Tag: Ways to Survive

Posted on

The GPS System with God = God’s Prophetic Signs.

 Thanks to all of those who have been signing up for the RSS feed. It helps us growing in the Google Search Rankings. Please sign-up today if you haven’t already.

___________________________________________________________

The book “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” just received a five star rating from Reader’s Favorite Books website. Check it out at: http://www.readersfavorite.com/review/5735. You have to go down a little to find it. You can order this book right here on this site for a nice savings.

In the retail stores it is $19.99. But if you order from this site it is only $15.99 plus the shipping is cut in half as well. A total savings of  over $6.00.

___________________________________________________________

Today I have an actual chapter from the book. We often get lost when we travel and need a GPS to help us find our way. God is also our GPS.

_________________________________________________________

Chapter 47

 

Need Directions?

 

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

Psalm 37:39

 

Charlotte and I were riding home from the airport with some friends after traveling with them. My friend had aGPS(Global Positioning Satellite) system in his car. Among the hundreds of satellites orbiting the earth (do they have traffic cops up there directing all of these satellites?), at least 24 of them are used just for this purpose.

GPSis the most amazing technology I’ve ever seen. My friend had his set to show every inch we traveled—I mean every inch. You could see the car moving down the I-5 freeway, and it even showed what you might see on either side of the road. It showed a lake coming up on the right, and sure enough there was a lake on the right when we got there. All the way home that device showed me the landscape on either side of the car. I didn’t check to see if it showed where we live, but I’m sure it could have. I definitely felt like “Big brother was watching”!

We also have aGPSsystem with God. It is called God’s Prophetic Signs. Just like we can trust theGPSsystem in our car, we can also trust God to guide us down the right path.

One example of God’s Prophetic Sign—His GPSsystem—is found in Hebrews 9:28: “He [Christ] will appear a second time … to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” It doesn’t say He might appear or that He’s thinking about appearing. It says He will appear—just like that lake appeared along I-5. This is a Prophetic Sign for us to cling to and be waiting for in excitement.

You want some more of God’s Prophetic Signs? Try this one: Numbers 24:6–9: “Like valleys they [the children ofIsrael] spread out … Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. God brought them out ofEgypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them. Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”

As I type this,Israelis battlingLebanonbecause the group called Hezbollah kidnapped some of their soldiers. At the same timeIsraelis fighting the Hamas inPalestinebecause they killed some of the Israelite soldiers. There is a full-scale war going on with many people dying each day.Israelbecomes very aggressive when provoked. We were told this clear back in the Old Testament book of Numbers!

Romans15:12says, “And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’”

Now let’s go way back to Isaiah and see that, yes it does say in Isaiah 11:10: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse [literally, the Root of Jesse]; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit”—or as another version states it: “will be a banner of salvation to all the world.” The prophecy is about Jesus, who came from the family (root) of Jesse. Certainly Jesus’ life bore fruit, and He became the banner of salvation to all the world.

How’s that for an easyGPSto follow? We will never get lost with such profound words to go by.

Hold on, I’m not done yet. Here are some moreGPSdirections for you from Matthew 24:6–8:

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

Jesus is talking there about what is happening right now—today—in our world. There have been great earthquakes with deadly tsunamis killing thousands in one day. A record amount of hurricanes have pounded our nation, killing many people. There have been wars all over the world—not just between nations, but between political groups within a country. TheMiddle Eastis a battleground every day with conflict inIraq,Afghanistan,Israel,LebanonandPalestine. And there are countries where thousands of people are starving to death each day.

Let’s go back into the Old Testament again and read in Zechariah 12:3, where God says, “I will makeJerusaleman immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.”

As I write this, the whole world is trying to getIsraelto stop bombingLebanon.Israelis not listening. They will not stop until the enemy is destroyed.

Let’s switch gears a little and talk about false prophets and demons. All around us has been a sharp rise in Satan worship, and people who claim to be a messenger from God. Matthew 24:11–12 warned us about this two millennia ago: “And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”

Sound familiar? Have you read this morning’s paper? Let me just give you some headlines and articles from my paper this morning:

  1. Snipers arrested and charged with two first-degree murders and 13 counts of attempted murder.
  2. A stepfather is charged in the death of a four-year-old boy. The boy had traumatic injuries and had signs of trauma on various parts of his body and head.
  3. Ex-police officer charged with sex abuse.
  4. Angry rioters started fires, broke windows, looted, attacked police and threw rocks. Why? Because a train was late.
  5. A three-year-old boy inTokyo,Japanwas left in an unwanted baby drop box.

I think that is enough to give you the picture. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that sin is having a free ride right now. These incidents are often met with apathy because we hear these and similar stories every day. The laws so often seem to protect the guilty. Jails are full, so they let criminals free because of lack of space. A large segment of our population has no respect for the law.

People have a tremendous love for money, and we were told that would happen too. In 2 Timothy 3:1–5, it says that among other undesirable traits, people will be lovers of money.

All of the things that are happening in theMiddle Eastand toIsraelspecifically are fulfilling prophecy. God will intervene right at the time He has determined. He still loves His people, and He will not let them suffer more than they can handle. God does that with all of His children.

God has made it perfectly clear how we can become children of god. There are no secret meanings or clues—it’s right there in the open: “Believe in Me and you will be saved.” No further steps are needed.

Take that one step if you haven’t already. You don’t know the day or time that Jesus will come again, but with all of the prophecy that has been fulfilled and is being fulfilled as we speak, things seem to be nearing completion, so I suggest you take that step soon.

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

 

Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that

are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.

By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people.

Romans 16:17–18

 

Further Adventures

I suggest you read Revelation to understand more of the end times. It can be very hard to understand at times. There was a lot I didn’t “get.”

I found one of those “for Dummies” kind of books very helpful. (Yes, a retired teacher still needs education.) It is called: Revelation: God’s Word for Biblically-Inept, by Daymond R. Duck, Copyright 1998 by Starburst, Inc.1

My name could replace the term “biblically-inept” in the series title. Even though I didn’t see my name on the cover, I bought it anyway. It breaks down each chapter and verse of the book of Revelation and puts them into words you and I can understand. It gets very specific about theMiddle East, the Rapture, Armageddon and many other confusing things that will happen in the end times.

I learned a great deal by studying biblical revelation with this book by my side. I highly recommend doing so.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how people search for meaning of life and what they are on earth for, but they don’t use the one book that tells them everything they need to know?

Posted on

Jesus is the Light That Knows no Power Failure

A big thank you to those of you who have been signing up for our RSS feed. It has helped us move up the ladder on the Google Search Rankings.

Help us continue to rise by signing up today if you haven’t already. Just click on the icon right after the title to do that.

_________________________________________________________

The excerpt today lets us know that we always have a friend no matter what the circumstances may be.

_________________________________________________________ 

Chapter 46

 

Jesus Is the Light that Knows No Power Failure

 

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and

by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,

encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16–17

 

Have you heard people say, “I have no one to turn to”? They feel all is lost. What a depressing feeling!

They need to know there is always someone to turn to! God sent us a person who will always listen to us. God loves close encounters with His children. God will listen, and Jesus will listen. Prayer is the way you can talk to them, and God answers prayer. It may not be on the timeline you want, but it is answered.

Your prayer also may be answered in a way that you didn’t expect. God knows what is best for you. He knows every hair on your head. He knows what is bothering you, and He knows what you need. And He will help you make it through whatever crises you may have.

 

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Psalm 46:1–2

 

Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust.

Psalm 40:4

 

We always have someone to turn to. We have someone who will always look after us. Jesus is a light that knows no power failure. You know that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and what a wonderful invention it is. But light bulbs burn out and they have to be replaced.

Jesus does not burn out. He has eternal life. We need to take time each day to thank Him for His protective presence. He is with us wherever we are. In a dark alley. On top of a mountain. Scuba diving in the ocean. In a boat during a storm. When that storm comes in, and everything looks lost, we can find great comfort in knowing that the Lord is always with us.

The disciples thought they were doomed when a huge storm came up while they were out in a boat. (Most of these guys were fishermen and used to storms. So this must have been the “mother of all storms” for them to be so scared.) But Jesus wasn’t worrying much. He was asleep! They woke Him up and begged Him to save their lives. He simply told the sea to calm down, and it obeyed immediately!

Wouldn’t it make sense that if He can calm a sea with only His voice, He can certainly protect us from any harm, including the “storm” we find ourselves in right now. We simply need to turn our worries, fears and anxieties over to Him to enjoy the peace of mind He offers.

 

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Psalm 55:22

 

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:25–26

 

Further Adventures

Have you been walking in the darkness, running into walls, and not finding your way around? Jesus is the light to show you the way. And when you are a Christian, His light is inside you. He wants you to let His light shine through you. Sort of like the song many of us learned in Sunday school: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna’ let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.” Your light could help many people come out of the darkness.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how we always search for a flashlight in the darkness but the light of Jesus’ love is all we need?

 

Posted on

Is What You’re Living for Worth Dying For?

Thanks to those who have been signing up for the RSS feed. This helps us move up the ladder on the Google Search Rankings. Helps climb even faster by signing up now if you haven’t already. Just click on the icon right after the title to do that.

________________________________________________________

 We have a book in our bookstore that is been featured each day on this site. It is my first book called, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.”

This books has special pricing right now. It is not too early to start thinking about Easter, and this book is a great gift that fits the season.

The book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” reaches out to those who may be suffering from anxiety fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

___________________________________________________________

 

Chapter 45

 

Is What You’re Living for Worth Dying For?

 

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things

[food and clothing] will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

 

There once was a famous painter whose paintings were much in demand. He was doing really well selling them.

One day his son became ill and the father took care of him as best he could. The painter eventually carried him to the doctor, but on the way the son died. The painter later died, and his paintings became very valuable.

Everyone showed up to bid on the painter’s work at the auction to sell off his paintings. Some of them were now worth many thousands of dollars. The first painting—a portrait of the painter’s son—was put up for auction. “What do I hear for this fine painting?” asked the auctioneer. No one said a thing.

Again the auctioneer said,” We need a bid on this wonderful painting.” Still no one spoke.

A person in the back said, “Why would we want a painting of the painter’s son? Let us bid on his real paintings!”

The auctioneer gave the bidding one more try: “Do I hear $10 for this painting?”

An old man near the front raised his hand and said, “I bid $10, but that is all I have. I knew the boy and I would like to have a picture of him.”

“Do I hear higher?” Silence. “Going once … going twice … sold!” The auctioneer banged his gavel.

“Good, now we can bid on the real paintings!” the crowd shouted.

“I’m sorry—the bidding is closed,” the auctioneer announced.

A man shouted, “How could that be! There are several more paintings that are worth thousands of dollars.”

“The painter said that whoever bids the highest on his son’s painting would get all of the paintings!” the auctioneer responded.

There are people who live their lives like that! They are greedy and want the real prize—the riches. Look at this story as if it were God who had lost His Son. He has planned for us to have all kinds of riches in Him but first we must accept His Son.

Too many wait to get in a bid on the “good stuff” and overlook the invitation to accept the Son. Which one should we bid on? Are we going to be greedy and end up with nothing in the end?

We all would like to have many things for our families. It would be nice to have all the toys—for the big boys (and girls), as well as for the little boys (and girls). But what good are they in eternity? We can’t take them with us! 

We can’t begin to imagine the beauty of heaven and all that is there for us. The streets of gold. The music of a thousand angels. No pain. No suffering. New bodies. Loved ones to see.

That is what we should be working for—not the pleasures of this earth. There is not one thing on this earth that can compare to what is in heaven. There is a prize above all prizes waiting for all that believe in God.

 

He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

Proverbs 21:21

 

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians3:14(emphasis mine)

 

Further Adventures

What are your priorities in life? Sit down and list them. Is it security? Is it happiness? After you have written your list, notice how many of those you can have by knowing God and depending on Him.

Everything in life was created by God. No matter what you see and what you do, God had His hand in it. Your job? Your happiness? God helped you get your job, and He orchestrated the things that bring you happiness.

I have learned that with God in charge of my life, nothing that has happened to me or will happen to me is or will be “by accident.” God is in charge of everything I do.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny that atheism is a “non-prophet” organization?