A Reality Check

“And He was also saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the West, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’ and so it turns out.  And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be hot today,’ and it turns out that way.  “You hypocrites!”  You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but do you not analyze this present time” (Like 12:54-54). 

Hey Gang:  He said, “I don’t believe that stuff”.   He, meaning a daddy who had been court ordered to one of our family workshops due to the many problems within his children in the school setting.   My question, “What stuff?” His response, “That Bible stuff.”  I then asked him, “What Bible stuff do you not believe?”  To which he responded, “O, You know, that Bible stuff.” 

He sat throughout the class with arms crossed and scowl on his face saying clearly, “I am here only because the court said I have to be and I have no intention of listening to one thing you say.”  The next week I noticed a difference in this daddy, his arms were not crossed and the scowl was gone.  My question, “What happened to you?” 

He related: “When I got home from class last week my house, and I emphasize house because it was nothing that remotely resembled a home, was in pure bedlam.  It was like the walls were pulsating.  The woofers and tweeters where turned to the mega range and each of the four kids were trying to out shoot it”.  He immediately declared an armistice and a pow wow around the dining room table was called to order.  

He said, “I was astounded when we agreed that the simple principles like respect, honor, responsibility and love were made the code of the house!  Everyone seemed more at and ease and like it was now a home, not just a house.

I tell you that story to set the table for what God has been laying on my heart recently.  I have been watching, with horror, the floods that have decimated Nebraska, and parts of Iowa and Missouri.   The weather reports had been very clear, this storm was going to a whopper.  The weather man referred to it as “A Perfect Storm”.  I could not understand what is perfect about a storm that has the potential to take everything, including the land you live on from you.

As I watched the rapid approach of the “Perfect Storm”, I wondered where the folks who have no relationship with the “Storm Maker” go to seek something or someone to turn down the facets.    It brought to my recollection a time years ago when another predicted ‘Perfect Storm’, this time a hurricane had set its grisly eyes on the outer banks of North Carolina and neighboring states. 

The local pastors, believers in “Greater is He that is in me, than He that is driving that storm” called for the believing family members to assemble on the beech and unite their hearts in corporate prayer against this menace that was about to make life miserable for them.  Even the local newspaper reported that a miracle took place that day, as the storm turned and headed back out to sea.   

Every time I see a ‘Perfect Storm’ I think of what happened that day.  I believe God saw what He wanted to see and steered the storm into a left-turn mode.  I wonder what would have happened in California, when all the fires were devastating the State, if Governor Brown would have declared a day of fasting and prayer maybe Abba Father would have stopped the winds and sent his sprinkling system from the heavenlies.

So, my friends, I ask you, if the “Perfect Storm” were projected to make a visit to you home, where would you turn to for help?   I suspect, as we near the time when the skies are opened and the children of God are called to meet our Lord in the sky, there will be many more perfect storms.   Is it time for a “Reality Check?”

Blessings,

Gramps

Do You Have and Itch You Can't Scratch?

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I never forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).  Where in this world can you get such a guarantee?

Hey Gang:  When was the last time you were satisfied?  I mean really satisfied.  Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy, “Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (6:7-8). 

Satisfied?  I believe most would agree, that is something we are not.  We take a vacation of a lifetime; we satiate ourselves with sun; fun, and good food- but we are not even on the way home before we dread the end of the trip and begin planning another?  We are just not satisfied.

As a child we wished we were teenager’s, as teens we wish we were adults; if we are in middle management, we wish we were in the ivory tower brigade;  If we are blessed with a good job, we wish we were at the top of the ladder.  We are just not satisfied!

There was the story of the woman who sometimes had to choose between needed medication and food but squeezed out enough each month to buy that one pottery ticket that would one day make her fabulously rich.  And low and behold, she hit the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  She got her dream and surely would be contented. 

But, when asked what was the difference between poverty and wealth she said, “Before I constantly worried that I would not have enough money to buy enough food and medications to meet my needs; now I constantly worry that someone will take away my wealth and I will be in the same fix as before.”

I believe most in our world today would say that contentment is a difficult virtue to find.  Why?  There used to a song that said, “I looked for love in all the wrong places”.  I believe that is the malady of our day.  God designed us with a vacuum that is just the size of God, in our chest cavity, and we try and find contentment by putting all the bangles and beads of this world that only irritate us when it does not bring peace into our heart, mind and soul.

Contentment implies satisfaction, rest, and peace, and the only way to find true contentment in this world is through Jesus Christ who said, “Peace I leave with you; not as the world gives to you.  Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27).

Because -there is nothing on earth that can satisfy our deepest longing.  We long to see God!  The leaves of life are rustling with the rumor that we will see Him one day, face to face – and we won’t be truly content until we do. 

But this I can attest to….as I have advanced in the Golden Years (golden for the medical profession), I have become a wee bit more satisfied.  The best part of my day is the early morning hours when I lock myself away with the Lord and His Word.  Now that my young friends is pure satisfaction!!  Try it, even for five minutes each morning, before you start the busy time of the day. 

It gives us contentment and that fuel and prepares our hearts for driving out the drive into the mission field.

Blessings,

Gramps

Three Questions Designed to Get Your Attention

Scripture:  As I began to research for the following Morning Messages, I rapidly encountered what I think of as the Peter principle:  “If it can go wrong, it will!”.  But, as the morning progressed and the problem doubled, I moved into high gear. I felt in my heart that the message God wanted me to share was not to the evil one’s liking and the harassment continued. 

Is this something new?  In no way.  We always knew when God was moving us in a different direct during the development of the Eagle Village programs, He tested out those new concepts in our home!  

It is also in those times when we turned up the heat a notch or two in our warfare against the evil one that we drew on God’s promise: “Greater is He that is in us than he that is the world” (I John 4:4).  It is always important to keep our armor spit-polished, our lanterns filled with the Holy Spirit and sword (The Word) in place - Satan has a bulls-eye on your back and a head of steam to make life as miserable as possible. Keep in mind that “That is God is for us, who can be against it?” (Rom. 8:31).

So, my good buddies with the help of my computer guru, I believe the bugs have been worked out and I can proceed with what I believe God would have me say this morning.  The tapes from the October Conference finally arrives a few weeks back and I am loaded for bear with far more material than I will ever be able to share with you.  

At the conference we had scheduled a full day of workshops with the exception of session one on the opening day.  It was my intention to do a sweep through the dozens of tables that were piled high with materials available for folks to take home with them.  But, as the hour drew near for session one, I was walking by a workshop titled “Bible Prophecy For Everyone” by Todd Hampson from Southern California. That was like a magnet and before I knew it, I was sitting in the front row with notebook and pen in hand.

Within moments of his presentation I knew I was going to like this very energetic presenter.  Two reasons: first, he was talking in a language that my hillbilly background could understand; second, he was determined not to move to point two until all had a clear understanding of point one in his presentation.

It was like a glass of pure clear cold water on a very hot day for it solved a dilemma that I have fought with for many years- ‘How to present the Prophetic work in a in a clear non-confusing way.  We are truly blessed as family members of God’s family to have an awesome-fabulous Book, a Book that has no comparison and is filled from cover to cover with what has happened, what is happening and what is going to happen!  The word that Jesus said, “I want you to have this so that you will know what is coming down even before it happens” (John 14:29 and John 13:19).

In his presentation Todd introduced his book that he has recently completed titled The Non-Prophet’s Guide to the End Times.  It is a tremendous book for those who have been down the prophecy road for many years, and equally, if not more important, for the new comer to the prophecy wars.  This is by no means an advertisement for Todd’s book but, if you are - as I was, trying to eat a watermelon with a tea spoon and eager to move from the superficial to the red meat of prophecy, I would recommend you consider it.

Hey Gang, I will leave this for this morning and pick it up next time with three essential questions that he addressed and titled, “Choose Your Own Adventure, Three responses to the Signs of Christ’s return.

I close this Morning Message with a question, “Do you think God is trying to get America’s attention? The water in my yard is so deep even the crows are wearing hip boots!

Blessings,

Gramps

When Potential Becomes Reality

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

Hey Gang:  Do you know what God's desire is for you today?  Paul answers this question in Ephesians 1:19: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe"

And how do we make this happen?  We don't! "It comes through the working of the strength of His (God's) might which He brought about in Christ" (v.19b-20a).

One of the first lessons I learned as a new Christian was that God is a compulsive decorator.  If you are sincere in your commitment to Him as Lord of your heart, be advised- He will place you on the potter’s wheel and begin to cut and scrap and whittle in an effort to make you into the image of His Son.  

I suspect this might up and do some major surgery on your ‘thumper’, like the sheer terror we feel when the Surgeon says, “We are going to have to open you up. We don't mind it much when a new coat of paint is added or new carpet laid, but we can become a wee-bit testy when He begins to dig into the crevices and deal with those sacred things we tend to want to hang onto. 

The Old Pastor, when interviewed for his long life in the service of the Lord, was asked to give the keys to his success. He said, “I taught the Word and nothing but the Word”.  He went on and added, “I never felt smart enough to try and interpret what God meant when He gave us His Word, so I just took it as He gave it and fed it to the folks He sent across my path.

God's intent for His children; "That we not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  But His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night" (Psa. 1:1-2).

So, lads and lassies, notice God's promise in verse three: "You will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers" (Psa. 1:3). 

What so you.  A tree firmly planted? or "chaff which the wind drives away?" (v.4b).

Blessings,

Gramps

Which Side of the Stone Are You On?

“And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away” (Matthew 27:59-60).

Hey Gang:  One of my fondest memories as a child living in the mountains of Pennsylvania was our daily trip to the water hole.   The entire community (consisting of three families) would truck on down to the water hole with their picnic baskets and spend most of the day there.  

But the one thing that really stands out in my memory was the huge rock that served many purposes, it was a picnic area, a diving board and a place just to lie back and enjoy the sun.

One of the profound things that we noticed about Israel on our first trip was the abundance of stones.  Israel is a very stony place.  I have also noticed, in my reading of the Word, that stones play a very significant role in the Bible.  

A stone settled the score with Goliath and the Amalekites; Moses struck a stone to produced water for a million or so folks and their animals; Notice in our Scripture today:“…he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb”. 

As I thought about this tomb and the huge stone, I sensed that stone is a stumbling block to many, who say they are Christians, but do not believe Jesus rose from the tomb, as well as other parts of the Bible.  They see the gigantic stone permanently rolled into place and it stands in the way of gaining that ‘peace that surpasses all human understanding.’  

I want you to know you may be in the middle of the greatest battle of your life right now, but the risen Christ is on the move on your behalf- on the other side of the stone.  He is writing His story into your situation – a story of resurrection life, bursting forth onto a scene once ruled by death. 

Now hear this my cherished friends, I have stood at Gordon’s Calvary, which many believe is the tomb that they laid Jesus body on that cruel night. I want you to know there was no stone!  I stood in the tomb and there is no body!  He is alive and sitting at the right hand of the Father in intercession for you and me.  Can you say, “Praise God for that?”

Blessings,

Gramps 

Faster, Faster, And Still Faster!

“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase” (Dan. 12:4). 

Hey Gang:  In a recent prophecy Morning Message, I listed some of the news headlines of the day and suggested that you pay very close attention to two words.  The first, “convergence”, the coming together of all the signs listed in the Word: meaning “Get your house in order, the end is very near”.  The second, which I had to place on hold due to space, was a term that has become very visible in the prophetic world – “Exponential Curve”.

Have you noticed that everything seems to be spinning faster?  Knowledge is developing so fast they can no longer print encyclopedias that are up to date with the latest phenomes.  I turned on the boob-tube the other day and there was a documentary about the nation in the days following the civil war.  I found myself both mesmerized and recalling what my ancestors referred to as “The Good Old Days”.   

Keep in mind that this is being written by one who is older-than dirt by today’s standards.  I remember one of my favorite activities of the day was to run to the top of the hill and walk down the hill as the horse-drawn milk wagon made his way from house to house.  The ice man came only twice a week and the man who shouted, “rags and old iron”, as he weekly emptied the garbage cans sitting along the curb.  What a sad day it was when the first milk truck arrived on the route.

My bride was explaining to our eight-year old great grandson what the telephone system was like in her growing-up years- when a dozen or more people shared the “party lines”.  She mentioned the phone hung on the wall in one of the rooms; to which he asked, “Could you play games on the phone?”

Now, I confess, as I watched that very old documentary, I could sense a longing to be back on the top of Wopsey Mountain again.  But the more I thought about it, being currently surrounded by the wondrous things designed to make our life easier and more convenient, I decided I liked many of the modern conveniences but still am not sure they made my life any better.

That brings me back to where I began - the second word that we need to be alert and watching.  The importance of the Exponential Curve is that it is a sign that the end is approaching very rapidly.  The Scriptures are very clear, when all the world has received the Word, we need to sit up and take notice.  When you add that to “Apostasy must come first” (2 Thess. 2:3) the red-warning lights and buzzers should be saying,’ time to get very serious about what is happening in our Nation and world.’ 

One certainly does not have to be a super-brain child to see that apostasy has hit our nation with a huge sledge hammer and is now continuing to beat on the remnant that is left.   Daniel’s warning that - in the last days things are going to explode faster and faster - is no longer a prophecy – it is alive and gaining speed each and every day.

Well, my friends, prophecy is being fulfilled on parallel highways that are also examples of the exponential curve.   As we get closer to the coming of the Lord, we see two roads separating very rapidly, the one that leads to eternity with the King of kings and Lord of Lord is getting more narrow.  And, not by God’s choice, the other road is getting wider. 

I pray all who receive this epistle have their passports stamped and ready and that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. 

Blessings,

Gramps

Fear Is Not God's Way!

“But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched.  Nor will the flame burn you.”  (Isaiah 43:1-2).

Hey Gang:  Fear is not God’s way - but, I can in no-way say I have always been fearless.  Overconfidence has never been one of my long suits.  I have always had a tendency to look at the bills before income, and keep a close eye on the check-book bottom line. 

Potential defeat has always hung more securely around my neck than feelings that all will work out.  The uncertainty of the future has always been an albatross that lurks in the shadows.   I suspect growing up in the depression years might have something to do with that.

I can attest to the fact that fear can zap your enthusiasm, your strength, take your joy from you, murders peace and stomps the spring out of your step.   Yet, God promises us that no matter how hot the fire may get, through His power and strength we can face it without fear!

But, in my years since accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I have learned that His way is the only way.  Since he created me, He knows what it takes to fix me.  Yes, I continue to have fears when things do not go as I hoped they would, but I now have a defense against the fear attacks.  

I have it pasted on the wall of my study, in my Bible, and etched on the inside of my brain, “Give it to God” and “take up my cross and follow Him”.  I have learned to sing that familiar phrase,“Trust and obey, for there is no other way”.  In essence - I try to find someone who is worse off than I am and help them carry their cross.

I learned that from the lad, who one day saw his elderly neighbor who had recently lost his bride and life companion, and crawled up in his lap.  When his mom asked him what he said to his friend, the lad said, ”Oh, nothing. I just helped him cry.”

So, young warriors, keep your antennas up and your peepers open for we know not when God is going to put someone in our path that we need to ‘crawl up in their lap’ and cry with them.

Blessings,

Gramps

Lord Help! continued

"Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Col. 3:1-2).

Hey Gang:  In a recent Gramps Morning Thoughts blog it was suggested that most folks do not like change.  We like our rocking chair with iced tea and a nice cool breeze, but we also know from experience, ‘that is not God's way’ most of the time.  It is not the easy path that leads to growth. That comes from carving, grinding and reshaping on the potter’s wheel.  That is what leads us into God's path of righteousness.

We also learned that Paul's method of teaching was to give us a principle and then expand on the principle- giving us instruction on how we should go about implementing the principle. In Colossians 3:1-17 Paul expands on how does one "…seeks the things above".   

In step one Paul gives us the bad news: we must die to self.  Wait a minute Lord, did you not put a free will in my head?   Yes, but I also placed a will, inside of your dome of intellect, to choose whether you will follow the black dog or the white dog. Will you take up your cross and follow Me or choose to go your own way?

In step two, Paul tells us we need to do some deep soul searching and put off all those things that grieve the Holy Spirit. He lists some of the more common sins that tend to get us in trouble with God and with our neighbor - like anger, lying, abusive speech, wrath and malice.

Putting off is of little value, if we do not replace it with step three, something that prevents the evil one from returning with all-of-his cousins.  Paul says, “Put on the new self, who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him” (Col 3:10).   Fill your heart with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing one another's burdens, and forgiving each other but above all 'PUT ON LOVE'.

Paul's fourth step is the glue that binds, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body", and "let the word of Christ richly dwell with you" (3:15-16a).

Notice Paul closes this teaching on how to live an effective life for Christ with a final word of advice:  “Whatever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks through Him to God the Father”.   Also notice that in verse one we find the trigger phrase that makes this process work, "If, you have been raised up with Christ".  For me, that is a daily challenge that does not come easy.   The "if" is the triggering device.

As a growing up kid at home, my Saturday chore was to clean the basement, called a cellar.  Basements are nice cement walls with nice cement floors with gas furnaces that do not require coal and taking out of the ashes.  What I am saying cleaning the cellar was grungy. 

It kind-of resembled my life at that time.  I was not a nice kid, but I will not give Satan credit by telling of the sins of my past.  Paul’s cleaning process was in my Bible and I even read it once or twice in those teen years, but it did not do me a licking bit of good for I did not apply it!  You might want to take-a-peek in your closet and see if you need to use those eight words, ‘die to self’, ‘put off’, ‘put on’, and ‘let God’ have his way with your life.

Blessings,

Gramps