Don’t Lose Hope

Don’t Lose Hope: Cochren & Co.Don't Lose Hope

Recently, I heard a new song from one of my favorite Christian recording artists, Cochren and Company.

You may remember that I’ve featured them on this blog before.

The song appears on their newly released “Don’t Lose Hope” debut album which premiered a few weeks ago.

It’s called, “For My Good.”

See what you think.

I love it!

Seriously, I don’t see how anyone can sit still while listening to that song.

The album title, “Don’t Lose Hope,” couldn’t have come at a better time.

These are “uncertain” times – at least to the world, that is.

But, to us as Christians, we know that our victory through Jesus Christ is certain.

100% certain.

No debate, no gateway pundits, no disapproving mainstream media or lost celebrities can force-change that fact.

Gospel truth!

We may be tempted to lose our hope sometimes, but we also know where those temptations come from.

Shut down those negative thoughts before they take hold.

Don’t Lose Hope: We Got This!

Theologian R.C. Sproul once said,

The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in. – R.C. Sproul, theologian, Founder of Ligonier Ministries.1

If that isn’t convicting, I don’t know what is!

Check out these reassuring words from “For My Good” – more closely this time.

“So why would I worry
Lord You are the Great I Am
I may not know what tomorrow holds
But I know Who holds tomorrow in His hands.” – Song lyrics, For My Good.2

Nothing (and no one) can defeat the Great I Am.

Please, don’t lose hope.

You are not alone in this fight!

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1 R.C. Sproul quotation, courtesy of and as quoted from Christian quotes.info

2 Song lyrics, courtesy of AZLyrics.com.

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In The Beginning

In The Beginning

Behold, here is more delightful evidence that God is our Creator.

Meet the Lilac Roller Bird.

In the beginning God created

Look at those gorgeous colors!

It looks like a box of color crayons was dropped on its cute little head.

In the beginning . . . God.

It is I who made the earth, and created mankind upon it.
I stretched out the heavens with My hands,
And I ordained all their lights.1 – Isaiah 45:12, (NASB).

Don’t let man-made theories rob you of the joy in knowing that you are a child of God.  

The manmade theory of evolution devalues.

The truth of Creationism celebrates.

We are unique, we are loved, and Jesus wants every one of us to be with Him in Heaven. 

How could anyone refuse His free gift?

It is beyond my comprehension the smug, know-it-all attitudes of some in the academic community who want to battle that God doesn’t exist.

These same doubters, if they continue along this same path, are in for an eternity in hell. The Bible says it, not me.

Once you’re there, that’s it. There’s no last minute reprieve.

In the Beginning . . . Creator God

Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Creator.

He is our All in All.

Cleary, the most basic and effective way to rob Christ of His glory is to not give Him credit for creation. Jesus’ enemy seeks to further insult Him through the pseudo-scientific worldview of selectionism that misleads people into personifying nature in such a way that they don’t give credit for the creation to Christ but to creation itself. –  Rand J. Guliuzza, P.E., M.D., ICR.org.

How audacious is it for mere mortals to promote another creation mechanism (the fake god of evolution), and then to teach it to the next generation as *truth* in many educational institutions?

(I guess the same people who would encourage kids to explore other genders, even to the point of surgery.)

These attacks aimed, ultimately, against our Creator are disturbing and very real.

But, wait and see.

The day is coming when true believers still here on earth will be raptured into Heaven, saved in a glorious instant from all of this spreading deception, and taken away to our heavenly home for a life of eternal joy.

Who’s with me?

I pray that you are because life can change in an instant.

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Photo credit: Lilac Roller Bird, via Wikimedia Commons, Adam John Bourke – Adam John Bourke, CC BY-SA 3.0,  <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 Quotation from Dr. Rand Guliuzza, President of the Institute for Creation Research, ICR.org. Courtesy of Acts & Facts Magazine, vol. 49, no.12, December 2020 issue. n.d., para. 20. Web. Accessed December 29, 2020.

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Heavenly Entrance Exam

Pop Quiz? Oh No!

Heavenly entrance exam

Back when I was in high school, there were times when the teacher would walk into our classroom and announce a pop quiz.

Yikes!!

You should have seen the panicked look on all of our faces.

What a relief it was when, seconds later, the teacher would then add . . . “it’s open book.”

The sighs of collective gratitude from my fellow classmates could be heard all the way down the hall.

Your Answer To This Question Is So Important!

Why should God let you into Heaven?

Could you pass the biggest test of all – the Heavenly Entrance Exam?

Don’t worry – there’s just one question.

Someday, an unbeliever may ask you a question about salvation.

Here goes.

“Why should God let you into Heaven?”

I’m sure you’d come up with something, like

“Because I . . .”

“Well, I . . .”

“When I . . .”

If your answer started with any one of those openers above, you’re seriously headed down a path of “missed the point.”

We have to remember that there is no “I” in the equation when it comes to our eternal salvation.

Our salvation, and the reason God will let you into Heaven, is because of Jesus and your acceptance of His grace and forgiveness.

The quick answer is: Jesus!

If salvation was up to us in any way, we would blow it every time.

Why is this heavenly entrance exam an “open Book” question? Because we have His Word that assures us that Jesus is our Savior and the only way to Heaven.

 In Luke 11:28, Jesus said to his disciples when they questioned Him about prayer:

But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it.1 – Luke 11:28, (NASB).

 As Nice As We “Think” We Are, We Aren’t

 

Jesus is THE answerLast month we celebrated the glorious birth of our Savior.

But His Story of Glory doesn’t stop there. 

The Son of God grew up and was brutalized on the cross.

It was you and me, as sinners, who put Him there.

But, He didn’t stay in the tomb forever.

Praise Jesus for His Victory on the Cross!

See, that’s the only alternative God had. Either He punishes you for your sin, and me for my sin, and that’s eternal punishment in hell; or else He substitutes someone else in our place, and they pay our penalty. And that’s exactly what Jesus came to do: be our substitute, the exalted second person of the Trinity, the divine Son of God. God in flesh humbled Himself, came to earth to die my death, to provide for me an escape from eternal hell. The sinless One became sin, the living One died, the perfect One became the punished One; and not because He deserved, but because I deserved it, and He was my substitute.2 – John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible Teacher. Grace to you.

Are you ready for the Heavenly Entrance Exam?

Jesus is the answer.

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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/articles. 20 December, 1970. para. 15. Web. Accessed 30, December, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1204/why-was-jesus-born

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Looking Up

The Storm Rages But Keep Looking Up

raging storm

Friends – this is a sad post to write.

It’s time to talk about the elephant in the room.

There’s no doubt that the godless are at work and Christianity will also be under attack.

Bottom line: They hate God.

It’s already happening. If you’ve read the Bible, then you know that this was foretold.

Personally, I have read the book of Revelation several times with commentaries from leading theologians and scholars, and it’s a fact, the Bible’s prophecies continue to be played out right before our very eyes.

In the face of continuing horrific violence in the political arena, plus the recent appalling censorship by the internet giants – even through all of this heartbreak, we must keep looking up and pray for His Will to be done.

Wake Up!

This spiritual battle is making worldwide headlines.

Why is God allowing this turmoil?

Here’s just one of the reasons: to WAKE us up.

the battle is real

I pray for many things, but this is what’s really important: Eternal lives are at stake and the Lost need our prayers for their repentance and salvation.

No so-called fact checkers needed: Anyone denying Jesus is headed for an eternity of despair and suffering. Without repentance, his or her fate is sealed.

Ultimately, this isn’t about political differences – that’s just window dressing.

This World is Not Our Home. Keep Looking Up

Sadly, we can expect the lawlessness to increase.

We can also expect the godless to go after every Christian website, social media page, authentic biblical church, and family here in America.

The evil one knows his time is short, so the storms will rage on.

This isn’t the America I grew up in, and I’m so thankful that this world is not my home.

Please pray fervently and get in the Word . . . every day, if you can.  I wake up between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. every day to read the Bible and/or listen to a Biblical sermon. I urge you to find your best time to do the same.

What we are seeing now is a glimpse of the tribulation to come.

But, we have a Sovereign God Who will never be cancelled.

The Word of God, no matter how much the godless will try to suppress it, has and will last forever.

We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ!

Delight in God

delight in God

Please know that I plan to keep on writing this blog as long as I can.

If it ever mysteriously disappears, know that it is not what I ever wanted. The dark powers-that-be are at work. They have already attacked this blog once.  It took weeks, but we finally recovered everything by the grace of God.

The godless may temporarily be able to shut us up, but the good news is to look at the history of our faith. The Word of God has survived thousands of years, and will continue to survive.

Praise the Lord!

There’s always a remnant to keep sharing the gospel.

I urge you to talk to your lost friends and family about salvation (if they would listen) through Jesus.

The time is now.

Reach the world for Christ and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.

If a church or denomination tries to tell you that the Bible is not true, that there are many ways to heaven, you are listening to false teaching.  Find authentic biblical preaching and learn the TRUTH.

I pray for all eyes to be opened to the truth of God’s Word.

I pray for the safety of all of us in the treacherous days ahead.

Heaven = No more death, sin, hatred, violence, viruses and diseases, lies, politics, mainstream media … the list goes on.

How could anyone not want that?

We will have JESUS and eternal JOY.

keep looking up

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Reporting For Duty

The 2021 Draft – God Wants You

Do you recognize this famous wartime poster?

Responding to the Call

That’s “Rosie the Riveter” flexing her muscle.

This iconic poster came to represent millions of heroic and patriotic American women who went to work in the factories during World War II.

While their enlisted husbands were sent off to fight, these inspiring women supported the war effort here at home, all while raising children during some very difficult circumstances.

We can never underestimate the strength and fortitude of women when tasked with a noble mission!

What can we learn from their courageous response to a call?

We can learn that it’s our turn, but for a different mission.

Now that the New Year is upon us – are “we” ready to report for duty?

Our responsibility, present day, is to put on the full armor of God, and to pray.

These aren’t prayers for material wealth, our name in lights, or status.

prayer is reporting for duty

We turn prayer into a heavenly complaint desk where we ask to “speak to the manager.” We treat prayer like filling out an Amazon wish list or a godly GoFundMe. But this is not Biblical prayer. Prayer is the realignment of our warped passions and priorities so they can reflect God’s passions and priorities. Prayer is the process of developing our perseverance and endurance to follow God for a lifetime.- Dr. Michael Youssef, Bible teacher and author.

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

What we are praying for and what we are praying about is serious business.

No doubt, this will be an especially tough year to come in the history of America.

I can’t stress this enough: We must be strong and courageous to fight against the temptation to be silent in the spiritual battles that are to come.

Are we prepared to be challenged for our beliefs?

Don’t think these threats can’t happen.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. – Ephesians 6:13, (NASB).

Reporting for duty doesn’t mean sitting back and sticking our heads in the sand.

Our true strength lies in our prayers to Almighty God, our great “I Am”.

Even when it seems like things in this country are falling apart, be rest assured that God is working His plan behind the scenes.

Battlefield Prayers

While I’d love for the Rapture to happen this instant (considering how wicked the world has become) the fact is we don’t know when that will take place.

That is by God’s design.

We “could be” looking at this present darkness for a very long time.

The problems we are seeing everyday get so frustrating it’s tempting sometimes to throw up our hands and forgo our spiritual conversations with our Maker.

We may not even feel like praying sometimes, but we must pray anyway and resist that temptation. The Evil One hates a praying person.

Reporting For Duty Means Being Prepared

Reporting for duty means showing up and being prepared.

Here are a few ideas:

  1. If you haven’t already, commit to reading the entire Bible this year. Here’s some help for challenging passages.
  2. Memorize scripture. Jesus quoted Scripture, and so can we.
  3. Be prepared to give an answer for your faith.
  4. Ask for God’s will to be done when we pray.

Prayer is the breath of the warrior. The prayer-less Christian is a soldier who is dressed in shining armor but can’t make it up the hill without gasping for air. Just as the soldier needs physical conditioning, so we need spiritual conditioning in prayer. – Dr. Michael Youssef, Bible teacher and author.

Prayer is your weapon and the Lord is your strength!

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* Quotation(s) from Dr. Michael Youssef, courtesy of Leading The Way, “Walking The Walk: Developing Spiritual Endurance Through Christlike Prayer.” November 4, 2020. paragraphs 3 and 5. Web. Accessed December 24, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.ltw.org/read/articles/2020/11/walking-the-walk-developing-spiritual-endurance-through-christlike-prayer

* Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

* Quotation from Charles Spurgeon, influential Christian pastor and author. Taken from Charles Spurgeon@spurgeonbooks. 12/16/20, Web. [Facebook post]. Accessed December 23, 2020.

* Photo credit “Rosie The Riveter”, courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net. [Public Domain].

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