Category: World Events

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What Makes God Worthy of Praise?

Why do you praise God?

This past summer I heard a speaker challenge his audience to, during prayer time, be specific in the reason we’re giving God praise. He explained through the analogy of a parent that we don’t necessarily crave accolades from our kids, but when they express thankful to us, it’s nice to know specifically what they’re happy about. This led to the speaker’s challenge…take the time to praise God for one of His specific attributes at a time.

I’ve tried this, on and off, for a couple of months. It turns out God’s got quite a few praiseworthy attributes. He’s merciful, compassionate, full of justice, truthful, Holy, etc. It’s, you know, all those things you heard since Sunday school. I haven’t approached this exercise with any specific plan; each time I do it, I just pick one that I’m thankful for at that time. As I’ve done this, it seems that one of the attributes I keep coming back to is steadfastness. God doesn’t change. He’s the same today as He was back in the first descriptions of God in Genesis.

I’ve seen a lot of change. I’m at a place in my life now where I wouldn’t exactly call myself old, but let’s just say I’ve missed the boat if I wanted to make a career change to become a professional athlete. I’m old enough that I’ve used pay phones and I’ve lived in a world without the internet. In terms of inventions and technology, the world has changed quite a bit just in my lifetime.

It’s amazing how much public perception can change, too. This coming Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of one of our nation’s darkest days. In the weeks after September 11th, 2001, you simply could not find hometown heroes that were placed on a higher pedestal than firefighters and police officers. These were the people who, at great personal risk, rushed toward danger and confusion as everyone else staggered or ran away from it. Children were inspired to grow up and put on the uniform, having no idea that once they did, the public, including some newscasters and national-level politicians, would be calling for them to be defunded because of their overt racism, inappropriate tactics, and arrogance that the laws they enforce are intended to improve the lives of only a portion of the citizenry they claim to protect.

From the highest heights to the lowest lows in less than 20 years.

On the flip side, God exists apart from all that. He resides outside of time. Ever see those little rolls of paper that they use in cash registers or the old-style calculators? Picture the entire timeline of biblical history, starting from Genesis and extending past us and into the future to Revelation, as being recorded on a giant version of one of those unfurled rolls. Everything in all of history is written down on that sheet, from before Adam’s first breath, to when you learned to tie your shoes, to what you’ll have the next time you eat something.

Now picture that sheet being rolled up, placed in a bottle, and put up on a shelf somewhere in God’s kitchen. To Him, any single point anywhere on that entire timeline exists simultaneously as every other point on it. When we look toward God and say that He doesn’t change, it’s not because He’s staying the same for a really long time…it’s because from His point of view all of human history occurs in less time than it would take for Him to snap His fingers. How much do your attitudes, perspectives, values, and core beliefs change in the amount of time it takes you to blink? (The mind-blowing part is that He is intimately involved in each person’s life at every point on that roll of paper at the same time as the roll is just sitting there in the bottle.)

All the stress, the heights and depths of the emotions we face throughout our lifetimes, makes it easy for us to assume God waffles or flip flops on things the way we would.

Not on your life.

To Him, nothing has changed. We’re all depraved and He offered us a way out. Some take it and some don’t. Though rocked by scandal and watering down of beliefs to conform more with the world, the Church is the plan to spread the Gospel and provide hope to the world. This has continued for generations, and only He knows when He’ll initiate the final phase of human history.

Through it all, nothing about God changes. For that, I’m thankful and give God praise.

What attribute of God will you praise Him for today?

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Is Anyone Asking These Questions?

Antibacterial soap…is it good or bad?

On the one hand, it kills 99.9% of bacteria. On the other hand, it means that only the strongest…the bacterial equivalent of gold medalists…are left alive to reproduce.

It’s easy to see how this can be a double-edged sword. If you’re about to put in your contact lenses, sure, wash your hands with antibacterial soap. If you just came in from mowing the lawn or working on the car, regular soap will be just fine.

We’ve got sort of a similar case brewing with COVID. We currently have a couple of different shots geared to fight the virus. I don’t know that “vaccine” is the best term to use; a vaccine normally prevents you from contracting the disease it was made to combat. (Think Polio, Smallpox, etc.) Today’s shots are just supposed to make sure that if you catch Coronavirus, the symptoms aren’t as bad as they otherwise would be. It’s true that as the shots became widespread, the number of COVID hospitalizations declined, but they don’t do anything to prevent you from contracting the virus. Reduced hospitalizations aren’t proof that the virus stopped spreading, it could just mean that there were fewer severe cases (which is still a positive!).

These shots have limited efficacy. That is, the shots’ symptom-reduction effectiveness wears off over time. We’re still learning about exactly how long it’s effective, but for this discussion let’s say it lasts somewhere between 6 and 10 months. There’s a growing movement to get a booster shot available to the public. Once that’s available, I don’t know for sure, but I would think it would only provide relief for a similar timeframe, meaning that another booster shot is required every 6 to 10 months beyond that point.

So where are we right now? Well, here in the US, we have a growing percentage of adults that have been fully vaccinated. I imagine that means we have a shrinking percentage of adults that have either never received “the jab” or only got a partial dose. I’m a firm believer that we’ll always have some certain percentage of the population that opts not to get stuck. Realistically, I think 100% participation is very far out of reach, especially if you have to convince people to get on board with a solution that apparently only provides a limited-time reduction of symptoms.

Let’s get real here. The virus is going to continue mutating and evolving. It’s a living thing that will try to survive. We have these shots that are temporarily effective, but we will likely someday have a variant of Coronavirus that can overcome our current shots. If a shot is to be effective at stopping the spread of COVID, there are a couple of things we’ll need that we don’t yet have.

The first is a more effective shot. Protection that lasts for only 6-10 months is simply not sustainable. Some people will be very diligent for the rest of their lives in making sure they get a booster every time they hit their window. Others may get one or two, but will stop going after that. My guess is that most people will fall somewhere in the middle. If big numbers of people start skipping the boosters, the overall effort will be rendered less effective.

Second, there needs to be a massive campaign that synchronizes global dosing. Giving everyone the same shot at the same time means global “Coronahealth” is predictable and we could make more definite plans. The problem with that is that it’s a logistical nightmare of epic proportions. Let’s say that every 8 months or so, international organizations administer effective dosages for 7.5-8 billion people. That might someday be possible in countries with well-developed transportation infrastructure, but it would be a herculean lift in more remote areas of the globe where travel is much more difficult or is only possible at certain times of the year. It would certainly be an impressive feat, but even if we do it for a round or two, we’re eventually going to start asking “is this really worth all the effort?”

How about we skip ahead to that point right now? Is today’s madness really worth all the effort? Yes, COVID-19 can be deadly, but in most cases, it’s not. It’s unpleasant and inconvenient, certainly, with many people losing their sense of taste or smell for months, but it’s not as deadly as originally feared.

I’m certainly not an avid consumer of news programs, so I may not be completely accurate about this next part. It seems, though, that all you ever hear about is numbers of new infections. “There were X number of positive COVID tests last week, bringing the cumulative total to doom and gloom.” Well…sure, but then they never follow up after that; they make it seem like that’s the end of the story…all those people are the walking dead and it’s just a matter of time before the virus claims them. My question is: why don’t we hear more data on people that have overcome the virus? How long does their protection typically last? Do average people gain more protection from a low-efficacy shot or from their bodies actually overcoming the virus? To be honest, I don’t know the answer, but it seems like nobody’s asking the question. At a time where “breakthrough cases” are spiking, shouldn’t we be asking some basic questions? Considering all the regular news reports that show thousands of new cases…wouldn’t it be a fantastic development if we learned that only 60% of them had long-lasting immunity after that?

So let’s ask the question: “how do pandemics end?” In order for a disease to die out, it has to run out of new hosts to infect. That can happen in a couple of different ways. 1. Isolate people so that the virus cannot spread from host to host. In the process, every infected person that does not spread the virus becomes a dead end for it. This is why it’s so important to quarantine at the beginning of an outbreak, when it’s still possible to contain it, but it has obvious negative mental health effects that most of us have experienced at some point over the last 18 months. 2. Enough people possess immunity (either natural or synthetic) from the disease that the virus has a hard time finding new, vulnerable hosts to infect. Our current shots don’t provide immunity, so we should be looking down the line to the next generation of medical solutions to provide actual protection from COVID, rather than merely preventing potent symptoms.

I’m inclined to think that a population who received the existing shots is actually prolonging the pandemic. If we could develop a shot that were a true vaccine…something that permanently blocked the virus from infecting the person who received it…that would hasten the end of the pandemic. Biology is funny, though; by introducing a hybrid injection that makes symptoms much more bearable without actually preventing the infection, all we’ve done is give the virus a challenge…something interesting to tackle and overcome. Think Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park. “Life finds a way.” I suspect that this course of action will only extend the outbreak by creating a larger number of COVID variants than we otherwise would have had.

In short, you know best what your situation is. If you want to get the shot, I say go for it. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to, I don’t think anybody should be able to force you to get it, but you really do need to be respectful and responsible with your social behavior in all aspects of life. At all times, assume you’re carrying the virus and that not everyone around you has as hearty an immune system as you do.

Today’s shots are not going to end COVID. This pandemic is still going to be around until it runs out of new people to infect, and infection rates (including breakthrough cases) will probably rise as the cold months approach. Don’t be surprised if the numbers get worse before they get better, but don’t shut the door on the possibility that the rising number of infections may be what eventually causes the drop in new infections.

Keep your head up. It may take some time, but we’ll get through this!

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It’s Hard To Put Into Words

To all the veterans and families of veterans that spent time in Afghanistan…

I’m sorry, and thank you.

There’s nothing I can say that will make things right. I can’t erase the things you’ve been struggling with while watching the events of the past few weeks. I just want you to know that there are still those of us that haven’t forgotten you, and are still thankful for your willingness to spend time overseas on our behalf.

I’m sure there are some today that don’t even understand why we were there. There’s a whole generation of Americans that have been born since the events of 9/11/2001. It’s so far in the past now that some of the Americans born since that terrible day have raised their right hand and spent time in Afghanistan within the past year or two.

I can’t help but think, though, about what Afghanistan was like before we put boots on the ground, and what it might morph into over the coming weeks and months. During that nearly 20-year window when American troops provided reliable security, there was a different group…a generation of Afghans (especially Afghan women and girls)…that experienced a level of freedom and seeing value in themselves that they’d never encountered before.

That’s thanks, in part, to you.

Thank you for your courage, thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for, at least for a time, making a difference in that faraway place.

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Go Ahead, Break the Mold

Our world is changing, and it’s changing very quickly.

Let’s look, for example, at the business model that Christians use to reach unsaved people. It used to be that we (Christians) would invite people to come to church, or maybe a Christmas program, so that the people we invite could hear the message that someone else delivers. Or maybe we’d support missionaries in bringing Jesus to the natives of some far-off land. There’s nothing wrong with those things, but “inviting people” or “supporting missionaries” aren’t spiritual gifts. They’re important functions, but it’s also important to remember those that speak from a pulpit or travel to foreign lands are not the only ones with holy ministries.

Maybe this general attitude of “buck passing” is what’s led to the condition of the church now.

Every church is made up of imperfect people, so a church is never perfect, but these days it seems like things have gone off the rails. Many individual Christians have lost sight of the fact that Christ is the most important thing in their lives. It’s now common to have Christians (even members of the same church) torch each other over, of all things, politics or whether or not to get the COVID vaccine. I’m talking, like, vicious attacks, burning bridges kind of stuff. It’s as though these folks honestly believe that expressing their opinion is more important than the commission we’ve all been given to point others to Christ.

Jesus didn’t shy away from the controversial issues of the day, but He also rolled up His sleeves. He met people’s needs as a way of getting them to pay attention to what He had to say. People these days who think their spiritual gift is to gaslight other Christians on social media have lost sight of their priorities.

The thing that’s supposed to set us apart has now become a rarity. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. –John 13:35

In a time like this, we need people that are willing to live their lives for Christ in ways that are not commonplace. The ways that you can show love for or meet the needs of your neighbor are limited only by your imagination. People out there are struggling not only with the basics of food, water, and shelter, but are struggling with anxiety, infertility, holding a job, PTSD, insecurity, a special needs child, depression, bullying, or any number of other problems. Some of you reading this may have experience in one or more of those areas, and could be specially equipped to come alongside others currently facing that struggle. You may be considering taking a bold step to help meet someone’s needs, in the process opening the door to share Christ, but you’re hesitant because it seems too risky.

It’s not really my place to give it, but sometimes people feel like they need to hear it from someone…so, if that includes you, let me try to help out: you have my permission…go ahead and break the mold. You’re uniquely suited to do incredible things if you’ll allow God to use you. Reach people for Christ in a way that is nontraditional, is unusual, or hasn’t been done before. You were made for this! There are just two criteria you need to abide by: Love Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and you are free to do anything short of sin to point other people to Him.

I don’t know who you are or what your plan is, but if you’re meeting those two criteria…I’m rooting for you.

In signing off, here’s a song by Jen Ledger that speaks to this topic. She herself broke the mold, and may inspire others to do the same.

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34 Bible Verses About White Privilege

There’s been a lot of talk about “White Privilege” lately. It’s a controversial topic that seems to be gaining traction, even at major corporations. For those that are unfamiliar with the term, the basic premise is that on average, white folks have advantages in life (either subtle or obvious) that non-white folks do not have. Many definitions say that it’s a product of years of white-imposed racism.

To me, it sounds suspiciously like we’re being led to a place where it will become acceptable to start concluding “the only fair way to proceed from here is to implement Communist policies, where everyone is treated the same.” If you start hearing that, push back hard. There is NO political system that’s been responsible for more human suffering than Communism. If that’s the route things are going, the effect would be to reduce (not end) racism by making everyone miserable, but would come at the cost of intensified class warfare, denunciation or banishment of all political beliefs other than a standardized core of them, and a government takeover of most, if not all, private property.

Still, it’s an interesting thought prompt. If I had been born to the exact same parents, lived in the exact same house, and my parents had the exact same employment situation, but all of us were Asian or Hispanic instead of white, how would things be different?

The answer, of course, is impossible to know. Things would be different I’m sure, but I have no idea how or to what extent. At the end of the day, God made me the way I am, and I’m not about to start arguing with Him about it, so in my view it’s unrealistic for anyone to expect me to be sorry about it. Since He doesn’t make mistakes, the only thing about me I’m ashamed of is my sinful nature, and the cross took care of that for me.

The Bible actually speaks quite a bit about how to obtain privilege, but it uses another term. I’m sure you’ve heard it used many times before. We often hear athletes, the well-to-do, various experts, and people that live joyful lives say that they’ve been blessed. Those various blessings are privileges that not everyone possesses.

There are a ton of Bible verses about people being blessed. In this context, it usually means that God, in some way, rewards an obedient follower by bringing something positive to their life that wasn’t there before. With the exception of Solomon, we don’t normally get to pick what our blessings looks like (he chose wisdom). Sometimes it means wealth, but more often it’s something less tangible. It’s a blessing to have enough to eat every day. It’s a blessing to have a clear conscience and sleep well at night, or to have a peaceful home. Contentment is a huge blessing. Some people take their good health for granted, but it’s definitely something you miss if it’s taken away. Effective medical treatment, a steady job, a happy heart, a pregnancy after a struggle with infertility, running water, air conditioning…they’re all various types of blessings!

According to the Bible, there are numerous routes to receive blessings in your life. It’s no secret; it’s out there for anyone to read. I’ll give you a bunch right here. These actions usually come with consistent Christian living, and manifest themselves naturally when actively living that lifestyle. We’ll probably someday hear “Christian Privilege” used in a negative context meant to help marginalize Christian values, so I’ll refer positively to it instead as “Christ-Follower Privilege.” It’s available to everyone, regardless of skin color, and without reservation I encourage everyone reading this to pursue it. If you choose not to, well, okay, that’s your choice, but I think you’re giving up some great opportunities.

The name of this post was misleading; it should be “34 Bible Verses To Help Any Ethnicity Gain Privilege.” Notice that none of these verses mention anything about race, meaning they’re applicable to anyone. Without further ado, here they are:

Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. Psalm 119:2

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20

How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. Psalm 31:19

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. Proverbs 10:22

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers. Psalm 1:1

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11

Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go. 1 Kings 2:3

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. Psalm 33:12

“If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.” Malachi 2:2

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:25

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Luke 6:22

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Psalm 32:1

Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Matthew 5:11

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A Whole Bunch of People Straight up Vanished – What Just Happened?!

This week’s post isn’t geared so much toward my regular readers as it is the people that have just witnessed an astonishing event, and who are absolutely freaking out right now. If a sizable portion of the human race has just flat out disappeared without a trace, and you’re still here, this post is meant for you.

Right off the bat, I can offer you hope, but it’s going to come with a hard dose of reality. I’m breaking this into two sections: what happened, and what you need to do now. You’re going to think what I’m saying is crazy, but crazy just became your new norm, friend, and the things I touch on can help you start to understand this new reality.

So what happened? I can’t put a number on it, but a ton of people around the whole world just up and disappeared, right in the middle of everyday life. Cars driving down the road suddenly had no drivers, and airplanes lost their pilots, which caused additional chaos, I’m sure. Despite what’s being reported, it wasn’t aliens and it wasn’t some weird new disease. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the people that disappeared are Christians. That is, they believed and trusted in Jesus Christ. Sure, there are still some church-goers and religious people that didn’t disappear. Ask them why others are gone but they’re still here. If they can’t seem to articulate their thoughts, ask them about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Not their head knowledge, as in their knowledge of or about God, or the money they give or the things they do for the church; ask them about their relational/experiential knowledge…the relationship they have with God. Odds are that they didn’t have a meaningful one.

Here’s the quick and dirty: after Jesus left, the Church (capital “C”) started. Throughout the Bible’s New Testament, the Church is described as the thing preserving the world (the “salt and light”). The Church is what perpetuates society’s collective morality. Yeah, things progressively get less and less like the way God wanted humanity to act. Churches give in, get “woke,” and endorse things that God himself would not endorse. Morality becomes less black and white and becomes increasingly gray. There are some churches and some folks that stand up and try to point the way back to Biblical morality, but over time those voices get drowned out, silenced, or labeled “hateful.”

Eventually (this is the part you’ve witnessed), God says “That’s enough; the evil is too much. I don’t want it to corrupt my people any further, so I’m pulling them out of there.” I don’t know when He’s going to do it, but I know that none of the people who disappeared are perfect; they just chose to love Jesus and trust Him as their savior and are now with Him in Heaven.

So where does that leave you? Well, you’re heading for some very rough waters. As it turns out, the Church was the speed bump that slowed down the moral degeneration of the human race. Now that it’s gone, there’s nothing holding back society’s decay. It’s like defunding the police and trusting that everyone will just get along and live happily together without problems. Things are about to get more insane and deadly than you imagined could ever happen.

If it hasn’t already happened, there’s a guy about to come on the scene that’s the most articulate politician/leader you’ve ever seen. He’s going to seem like he’s got all the answers and people will thrust him to global leadership. It’s a meteoric rise. The Bible calls this man the Antichrist. Circumstances will be such that you are encouraged (and maybe in some cases forced) to worship him. He’s empowered by satanic forces and will be able to do amazing supernatural things, and will perform counterfeit versions of the actual miracles Jesus performed.

Very quickly, here are some other things that will happen: Crazy, unexplainable signs in the sky…sun, moon, sky, and stars will all act strangely (Revelation chapter 6, verses 12-14, along with Rev 8:12). Imagine peace in the Middle East. This guy will orchestrate a 7-year treaty with Israel that brings peace to the region. Halfway through, though, he’s going to break it for his own benefit, desecrating Jewish holy sites in the process (Daniel 9:27, although there’s a lot more reading to do in order to grasp this meaning). Also, you’ll be unable to buy or sell or otherwise conduct normal business without receiving a mark on your hand or forehead. I don’t know if it’s going to look like a bar code, a QR code, or something else, but odds are it will somehow have the number “666” associated with it. (Rev. 13:16-18) Additionally, even aside from the disappearances, there’s going to be widespread death on a massive scale (Rev 6:7-8). Interestingly, there are going to be two guys that show up in Jerusalem that, for three and a half years speak out against the way folks are living and the way the world is conducting itself, pointing the way to Jesus Christ. People are going to hate hearing the truths these two guys are spreading, and will even try to kill them in order to silence them. During this time, these two will be invincible, but at the end the Antichrist himself will kill them both and their bodies will be left in the street as people celebrate their death by giving gifts to one another. Three and a half days later, however, both men will come back to life in full view of everyone. God then calls them to Heaven, and the two men will leave after that. (Rev. 11:3-12)

Look there’s a whole lot that happens, and I just don’t have the space to go into it all. Here’s what you need to do:

  • Accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. You’re not perfect, but you don’t have to be. I realize that “accepting Christ as your Savior” sounds kind of wonky for someone who’s not accustomed to “churchy” language, so I’ll say it differently. Talk to God; pray this prayer: “Dear God, I need you. I’m humbly calling out to you. I’m tired of doing things my way; help me to start doing things your way. I invite you into my life to be my Lord and Savior; fill the emptiness in me with your Holy Spirit and make me whole. Lord help me to trust you, help me to love you, help me to live for you. Help me to understand your grace, your mercy, and your peace. Help me have the strength for what lies ahead. Thank you Lord, Amen.”
  • If it hasn’t already, it’s probably about to become illegal to possess a Bible. You’re going to need one, though, along with a place to stash it. The Bible is a very complex book, with lots of stuff that you’re probably not going to care about (so many lineages!), and you’ll need help understanding it. There are lots of different translations of the Bible, but the most important thing for you is to get one that you can follow and that is an actual translation (not paraphrased). If it says that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, you’re probably on the right track. If you’ve never read the Bible before, start out in the New Testament. If you’re new to this, start with Matthew. (The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are in the same group of books, and they cover a lot of the same material. Don’t read all four and wonder why they killed Jesus four times!) Some of the books of the Bible that will pertain the most to you (Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel) are also some of the most difficult to understand, so it’s best to get either a study bible (with notes) or separate commentaries that can help provide explanations of what the text is saying. At this point you’re living in a time that’s past civility, so I’ll say this and you take it however you’d like: the homes and bookshelves of the people who disappeared are your best shot at obtaining the biblical resources that can help you the most, and those folks sure don’t need those resources anymore.
  • The Bible is your single best source for learning what you need to learn, but it can be very hard to understand. For a lot of people, sermons from pastors/priests or additional Bible study materials will help increase understanding of biblical scripture’s application. If you can obtain those resources, do it.
  • Find others like you. God empowers His followers with special talents called “spiritual gifts.” They could be things like teaching, faith, leadership, administration, or the gift of helps (this isn’t an exhaustive list). If you accept Christ, you’ll gain something that you can use to help other Christ-followers, and others will likewise be able to help you. The Bible says that wherever two or more are gathered in His name, He’s there (Matthew 18:20). Take comfort in that, help each other learn about Christ, and help each other survive. You would not believe what God can do when He wants to get something done, and you may very well see it up close.

There are very hard times ahead. You will personally understand desperation in a way I can only vaguely imagine in April of 2021. My hope is that this post will float around online long enough to reach the people that need it, starting to orient you in a time of unprecedented chaos.

I’m not out to con you. I can guarantee that I have nothing to gain by passing this information along. In fact, if I’m right about all this, I’m already gone. You, on the other hand, have everything to gain!

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

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Big Change is Afoot in Our Nation

I’m not sure of the best way to articulate this, but there’s something big happening in the way our government functions. I don’t mean to sound overly dramatic, and hopefully I’m wrong, but I’m not convinced it’s a good thing, and I don’t yet know what it will mean for those that openly follow Christ in our country.

A little in the way of background: for a long time in our nation, the person occupying the title of President of the United States has come from the political class. That is, they’ve served as a governor or senator before moving into the White House. The Washington insiders have their connections to one another, and have a “I’ll scratch your back if you make it worth my while” mentality. Neither side really places their constituents above the needs of the party, but when the party’s needs align with something their constituents are after, television cameras and reporters are invited to come in and cover it. Elected officials and career hobnobbers working in DC aren’t primarily there for “the good of the people,” they’re there for the perks.

Then in walks a president who’s not from the political class. He’s accustomed to the way things operate in the private sector: if you’re not doing it better than the next person, you’re losing. It’s one thing to think about applying that mentality to the government, but it’s another thing entirely to actually start moving in that direction. Have you ever been at a job when you get a new boss? He or she wants to take a tour…get the lay of the land…see what they’re working with. Well, the outgoing president more or less took that tour, and said “what’s behind this door?” The tour guide said something like “no, no, no, you don’t want to see what’s back there, Mr. President. Besides, we have a luncheon to get to.” But the President walked over and opened the door anyway. When he saw 300 copy machines in a room, and only seven pieces of paper, he said “what in the world is this?” It turns out that the brother-in-law of the college roommate of someone’s representative’s lobbyist owns a copy machine business, and somebody owed them a favor. The next day the news coverage wasn’t on the tremendous government waste, but on the fact that the president went against the wishes of a long-time, highly decorated tour guide who is from a different racial background than he is.

This story is made up, of course, but sort of shows where we’ve been for the past few years. This guy upends the apple cart. He says things that make sense to the average Jane/Joe, but it threatens the good thing that people in DC have going. That brings us to the past few days.

It’s becoming more and more evident that we don’t really have two political parties in DC; we mainly have one class of politicians that enjoy the power and perks that come with DC life. When this guy began threatening their gravy train, they sat up and took notice.

Now he’s the only president to be impeached twice. The first time was for a phone call where he was supposedly abusing his power by trying to take out a political opponent. The second time was for inciting a riot. Call me suspicious on this one, but the event where the president spoke was filmed; why aren’t his “beyond the shadow of a doubt” riot-inducing remarks being played non-stop on major news programs? Isn’t impeachment the top news story of the day? Also, why is it that rioters in Seattle can set fire to police stations (with cops inside), and rioters in Portland, Oregon can destroy, raze, and loot for months straight, but when the other side storms the Capitol for a few hours (which they should not have done, by the way), this is portrayed as the deadliest threat our nation has ever known?

All that is prologue. Here’s where the trouble comes.

Our nation’s leaders are not known for their calm, deliberate, and rational thinking. They whip up support for the things on their agenda, and the loudest voices (not the majority of constituents) more often than not get their way. Right now, what are the loudest voices calling for?

They want the president’s head on a platter, and they want anyone that supported him dismissed as a lunatic, danger to society, and stripped of their voice. There are many ways they’ll try to do this, and they’ll probably be successful at some of them (anyone here have a Parler account?). One of the first things they’re doing is a lightning-fast impeachment of the president. Keep in mind that Congress took eight months or so to agree on sending out $600 checks during the worst pandemic anyone can remember. Now they decided that, with less than two weeks left in his term, the president needed to be impeached again and removed from office. Why not just let him finish out his term, which now has less than a week to go? It seems to me that they’re doing it so he cannot run again for the office in the future. It would be one thing if it was his own party pushing nearly unanimously for impeachment, but it’s something else when the opposite party leads the charge. Using your power to take out your political enemy is, after all, what the president was impeached for (the first time around).

Here’s my concern. During times where emotions are running high, people follow leaders that have zeal. Well, someone is probably going to come up with the zealous idea that “since the president is a horrible person and a danger to society, the people that like him must therefore be horrible and a danger to our society, too. Many of the people that are his supporters also support religious values. Ergo, people that support religious values are dangerous.”

Of course it sounds far-fetched, especially since the freedom of religion is such a highly valued part of our country’s history. You can’t just stomp out churches! So what will happen is that churches will have to say the right things or avoid saying the wrong things in order to be granted certain privileges (like being tax-exempt organizations). If a sermon contains things that the state disapproves of, that becomes a problem for that particular church.

Change is coming. I ask today that you pray for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Congress, the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the individual state governments. Pray that God would be near them all, and that He’d help the new administration govern in a way that honors Him, that they legislate in good faith, and that this nation is calmed while respecting the constitutional rights of all citizens.

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Are We Living in Revelation?

Do you believe that what the Bible says is true?

You might breeze past that question without even giving yourself a firm answer one way or the other. I’m not asking if you believe that parts of it are true; I’m asking if you believe the whole thing is true.

There are lots of different (some may say boring) parts of the Bible. There are some parts, though, that are mind-blowing when you examine them closely. The story of Creation, for example. When Moses wrote Genesis, though, there were a lot of details he glossed over or simply didn’t include. The advantage we have in our time is that we can look back through history and fill in some of the gaps using corroborating sources and our knowledge of science.

We don’t have that same advantage when we look at the other extreme of history’s timeline. The Bible has a lot to say about the times leading up to the end of this world (the “End Times”), but they’re written in such a way that it’s difficult to pinpoint times, places, and the specifics of how particular events might unfold. It’s not clear if there’s one major event that sets things off, or if there’s a straw that breaks the camel’s back, but we know that God eventually says “You know what? Enough is enough.”

There are several books in the Bible that discuss the End Times, but the most prominent is Revelation. It’s a crazy book. It’s full of vivid symbolism, along with sometimes vague information about how God will pull His faithful out of the world, satisfy His extensive wrath against sin, and contend with those that have opposed or rejected Him. There’s some scary stuff in there, and it can make you nauseous to see what’s in store for those that never accept Christ.

One of the interesting things to ponder is how the United States may play a role in the events described in Revelation. Right now I’d say that the United States is one of the most powerful nations on the planet. Twenty years ago our nation stood head and shoulders above everyone else. We’re still at or near the top, but much of our advantage in any given area (technology, military might, etc.) has eroded and China either has, or may soon, overtake us. Here’s the kicker: of the nations described in the Bible’s End Times writings, most of them appear to be Middle Eastern, European, and some nation that’s east of Israel. Translation: by the time we actually arrive in the End Times, the US will fall into the “all others” category.

Here’s where future prophecy meets current reality. How could a nation as powerful as the United States, the only country to put humans on the moon for over 50 years (using computers less powerful than your phone) descend so far into mediocrity as to not even be a footnote in the Bible’s “end of the world” account? Well, I guess the short answer is that a nation can’t expect to be blessed by God if it turns its back on Him.

The U.S. will have to fall very far from its high-water mark. How might that happen? I’ll give an example of A way; I’m not saying it will happen this way, but it can help illustrate things in a way that hits home. Keep in mind that tumultuous times will become a regular occurrence, and that the current craziness we’re living in may one day seem like “the good old days.”

The biggest way to kill America’s superpower status will be to cripple the country as an economic powerhouse. I’m not talking about shutting things down for Coronavirus…that blindsided everybody, so most nations are in the same boat there. I’m talking about tanking our economy in relation to the rest of the world.

Well, what’s the best way to bleed our economy to a point where we’re no longer a world leader? I’m not going to put a label on it, but I’ll describe it to you. Ever since World War II, we’ve tried to develop a global community of sorts; our economy was so powerful that we’d throw money at other nations just to keep them friendly with us. We shouldered the bulk of the costs for the UN and for NATO, and countless smaller international agreements. Over time, other nations began decreasing the levels of funding they committed to those same international efforts, but with a wink and a nod, they understood “that’s okay, the U.S. will pick up the tab.” For some reason, we did, and other nations liked that.

Then came Donald Trump. “Hey, you’re not living up to your commitments, and we’re left holding the check. Ain’t gonna happen anymore.” He embraced the idea that the American President should be an advocate for the citizens of the U.S. before he or she advocates for anyone else.

But he’s abrasive, not easily controlled, and doesn’t care about upsetting the status quo in Washington DC, which unleashed an untold amount of hate. There has been such a backlash against Donald Trump that his political opponents have never had more momentum for swinging back in the other direction as hard as possible. It doesn’t even matter what the policies are; if Trump supported it, the loudest critics want it to go, even if it made good sense. One of Trump’s hallmark policies is “America first,” doing things that will grow the American economy and generate opportunities for the people that live within our borders. It’s not anti-everyone else, it’s just taking care of our own house before looking around and seeing what we can do to help out the neighbors. He takes the view that the American President should do everything in their power to make the lives of Americans better. Those committed to swinging the pendulum back the other direction are willing to place the interests of the global community above American interests.

That brings us to next month, when it looks like Joe Biden (a likable career politician who’s in failing health and has demonstrated signs of mental decline) will be sworn in as President. Mr. Biden is generally moderate, but will be under a great deal of pressure to lean harder to the political left in order to satisfy the extreme wing of his party and undo President Trump’s executive orders and other actions.

Let’s assume for a moment that Mr. Biden (due to a resignation, due to being forced out via the 25th Amendment, or due to impeachment connected to his son’s business dealings), does not serve out his entire first term. In that case the Presidency falls to his Vice President, Kamala Harris (a freshman Senator who, in 2019 was ranked further left than any other sitting Senator based on the bills she supported). Ms. Harris ran in the Democratic primary for her own shot at the presidency, but her views were so extreme that she was not considered “electable.” Support never materialized and she dropped out before the first primary vote was even cast.

Well, even that might not be so bad, except for the fact that the same party already controls the House of Representatives and is within striking distance of taking over the Senate, pending the outcome of the Senatorial elections in Georgia early next month. We’ve had instances in the past where the same party has controlled the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, but we’ve never had the same party control all three during a time when that party avoids condemning those tearing down monuments for the sake of trying to rewrite history, or when that party supports cries of “defund the police.” On top of all that, it seems like Communism…the world’s biggest political source of mediocrity and human suffering, and its gentler cousin Socialism…are gaining popularity in America. Never has the country been so close to endorsing anarchy, legislating hatred for our nation’s ideals, and intentionally taking a knee on America’s economic interests as it is right now.

You may think some of these sound nuts, but let me remind you that crazy things have occurred in the past, and maybe some of them could have been avoided if more people voiced their concerns. If America is to hasten its descent into has-been status, this would be one of the biggest opportunities in its history to hit the gas.

Thinking about our country in terms of a very weak nation (or several smaller nations) may be a difficult thing to do. I’m about to list some things that will probably happen on our way to that point. Keeping in mind the end result of America’s eventual placement in the “all others” category and general alignment with accepted global principles described in the Bible’s End Times writings, here are several other items to be on the lookout for:

  • Statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. This would create four new Senate seats that would make it nearly impossible for Democrats to lose the Senate, consolidating one-party rule, a very dangerous proposition. Political power in America should be won based on ideas, not based on an inability to lose.
  • Increasing the number of justices on the Supreme Court in order to negate the court’s current Conservative makeup (“packing” the court)
  • Declaring non-illnesses or non-medical items as “public health threats.” Declaring things like “gun violence” or “racism” as public health threats essentially creates a back door to impose restrictions on people without actually passing laws or having debate. By making such declarations, officials are empowered to make decrees or take actions they otherwise couldn’t, with no oversight.
  • The active undermining of Christianity and Judaism. These religions are exclusive in nature and hold as central pillars absolutes that the world rejects. The easiest way to begin stomping out the institutions that hold to these belief systems is to revoke the tax-exempt status of any church/synagogue that unapologetically preaches the ideas laid out in their respective holy books, choking the funding of those entities and reducing the power of their voice over time.
  • While I would agree that every life is important, it’s also important to understand that movements sometimes masquerade as something else. Seemingly endless throngs of people unhesitatingly threw their support behind the “Black Lives Matter” movement earlier this year, but I wonder how many of those people understand that the BLM activist group has Marxist roots. Now a woman named Cori Bush, a former BLM activist, won a House seat in Missouri. We’re about to have someone in Congress that shares common views with Marxists, and it’s because she was elected to that position.
  • In Communist nations, the State is all-powerful and takes the place of religion. This would require a massive change if it were to happen in America. There would have to be a sick twist where “the separation of church and state” is circumvented and the State actively takes on the responsibility of providing for the emotional and spiritual needs of citizens that religion normally provides. It calls for worship of the state. A leap of this magnitude would not happen quickly, so watch for movement in this direction over time. As a starting point, look for more government in your life, not less.
  • I say this half jokingly, but look for this blog post to be censored or removed. Bookmark it and check back every now and then. Set a calendar reminder for a year from now.
  • In the End Times, the city of Babylon will be rebuilt and will serve as the world capital. Babylon is in present-day Iraq, so keep an eye out for resources starting to gather in that region.

Please don’t misunderstand; I’m writing of a possible bridge scenario between where we are and where we’ll end up. I can’t tell you what will happen tomorrow, let alone what will happen in our government over the next few years. I don’t believe that voting for the Biden/Harris ticket or other Democratic candidates makes anyone a bad person. I believe the Bible is true in its entirety, and since I believe that, I’m looking at where the Bible says we’re going, and seeing how we might get there from here. Globalism would cause a reduction of America’s place in relation to the world’s other nations, and the leadership team that’s shaping up to take office next month is more “pro-globe” than “pro-America.” I don’t believe we’re living in the era described in Revelation just yet, but the scary part is that I’m able to see how the distance between now and then may be closed.

Some may be incensed that I would write these things. I completely respect your right to disagree with me, but I expect that you’d do the same for me without thought of intimidating or silencing me. If you do not respect my right to disagree with you, it’s only evidence to you that the overall attitude I’ve written about is already bearing fruit in your mind.

Speaking in practical terms, no superpower lasts forever. America is no different. I don’t know if it will have a quick fall, if it will take another few hundred years, or if it will zigzag back and forth between rising and falling power. What I know is that God has a plan, and if you are a Christian, regardless of whatever nationality you claim as your citizenship, He has purpose in mind when He thinks of you. He does not hope that you blindly stumble into your purpose. He prompts you. He places something on your heart. You hear something in a song or in a conversation with someone that ignites something within you, something that makes no sense at all intellectually, but it’s something that you can’t shake.

I encourage you to go down that road, because it’s the purpose God has for your life. We’re closer now than ever before to the days described in Revelation, and you live in this time, rather than at any other point in history, for a reason. It’s time to lean in.

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You Want To See Pandemonium?

Things are about to get a little crazy with the court battle over the election, and I just want to try to explain ahead of time what’s going on. This isn’t the type of post you’d normally find from me, but this information doesn’t seem to be getting a whole lot of news coverage, so I wanted to write something up to help give you a better idea of how you can be praying for the nation.

As we all know, Donald Trump has instigated numerous lawsuits to protest the election results. He hasn’t been very successful in the lawsuits alleging fraud, which constitute the bulk of the lawsuits that have been filed. Ultimately it’s easy to point out a lot of things that don’t quite make sense with the numbers, but it’s very hard to conclusively prove those abnormalities should result in a different election result.

Let me help illustrate what I mean. Any time there’s a national election, people go digging into the data to see what they should capitalize on for the next election. In this past election, Trump gained voters from just about every demographic compared to 2016. Nationwide, Joe Biden performed worse with minority voters than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 in every area except in the counties that contain Milwaukee Wisconsin, Detroit Michigan, Atlanta Georgia, and Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Okay, well that’s odd, even suspicious, but unless there’s some corresponding proof of illicit activity, it’s probably not going to be something that changes anything. Then you add in the fact that Joe Biden, a candidate that did almost no campaigning, got more votes than Barack Obama did in either of his presidential elections, even at the height of Obama-mania. Again, that’s something that raises eyebrows, but without more proof, it’s near impossible to overturn any results.

Well, now there’s something new afoot, and it’s something that has nothing to do with fraud. First we need some context. The U.S. Constitution lays out how the Electoral College system works. Interestingly, it doesn’t mandate elections as we know them. The Constitution says that each state will be allotted a certain amount of electoral votes based on its population, but the only real guidance it gives is to have the individual state legislatures write laws to determine how their respective states will award their electoral votes. (Think of a state legislature as that particular state’s version of Congress.)

Okay, well that sounds like a footnote we’ve probably forgotten from our high school Civics class. I think at this point all the states award their electoral votes based on the voting that takes place in their state, which keeps things simple enough. It’s one Federal election made up of 50+ smaller individual elections, and whoever gets to 270 electoral votes wins.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Keep in mind that the U.S. Constitution grants the power to write election laws to the individual state legislatures. There are four states (Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan) which had late adjustments to their election law…but the laws were not changed by their states’ legislatures. They were changed by one of the executives (Governors, Secretaries of State, etc.) or by the state Supreme Courts. In other words, the election laws were changed illegally, and the elections in those states were carried out using the illegal instructions (the changes were mostly things that made it easier to cast votes without having to prove you’re eligible to vote, something that no party should endorse).

Now the state of Texas (later joined by over 15 additional states) brought a suit to the U.S. Supreme Court. That suit more or less points at those states and says “we want a ruling on what just happened, because if this is allowed to take place in any of our nation’s states, every election from here on out could have its rules changed by anyone and be a murky free-for-all.”

I’m not exactly sure of the legal terms here, but the Supreme Court is curious enough about this that it told the four states to respond with some additional information, and to do it by 3 pm today, December 10. The court is not obligated to take the case, but the information those four states provide will probably determine whether or not the court decides to hear it.

Where could this end up? That’s anybody’s guess. What you’ll likely hear on TV is that this is a waste of time, a publicity stunt, and is doomed to be a colossal failure. It’s always disconcerting to me when people describe complaints of unconstitutionality as a waste of time.

So here’s the deal. The Supreme Court, if it takes the case, will be willing to rule on the Constitutionality of the case, but it doesn’t want to be perceived as choosing sides in an election. What they will probably do instead is say “yeah, that’s definitely not how things should have gone.” Then the question will come up: “So…what happens to those four states’ electoral votes?” And the answer will come back: “Let the four states’ legislatures decide.”

Then it’s absolute panic time for like, everybody. There will be behind-the-scenes arm twisting for whoever controls those legislative bodies. There will be threats, bribes, and blackmail for many of the state representatives in those legislatures. Pray for them, because they’ll feel like the weight of the world is coming down on their shoulders. I have no idea what they’ll decide to do. If it was a close election in that state (most of them were), they might say “let’s split our electoral votes 50/50 and give half to each candidate.” Some might say “we’re giving all our votes to this guy” (meaning either Biden or Trump). If one candidate got 60% of the votes, maybe they’ll give him 60% of their electoral votes. They may totally pass the buck and say “You know what? We’re going to cobble together a do-over election.” I simply don’t know what will happen. Those are 62 electoral votes that will be dangling in an unprecedented situation, and everyone (lawyers, academics, talk show pundits, news anchors, Uncle Billy) is going to try to exert some kind of moral authority about what should happen when in reality, it’s completely up to the people in charge of those state legislatures, and nobody else.

During that whole time, the Trump team is going to try making a better case about the fraud they have evidence of. They’ll figure that they’ll be more successful at getting favorable decisions from the state legislatures if they make a compelling case in the court of public opinion. Since they don’t trust the major networks to provide coverage of their evidence, I’d look for a full-court press using any means possible to tilt public opinion in their favor.

If the Supreme Court takes this case, that scenario is where we’re likely headed. Is this crazy or what?!

Well, with that explanation, I ask that you spend continued time in prayer for our nation, because this could easily turn violent (not that I view the threat of violence as a reason to shy away, but by definition, when there’s violence, people get hurt or killed).

Stay safe, wash your hands, watch out for one another, and get on your knees!

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Early Thanksgiving Greetings!

I’m doing an early post this week so I’m not posting on Thanksgiving morning.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Ordinarily I’m pretty boogery about decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but this year is different. The year 2020 needs some good news, so we’ve already got some decorations up, even before Turkey Day. (This includes a “Thanksgiving Tree” that’s dressed with colorful Thanksgiving-themed decorations.)

For a lot of folks, the 2020 version of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years probably looks a little abnormal. There are probably a lot of curtailed or scaled back celebrations.

Thanksgiving for one…

Even so, don’t let that stop you from being thankful to our Lord, Jesus Christ, who gave the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. This has been an unquestionably difficult year, not just here in the United States, but around the world. Praise the Lord for the blessings you’ve been given and for the things that have been entrusted to you.

On my end, I’m thankful that you’re reading this. I have a lot of crazy stories, along with what I believe to be some good Christian insight, but I’m not the most extroverted guy, so I’m thankful I’ve found a venue by which to share some thoughts that hopefully encourage you to move toward living a life that’s full of the power of the Holy Spirit…the life God intended for you to live. You might be a regular reader of DareGreatlyNow posts, or this could be the first and only post you’ll ever read from this site. Whatever the case, I’m grateful you’ve chosen to dedicate a few minutes to reading this, and I thank you for it.

Our world is hurting, and it needs hope. Christ is that hope, but you’re the one carrying the message. You are uniquely equipped to glorify God, and I urge you to use your interests, talents, and resources to do it in a way that is uniquely you, and at the same time wholly God-honoring.

This Thanksgiving, may the Lord be praised, and may you celebrate God’s blessings in your life!