Perseverance, Encouragement and Hope - What More Could One Ask For?

“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus” (Rom. 15:5).  “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13).

Hey Gang:  Wow!  We visited and walked the campus of Eagle Village once again last night.  When we arrived on campus there were kids in the swimming pool, some just sitting by the pool talking, a few on the basketball court and another group down on the athletic field involved in an intense game of some sort.    

Our reason for being there was to be interviewed and taped on why and how the Village came into being. When one walks the campus today, with its more than thirty-five buildings and hundreds of youth  involved in programs on any given day, the tendency is to forget the miracles that God provided on a daily basis in the early days and every day since.

The easiest of all the questions asked was “What was the greatest of all the miracles?”.  My answer, “You are looking at it”.  When God called us to leave our jobs, sell our home and move our four children cross country to develop a home for hurting children and families, we did not have a clue what that meant.  As my bride often has said, “For two years I was the only unemployed director of a non-existent boys home.” 

If one were to make a list of qualifications needed to do what we were going to do in the next 27 years, we would not have passed muster in the interview process.  I have asked God many times why he chose us when He could have chosen a Harvard graduate with all the head knowledge needed to complete the task.  His answer has always been the same – Because you were willing.

I have learned, along the way, that God is not interested in the most intelligent and gifted people in the world to do his biddings. He is more inclined to find one who has cracks and fissions; He smash them and then puts them on the potter’s wheel and molds them into the image of the person He wants them to be. 

If I were asked what was the second greatest miracle that, too, would be a very easy answer. We were so busy in those first several years I did not have time to visit other facilities and pick the brains of other folks who had gone down this road before.

Now why would that be a miracle, because I was totally dependent on God to spoon feed me each and every day.   I admit that I do not have a lot of patience with people who tell me they felt a call to do something beyond their experience level but rejected the call because they did not feel they were equipped to accept the challenge.

 Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13) and “MY God will supply all your needs according to His riches I glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19).  In Malachi 4:10 we read “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this”.    “I can do”, my God will Supply, and “test Me now in this” became my contract with God.

Soooo, I would like to share each of the questions that was asked of us last evening but that would require a sizeable book for there were very few days when God did not bless us with a miracle   There were paydays when the sun came up and there was not enough money in the bank to cover the paychecks -but that was before the mail came in.

I ask you, have you had a miracle in your life recently?  If you answered  ‘no”, I would suggest you look around for our God is a miracle giving God who loves to give miracle to His children.  James wrote, “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2).  

Do you need a miracle?  Ask God for one and then watch and see how He answers your request! Me and my house are praying for a gigantic miracle in our family, please join us!

Blessings,

Gramps

I Have A Problem

“They had said. “Come, and 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” (Psa. 83:4-5).

Hey Gang:  In my eighty-two year tenure on this earth I have heard mucho messages based on Ezekiel’s prophecy of the dry bones.  I confess in my early years I did not have a clue what the significance of that story was all about.  And then a profound thing happened on May 15, 1948, Israel became a nation AGAIN.  Now, I emphasize “AGAIN”. 

I also confess that for the next seventeen years I did not pay much attention to Israel and the Middle East.  As a matter of fact I did not pay much attention to anything that was spiritual.  You might say “I had a form of Godliness but denied the power”.  But one cannot be married to the bride-of-my-youth and her witness without feeling the conviction fires snapping at your heels. 

I will not bore you with the process that took place in my life and changed my attitude from a powerless believer to a warrior-type person for Christ.    I will share -growth in Christ is not an easy process.  At least it was not easy for me.  My flesh fought it all the way and continues to send its barbs frequently today.

When God called us from California to open what we thought was to be a foster home for four boys that turned into the miracle that the Eagle Village is today, there was a two- year period that was the most frustrating time in my life.  For two years I was the only unemployed ‘director of a no existent home for boys with problems’ and was one of the first of that new bred called the ‘stay at home dad’.

I thought it was a total waste of time but learned, in the years that followed, I could not have handled the constant pressures of building a program, raising the needed monies, and caring for the growing number of boys that God sent our way.  I found, in those early years, that the scar tissue earned during the two-year hiatus of waiting for God to say “Hey, now is the time, let’s go for it” was the glue that gave me the sustaining power to deal with what was to come.

During the two years of waiting we had a neighbor; she was actually our land lady.  She was not very big physically and did not come up to my shoulders, but her height was far higher than her physical stature.  We spent many hours together discussing the many questions that kept surfacing in my mind as I got more involved with God’s Word.    As I look back over that two-year period that I thought was frustration- ville, I learned very quickly it was that time that prepared the foundation for what was to come.

Well, back to the topic of this epistle “I have a problem”.  In that two years I learned to love prophecy.  That is just the way I am, I want to know where I am, where I am going, and how I am going to get there.    It was during the time that Israel began to fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy found in Zechariah 12:2-3.  It was also during that time that gained a great respect and love for Israel.

 It was also during that time that I learned, as a believer in Yeshua, I had been grafted into His vine and one day, as a graftee, I would spend eternity with Yeshua and all the saints who have gone before me, for all eternity in the New Jerusalem. 

Soooo, friends and family, I did it again.  I started out with a clear path of where I was heading but lost my focus and ended up down a different path.  I will try again and give you the whys and wherefores of Why I Have a Problem in the next Gramps Morning Message.    

Blessings

Gramps

P.S.  During the two year hiatus referred to above, we were blessed to be able to  provide mentorship for a wonderful group of young people who wanted to learned about Christ and become effective witnesses for Him.   It was our sincere belief that without a proper foundation we cannot become effective witnesses for Christ and, without knowledge of how to lead others to Christ, we are limited in our effectiveness as witnesses.  So, we developed a curriculum that we have taught many times since was published on August 23, 2015 on grampswhatshappeningman.blogspot.com for your review.

And the Making of Aliyah Goes On......

                                      

                                          Year of Jubilee began this week!   Biblical Year 5776

“Then I Myself shall gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and shall bring them back to their pasture; and they will be fruitful and multiply….Therefore behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they will no longer say, as the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, but as the Lord lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.  Then they will live on their own soil” (Jer. 23:3/7-8).

Hey Gang: When asked, twenty-two prophecy guru’s agreed that the number one prophetic event of the past one hundred years was the reestablishment of the land of Israel.  Can there be any doubt of God’s unending love for the land of Israel and the Jewish people than to reestablish of the land of Israel? He iss bringing the olim (those making aliyah (returning) back to the land of their heritage from the four corners of the earth.

As I have worked my way through the Bible, on numerous occasions I always pay special attention to those verses that seem to stand out in bold print.   I  am amazed that seldom do I get the same message from those verses when I come across them a second and third time.  I also noticed that many times it may be the verse before or after that one that stood out boldly the last time that is bold this time. 

We had arrived at the home of one of my bride’s aunts, who happened to come down with the flu and was unable to teach her Sunday School class.   After several failed attempts to find a substitute, she drafted me to be her stand in.  I admit that I did a lot of reading from the quarterly that morning for the subject was taken from a book that I seldom spent much time studying and was not even sure how one pronounces Habakkuk.

But, in the course of preparing to fill her shoes, I ran into one of those verses that was bold and lodged in my brain.  I believe it is a word for this day when so many folks have become discouraged with the shaking that our nation and our world is going through.    I sense that Habakkuk was a wee bit discouraged and cried out to God, “How long, O Lord, will I call for help and You will not hear?  I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save!” (1:2).  God’s response to Habakkuk, and to all of His children,  when the rubber-hits-the-road “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished!  Wonder!  Because I am doing something in your days you would not believe if you were told” (vs. 5).

Is that not true today? The twenty-two guru’s mentioned above, when asked what is the greatest trend in prophecy today agreed that the re-establishment of Israel was number one on the prophetic fulfillment chart;  but there is also a converging taking place of mucho prophecies that are described in the Bible. 

 Some said the rapid rise in apostasy was the second greatest; others said the coming together of the pieces of the Gog and Magog confederacy; a few mentioned the ever increasing miracles of technology; and still others said the reoccupation of the city of Jerusalem by the Jews.   All agreed that the return of God’s people to the land of their heritage should be enough to convince even the weakest of God’s creation that it is God who is pulling His children back to the land of their heritage. 

I received a blog this morning that had the caption “Nearly 30,000 Jews Immigrated to Israel thus far in 2015.  I also received a message from Operation Exodus informing me they have surpassed all previous years in assisting the olim to make Aliyah.

The Israeli Department of Immigration and Absorption Minister recently announced,  “At the rate the olim are arriving they will surpass all previous records for any given year”.  Thus far in 2015 (5775 on the Jewish calendar) 29,500 olim have enter Israel.  He said we expect that number to top out around 35,000 for the year.

The reasons given for this rapid increase centers on two issues: First, the tremendous increase in anti-Semitism and persecution of Jews around the world; second, the economic conditions.  It is felt that being a Jew or Christian severely limits your opportunities in the job market today in many countries.  

Soooo, friends and neighbors, I close this epistle with a verse that I feel is so very important when describing what is really happening in the world; “Yet, once more, I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.”  This expression ‘Yet once more’  denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe’ for our God is a consuming fire”.  Hebrews 12:26b – 29.

 Notice the last line, “That we may offer to God an acceptable service”.  You will have opportunity today to offer to God an acceptable service.”  Go!

Blessings,

Gramps

PS We received news from Joel Rosenberg this week that over  300,000 Jews have accepted Yeshua as Messiah.  But really exciting new continues, as he reports that millions of Jews around the world are seeking to learn more about Messiah!!!  Hallelujah!

Have You Touched Someone Today?

"For Surely I know the plans I have for you, says he Lord...to give you a future with hope" - (Jer. 29:11)

Barna reports that the Church in America is on a rapid road to the archives of history.  That most of the old-line denominations have seen a serious reduction in their enrollments and an even greater deterioration in attendance.  An old-salt pastor recently remarked, if you want to find some real peace and quiet, step into just about any church in town most of the time.    In North America, the majority of churches don't have as many members as they did ten, twenty and fifty years ago.  There is growing skepticism among many that the church is no longer relevant and will soon pass into oblivion. 

But,  let me share another study that was recently completed in a Canada where a follow up question was added to the primary question:  “Are you an active part of a church?”.  The question ask, “Are you involved in a church? And if so, what church?  Those who listed no affiliation were referred to as the “nones”. 

But there was a second question added that showed the questioners the “nones” looked more like ‘somes’.  The bottom line discovered by the questioner was Canadians are still hungry, even when they deny it.  In my experience of working with young bucks, who had no contact with the religious world, I agree with that assessment.   Most had an itch they could not scratch and really had no idea what was causing that itch.

Let me take you down a side road for a moment before getting to the main point of what I want to share with you, there is a concerted movement on the part of our President and those he has appointed as the guru’s of our military; they are going to great lengths to remove Christ from the military.  But how many know, they removed God from our schools years ago and every time there is a test He shows up invited.  In times of conflict there are no such things as Godless fox holes or Godless cockpits of fighter aircraft. 

My bride, who is an avid reader and supplies me with many interesting goodies shared the following goodie:   A pastor of one of those small, and getting smalle,r churches in the Midwest, who never allowed  reality to discourage him.  One day I, his friend, asked him, " Pastor Bill, how do you stay so positive when your membership keeps shrinking?  Aren't you afraid you'll close?”

Bill smiled, “I don't know what you are talking about! "We're not shrinking.  We're growing - up ten percent from last year."  "Can't be, "His friend said,  "I've seen your membership numbers.  Down every year for the last ten."

"You count members,” Bill said, "but we count touches.  Anytime anyone in our church does something for someone else in the name of Jesus, that's a touch; a card sent, a phone call made, a meal delivered, a donation to the food pantry.  And our goal is to increase touches.  In the five years that we've counted this way, we've grown every year."

Soooo, Getting back to the ‘nones’ who were ‘somes’, let me share a personal opinion based on more than fifty years of experience of coming along side young folks and older folks and all types of folks who have need of someone to “reach out and touch them” I believe that is what Jesus meant when He said “there is no greater love than for someone to be willing to lay down their lives for someone who is hurting”.  He also said “for those who did this for the last of these my brethren I will bless.  (Hillbilly rendition).

You see when you reach out the touch that person behind the checkout counter at Walmart it releases a muscle in their face and a smile breaks out and you have planted a wee touch of heaven into their heart.  Do you have a quota of how many touches you will share today?  I have a theory: the discipline of setting a number for it does two things, it focuses your attention of the needs of people you come in contract with and God sends those who have needs across your path for “His touch through you”.

Blessings,

Gramps

God Wants To Do Something Special Through You Today

“You will know them by their fruits…..So every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears no fruit.  A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16-20).

Hey Gang:  Our Sunday School Teacher began his lesson by showing us a drawing of how folks grow in doctrine.  Kind of like the question, “How does one eat a fifty pound piece of Swiss cheese? A bite at a time!  His point was learning doctrine, or anything else for that matter, is a growth process where we progress up the ladder to the pinnacle of understanding as we learn about or experience the various attributes of the doctrine.

Years ago I was priviledged to sit under the teaching of an old country preacher by the name of Judson Cornwall.   On one particular night he was teaching about growth and commitment and used an analogy that has stuck in my brain ever since.  He said, ‘For many folks, growth in the body of Christ is seen as climbing a tree, and when they reach the first limb they settle in and become comfortable believing this is the greatest place in God’s Kingdom. They say to self, ‘I will just stay here and enjoy the security and comfort.’

Suddenly, God shows up with His chainsaw and lops off the limb  -requiring the comfort seeker to move to a higher limb.  Moving was not to his liking but he moved out of his comfort zone and soon settled in and once again relaxes into his comfort zone.  And then one day God showed up with His chainsaw and lopped off the limb, requiring him to repeat the process of moving once again. 

His point: We encounter circumstances in our lives, much like the stepping stone chart in our Sunday School class, that forces us out of our comfort zones but there is always two exits from the fallen limbs – the narrow gate or the very wide gate.  It is easy just to slip across to the new limb without using much of our God- given abilities and settle into the same level of “no progress” as the place we were, or we can see that God has something very special in mind for us.

One of my most effective teaching tools, when working with the Village young people, was a book titled Holes in Time by Frank Constantino.  Frank was, what was termed a very bad “motor- scooter” in the incarceration business.  He was totally isolated from the general prison population and allowed out of his cell for exercise only one hour a day.  The judicial system had thrown the “book at him” and there was little chance he would ever see the outside world again.

How many know the world’s ways and God’s ways are vastly different?  How many know that God can do a mighty rebuilding job of even the toughest motor-scooters in very rapid fashion.  Frank was held in a cell that had only one small window in the door that allowed the guards to check him on an hourly basis. 

One night, in the wee hours of the morning, suddenly Frank’s cell was filled with a bright, blinding light- but the light in his cell was not light coming in through his door window.   After several minutes the light began to dim and Frank went back to bed but, as soon as he pulled the cover up a voice spoke, “Frank, I have a task for you that is not being completed because you are here wasting away.  You are leaving “Holes in Time”. 

The short version of the story: Frank gave his heart to Jesus that night and within several years was released from prison BUT, spent most of his life in various prisons of Georgia ministering to the cons. 

Soooo, my friends, Does God need to turn the lights on your bedroom tonight and remind you that before time began He programmed you to be a witness for Him?  Are you leaving Holes in Time? 

Blessings,

Gramps           

But First the Apostasy Must Come

"Let no one deceive you in any way, for it (Day of Wrath) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.  who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God" (2 Thess. 2:3-4).

"Know this first of all, that in the Last Days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?  For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Hey Gang:  I was checking out the weather when a program marquee came on that got my attention advertising, ‘The Highway to Hell'.  It is the story of a tow-trucking firm in Alaska that answers the call when accidents occur on “The Highway to Hell”.   I haven’t a clue why someone would want to drive a semi load of steel up the side of an icy mountain road in a blinding snowstorm but for the almighty buck. It seems we can find someone to do just about anything. 

As I watched the program, and I admit I kind of got caught up in the tug of war that was going on between tow-truck operators and vehicles that had found their way off the mountain roads,  I even got a wee bit excited when I saw the tow-truck being pulled ever closer to an embankment by a huge semi that had gone over the side.

As I watched the process I thought of Anne Graham Lotz’s challenge to the church to get serious, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances.  But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess 5:16-22).

So what is the connection between the ‘Highway to Hell' story and Paul's teaching on what Christian conduct should look like? Is that not a picture of the church today?  Satan seems to be on a roll and one might get the idea that the church has dug its heels in but is slowly being dragged toward the precipice.  

 

The tow-truck tug of War went on for several hours, frustration growing with each failure.   But just as they were ready to throw the towel and await the light of day a savior arrived on the scene, a second huge tow-truck;  within the hour they not only had the truck out of the ravine but it was upright.  I found myself rooting with the tow-truck drivers.

Soooo, In our Scriptures we are given clear warning that before the final chapter of man’s governments  can begin there will be a rapid growth in apostasy.  It will be a time when even many of the saints will be led astray.  I believe we are seeing this happen today.  But we need to read on in both of these Scriptures.

Notice 2 Thessalonians 2:8 “Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” and In Peter we read “Be on your guard so that you are not led astray.  Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (3:17-18). 

Blessings,

Gramps
(Continued on grampswhatshappeningman.blogspot.com Sept 19)

Do You Feel Like Your Head Is In the Dumpster?

“And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Tess. 1:`10) “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thess. 5:9)  read also Romans 5:9; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:4 and Revelation 3:10).

Hey Gang:  Confession time!  Do not get me wrong, I do enjoy writing the morning messages but there is a very deep down side to it – it requires doing a lot of research to keep you up to speed in what is happening in the prophetic world and that can be like a trip through the sewers of the world.  I am finding more and more focus on the stories of persecution, terrible - nearly unbelievable stories of persecutions around the world and the increased legal persecutions that are on the increase daily in our once land of the free and home of the brave.

In my 82 years of tenure on this earth I have never seen so many, even Christians who are living in a depressed state of mind.  Never have I heard so many comments comparing what has happened and what is happening daily to our country to a funeral, death, despair and hopelessness.  Do you feel that way this morning?  If you do let me make a suggestion – find someone who has their head screwed on right and who inputs the Word of God on a regular basis.  Someone who has read the final chapters of the Bible and knows “We Win”!!!!

Such a man is Pastor Vic Batista of Calvary Chapel Aventura in Miami who looks at the world from a biblical, prophetic, perspective, and that energizes him with tremendous hope.  He has a total “lock” on the truth of God’s redemptive plan for each and every believer.  He makes no bones about it, we live in very perilous times, but they are also very wonderful times - for we are living in the very midst of the fulfillment of God’s prophetic word that was given to us thousands of years ago.

He pounds home the point that, being in the Word continuously and in depth, is the key to mental health and prevention of such things as fear and lack of hope.  When we are continually basking in the fulfilled promises, and keep in mind God has never left us dangling on one of His promises, they are fulfilled precisely and exactly as he said they would be fulfilled. Knowing that God keeps His promises radically helps us trust Him better and gives us hope for the future.

This we can take to the bank!  In the end Jesus is the winner and evil will be defeated and destroyed!! Satan will be out of here and these amazing events are just around the corner. The ‘out of sight news’-God wants the faithful to live forever in His home with Him – the New Jerusalem.  That’s the very reason why mankind was created, so that we can have fellowship with God forever.

I believe one of the most amazing verses in the Bible is found in Revelation 9:20-21 “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see not hear not walk; and they did not repent of their murderers not of their sorceries not of their immorality nor of their thefts.” (NASB)

Soooo my friends, Jesus said, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because our redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).  It is time to look up folks!

Blessings, 

Gramps

For God is King of the Earth

“For He sees that even wise men die; the stupid and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.  Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations;…the man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish” (Psa. 49:10-12).

Hey Gang:  As I was pumping fuel into my vehicle, I happened to hear two gents discussing the state of the union in the aisle behind me.  And although I, being the nice guy I am, had no intention to listen to their conversation.  That would be eaves dropping and I certainly did not want to do that – but – it would have been virtually impossible not to hear some of what they were saying-- their voices  accelerating in intensity as each made his point.

As I was driving home a comment made by one of the participants stuck in my craw. He said, “The  people in leadership in the world today must be the most stupid of all time”.  I wanted to go back and get into the discussion but I did not feel, by the exuberance in their conversation, that they were interested in a third opinion, especially if it did not agree with what they were saying.

Now I would agree with them that it appears that Satan has done a monumental job and totally surrounded the Belt Way of Washington, D.C., with an impassible fence that does not allow common sense to enter the kingdom of leadership.   O, I know, God always has His remnant in place for the day when the world gets smart and realizes that when we violate God’s word by placing non-godly leadership on the thrones of government, we are planting the seeds of our own destruction. 

But it also appears the more successful a nation or empire gets the more they lay aside the very thing that made them successful and get the idea that the ‘creation’ is greater than the Creator.  As I thought about this subject, God sent me on a trip to Mt Carmel.  Been there a few times and can say it is one fabulous view.  The valley below is 480 square miles and has been called the most perfect place in the world to fight a war. You might have heard of it, it is called the Valley of Megiddo.

Now there was a prophet by the name of Elijah who was seen in the eyes of government as a “troubler”.  I believe we need a whole barn full of troublers in our Nation and State Capitals.  Now the word tells us “the troubler” Elijah, said to Ahab, the king,  ”You have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals”.  Send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table” (I Kings 18:18b-19).

When they had assembled, Elijah asked them, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him.”  Notice their answer – they remained mute.  Ne’er a sound!    Elijah then presented the ground rules for a challenge to the 450 priests of Baal.: “Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it”  (vs. 23).

Now, contrary to today where the enemies of God are not willing to lay down a fleece before the Lord, they (the prophets of Baal) agreed and the preparations were completed.  The Word tells us they prepared the sacrifice and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal answer us”.  They cut themselves, they raved, still no voice.  As a matter of fact no one paid any attention.

Elijah now moved to center stage and built an altar of stone to the Lord. He made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed, arranged the wood and cut the ox into pieces and laid it on the wood. He then filled four pitchers with water and poured it on the burnt offering and on the wood and then did it a second and a third time.  By this time the whole area was soggy wet.  (vs. 33-34).

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that as in the trench” (vs. 38).  Now let’s get back to question, are the leaders of today any more stupid than those of the past?  If I would have been one of those Baal prophets, I believe I would have been on my knees acknowledging that Elijah’s God was the true God of the universe and I want to be part of His family.  All of the people who were there, except the prophets of Baal, fell on their faces and worshiped God.  But not the prophets of Baal, they remained firm in their stupidity and paid with their lives.

Sooooo, my friends, were the prophets of Baal anymore stupid than our leaders who will soon ratify an agreement with a savage nation that, while deciding what should be included in the agreement was sending constant threats that one day soon they will annihilate Israel and reign their terror down on America?   You be the judge – who is the most stupid or is it a tie?

Blessings,

Gramps   

New Post on grampswhatshappeningman.blogspot.com: Hey Diddle Diddle

Point of No Return - part Three

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:13).  “Be sober of spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

Hey Gang:  The story of the “Point of No Return” goes far beyond airplanes.  It is engrained in the Seed Planting principle:  “You will reap what you sow”. (Gal 6:7).  A visitor to a prison was walking through the prison yard when he encountered one of the inmates who was tying up the weekly laundry in a tarp for shipment to the laundry.  The visitor remarked, “Sewing, heh?”  To which the inmate responded, “No “reaping!”

In the study of history of nations that have gone beyond the ‘point of no return’, we find they were born and they grew into powerful entities, but at some point the said to God, “We will take over now” and moved beyond where He had designed them to be.

We also find this to be true with many fallen ministries.  There is no question that many ministries were designed and anointed by God; however, after reaching success under God’s anointing, a smugness moved in that said, ‘We can take it from here God; we no longer need you’.  But such smugness is not limited to Christian ministries.  The Business Community is not immune from the ‘big head’ syndrome;  for that matter, there are no immunities including families, when one moves from dependency on God to “I can do all things myself”. 

As a young, very inexperienced director of a developing ministry, I received a very sound piece of advice from an old salt that had been through the developmental wars.  His counsel: “Never try and sell what you are going to do, but do it and then sell the product”.  He also said, “To go into debt on a dream or an untested commodity has been the death of many good ideas that had not reached their time.  He topped his counsel off with one last bit of wisdom:  “Use the Biblical principle of seeking the counsel of two of more folks who are successful and have their head screwed on right, who do not get caught up in the fads of the world.

Getting back to the subject “’Point of No Return’ as mentioned before, history’s graveyards are filled with the cadavers of once powerful nations that decided they could do it their way.  There is great concern, by many seers of our world today who firmly believe this once- great nation founded on Judeo-Christian Principles, is nearing that day when a wake will be held for what was - but is no more. 

Never has a nation that was so high on its horse fallen so rapidly, and its falling condition can be directly measured by its rejection of God.  The day our President choose to cover the Peoples House (the White House) with the colors of the rainbow in celebration for five individuals ruling that God’s laws pertaining to marriage were now null and void and we would do it our way, was the day a gigantic spike was driven into the heart of this nation.

Soooo, young folks, there is one last area of “The Point of No Return” that we need to look at, for it affects each and every one of us - our personal relationship with Christ.  Our failures in the business world, government areas, and personal failures can be overcome.  We can pick up the pieces and put out a new shingle with a renewed product, but our failure to place our hands in the hands of the One who stills the waters, is a road of no return and a never ending tragic eternity.  

Blessings, 

Gramps

Have We Reached the Point of No Return? (continued)

“And all the hosts will also wither away and the sky will be rolled up like a scroll” (Isa. 34:4a)

Hey Gang:  I find it necessary to stop periodically and rest my weary bones, when out cutting wood or doing other physical-type activities.  I thank my heavenly Daddy that at 81 plus years I am able to cut wood, mow the grass and do what needs to be done around our home to keep it up to speed.

 The other day, when I was sitting on a log, l noticed a beautiful cloud formation, but then again I believe every cloud formation is beautiful.  While watching, I wondered about the verse, “God would roll up the sky like a scroll”.   As I sat there the clouds were piled high into the sky.  I thought there may be some water for the folks down the road a ways.  But there was also some blue peeking through.

I wondered what it would look like if the sky was rolled up.  Could we see into heaven?  And, if we did, would it be into the same heaven that Paul was “caught up into?”  I can find no references for the first and second heaven, and I wondered about that.   There are several religions that talk about a seventh heaven.

In a recent blog I referred to a Scripture that alerted God’s family that, “We are surrounded by a great  cloud of witnesses”.  Does that mean they are close and can see our activities?  Are they just beyond the sky?  Paul tells us only God knows these things (2 Cor. 12:3) and goes on to say “was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak” (Vs. 4). 

We received word the other day, that Jean’s uncle, a pastor and true saint of our Heavenly Daddy, passed away at the age of ninety-eight.   Wow, what a homecoming that must have been with all of those saints there to greet him at the gate: family, others whose life he impacted with the Word, or walked with them side by side into the Kingdom.  Besides seeing our Savior, will there be a greater reward than to stand before the Father with those whom God has used us to bring into the Kingdom?  I think not!

There was a neat story in one of my devotionals about a very wealthy man who was nearing death. He received a visit from an angel to brief him about what he could expect in heaven.  After receiving his briefing, he asked the angel if he could bring one suitcase with him.  The angel bent the rules a little and said, “Yes”.  When the man arrived at the pearly gate the angel who briefed him, met him at the gate and asked to see what was so important that he could not leave it behind.  It was filled with gold.  The angel’s response: “You brought paving material?”

Soooo, my friends, there is no question that time is running out.  Jesus said, “When all of these things (signs and wonders) come into view, be aware, Your redemption is drawing near”. (Luke 21:28).   

Blessings,

Gramps

Have We Passed the Point of No Return?

Again I say to you, If two of you agree about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father, who is in heaven.  For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” (Mat. 18:19-20).

Hey Gang:  As an Air Traffic Controller when a pilot reported any type of problem that affected flight, our immediate attention was drawn to the critical point of “have they passed the point of no return”.  In other words would it be closer to return the aircraft to the point of departure or to allow them to proceed to their destination.

In the meantime a process kicked in that included checking other airports that had long enough landing strips to provide for a safe landing.   Having handled one such emergency I can attest that the adrenalin flowed freely, during the operation, and when the operation was completed safely, the feeling of exhilaration that was felt by controller and pilot was ’out of sight’.

With your permission I am going to do some rambling about things that have been rattling around my brain for several months.  I want to begin by saying I have four great loves in my heart, my God, my bride (and family), my country for which I was privileged and proud to serve for four years as an airman in the USAF, and I have a deep love and respect for Israel.

My relationship with My God and my bride is secure and gives me great confidence, but I have great concern about the other two great loves of my life.  The only thing I can do to help them through these days of woe is to humble myself before the Lord, pray diligently, seek a closer walk with Him and put away all those things that offend Abba Father.

Many would say that is enough but, you see, I am a warrior at heart and want so badly to take up my armor and sword, fill my lamp with oil and take after that rascal, the devil, who is causing so many woes.

I admit, I get a little (sometimes a lot) perturbed when I hear people say we have gone beyond the point of no return, in our country, and will soon go over that precipice predicted by growing numbers of so called authorities on the subject.  It really ticks me off when I hear such words coming from behind the pulpits of our land.  If there was ever a time when our pastors need to stand boldly and proclaim that our God has no limits on His restorative powers and challenge the church to lock arms under His kingship and drive the gates of hell back to the pit from which it came, IT IS RIGHT NOW!

You see, I believe, with every corpuscle in my body, that God was the same in the past, is the same today and will be the same in the future.  We can look at how He handled His disobedient children in the past and have confidence He will do so in the present and future, but, if we place our hands in the hands of the one who stilled the water and created the waters, we have confidence He will care for us.   

Do you believe that God’s dynamic power is available to us through the Holy Spirit, the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus Christ, and the Word of God?  Do you believe these sources of power enable us to face any situation with courage and confidence?  The writer of Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword” (Heb. 4:12). 

Soooo, my friends, Paul, in his letter to the Colossians wrote, “Strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light”  (Col. 1:11-12).   God stand ready to receive His wayward children back into His fold.  Have we passed the “point of no return”?   Only if we choose to remain on this same course.  It is time to yell “Emergency” to Abba Father and place Him in the pilot’s seat of our nation.

Blessings,

Gramps

Is Israel the Apple of God's Eye?

"In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me, And He has also made Me a select arrow.     He has hidden Me in His quiver.  He said to Me, "You are My Servant Israel, In Whom I will show My glory."  (Isa. 49:2b- 3b).

Hey Gang:  The writer of Hebrews tells us that in the latter days we are going to experience a shaking like we have never experienced before, all in preparation of the coming Day of the Lord.   I am eighty two years old today and can attest to the truth of that statement.  As a child I do not recall Jerusalem being a focal point of the world.  As a matter of fact I do not recall any specific event that centered on Israel until 1948 when Israel became a nation once again.

From that day on Jerusalem and Israel have been the focal point of the world press and world governments.  I list them in that order for I learned, while volunteering in Israel on eleven separate occasions, that where the press was, there was conflict.  I also learned, being there and seeing what was happening first hand, I most often came away with the felling that the press was not seeing the same picture I was seeing. 

In a recent round table discussion involving a number of prophetic gurus' one elderly gentlemen was asked, can you sum up what is happening in the prophetic world in one phrase.  He responded yes, I can do it in one word, "Israel."   He then went on to put meat on his statement: "Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around, and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.  It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heaven stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured.  And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against."  (Zech. 12:2-3). 

When people ask where is the United Sates in prophecy, my question to them is,  “Are you a literalist in interpretation or do you try and make Scriptures fit where you are at spiritually?”  In our workshops we tend to always have a group that we call the ‘pain and agony corner’ or better yet the "whole body in the sand" non-participants.  If you are a literalist, then I can answer your question; reread Zechariah 12:2-3 and pay special attention to the "all's".  if you are a non-literalist, you may have the same problem President Clinton had with the definition of the word "is".

One of my very favorite verses in the Bible is found in Zachariah 12:8 "In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them."  

 There was an old country preacher who was asked if he would rather die and be taken up to the Lord or to be raptured and taken up.    He said, “Ya know, I have studied that question for many years knowing we are nearing that time when Yeshua is going to come again soon, and I really have mixed emotions. Today, I think I would like to be in the grave and come blasting out of the coffin to be with the Lord, but tomorrow I may choose the 'some will be taken and some left' route.  But this I know, the bottom line is I just want to be with Him!

I believe we can all agree that Jerusalem is a cup that causes reeling to the peoples of the world and a very heavy stone around the necks of the peoples of the world.  Keep in mind, dear friends, that Israel is less in size than New Jersey but requires more than seventy five percent of all the time of the UN. 

  

Now, I want to make a point here, the more you open your mind and heart to the study of prophecy,  the greater the peace in your heart.  If I could have one wish given to me I would choose to stand on the Mount of Olives, where my Lord ascended into the heavenlies and where He will soon return again.  He will shout to the people of Israel: "So I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the House of Judah, Do not fear"   (Zech 9:15).

Well my friends, let me warn you, when I begin to put the prophetic word beside the news of what is happening in our world, I get very excited and also very wordy.  So please feel free to tune in or tune out when you find the load is getting to heavy to bare, but keep focused on the Lord of Glory and be advised He will come as a thief in the night and take those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and take them to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.  Hey gang, you do not want to miss that!

 Blessings,

Gramps

PS ALERT new post on grampswhatshappeningman.blogspot.com   Sept 5 

9 1 1: An Emergency Recall to Pray for Jerusalem - A message from Anne Graham Lotz

August 25, 2015   (We received this Sept 1) Less than one week ago, on August 19th, I said good-bye to my husband of almost forty-nine years. At that moment, the only thing that truly mattered was the decision he made as a five year old boy in vacation Bible school to trust Jesus as his Savior. As a result, he knew for the rest of his life that his sins were forgiven, he possessed eternal life, and he had peace with God. What a gift his faith was, and continues to be, to his family and friends. We know our good-byes were not final. We grieve, but with hope. We know we will see Danny Lotz again in Our Father’s House not because of anything that he has done, but because of God’s amazing grace extended to him at the Cross. Several weeks ago, not knowing that Danny would soon step into eternity, I had a burden on my heart to once again pray for Jerusalem. I had decided to issue a Recall to Pray on September 1st, similar to the urgent call for prayer I had issued last September. I have a sense that something significant is going to happen in the very near future that involves the Epicenter—Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. This foreboding has been confirmed by many indicators … ·  Renewed missile attacks from Gaza on Israel’s southern communities during the first weekend of this August ·  The deployment of the Iron Dome in the north to try and protect Israelis from expected incoming Hezbollah rockets ·  The tsunami of cash that will flow into Iran, then through Iran to terrorists around the globe, as a result of the “Nuclear Deal” John Kerry has negotiated that includes the lifting of sanctions against Iran ·  The fragile coalition Prime Minister Netanyahu has pieced together for his government that seems to lack unity of vision and strength of resolve ·  The strained relationship between Israel and the US as our leaders have taken this nation to the dark side of ·  Biblical prophecy because we no longer bless the descendants of Abraham by standing solidly with them against their enemies ·  The fourth blood moon on September 28 considered by rabbis to be an omen for Israel that will also be a super moon seen over Jerusalem ·  The alarming rise of worldwide anti-Semitism ·  The end of the Jewish Shemitah Year on September 13 and the beginning of the Jubilee Year on September 22—both very significant in Biblical prophecy. God has impressed on my heart to help “pre-prayer” Jerusalem for whatever He knows is coming. I am seeking to rally His people with 9 1 1: An Emergency Recall to Pray for Jerusalem. No signup is necessary. On September 1st an updated prayer that I have written will be available on our website www.annegrahamlotz.org/911  so that we will all be “on the same page,” praying with one heart and mind. Please don’t feel confined to this prayer, but use it to help focus your own. Would you Facebook, tweet, or email this to everyone you can? When war breaks out or missiles explode or terrorists attack… when Israelis are killed…how many families will be left to grieve without hope? I know that there will be no permanent physical peace until the Prince of Peace returns and establishes His reign. There is no hope for the Epicenter except Jesus. Therefore, the purpose of our prayer is four-fold: ·  For God to pour out His Spirit of grace and supplication on Jerusalem ·  For God to open her eyes to recognize her Messiah…Yeshua…Jesus ·  For God to break her heart for her sin and rejection of Him ·  For God to save her spiritually and physically as she cries out to Him… and for Him to grant her permanent peace The prophet Daniel prayed for Jerusalem during her dark days of captivity. God not only answered and delivered His people, but sent word that Daniel was highly esteemed in Heaven because he had stood in the gap for them…on his knees. I, too, want to be a person highly esteemed in Heaven for the same reason. (Daniel 9:23) Thank you for joining me in prayer for the city and the people that God loves as we pray in agreement with His Word, and are therefore confident He will hear our prayers and answer… For the glory of Yeshua