Are You Comfortable?

Jesus said, "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, otherwise believe because of the works themselves.  Truly, truly, I say to you he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I do to the Father."  (John 14:11-12).

Hey Gang:  Notice, He did not stop with this promise but added several more to it that we need to heed in these days when God is shaking everything that can be shaken.   "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it and If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (vs. 13-15).

But how Lord, can I do far greater things that You, who are all powerful?  His reply, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because He abides with you and will be in you." (Vs. 16-17).

I believe with all my heart the events of the past weeks have ratcheted up the final days of this earth.  If there was ever a time when we need a comforter, it is today.  The medical guru's tell us the number one malady in the world today is anxiety-driven infirmities.  The head doctors and pharmaceutical companies are getting wealthy as they try and glue people back together.   

I was watching the Kentucky Wildcats working to gain their 38th victory with no defeats.  As the camera man panned the huge arena of the ten thousand or more people, most wore the ‘blue’ of Kentucky and screamed with every point that was scored.  That still quiet voice put the thought into my brain, ‘probably, if Messiah were to come at half time and take His children home, there would be very few empty seats.’   

That still small voice also seemed to say, ‘If the church would be as excited about spreading the Good News of salvation to a hurting world, as these were about a basketball game that will be replaced by the realities of the day when they walked out of the arena, He could heal our land.’

How very tragic that so many people are hurting but turn their backs n the One who can heal their hurts and give them comfort during these very tough days.   The Bible tells us, "For the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted (Isa. 49:13).  In truth, our God is "... the Father of mercies, and  the God of all comfort ,who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Cor. 1:3-4) .

God promises to give us "...beauty for ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.  So they will be called "oaks of righteousness', The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified" (Isa. 61:3).

Sooooo, Now hear this, the comfort that God gives does not necessarily make us comfortable, but it does meet our need in times of loss and discouragement.  When it appears that the sky is falling and the alligators are on the move, I turn to Revelation 22 and read again Jesus words, "There will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in  it, and His bond-

servants will serve Him; they will see His face and His name will be on their foreheads" (22:3-4), and the last two verse of the Bible, "Yes, I am coming quickly, Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen" (22:20-21).  And that my friends and neighbors you can take to the bank!

Blessings,

Gramps

Do You Know What TIme It IS?

“Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy.  Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.  I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me.  He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness.”  (Micah 7:8-9).

Hey Gang:  Do I believe God laid it on my heart to begin to share “What’ Happing Man” with you?  Yes, but when you step into the gap, you must be willing to pay a price.   I have been under attack similar to when God laid it on my heart to develop the Village program.  The story of our traveling across country with all of our earthly possession in a pickup truck and a van and our four little ones under the age of 9, is truly a miracle story in itself.     

I have been a student of prophecy for many years because I like to know what is going on.  Recorded in John 14:29 Jesus said, “Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe”.  I have been amazed, in my tenure on this earth, that so few people are interested in knowing what is happening and where they are going.  Not me baby, I want to know all I can learn about the place Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you”.  

I mean, how awesome can that statement be?  The King of Glory has prepared a place for Kermit, who was and is a sinner/new creation in Christ, who is by no means perfect and in need of His forgiving grace.  If Jesus loved me enough to come and walk in my shoes and allow the so-called religious guru’s of His day to crucify Him to free me from the bondage of sin, wow, how can I turn my back on Him!!

Recently I tuned into an hour program of what folks would call the ‘prophetic gurus’. I listened to them discuss the question, “What is the greatest sign that is pointing to the coming of the Son  again, this time to collect His sheep”.   They each had their favorite subject, as I do, and presented clear and concise messages as to why they believed that their sign was the most dynamic. 

The longer I watched the program the more itchy I got to yell at the boob tube, ‘You are leaving out the most important sign of all time, Jesus Christ, Son of God who came to earth to save us poor retched creatures and He is preparing for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb for all those whose names are on the invitation roster in the Lamb’s Book of Life.   

No one mentioned that the greatest prophecy of the Bible is -- in the end we win!  In the end Satan and his minions will receive their just rewards and find themselves in the Lake of Fire.  In the end we, who have answered His invitation to open the door of our hearts and let Him in will be in the presence of the Son of God for all eternity.  Now my friends, that should fire you up, even in this day when “…everything that can be shaken is being shaken so that only those things that cannot be shaken will remain” (Heb. 12:27).   

Notice verse 29, “For our God is a consuming fire”.  Now change that and say after me (Your name) Kermit’s God is a consuming fire.  I read a rather lengthy article recently titled “Americans have little confidence in most of their major institutions including Congress, the Presidency, the Supreme Court, banks and organized religion’, according to the Gallup Poll.   Is that not tragic?

Soooo, my friends and neighbors, my Bible is open to those harrowing words by Jesus, “If, (pleased take note of the “if)”  If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).   I don’t know about you but I bring all that I have into God’s storehouse so that He can equip me to be an ambassador and soul winner for Him.

When I read of the fate of those who do not know Jesus as Lord, it builds a fire in my soul to do everything I can to prevent even my enemies from standing before the Judgment seat of God and hearing, “Out of here I do not know you”.  It is my sincere opinion that there is not a second to waste.

Blessings,

Gramps

Patience, Keep Asking, Knocking, and Seeking

God’s Power Principle for Today:  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8).

Hey Gang:  I love that verse.  Think about it for a moment – “Ask”, ask who…ask the Creator of all that we survey, the One who has the power of the universe;  The promise, “Ask, and it will be given to you,”  given what?  What you ask for! 

If at first you do not succeed, then “seek” and keep “seeking” until you find and, if that does not work, get more aggressive and “knock and keep knocking  until ‘it’ whatever it might be, is opened to you.  But keep in mind that we need to allow God to be God, ask according to His will, for he knows the hairs of your headand His plan is perfect.  Keep in mind that when Moses asked God, “Who shall I say sent me,”  God responded, “Moses, tell them "I AM" sent you”. 

Many years ago I received a call from a very special friend whose prayer was that God would allow him to develop a Christian Radio Station. This was a prayer that he had faithfully prayer for a number of years with no success.  I listened and could say, "been there", for I had prayed that God would allow me to develop a place where kids with hang ups could receive a ‘shirt tail to hang onto for two years without success. It was said I was the only unemployed director of a non-existent boy's home.

I do not remember all that we talked about that day, but I do remember suggesting he might change his prayer from seeking a radio station to seeking God's will for his life whatever that will might be.  God created us, He knows every hair on our head, He knows what He has designed for our lives and He knows precisely how He wants to implement that plan when we put our trust in Him and lean not on our own understanding.

Several days after our conversation, the station manager of the radio station where he worked, approached Gary and asked if he would consider developing a morning devotional segment for the station.  An interim fulfillment of Gary's prayer while God prepared him for what was to come.  Today it is a joy to turn on the radio to Praise Radio, the fulfillment of many years of prayer by a very dedicated young man.  

Has God planted a seed in your heart that is in His incubator?  If so be advised, His plan is perfect in all ways, including the timing when it will come into being.  Notice: what was God saying that day on the mountain as he prepared Moses to take on the powers of Egypt and lead God’s people out of bondage?  I sense he was saying, “I AM’ has been in your past; I AM is in your today’s: and I AM will be in your future and my grace is sufficient for you in all things.

Sooo, my young compatriots, "Ask, and keep asking, seek and keep seeking and knock and keep knocking" and when His time is right, hang on tight for you will get rope burns when He says "Go For it!"  I know, been there!

Blessings,

Gramps

There Is Joy in Christ Preached

"Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose".  (Phil. 2:2).  "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious oil upon the head coming down upon the beard" (Psa. 133:1).

Hey Gang:  Did you begin your day with your armor in place? Is your helmet down so Satan cannot tell you from Christ?  Our Scripture of the day suggest," Making your day complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose". 

Before I get into Paul's joy principles found in Philippians, I want to share two quick ditty's that are filed in my human computer banks.  I recall an old country preacher that was asked to define ‘joy’.  After several moments of deep thought he responded, "It is like to ‘spin around alike a top’".   Now I do not believe you would find that definition in the Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic Lexicon's, but it is a definition the kids remembered and I tend to think it is a pretty good definition.

The second ditty is a verse that all should tuck away, but not too deep, in your heart and mind.  It is found in one of my favorite 66 books in the Bible - Nehemiah 8:10.  Nehemiah was dealing with very perilous times when he wrote the following antidote to the grunges:   "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh. 8:10b).   I like the way David put in Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him".  I believe he is saying here that we have a choice, we can have the "fear of the Lord which is our strength” or the ‘grunge's’ which is Satan's forte. 

With those two ditty's banging around in your head, let us now return to Paul's teaching to the Philippian people on how to live a very joy filled and effective life for Christ. Remember the first point: there is joy in knowing there are brothers and sister in Christ who are praying for us.  To that I say Whoopee".

Paul's second point on joy reminds us that there is joy that Jesus Christ is preached.   "What then?  Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice" (Phil. 1:18).   I could write a long dissertation on this point but will restrict it to one, we are all preachers.  I believe this was very bothersome to Paul. In Romans, in the midst of his sermon on how to bring folks to salvation, Paul asked this question, "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher? (Rom. 10:14).  As I read the story of hell and the Lake of fire, I vowed once again to do all in my power to prevent even the vilest person from being sentenced to eternity in such agony.

Soooo, good buddies, I close this epistle with that wonderful passage from Jesus where He (Yeshua) assured all who lay down their lives before Him that they will "Abide in Me, and I in you...I am the vine and you are the branches".  Can you say a loud Amen to that?  Do you want joy this day?  Not as the world gives for it is as the grass that fads but the joy that Jesus promises in these words, "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that you joy may be made full". (John 15 read 1 thru 17).     

Blessings,  

Gramps

Setting the Table -continued

(I don't know why this didn't go out Fri.  Sorry about that ;maybe because I didn't include a picture)

"Oh God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still" (Psalm 83:1).

Hey Gang:  I have a problem with my lawn.  It began a couple years ago with a tiny spot where it appeared the grass had been stricken with some weird disease and had died.  And each year since, the spot has increased in size until this year it covers a spot twenty feet square.  I do believe that if I do not find out what is causing this rapid growth of decay, I will have no lawn for it seems bent on conquering every inch of it. 

On top of this the moles have added to my woes; they have invaded from every side and my yard is covered with underground caverns as they seek  their daily ration of grubs.  But today is invasion day.  I am not going to go down without a fight.  I will roll my lawn, lime my yard, fertilize my lawn and I will attack the grubs in my lawn and I will not stop until I am victorious over my lawn. 

Since Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948, I have watched a similar process happening to Israel.  I keep asking the question, “Why the Obama's of the world think they have the right to dictate to Israel what they will do with their land?”  I am often asked, “Where is the United States in prophecy?” And I refer them to the Zechariah 12:3: "And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it “-(Jerusalem)". 

My focus this morning is on the participants of Psalm 83, because I believe one very simple spark by one simple-minded person could initiate the Psalm's 83 wars.  But, as you read Psalm's 83, be advised the hatred for Israel is not restricted to these countries but has encompassed the entire world. 

In my travels I have learned that most folks today believe the Old Testament was nixed in importance when Christ arrived on the scene.  They read passages like Psalm 83 and say, that was for another day.  They do not have a clue that each of the countries listed in Psalm 83 is alive and well and have a deep hatred for Israel. All are armed and battle ready to attack the "apple of God's eye". 

They do not take the time to dig into the passage and discover what nations God is talking about here,   the Tents of Edom refers to the Palestinians refugees of Southern Jordan.  The Ismaelites are today's Saudi Arabians; Moab consist of Central Jordan and Palestinian refugees; the Hagrites refer to Egypt;  Gebal is Northern Lebanon today;  Ammon is located in Northern Jordan; Amalek is located in the Negev and Sinai Peninsula areas;  Philistia, much in the news lately, is located in The Gaza Strip controlled by  Hamas; Tyre, is located in Southern Lebanon and consists of Hezbollah and Assyria, which is also much in the news today, now located in war torn Syria and Northern war torn Iraq. 

  

If you look at your map and locate all of these nations you will see the ring of terror that surrounds Israel is nearly complete.  The only hole is Jordan; there is, growing upheaval by the Palestinians within Jordan that could take King Abdullah down and complete the  circle.  A new menace in the form of ISIS, has also declared that Jordan is on their hit list.  Bill Salas refers to this as the Inner Circle of nations.  We will deal with the "Outer Circle of Ezekiel 38-39 at a later time.

Now, notice verse nine, "Deal with them as with Midian".  A side trip to Judges 7:1-24 gives us the history of Gideon and his defeat of the Medians, a massive enemy with three hundred men, empty pitchers in their hands, and very loud voices.   I believe God, with this example and the others listed, is saying that Israel will do most of the fighting in this war.  Ezekiel 37:10 tells us that Israel will be blessed with an exceedingly great army.  

It is the humble belief of this writer that we could wake up tomorrow and this war could being waged.  I suspect it will not be a long war, for when the wars have gone bad for the Arab's they tend to seek the ‘Peace of Saladin’ to give them time to rearm and try again at a later date.  Kind of like Satan in his dealing with Jesus in the wilderness.  When Satan saw he was not going to get anywhere with Jesus, he decided it was better to split and wait for a more opportune time. (Luke 4:13). In the final battles that are yet to come, there will be no better times for Satan and his minions.

Blessings,

Gramps     

Did You Ever Have An Itch you Could Not Scratch?

“For the sake of My name I delay my wrath, and for My praise I restrain it for you. In order not to cut you off.   Behold I have refined but not as silver: I have tested you in the furnace of affliction for my own sake, I will act" (Isaiah 48:9-11).

Hey Gang:  Several years ago, after bringing our financial house up to date, God impressed on me I had completed an inventory of my worldly possessions, which He also reminded me, it was He who provided all the blessings, but had neglected to do an inventory of my greatest asset -my relationship with Him. 

He impressed on me that I was more concerned about passing my earthly possessions down to my children than I was I passing down my spiritual heritage.  It was one of those "gut shots" that makes you sit up and take notice.  He also quietly, and with great respect, ask if I had completed an inventory of my year’s activities? Commitments?  And how I used the most precious thing available - time.  Had I used it well?

This brought to mind a story that I have used in previous blogs about an evangelist who spent a good portion of his life ministering to those forgotten folks, whose values influenced their decisions and led to incarceration.  Frank had gained a deep understanding of how to minister to the cons of the world, for he had walked in their shoes as a con in the Georgia prison system.    He often said the best training ground for learning how to dig deep into the souls of hardened criminals is to spend time in one of them. He also added he does not recommend that course of training.

The judge had said, "Frank you are danger to society and need to be locked away from civilized people, I sentence you to solitary confinement in one of Georgia's finest prisons for the remainder of your days".  But a far greater, and more powerful Judge, who rescinded that order and opened the prison door much like He opened the door for Paul and Silas.  Frank’s conversion was very abrupt, much like Saul's conversion.  A bright light and a voice in the night saying, “Frank I have a ministry for you and you are wasting your life in a concrete cell.”  Frank refers to those years when he did not know the Lord as his ‘Holes in Time’ period of his life.

It took a while for Frank’s sincerity to break through the barriers that he had earned for himself.  The jail house conversion is a common thing in the prison system and, although I believe many are sincere, the failure of the Church to meet these folks, when they walk out the prison door and put their arms around them and walk with them, drives them back into their previous ways.  After serving several years, God did, indeed, open the prison doors and Frank walked out a free man, never to return again, right?  Wrong, he has spent many hours with his former cells mates and has been instrumental in leading many to Christ.

While working at a California Detention Facility I was blessed to work in the hard-core section with the young men who, as the system said, "Had not learned their lesson".  The problem was that most had honed their devious skills while in the midst of others who had followed their same path.  As you might guess, to mention God in any way was far worse than placing them in solitary confinement on bread and water.    But, there was an asterisk attached to the God- law, if one of the young men asked me a question, I was permitted to answer it.   

Soooo, each day when I approached the door I prayed, "Lord, have one of the kids ask me a question".   For the first several months there were no questions, but one Sunday, a young lad, who had attended Chapel, came up to me and asked, "Mr. H.  How long is eternity?”  The door was opened that day and it remained open.  Today, I being each day with a similar prayer – “Lord, send someone across my path that needs to ask a question about the emptiness in their chest cavity that is the same size as God.  How about you?  Do you pray that you will not leave ‘Holes in Time?’

Blessings,

Gramps

You Are An Awesome God!

God’s Power Principle For Today:  “How lovely on the mountains, Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”  (Isa. 52:7).

Hey Gang:  Wow, Lord, How magnificent are your ways.  What fabulously beautiful mosaics You paint!  This is that wonderful time of the year when the snows are mostly gone and the world is coming to life. (Written previously)  The chippies have come out of the winter hibernation, the robins are back again seeking where they will built their nest;  both are signs that the earth is going to become green and beautiful soon.   It reminds me of the verse that one day soon You, LORD will cover the earth with your glory as the waters cover the sea.  

Two of my very favorite spots on this earth are standing at the foot of the Teton Mountains and looking at God's wondrous handiwork, and standing on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended into the heavenlies and one day will return to that very spot. 

I enjoy standing on the top of the Mount of Olives and looking down across the Kidron Valley, Gethsemane on the left and the Valley of Gehenna on the right, and straight ahead is the Gate Beautiful, where Christ will enter the Holy City when He returns.  Now close your eyes and dream of the that day -when Christ will set His foot down on one side and the other foot on the other side -and the mountain will split down the middle, and the City of Jerusalem will become a seaport, is an awesome experience.  Awesome because I might be on earth when this happens!

Have you ever take an hour or two and looked at the signs and wonders that we have been blessed to see in our generations currently on earth?  We see the many prophecies of old, most profound of all that the Nation of Israel has been restored to their homeland, and multitudes are making their way to the land of their heritage.

In a recent discussion of a group of Bible scholars the subject centered on two questions: ‘Is the paradise Jesus promised to the thief on the cross the same as heaven?’ and ‘When the New Jerusalem descends from heaven, will it be filled with God's saints?’  I would have added a third,  ‘After we are taken up to be with the Lord, will we be part of God's Mighty Army that comes to clean up His creation?’ Hey, all you GI's out there, would it not be awesome to be present when the angel from heaven comes with his chain and puts the evil one away for a thousand years?

Soo…as I mentioned in a previous morning message, I am a person who tries to remain balanced in what I put into my head.  It has been a long time since I heard anything good coming over the airways. I find it essential to spend a greater portion of my time in the Word and heavenly preparation than things of the world.  As I said many times before, I challenge you to keep you armor shined and in place and your lamps full.  Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God  first….  Matthew 6:33.

Blessings,

Gramps

Prophecy, Setting the Table

"Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults" (Ezek. 36:7).

Hey Gang: I have been a student of prophecy for nearly half of my eighty one years and when I felt God was leading me into developing a prophecy blog I thought it would be a piece of cake.  But such has not been the case.

  That does not mean that I cannot send out a constant supply of things that one might consider prophetic in nature for there are usually several articles that come across the computer each day of things that need to be shared, but getting them refined in the brain and developed into the right format is a horse of different color. 

John Poole, an old country preacher, after bringing a message that raised the roof of the auditorium a notch or two was wrapping up his message when an elderly gentlemen in the middle of the auditorium began to shout, "Somethin's fixin’ to happen, somethin's fixin’ to happen over and over again.  John said," Ya know that really ticked me off".....at first....but then it began to get into my spirit and I came down off the pulpit and went down and put my arms around that brother and shouted, "I don't know what and when it is fixin’ to happen, but I'm fixin’ to be a part of it.” 

War is certainly on the minds of most of the people of the world today.  I recently heard a discussion, more like a question and answer session involving several of the major players in the prophetic world at this time, pertaining to what is the next big step in the prophetic word.    One felt that we are nearing that time when Gog-Magog would surface its ugly head.  There is certainly sufficient information to get caught up in this idea but I have always had a problem with this scenario. 

My question with Gog-Magog being next centers on the fact that none of those nations that are butted up against Israel are mentioned as participants in the Gog - Magog War.   My question, “How come"  They are certainly alive and well today, loaded for bear and have all the killing devices needed to fulfill what they continually tell us is their goal - to annihilate Israel.   

In Psalm 83 we find words that have become very common in the Sons of Ishmael and Esau world; "Your enemies make an up roar".   And who is the enemy referred to here?  Those nations that are neighbors to Israel proper.  "And those who hate You have exalted themselves.  They have said, "Come let us wipe them out as a nation that the name of Israel be remembered no more"    For they have conspired together with one mind; against You they make a covenant." (vs. 2-5).

And then one day a gentlemen by the name of Bill Salas surfaced with a book entitled Isralestine (The ancient blueprint of the future of the Middle East). That  hit my hot button because it agreed with my way of thinking.  We like to be agreed with, don't we?  He has become a favorite on the speaking circuit, basically because he has filled a void that was a source of argument among the various schools of prophetic thought.  

In a nut shell he replaced Gog-Magog with Psalm 83 as being the next step in the prophetic wars.  Psalm 83 reads very much like news reports that are filling our airways today.   To set the table for understanding what Asaph was saying in Psalm 83 it is important to understand  where we are at this moment prophetically.  To get a wide angle picture we need to turn to Zechariah 12:3 "It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured.  And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it".  

    

This tiny nation, about the size of New Jersey, has been and will continue to be the center fold on the world news circuit until Father God says to Son, Yeshua - Time to go for it!

Blessings,

Gramps 
PS I wrote this blog several weeks ago.  Note the Supreme Court decision recently to overturn a Congressional Law allowing US Citizens born in Jerusalem to claim Israel as their nation of origin. Thus saying  Jerusalem is not a part of Israel!

What Is Your Legacy?

"Therefore we do not lose heart but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things when are not seen; for the things which  are seen  are  temporal,  but  the things  which  are  not  seen  are eternal"   (2 Cor. 4:16-18).     

Hey Gang:     Several years ago God impressed on my heart a question that penetrated deep into my soul: 'You have diligently prepared to pass your earthly possessions down to the bone of your bone,  but what have you done to pass your spiritual legacy down to them?’   That day I vowed I would give a Bible to each of my children and grand's that would include all the notes I had accumulated while serving as Chaplain at the Village. A massive promise to God that has taken more than twenty years to complete.

I never really realized the impact that decision made until I received a letter written by my grandson Ryan, who lost his battle to cancer.  It is one of the true "pearls of my life".   I would like to quote the entire letter here but it is much too long, but I do want to share one sentence that is etched in my inner most being.  Summer of 2012 he and his bride, Kendra, attended a family camp at Miracle Mountain Ranch.  The speaker talked about passing legacies to our children; His legacy was to pass a Bible that he had read that year to a family member. 

Ryan wrote  these words:

"This hit home with me as I stared down at my Bible.  Back home I had left the worn-out, falling- apart, tattered, brown Bible I'd been given.  It was the same sword my grandfather wielded for many year as he labored and fought to save kids and families through the camp and treatment center he and my grandmother founded.  It has decades of notes, underlines, scribbles and prayers.  As I read my grandfather’s Bible, I encounter the same God he encountered so many years ago when he first opened this book.  More than that I get to see how it impacted my gramps. 

The power of this book in his life is so evident that it jumped off the pages. I can hear his voice as I read his thoughts and it's almost like sitting here studying with him!  This book is so important to me, I had copied every line, note, jot, tiddle, and scratch to "my Bible.  It too is worn and showing its mileage.  It's a blend of all my grandfather's thoughts and mine added into it as well.  It encompasses my heritage, my faith, and my personality". 

Soooo,  my friends, this is not the message I planned on sending you this morning but we recently celebrated Ryan's life as a super daddy, a great husband, but mostly a dedicated covenant-related servant of Yeshua, his Lord.  

Recently I came across a neat little story about a man who was in his final days. He called his wife of many years to his side, took her hand and said, "I will be going away for a little while to prepare a place for your coming to me again".   

There is no greater joy than to know that one day soon we will join Ryan and David, my son, and I pray all of my children and their children and their children at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.  I also pray that each one reading this Morning Message from Gramps will be there with us to celebrate the coming together of Christ and his Bride for all eternity. 

Are you passing your spiritual legacy down?  Keep in mind we do not have a clue when God will say, time to come home!

Blessings, 

Gramps   

PS This Bible above now carrie names of three Generations:  Kermit H… Ryan P… Colton P….

Fear or Trust and Obey - Your Choice

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change.  And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam.  Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride...God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved" (Psa. 46:1-6).

Hey Gang:  Do you believe that God is your refuge and strength?  Do you believe that the joy of the Lord is your strength?  While in Korea one of my fellow Airman was a body conditioning specialist.  He diligently worked out for an hour or more each and every day and one could readily see the fruits of his labors.  My speed was to just lift the bar that he placed the weights on.  But contained within this magnificent body was a spirit of timidity and fear.  Not only did he live in constant darkness but had closed his mind and heart to the One who could fix his problem. 

I learned very early in my work with children with problems there was not only a common denominator in the children that came my way, but also their parents - that common denominator was "fear and anxiety" which held them in bondage.  Although I was not a psychologist or psychiatrist I knew in my heart that if I was going to be successful in leading the child out of the wilderness, I  must find a way to introduce he and his parents  to The Way to send Satan packing from their lives. 

In the early tenure of working with children and families, I must admit I was not too bright; I felt I had some sort of "S" on my chest.  I had the answer and, if people would only do it my way, they would find joy, peace and healing in their lives.   And then one day, by accident, I ran into a youngster that was similar to a volcano which erupted frequently.  In other words he was a "horse of a different color" and my 'modus operandi' was not getting the job done. then God sent a miracle my way. 

One morning, soon after he had begun his day, he presented his best Mount Helens star-winning explosion.  But instead of my getting in his face, I came in the back door and totally changed the subject, I congratulated him for his successful climb on our towers the previous day.   I asked him how he felt when he reached the top of the climbing wall and as he answered I could see the hardness draining from his face. 

After he was settled and under control I made the following suggestion to him:  it is eight o'clock a.m. and you go to bed at ten p.m. You have a choice to make, you can enjoy another neat experience like you just described to me or you can have me in your face all day.  He chose the former.  He learned a wonderful lesson that morning but, equally important so did I.  Did we talk about his explosion, yes, a day or so later when we were talking from a positive platform and I could make it a learning experience. 

Soooo,  I also learned early, in my tenure with broken lives, that success can be a break through experience. And, with patience and understanding, I can orchestrate an experience where the person can be successful and I can honor and encourage them.  That is half of the success story;  the other is to remind that person of their success over and over again.  There is no better treatment tool than to know that someone really cares about me.  Find someone that is hurting today and try my method ; see if it works as well for you.

Blessings,

Gramps

Now Hear This!!!!

Hey Gang:  After a month of the ‘two blog system’ we have decided to change one more time.   Next week Grampsmorningthoughts will go back to Monday, Wednesday and Friday; however, Friday will be a  prophecy- type blog and we will also post that same blog on Friday on the ‘Whatshappeningman’ blog site..  Since we use a dozen or more sources in preparing the prophecy blog, time has become a problem.  We went to the two blog format to honor and protect those folks who do not want to receive the prophecy messages.  For those folks I would suggest that you check it out before deleting or bypassing.  It is important to be aware of how things are moving. These are not scary; they contain truth of Scripture that’s happening today.

We will also be taking somewhat of a sabbatical in the month of July.  I say somewhat, because with the way things are popping in our world and in the areas of Biblical prophecy there will be things that need to be shared, so there may be an occasional extra blog – probably on the weekend.

I would challenge you to keep your antenna's tuned into what is happening the key center of the world "Israel".  It is reported, from many sources, that our President has given the green light for the European Union to make a resolution that Palestine be given statehood and a date be set for Israel to turn over the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem, and that those areas will be vacated with in - the proposed time length being contemplated - one year and half.   

In other words, our President is so angry that Prime Minister Netanyahu won the election that he has decided Israel must be punished.  It is the sincere belief, of the writer of this epistle, that you had best button down the hatch',s if he does indeed vote in favor of giving away Covenant Land to Israel' s enemies (Read Joel 3:2).

The following message was attached to a release from a big wig in the Iranian government to Bibi Netanyahu:

 "Today the Arab press quoted an Iranian senior official saying that Iran has divine permission to eliminate Israel!  He said that even if an agreement is not reached on the nuclear issue, Iran has a holy mission that it will not give up -  to destroy the State Of Israel.”  These statements are heard by representative negotiating with Iran and they continue on as usual."   
      

This is not the first time such a message has been broadcast to Israel and the world.  Iran's previous president made the same vow before the United Nations assembly several years ago, and it has been the centerfold of much of the rhetoric that continues to be spewed forth from the land of the ancient Persians. 

The Supreme Court decisions to be announced in June, the vote in the UN on Palestinian Statehood, and moving into the final quarter of the Shemitah Year all in June,  one might expect that God may say enough and let us know how very angry He is with our Nation’s rejection of His Word, and our world. 

The 31st verse of Hebrews has been ringing in my ears for many days: "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the arms of an angry God".  But also remember, none of this is not a surprise to God.  It has been written into His plan since ‘time’ began and it all works out to His glory in the end.    Jesus said, “I do not what you to be unaware of what is coming down.  Be not deceived.”  He also said make sure there is oil in your lamp and you have your full armor in place and finest of all His promise are twofold:  “I will never, never, never forsake you and one day soon all my children will be with me at the marriage Feast of the Lamb.”  (Hainley renditions)

Blessings,

Gramps

Are You Up To Speed On what Is Happening?

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is, in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39).

Hey Gang, read it again, and again, and again, until it is firmly entrenched on the inside of your brain.  After I completed writing the first blog of the "Lighten Up" series, the bride of my youth called me to listen to the weird and very loud sounds our clothes drier was making.  After close analysis, that took about one second, I knew our drier that had been faithful all these years had given up the ghost.  (If driers have a ghost).   A quick analysis by my mechanic son agreed with my diagnosis.

Now, I want to make a confession to you, I have been going through the Bible once again and have spent a month or so in the prophets, major and minor, and have been blessed amore than ever before.  Our world is being shaken and we are told in the latter or last days many hearts will fail from fear.  Why? because people are not filling their hearts  and minds with the Word of God and spending time with Him in their prayer closets.  They do not have a clue what is in God's fringe package.

My confession is I tended to get on a ‘pity party’ when the rubber-hit-the-road experiences come calling. And I believe God has pointed that out to me as I have traversed through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and the Minor Prophets.    What He has been teaching me is – I/we have a choice to make, I can be in a dither each time the sky appears to be falling, like our worn out drier, which in this day and age is most of the time, or I/we can put our trust in the Lord and let Him handle the 'downers'.

I have had a little ditty on my wall for many years and I am confident many of you have heard or read it .  I admit I failed to live up to the challenge contained within its works, but also confess it has become more of a part of my life recently and would strongly recommend you, too, place it on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror and rear view mirror of your car.

It goes like this: "Good morning, I am God, Today, I will be handling all of your problems, Please remember that I do not need your help, so have a great day".   Now we might put that in more Biblical terms by quoting Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" .

  I am blessed with a wood furnace, not a heater, but a full blown furnace that eats wood in these very cold days like my Belgian horses used to eat hay.   So, I have gone through the wood pile much faster than anticipated.  Not only am I going to run out, but have been concerned about where I will get enough wood for next year.  In other words I did as Paul said he did in Romans 7:!, “I do that very things hate”, I worry!.   I tell you this to stoke your interest in another Gramps message where I will share what I believe is a fantastic miracle.

Soooo, let me close this with a challenge: I am really concerned about the direction our leaders are taking our country.  But I have learned that all the grumbling in the world is not going to change the hearts of our President and those who make the rules. BUT God did give us the key to changing the direction we are currently on, read 2 Chronicles 7:14 where He gave us this challenge: "and My people, who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will her from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land".  A conditional covenant that God will implement the day the believers of our land take heed and obey.

Blessings,

Gramps

PS  The drier fixed itself and our neighbor harvested 40 trees and we have all the tops to cut – probably enough wood for a couple years.  God is faithful!