KJV) explains, "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

As we read in Matthew 9:8 (KJV), after Christ healed a paralyzed man, the miracle was done for God's glory. "But when the multitude saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men."

I was once a member of a church that was obsessed with signs and wonders. We all wanted my eyes to be healed but they weren't. I left after fifteen and a half years because congregants blamed me for not being healed. My How I Was Razed book chronicles those years and how the heavenly Father led me out of that cruelty and into his glorious truth.

Do Our Souls Sleep Until Christ's Return?

This month, I'd like to move on to the subject of the resurrection. It's the most important factor in our lives and our eternal destination. But I first want to clear up the matter of what happens before we believers rise from the dead.

I read a blog post recently which claimed that Christians don't go to heaven when they die. This sounds like the doctrine of soul sleep to me.

One scripture passage which the post claimed to prove soul sleep is 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."

It's obvious from the passage that this is speaking of resurrection at the last day. Even so, some people think that the word "sleep" in the previous verses means that the souls of Christians remain in the ground.

But what about John 11:11 to 14? The King James Version renders the words of Christ this way. "These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, 'Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.' Then said his disciples, 'Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.' Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.'"

And what of Revelation 6:9 to 11? The Bible in Basic English reads, "And when the fifth stamp was undone, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been put to death for the word of God, and for the witness which they kept. And they gave a great cry, saying, 'How long will it be, O Ruler, holy and true, before you take your place as judge and give punishment for our blood to those on the earth?' And there was given to every one a white robe, and they were ordered to take their rest for a little time, till the number was complete of the other servants, their brothers, who would be put to death, even as they had been."

Any clear-thinking person can understand from the contexts of those verses that sleep is a euphemism for death. It's also obvious that the souls of departed believers are in the presence of God. As Paul pointed out in 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV), "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." He never said he or we would rest in the ground.

Because I was grossly misled by wicked phoneys, claiming to be advanced teachers of spiritual revelation, I wrote How I Was Razed. This glorious testimony shows how the Lord led me out of a toxic church and into his awesome truth.

What Can You Do to Escape Hell?

Bearing in mind what I've written in the past few posts, the answer is obvious. God is calling everybody through Christ and his followers to turn from their rebellion against him.

Paul and Barnabas gave the right answer which is recorded in Acts 14:15 (KJV). After healing a lame man, local people jumped to the conclusion that their gods had come down to them in the fashion of men. The priests of the false gods were ready to sacrifice animals to them.

Paul restrained their misguided actions with these words, "And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:"

The next step is to follow Christ, obeying his teachings. The first step of obedience is being baptized as a public display for  the world to see. Christ said in Mark 16:16 (KJV), "He that believeth and is baptized shall be  saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." This shows that baptism is for those who trust in Christ and want to obey his commands.

But the  work of following the Saviour doesn't end there. Romans 12:2 (KJV) states, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

One thing I never was told about when I was a new believer was the need to gather with fellow Christians. Hebrews 10:23-25 explains why. Here's how the Bible in Basic English renders these verses:

23  Let us keep the witness of our hope strong and unshaking, for he is true who has given his word:
24   And let us be moving one another at all times to love and good works;
25   Not giving up our meetings, as is the way of some, but keeping one another strong in faith; and all the more because you see the day coming near

Discipleship is highly important for new believers. Had I been mentored by mature believers, I wouldn't have ended up in a toxic house church which taught blasphemous doctrines. I wrote how the Lord led me out of error and into truth in a book called How I Was Razed. Follow that link to learn more about this wondrous miracle.

Did We Exist Before Our Birth?

Believe it or not, there is absolutely no mention of humans existing before their births. I've read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation twenty times and nowhere was there a mention of us existing prior to our conception.

People who believe in reincarnation often claim to be somebody important in a supposed previous life. They somehow get a vague idea of being in a certain place before and their over-active imaginations fill in the details.

The only being in the universe who existed before his birth was Jesus Christ. He obliquely mentioned this in John 8:56 (BBE) when he said to the Pharisees, "Your father Abraham was full of joy at the hope of seeing my day: he saw it and was glad."

Mocking his apparent mistake in claiming that Abraham saw his appearance on this planet, the Pharisees asked in verse 57, "Then the Jews said to him, 'You are not fifty years old; have you seen Abraham?'"

Our Lord hinted at his pre-existence in verse 58.   Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I am.'" Those final words, "I am," was the holy and unspeakable name of God Almighty. That's why the Pharisees picked up stones to stone him to death. His time hadn't come yet so he slipped through the crowd of enraged religionists. They knew what Exodus 3:13 and 14 said about what God's name was."And Moses said unto God, 'Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, "The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you;" and they shall say to me, "What is his name?" what shall I say unto them?' And God said unto Moses, 'I AM THAT I AM:' and he said, 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.'"

I once joined an errant house church, unaware that it was a cult. Its lay minister taught many blasphemous doctrines, one of which was that we existed as space aliens before we were born into human bodies. Check out my book, How I Was Razed, at Amazon and discover how wonderfully the Lord freed me..

How Does Our Faith Help us in This World?

One objection I often hear from non Christians is that we who believe in Christ teach a pie-in-the-sky religion. It does nothing good for us now and it only makes its adherents miserable. We know differently but they don't. Therefore, I want to point out a few scriptures to refute their assertions.

As adopted children in Christ's spiritual family, we are provided with what we need in this world. Look at what the Bible in Basic English says about this matter in Mark 10:28 to 30. "Peter said to him, 'See, we have given up everything, and come after you.' Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, There is no man who has given up house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, because of me and the good news, Who will not get a hundred times as much now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though with great troubles; and, in the world to come, eternal life.'"

But what of Christians who have families and haven't left home? The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:19 (KJV) "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Since this is so, why are some believers dirt poor? This isn't because of a lack of faith, as charismatic preachers claim, but God always gives us what we need, not what we think we need. As Jesus said to the crowd in his Sermon on the mount in Matthew 7:11 (KJV) "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

I once believed that the heavenly Father was stingy because he wouldn't give me 20/20 vision. I wanted it so I could give him glory and so I could find a job easier. Now I know that he gave me much more spiritually and even physically than I could have imagined back then. I wrote about this marvelous transformation of my soul in a book called How I Was Razed. Read more about this miraculous testimony at Amazon.

Should We Celebrate Spiritual Birthdays?

John MacArthur spoke on Grace to You recently regarding the proofs of salvation. In one sermon, he asked the congregation to raise their hands if they could remember the exact time and date when they gave control of their lives over to Christ.

John pointed out that this isn't a guarantee that a person is saved. It merely tells people that you committed yourself at a certain stage in your life to the lordship of Jesus and that you follow him.

But what of those folks who don't remember the transition from believing about God and believing, a.k.a. trusting, in Christ? Are these people not Christians because they can't pinpoint their exact time of conversion?

Look at what Christ himself had to say about the matter. During his Sermon on the Mount, he said in Matthew 7:16 (KJV) "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" Jesus spoke of those who seemed like believers in the Father outwardly but were unchanged inwardly.

As Christ concluded in Matthew 7:20, (KJV) "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." This means that their lifestyles will reveal which sort of persons they are. If people have a genuine desire to obey God and crave more knowledge about him from the Bible, that indicates their salvation is genuine. If, on the other hand, those people live the same way they did before, it's certain that their profession of faith wasn't from the heart.

So it is today that our lives reveal if we really were changed by our commitment to Christ or not.

Yesterday was the forty-sixth anniversary of my surrender to the Lord. I can see by what I wrote in my How I Was Razed memoir that I truly was changed. Even in the face of taunting from schoolmates regarding my love for Jesus, I still stayed true to him. Check out my wonderful testimony at Amazon.

Who Are Those "Little Ones" of Whom Christ Spoke?

Our Lord certainly loved children. The gospels contain many references to him touching, blessing, and even using a child as an example of trust in him.

Unfortunately for trusting souls, unscrupulous ministers misread certain passages of Scripture and come up with bizarre doctrines. For instance, the cultic teacher I once knew believed that children had angels assigned to them but once they turned twenty, they no longer needed their supervision  since they were full grown. He got this notion from Matthew 18:10 (KJV) which reads, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."

It's clear from what Jesus said earlier in the passage that he meant all believers, not physical children. Matthew 18:6 (KJV) says, "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

Scripture is clear that Jesus meant leading trusting believers astray was a serious offense. Even James recognized this when he wrote in the third chapter of his epistle,  (Bible in Basic English) "Do not all be teachers, my brothers, because we teachers will be judged more hardly than others."

The heavenly Father also takes a strong stance against lying teachers. Look at what 2 Peter 2:1 (KJV) boldly states. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."

One of those teachers of lies misled me for fifteen years and caused me to hate God for another nine. I wrote about how the Lord freed me from his wicked lies in a book called How I Was Razed. Visit Amazon to find out more about this wondrous testimony of providential leading.

ONE OF THOSE SPECIAL MOMENTS IN NATURE.

Did you ever have one of those sublime experiences while in a forest or meadow? There are times when we witness stunning sunsets, astonishing cloud formations, or touching scenes of wildlife interactions. While on a self-improvement retreat in February of 1984, I experienced one of those precious moments.

Part of our daily routine at the retreat was silent meditation. We were allowed to find a quiet place in the forest or the camp to do this. I happened to be standing at the top of a path that went down to the beach. As I watched, a female deer walked along the shore. She turned her head and gazed at me for a few seconds. I stood still, not wishing to frighten her and ruin the moment. Then she turned her head and continued her journey along the beach.

When the time came for us to leave, I snapped a photo of the place where this awesome encounter happened. It doesn't look like much to the casual observer but it holds a special memory for me.

Perhaps I'm mistaken but I've often felt that most people don't treasure such sublime moments. They seem to hurry through life, oblivious to the wonders of God's creation. I, on the other hand, treasure even the small pleasures that the Lord has provided. My photo albums are filled with lovely landscapes, pets, and experiments with photographic composition. When I could, I've taken photos of wildlife or domestic animals living their lives as God programmed them to do.

I've also written about these special experiences in my three books. When a Man Loves a Rabbit: Learning and Living With Bunnies and Deliverance from Jericho: Six Years in a Blind School are featured on the left side of this page. I also have a newly-published memoir called How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity. Please check it out at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Virtual Bookworm.

HOW A SIMPLE MAN FOUND A JOB.

Some people come and go in a person's life without leaving much of an impression. Like the wind, they create a stir and then disappear. Then there are those individuals that linger in one's memory for decades.

Larry was one such man in my life. I met him through a friend from Jericho Hill School for the Deaf and Blind. Because Larry was mentally impaired, he lived on his Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) pension.

One day, Larry called me with some exciting news. Since he had nothing much to do, he decided to tidy up the local 7-Eleven parking lot. He also asked the manager if there were other jobs that he could do. Soon enough, my friend was working all day at the store. He helped with sweeping the floor, carrying out boxes of goods from the store room, and other unskilled jobs.

One day, the manager called him aside. "Since you're doing such a good job for me, how about working as my employee?" Larry jumped at the chance to get off AISH, which gave him just enough to pay the rent and buy food, and start a real job.

This gave my friend more than just extra money. He felt like a valued member of society. Instead of lounging around on the public doll, he had a job that he could be proud of and a pay cheque with his name on it.

Though I lost track of this unique gentleman, I often think of him as the 7-Eleven man. His diligence was rewarded and he became self-sufficient. Though his IQ was lower than the average, his approach made a lot of sense. It just goes to prove that intelligence is good but wisdom is much better.

I wrote about Larry in my newly-published memoir, How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity. Please check it out at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Virtual Bookworm.

THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS.

Does mother always know best? It depends on the individual. My mom asked me to do something that I found to be not only distasteful but immoral. Though I wanted nothing to do with my brother, Roy, I also didn't want to go to prison.

From my How I Was Razed memoir, here's how Mom put me in an awkward moral position after my dad died and his common law wife distributed his estate money.

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Though I crossed that bridge, I wasn't free of every burden and obligation. Mom phoned me one evening in January of 1988. "Why don't you put Roy's inheritance money in your account?" she urged. "He's on welfare and he'll be cut off if the government discovers he's received the payment. If they ask you about it, say he never got it, all right?"

"I can't do that, Mom," I exclaimed. "That's fraud!"

"But you have to do it - he's your brother. The government will take it all if you don't hide it. Just give him little bits at a time."

"Why can't somebody else do it?"

"You mean you don't even want to help your own brother - your own flesh and blood?" she cried, her voice rising.

"I don't want to get in trouble and go to jail."

"I can't believe you'd let the government take Roy's inheritance," she grumbled. "It's bad enough that Shirley is divvying up the money. I didn't get anything and neither do I want any of his filthy estate, especially from that woman." Mom badgered on, trying to goad me into handling Roy's inheritance, but I held to my convictions.

Shirley assumed control of my brother's inheritance several weeks later. That solved the problem but not in a righteous way

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I wrote extensively about that house church in my newly-published memoir, How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity. Please check it out at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Virtual Bookworm.