July 21st

Many great people celebrate their birthday on the 21st of the month, just ask my wife! Well, the month of July is no exception, as it is known for the birth of Ernest Hemingway in 1899, and Don Knotts in 1924, just to name a couple that most have probably heard of. For most of my life though, I have known this day to be the birthday of a friend. Since I no longer have the luxury of celebrating with or wishing my friend a happy birthday, I decided to write something to share with everyone.

There is a quote from Ernest Hemingway that states, “Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another”. 

I don't know much about Mr. Hemingway, but I have to disagree with this quote. Not every man’s life ends the same way, and while it's true that the life and even death of some become more renowned than others, it's the start of every life that is the same, we all enter life in this world the same way. The book of Romans tells us that each and every one of us is born a sinner, that there are no “good” people, aside from Christ, and that the penalty for our sin is death. Because the price for sin is death, something or someone has to pay that price. The price for our sin was paid in full by Jesus Christ on the cross, this is a free gift that we have the ability to accept at will. Upon salvation, or acceptance of this gift, death is defeated in our own lives, and we are given eternal life in God’s presence. To reject this gift means an eternity in hell, where despite popular belief, there are no parties. It’s because of Christ’s work on the cross, and gift of eternal life, that we have the promise of being with loved ones again. 

If you want this gift, please take a moment and pray, and God will hear you. Admit to Him that you are a sinner and fall short of His glory and that you accept Him as Lord and Savior and welcome Him into your heart and life to dwell within and change you. If you make this prayer, please follow through. Give Him the opportunity to change you, and work in your life. You are guaranteed not to be disappointed. We have been given the incredible gift of life, the more you share it with others, the sooner He will return for His church… It’s been said that one of the most hateful things you can do to another person, is to withhold the truth from them, so please share. 

All of this to say that it is extremely reassuring to know that death for my friend, died long before his body. He may have been called out of this world, but he lives eternally now in the presence of God. For that, I am not sad, but grateful. Grateful that he is with our savior. Grateful that others have been saved because of him. And grateful that he has inspired me to walk with God again, now closer than ever, and be more outgoing with my faith. 

I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing my God, my friend, and all my loved ones who have been called home before me. When you accept this relationship with Christ, the closer you get to Him, the more homesick you are for His presence. This is an open invitation for all to experience.

Perhaps Today!

While visiting my great grandparents' house as a kid, there is something that stands out in those memories more than most other things; a small sign, handmade by my great grandfather that hung from their ceiling. The sign very simply stated, "Perhaps Today". It was just a simple, two-word, handmade sign, so why has it had such a vivid and persistent presence in my mind throughout the years?  

With the current events of the world in which we live, along with the many discussions on end times and the second coming of Christ, this little sign should have substantial relevance and meaning for believers. The sign is a reminder (at least to me, and the man I was named after) that we should not be so focused on trying to narrow down how close we could be to the tribulation and the second coming. Mark 13:32 tells us that no man, not the angels, and not even the Son knows when His return will be. We could all use this daily reminder that the next event in store for the church, is an event that is set to happen at ANY time. There is no prophetic event that needs to transpire or be fulfilled for it to occur; this event is the rapture of the Church.

We learn in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 that this should be a greatly anticipated event for believers. When that trumpet sounds and the Lord shouts from the heavens; not only will we be with all who have passed before us, and receive new bodies, we will meet Him in the clouds and forever be in His presence. We need to have affirmation of our eternal destiny now, so that we are ready when this event does take place. It makes no difference if we are alive on earth for this event, or if we are called home prior, we will be meeting in the clouds that day if we are a part of His beloved church. It makes no difference if the rapture occurs next week, next year, or not within our lifetime, we should be living each day with the reminder that we may finish the day in His presence; Perhaps Today! 

The Right Crowd

This is something I put together for our college and career age group at church. It was written with them in mind but is applicable to all of us.

Does the Bible have anything to say about the company we keep? Let’s take a look at some examples of what we are told about church attendance, and the people we associate with in our daily lives. 

First and foremost, we are instructed to be in regular attendance at a local church. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks of the importance of assembling with God’s beloved church and encouraging one another with love and good works, ESPECIALLY as we get closer to the day of His return. It’s a vital part of our walk with God, to be in fellowship with other believers, to love and encourage each other, to hold each other accountable, to pray with and for each other, and be under the teaching and protection of a pastor who shepherds his flock with God’s absolute truth.

 In a world where truth is relative, we need a God fearing group of people to rely on, have mutual encouragement with, fellowship regularly with, and have accountability with. No matter what some may say or think, this is not something we can simply do alone. Often when we are younger in age, and/or faith, we think we can do everything on our own. But as we mature in age and faith, we find that is simply not the case. We need the help of others to get through daily struggles, and we need those other people to encourage us and keep our focus on God. When we venture out into the world alone, and/or with non-believers, we become susceptible to influence and corruption from the world. Satan feeds on our weakness, and will work tirelessly when we are on our own to get a foothold in our mind. Jesus Himself was tempted by the devil as he wandered the desert alone, no man is immune from the temptation of the evil one. 

Upon salvation, one of the things we are gifted, is the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, we find that our desire for things of the world begins to dwindle. We no longer have the same desires for worldly satisfaction and approval, but instead have a growing desire to better know and draw closer to God. 1 John 2:15 lays it all out for us: If we have a desire to be a part of the world, we do not have the love of the Father in us. So if we truly are saved, we should see a clear change in our own lives and desires, to no longer want the everyday influences of the world as a part of our lives. We should begin to see and have a desire for separation. This often includes relationships with non-believers, as we cannot follow the world, and God at the same time; it was James who said: “friendship of the world is enmity with God”.

This doesn't mean that we are to stop associating with anyone who is not a Christian. Not only is that not possible, but that would violate the command in Matthew 28:19, to go and make disciples. This verse should convict all of us, as it clearly states “ALL nations”, not all but the one we live in. Our country is in dire need of awakening, and we need missionaries on our streets as much as we need them overseas. We are those missionaries for our country, for our home town, for the people we interact with on a daily basis. We are His beloved people, and we need each other to further His great name, defend the truth, and spread the Gospel.

Scripture references:

Hebrews 10:24-25 KJV

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching”

1 John 2:15 KJV

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

James 4:4 KJV

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Matthew 28:19 KJV

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

Some additional verses to check out:

Proverbs 18:24 KJV

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

John 15:13-15 KJV

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

2 Corinthians 6:17 KJV

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Galations 6:14 KJV 

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

(**Crucified here is a reference to death. At salvation there is a death between us and the world)

The Thief

Did you know there were two other men crucified next to Jesus? These men were not mentioned by name, but noted in a few various short verses for being thieves, and even mocking Jesus on the cross. In Luke 23:39-43 we see the short interaction between Jesus and one of these thieves; this man has a change of heart, rebukes the other thief, and acknowledges Jesus for who He is. This man is known as “the thief”, and we see him repent here and ask Jesus to remember him in His kingdom. Jesus affirms this mans salvation from the cross, and we then see this in verse 43; “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” 

This is one simple example of what we must do to earn our salvation: NOTHING. The thief on the cross was not capable of doing anything to earn his spot in God’s eternal kingdom, it was a gift that was freely given to him. The thief was not a good man, he was being condemned for his wrong doings, sentenced to death on the cross, and he simply had to repent of his wrong doing and ask Christ for this gift. The same goes for every one of us, we are not able to earn salvation, it is a gift paid for by Christ on the cross. This is what Easter is about, let’s honor and celebrate that. 

If you don’t have assurance of your salvation, the best way for you to honor Him is to accept this gift. If you want this gift, please take a moment and pray to your God, and He WILL hear your voice. Admit that you are a sinner and fall short of His glory, and that you accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and welcome Him into your heart and life to change you. If you make this prayer, please follow through, let Him change you, and work in your life. You are guaranteed not to be disappointed….

Below is a link to a dramatization by Alistair Begg on the thief’s entry into Heaven. Worth the few minutes to watch…

https://youtu.be/C-mGoIqBvTM