The End

There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. -Daniel 12:1

We do not like to talk about The End. The Endo of All Things frightens us into silence. It seems to be an unspoken agreement amongst Christian that sermons, devotionals and conversation should always steer clear of the terrifying reality of The End.

But The End is very real indeed, and the thought of what is to come should frighten us. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. (Rev. 9:6) This is a promise of agony for those who do not come to know God! It should frighten us; we should be God-fearing people. Yet, we cannot allow our fears get in the way of our growth and knowledge of the Lord. He has given us but a glimpse into The End in hopes that we might use it as a tool to motivate us to prepare ourselves for His second coming.

While He has given us a glimpse into The End, He has not revealed all to us. We simply wouldn’t be able to handle it. Even those like Daniel and John (the author of Revelation) that received a very real sneak preview of The End Times couldn’t understand it. Despite their strength as Christian leaders, they were ill prepared for what is to ensue during the great battle. For Daniel, what he saw was appalling, exhausting and beyond understanding. (Daniel 8:27) The End, just like the true nature of Heaven and Hell, is beyond our comprehension. No movie, book, or human will ever be able to accurately describe or guess what will happen during those days other than what has been given to us in Scripture.

God does promise that believers will know of the day of Christ’s return. We mistakenly assume we will wake up one day and it will be the end of the world and Christ will have returned. This isn’t true. We learn through the Revelation to John that it is those who live in darkness that will be surprised by the Second Coming. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know at what time I will come to you (Rev. 3:3)

How do we go about readying ourselves for The End? As believers, we are given ample instruction throughout the Bible but here is a good plan to get us started: We must fear the Lord and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:7) We must work every day as if working for the Lord. (Col. 3:22) To prepare for battle, we must put on the full armor of God every day. (Eph. 6:11) We must seek to spread the Word, so that when the day comes all who have had heard it might be saved. We must be fishers of men. (Matt. 4:19)

Above all else, we must repent. In the Book of Matthew we find that the very first time Christ begins to preach He simply states: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. (Matt. 4:17) This is the Son of Man and His first words to the public are already about His Second Coming!

Do not fool yourself into thinking that The End will not happen. It has been promised to us and we have been given the tools to ready ourselves for Christ’s arrival. Obey His Word and He will guide you through The End.

This is a weekly devotional that I write and send out via email. Previous devotionals will be reprinted here, but if you’d like to sign up to receive the newest ones every week, please send me an email by clicking the envelope on the front page of this site. All text posted here is written and owned by me. Please link back to this site if posting elsewhere and give appropriate credits.

Also during February, Kristin’s mom came down to visit.

One of the things we’ve started doing is putting Baker on his belly while he plays on his Boppy.

This thing is great because it allows us to put him down while we eat, but we don’t have to put him in his chair. He can sit right next to us on the couch! Also, if we put him on his belly, it helps him work on his neck movements and muscles and get used to the sensation of being on his stomach.

Just as an FYI, he still has crazy hair:

Finally, the big event at the end of February was the great snow we received.

I was excited about the snow because it finally gave us a good opportunity to put Baker in this awesome bear outfit I picked up while I was in Indianapolis for business.

I got the outfit from H&M and it’s totally awesome, isn’t it?

Baker finally got a taste of his first snow.

Finally, to end this update, here is a picture of a very happy Baker.

The Lonesome Valley

Salvation is found through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. -Acts 4:12

There is only one way to experience the majesty of His kingdom and it is through the salvation found in Jesus Christ.

The stark reality of our journeys as Christians is that no one else on this earth can save you. No one else here can go to heaven for you. We need the fellowship we find with our brothers and sisters in Christ to sustain us on our journey, but that trip through the valley is ours and ours alone.

David, in Psalm 23, does not mention a “we” but instead his song sings only of an I and the Lord. Even though I walk…I will fear no evil for you are with me…they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4). This is not a trip a mother can take for her son, nor is it a journey to be led by one friend for another. The destination of salvation through Christ can only be reached by the individual; a loved one cannot will it upon them. As individual followers of Christ, we must each take our own trip through the valley.

Although our journeys must be made as individuals, we must pray for the salvation of others. We must continue to hope that they too will see the Light of the Lord. Like so many of us, Paul prayed fervently for the conversion and dedication of others. (Romans 9:2,3) He knew however, that the salvation of the individual, despite fervent prayer on his part, was ultimately up to that person and God. Even the mighty Paul could not go to heaven for someone else! Despite his years of service and dedication, even Paul could not save someone by proxy!

The journey must first begin with the individual confessing that Christ is Lord, with belief in their heart that He is risen and that we are saved. (Romans 10:9) For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:10) You cannot confess the sins of another or lay claim to their heart for Christ!

Do not despair, for there is always hope: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) God does not want to lose any of His sheep. He has not forgotten about your sister. He will not forget your coworker. His patience is endless and He is willing to wait as long as it takes for those that are lost, to find Him. He so desperately wants to be found.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14:3)

Does your heart break because someone in your life might not know the way? I encourage you to continually engage in fervent prayer for them.  Pray that they will be able to begin their own journey with Christ. Share with them the map to salvation but understand that you cannot force them down the road. I pray that the day Christ comes back to take us with Him, that you will know the way.

This is a weekly devotional that I write and send out via email. Previous devotionals will be reprinted here, but if you’d like to sign up to receive the newest ones every week, please send me an email by clicking the envelope on the front page of this site. All text posted here is written and owned by me. Please link back to this site if posting elsewhere and give appropriate credits.

He is Jealous

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. -Deuteronomy 4:24

We belong to the Lord. Our worship, service and faithfulness belong to Him and Him alone. When we choose to devote ourselves to something other than God, He becomes the consuming fire as described in Deuteronomy.

When God sees us slipping away to something other than Him, He becomes zealous in His protection of what is rightfully His. God paid the ultimate price for us when He sent His son to die for us on the cross at Cavalry. He literally bought us with the life of Christ.  This gave us a new life and second chance, so when He sees us devoting what should be our time with Him to something else entirely, He becomes a raging fire.

He is jealous for us because He loves us so much. God expects and demands exclusive dominion over our hearts, minds, and souls. His love for us is infinite and boundless, He only asks for a fragment in return. Should we ever find ourselves letting our love for God grow quiet, He will grow jealous of what ever it is that is taking His place. Our love is God’s and we should never let something replace Him as our one true Love.

Is there something in your life that is distracting you from God? Are you giving your time or heart to something other than God? Are you freely giving away something that rightfully belongs with the Lord? For us to be anything but totally devoted in worship of Him would be denying God what is rightfully His. Don’t fall into the trap of serving or worshipping something other than God. If you’ve let an activity or person take God’s place in worship, be warned that God simply will not stand for it.

His name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14). Our jealous God is avenging (Nahum 1:2). Should you choose to exalt others before Him, His anger will burn against you and you will be destroyed (Deut. 6:15). God knows the plans He has for us (Jer. 29:11), so He becomes jealous when we devote our love to anything but Him. His love is so great for us, He becomes a raging fire when something takes our attention away from Him. How awesome is it, that the Lord of All Creation loves us this much!

The Lord our God is sovereign. He is the Redeemer, the Life-Giver and the Holy One. His name should be given honor and glory (1 Chron. 16:29). If He gives His glory to no other (Isaiah 42:8), shouldn’t we do the same? Stop making God jealous with those other, foreign gods in your life! (Deut. 32:16)

I encourage you to evaluate your life and where you devote your time and worship. Do you spend most of your days devoted to the things and people of this world? Be wary of a jealous God, for He is a consuming fire! Give worship back to the Lord; for it is rightfully His and His alone.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (1 Corinth. 10:21-22) No, we are not.

God’s jealousy for us is unnerving, awesome, and wonderful. Praise Him, for He is jealous for us.

This is a weekly devotional that I write and send out via email. Previous devotionals will be reprinted here, but if you’d like to sign up to receive the newest ones every week, please send me an email by clicking the envelope on the front page of this site. All text posted here is written and owned by me. Please link back to this site if posting elsewhere and give appropriate credits.

Baker’s one month birthday just happened to coincide with Super Bowl Sunday so we had planned to celebrate at my parents with “football food” and treats. My mom ended up getting sick so my dad came over to our house and we had our little celebration here.

Baker got a bath before my dad came over and I love it when he gets a bath. After we dry him off his hair goes back to its normal faux hawk position and it is awesome.

The card you see lying next to him in the above picture is from the Farm Collection by Wee Gallery. He loves looking at these cards; you’ll probably notice them in many of our other pictures. Babies can see black and white really well and since these were less than twelve dollars, they’re a great early toy/exploration device.

A couple of months ago we challenged my very artsy and very crafty father to make and design a cake similar to the ones you see on those cake shows (Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes). This had the potential to turn into a Cake Wreck but as usual, my dad blew us away with what he did. Keep in mind he had literally never made a cake (or baked anything for that matter) before he did this.

Baker was very excited about his cake.

We had a lot of fun celebrating our little guy’s one month birthday and the Saints victory.

Starting on the first of February, I stopped adding extra salt to everything I eat. This doesn’t mean I’m not eating something cooked with salt, I’m just not picking up the salt shaker and pouring more salt into my food. I haven’t felt a huge difference yet, and I doubt I will, but I know it will make a difference in the long run. From the linked article:

In a report that may bolster public policy efforts to get Americans to reduce the amount of salt in their diets, scientists writing in The New England Journal of Medicine conclude that lowering the amount of salt people eat by even a small amount could reduce cases of heart disease, stroke and heart attacks as much as reductions in smoking, obesity and cholesterol levels.

If everyone consumed half a teaspoon less salt per day, there would be between 54,000 and 99,000 fewer heart attacks each year and between 44,000 and 92,000 fewer deaths, according to the study, which was conducted by scientists at University of California San Francisco, Stanford University Medical Center and Columbia University Medical Center.

Those are pretty startling figures and pretty good reasons to stop consuming so much salt.

This story about evangelical churches forming their own MMA style fighting clubs in order to attract more people to the congregation, is pretty amusing. Once you get over the fact that these are guys that are punching people in the face, in the name of God, there is some pretty deep and interesting motivation behind what they’re doing…

The outreach is part of a larger and more longstanding effort on the part of some ministers who fear that their churches have become too feminized, promoting kindness and compassion at the expense of strength and responsibility.

“The man should be the overall leader of the household,” said Ryan Dobson, 39, a pastor and fan of mixed martial arts… “We’ve raised a generation of little boys.”

I totally, totally agree with this sentiment. This is something the Lord has really put on my heart and has set my heart on fire about, which is one of the reasons I started this blog and started writing the devotionals again. I’ll use some other posts in the future to talk about Christian men and Christian male leadership.

For now though, check out the articled linked in the title of this post. There’s even a Christian line of MMA-wear: Jesus Didn’t Tap. How awesome is that?

Humility

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
-Proverbs 11:2

It’s easy for us to get wrapped up in our daily accomplishments. It’s even easier for us to boast to others about a life goal or milestone recently we’ve reached. We will often get into a “groove” either at work or in a relationship and think that it is because of all the work that we are doing.

Why do we only begin to recognize the work of the Lord in our life, only after He has humbled us?

Have you ever been humbled by the Lord? If so, I’m sure you’ll agree that it can be one of the most harrowing and powerful experiences for a Christian. Not all pride is bad, however. It’s good to be happy with your accomplishments and proud of your faith. It’s important to acknowledge the rewards of hard work and dedication and this comes from appreciating the blessings and gifts God has given you through that. Pride can be a great motivator. You want to make your mom and dad proud. You want your boss to be proud of the work you have done.  It is important, however, to remain humble in spirit and not boastful in our words or actions despite whatever it is we have accomplished.

We have no better guide than Jesus Christ the Lord. As Christ called to the weary and burdened, inviting them to place their troubles on Him, he clearly states, “…for I am gentle and humble in heart…”(Matt. 11:29) If the Lord is humble in heart, should we not be also?

What will happen to those that refuse to humble themselves before the Lord? How will the man that has no shame in the boasting of his accomplishments be dealt with? The answer is not hidden from us, but delivered straight for the Son’s mouth: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matt. 29:12) You see, there’s never going to be any question: The Lord will humble you. Surely this puts the fear of God in you!

I encourage you to take a moment and thank God for all that He has done for you. Take pride in what you have done, give the Lord His credit, and continually humble yourselves before Him! He is there to care for you. He will lift the humble high.

This is a weekly devotional that I write and send out via email. Previous devotionals will be reprinted here, but if you’d like to sign up to receive the newest ones every week, please send me an email by clicking the envelope on the front page of this site. All text posted here is written and owned by me. Please link back to this site if posting elsewhere and give appropriate credits.

A personal or global tragedy always presents an opportunity for believers and non-believers to attack the grace, love, and very notion of God. Haiti was no different.

In the hours following the disaster in Haiti, everyone knows the terrible, seemingly inhumane things Pat Robertson said. Of course we also know the response he was given, and as a result of the words he spoke the picture that was painted of most Christians. It presented itself as yet another opportunity for the faithless to attack those that believe. We were all clumped in with the radicals and immediately written off as crazy.

Aside from the Robertson flub, the days following Haiti also allowed plenty of opportunity for people to question the mercy of God Himself. Here is an article (click the link in the headline of this post) that is exactly what I’m talking about. It’s an Op-Ed piece from my favorite newspaper, one of the leading papers in the world, the New York Times. The following quote pretty much sums up the entire article:

A survivor’s gratitude is combined with theological fatalism. This response is entirely understandable, uttered in a ruined landscape beyond the experience of most of us, and a likely source of pastoral comfort to the bishop’s desperate flock. But that should not obscure the fact that it is little more than a piece of helpless mystification, a contradictory cry of optimistic despair.

Here the author is basically stating that it is in their opinion, praying in a time of disaster or invoking God in any way with any relation to the subject is basically pointless. It is a piece of “helpless mystification.”

My God and my faith are no myth. What about yours?