This is a difficult topic to condense into a few paragraphs.  This title is used when speaking of Jesus as the Son of Man.  Books have been written on this topic.  To adequately write about Jesus is like trying to gather the ocean in your hand - is is just not possible.  However,  it is important to realize that even though Jesus has many titles and names in the Bible He used the title Son of Man often when referring to Himself.  That title expresses His humility and allows to see the lowliness whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.  This title refers to Him coming down from heaven.

In Matthew 24:30 Jesus is speaking of Himself and HIS Second Coming when HE said:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

One interesting fact, is that not in any portion of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation does satan, the enemy of Jesus, refer to JESUS as the Son of Man.  Do you remember when Satan went to tempt Jesus in the wilderness?  In this account satan said: If thou art the Son of God.  Even when demons came in contact with Jesus they always cried out, Son of God, never Son of Man.   Do you remember the young maid,  who was possessed by the unclean spirit?  She kept following Paul and Silas and did not say that the Apostles were servants of the Man Jesus but called them servants of the most high God. 

So throughout the Bible Satan concedes the divinity of Jesus, but does not want that we address Him as Man-God.  This is why the Apostles insisted in their writing and preaching on the Mediator, the Man Jesus.  In fact, Jesus came to earth to win man back to God.   Paul reminds us that there is One Mediator between God and men, the MAN-Christ Jesus.  

Jesus was never ashamed to call us brethren for He participated in the same things.  He was tempted in ALL things like we are but He never gave in to the temptation.  In this way we can put our  trust in Jesus.  Hebrews reminds us  that we have not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. 

So  we can know that Jesus has compassion on us because He was tempted in everything that we go through, yet without sin.  This is why Jesus can make forceful invitations: “Let us, therefore, draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help in time of need.”                  

Jesus feels our infirmities.  He is relatable.  Jesus is the Savior to the uttermost, a perfect Redeemer  who saves us from ALL things. 

We also read that Jesus felt our infirmities but He also bore our griefs and sorrows. 

Perhaps a good lesson we can learn from Jesus is to not want great titles, neither proud degrees because all we are doing is distancing ourselves from one worm to another.  The Bible tells us that those who humble themselves shall in due time be exalted. 

This title Son of Man lets us know how much Christ loves us. 

The incarnate One did not do so in the dark. When He brought forth the only begotten into the world, He said, "Let all the angels of God worship him." It was told in heaven; it was not done as a dark secret which Jesus Christ would do in the night that none might know it; but all the angels of God were brought to witness the advent of a Savior.  The Bible says that Jesus the Son of man came to seek and the save that which was lost.  That includes the entire world.  

Scripture tells us that  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. "  (John 3:16)

Will you worship HIM today?  HE ALONE IS SON OF GOD AND SON OF MAN!

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything byprayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5-7)

What are you zealous for?

Some are zealous for sports teams, some are zealous for cars, others are zealous for things; but what ought we to be zealous for, what is it that should consume us?  It should be our ZEAL FOR THE LORD.

Can I remind you what a true zealot is? 

• A zealot is partisan - that means there is no doubt about which side he is on.
• A zealot is a fanatic - he is full throttle for his cause. We too should be zealots, but not for our preferred "cause of the month",  but for the Lord.
• A zealot gets satisfaction and contentment from what they are pursuing.
• A zealot is happy about what they are doing, it is not just out of duty. They are truly excited about that of which they are a fanatic.

So what exactly is zeal? According to 1 Corinthians 2:13, it is a word of the Holy Ghost. 

• Zeal: Intense ardor in the pursuit of some end; passionate eagerness in favor of a person or cause; enthusiasm as displayed in action.
• Ardor:  Heat of passion or desire, vehemence, ardent desire; warmth of emotion, zeal, fervor, eagerness, enthusiasm. 

Zeal for the Lord is a good thing!  Know that Godly Zeal Is Contagious, but Godly Zeal also has enemies. Zeal can provoke others by giving them an example of a fervent spirit and shaming them for their apathetic and lukewarm spirit.  BUT…. Applied Zeal Is What Counts. This is the key point!

Are you zealous for the priorities God has already set for your life? You likely know what you should be doing in your life.  Zeal gives you the force to do it! 

There is a zeal that is divisive, destructive, and deadly. You can take a hammer and build a house with it, or you can cause someone harm with it. Anything taken to an extreme can become bad. We need to learn the difference between zeal and moderation. Let your moderation or your gentleness be known unto all men. Zeal and moderation are not enemies; they're friends.  That doesn’t mean we compromise our beliefs, but we need to learn to live by grace.

The cause of Christ has been hurt by misguided zeal many times. When Jesus was in Samaria, the Samaritans were mistreating the Lord Jesus Christ. James and John were with Jesus, and they became very zealous for Jesus. They said to Him in Luke9:54, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”  But Jesus turned, and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (Luke 9:55-56).

The manner of spirit they had was that of a misguided zealot. They saw the way the Samaritans were living, and they said “Lord, let’s get them”.   The cause of Christ has sometimes been hurt far more in the house of its friends than in the house of its enemies.

What is an issue that easily riles you up? How can you guard against misguided zeal? When have you been tempted to take justice into your own hands?  Zeal in Christianity is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in very possible way.  It is a desire, which is not natural to men or women. It is a desire which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when they are converted to Christ.

Talk to another Christian who knows you well and ask where you tend to have misguided zeal. Ask your friend to keep you accountable for submitting those things to God. 

The Bible, however, looks at zeal not so much as an emotion, but as an expression of faith. You become zealous because you have come to know God. 

My grandmother had a sign in her living room that said: ”Only one life, will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

So how do we know if our zeal is God Approved?

1. Our zeal should Harmonize with Divine Will (Numbers. 25:6-11 Rom. 10:2). 
2. Our zeal should be directed toward God, not Men (Num. 25:11-13) -It is the “thy will be done” mentality that drives one to have a fervent spirit in doing the will of God – cf.Matt. 7:21-23 (Rom. 12:11).
3. Our zeal should be directed toward “Good Things” at all Times – Not to please men (Galatians 4:18 Phil. 2:12.
4. Our zeal should be Works & Prayers for the Spiritual Well-being of Others – Col. 4:12-13.
5. Our zeal will not harm the cause of Christ & His church – Phil. 3:6. 6.
6. Our zeal should grows out of Genuine Conversion – 2 Cor. 7:11.

Fanatics are those who seem to live in extremes. Many who are called spiritual “fanatics” are simply those who are more devoted than ourselves. But when you stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ: Would you rather be told you believed too much or you believed too little?  Would you rather be told you cared too much or you cared too little?  Would you rather be told you tried too hard, or you didn’t try hard enough?  Would you rather be told you were too forgiving or you were too judgmental?  Would you rather be told, “Well done, thou hyper-hopeful, risk-taking servant” or “Well done, thou cautious, play-it-safe servant?” 

Choose to be TRULY ZEALOUS for the LORD today!   

It is important for us as believers to know the tools that the enemy uses against us.  In light of this, we wanted to share the following illustration: 

The devil decided to have a garage sale. He laid all of his well-used tools, each with its own price tag, out on the table. All of those he used regularly against humanity were there: lust, malice, greed, hatred, envy, pride, deceit, and so on. But there was one tool that had its own table. This tool looked the most worn from use of all the other tools. Those walking by the table were astonished at the exorbitant price the devil was asking for it.  The tool was discouragement.  People were puzzled and wanted to know why this one tool surpassed the others in use and value. Satan snidely replied: “This tool is the one which I can hide behind the most. I can enter my victims’ minds and so convince them of their worthlessness, stupidity, and fear that they don’t even realize it’s me who is planting those thoughts. Those thoughts become the truth to them, even though they are lies.  Before any major damage can happen to my kingdom, I can thwart the best God-given plan before it ever has time to become a reality. Discouragement affects all human beings, no matter how close to God they are. I can convince almost anyone that he or she is not in a close relationship with Him through this one tool.

When the devil was asked why this particular tool was the most expensive, he said, “Because this is my sharpest and the most useful tool; it is called discouragement. With discouragement I can do anything I want with anybody regardless of their education, religion, wealth or fame. It always works; never fails."

Discouragement is the Devil’s most powerful tool. It brings along with it a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness that leads to overwhelming and crushing sadness. Discouragement doesn’t happen all at once. It usually starts with a trigger and then builds up. It starts with anger, disappointment, frustration, anxiety, guilt, or some such thing that makes us feel uneasy and sad.

These are normal emotions and we have them from time to time. "I could have done better. I am not as smart as she is or he is. I should have studied more, etc.".   Discouragement can happen to anyone at any point of time. Regardless of your. health, wealth, fame or power, none of us is immune to this assault.

Along with discouragement comes depression. Consider these names: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Robert. Schumann, Ludwig von Beethoven, Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain. They are very. well-known politicians, musicians, and writers. These incredibly talented. individuals had their expertise in different fields. But they had one common. experience. They all battled the debilitating disease of severe depression.

Listen to this man and guess who this might be. He wrote, “I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel was equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on earth. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or get better.” Do you sense a severe depression in this man? Do you know who wrote it? It was Abraham Lincoln.

Consider another man. During the World War II the Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill told his people, “Never give up, never, never, never, never give up!”  He was one of the most courageous and positive-thinking people in history. But he called depression a “black dog” that followed him all his life. He was affected by depression again and again throughout his life.

Even spiritual giants that we read about in the Bible, were not protected from depression. Moses, for example, was once so deeply depressed that he asked God to end his life. After the Israelites came out of Egypt, they had a difficult life in the wilderness. Yes, the Lord provided manna and water., but still it was a harsh life in the wasteland, no doubt. After a couple of years in the wilderness they really missed meat in their meals. They wanted to eat meat and they demanded Moses to provide some meat for them. Moses couldn’t do that for the huge crowd. There was no way he could provide them meat. So, Moses cried out to the Lord. He said to the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble to me? Why did you pick me to lead these people? God did provide meat for them.

What about Elijah? Elijah was a great prophet of the Old Testament.  In 1 Kings, chapter 18, we are told that after defeating and killing 450 prophets of baal on Mt. Carmel, Jezebel (the queen and a baal worshipper herself) was furious.    She sent a message to Elijah saying that she would surely kill Elijah just the way he killed those prophets. We are then told that Elijah ran away and hid himself and fell into a deep depression. And he said to the Lord, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors. I cannot live like this. It is better for me to die than to live. Elijah was severely depressed and very discouraged - even though he had just won an amazing victory! 

Did you know that King David also battled depression? In Psalm 42:5 we read, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted in me? King David was asking himself this rhetorical question. He was basically saying, “I am really depressed. I know I need to trust the Lord and I am trying. But I don’t have peace. I don’t have comfort. I don’t have assurance that God is with me. What I have is anxiety and fear. I don’t feel the presence of God.” David was desperately trying to escape from his depression. But he had not been able to. So David confessed in verse 3. “My tears have been my food day and night.” All day long, I weep and cry."

I want you to know that we all do get depressed and discouraged from time to time. And there is nothing sinful with getting depressed or being discouraged.. But that doesn't mean we should just stay depressed.

The Lord does not want us to remain in the condition of depression or discouragement all the time.

So, what can we do to come out of depression and the spirit of constantly being discouraged? I have a few suggestions:
Don’t isolate yourself, but go out and serve others.  Someone once asked Karl Menninger, the famous American psychiatrist, for some advice. He said: Don’t isolate yourself, but go out and serve others. Actually the person who asked the question was expecting to hear, "Go see a psychiatrist.” But that is not what he said. Instead, he said, “If you are really severely depressed, do this: Lock the door behind you, go across the street, find somebody that’s in need, and do something to help them.”   He knew that we find meaning in life when we do something that positively affects other people. We find joy when we see value in our lives. We see value in our lives when we make a difference in other people’s lives, even in a small way. And when we find joy in life, we come out of depression.

Put your hope in God.  In Psalm 43, verse 5, King David says: “Put your hope in GOD, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my GOD.”   David took his eyes off of himself. Instead of looking at his circumstances, he looked up to the Lord.  Let me give you another example: Horatio G. Spafford was an American Lawyer and businessman in Chicago with a lovely family - a wife, Anna, and five children. However, in 1871 their only son died of pneumonia. And in that same year, much of their business was lost in the great Chicago fire.  But, by God’s mercy and kindness the business recovered quickly. Two years later, in November 1873, he and his family wanted to spend a winter vacation in England. However, Horatio still needed to take care of a few things so Anna and their four daughters left first on a ship to England.  Unfortunately, that ship collided with another ship as it was crossing the Atlantic and sank quickly. There were 313 passengers on board and 226 people died among them the Spafford daughters.  As soon as Anna reached land, she telegraphed to her husband: “Saved alone. Children lost. What shall I do?” Horatio was on the next available ship and left to join his grieving wife. On that ship, near the place where the tragedy had occurred, he wrote the words to the song: It Is Well With My Soul When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrow like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say. It is well, it is well with my soul.  Wow!  What is an admirable faith.  “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted in me? Put your hope in the LORD and praise Him for He is your help and your salvation, your hope for the future.

Turn to CHRIST for Help.  Remember in HIS word, JESUS said, "Come to me all who are tired and weary, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Paul also confirms for us, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Phil. 4:13).  Jesus Christ who gave His life for us on that Cross on Calvary can really make a difference!

Let’s face it discouragement, depression can get into our minds and color our actions and our belief systems. It can even take control of our health producing anxiety and blood pressure issues and incorrect reasoning.  Most of us can fill in the blanks on how we are affected.    The legend in the illustration says that the devil's price for discouragement was so high that it was never sold. He still owns it and is still using it.

Are you experiencing, depression and discouragement today?  Let me encourage you to: Turn to Christ for Help,  Put your Hope in GOD and then GO OUT and Impact others for Christ!    Yes, the devil hasn't gone out of business and is seemingly working overtime to discourage many today.   However, be encouraged, because the devil is a defeated enemy and his tools are powerless over JESUS.  Keep your eyes on the LORD and remember what we are told in 1 John 4:4 "...greater is HE who is in you than he who is in the world."

​The title of this blog was inspired by a question I was asked many times as a Pastor - "Does satan know my thoughts?".  My direct answer is that it is "unlikely Satan knows your thoughts".

In Daniel 10:12-14, there is a spiritual warfare due to Daniel's "words," but not his thoughts.  Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.” 

This passage tells us that from the first day Daniel prayed and his words were heard by God.  We read that God commissioned Gabriel to come to him.  Now…who is this prince of the kingdom of Persia?  This refers to an evil angel appointed by satan to control the Persian Government, which was done of course, without the knowledge of its earthly king.   So, this passage appears to reveal that satan places an agent in charge of every nation - that is a fallen, evil angel.  This explains why we see and read so much of national hatreds and national movements. 

Scripture is clear that God has His Angelic Angels operating in opposition to satan’s evil angels.  Also, the Bible is clear that only God is ever mentioned as knowing the thoughts of man.  Consider what the Bible says in 1 Chronicles 28:9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever."  See also Psalm 139:23, Isaiah 66:18, Ezekiel 11:5.

Satan certainly can hear you, and he knows your sin nature as he is your natural "father" (before conversion).   Remember John 8:44 tells us "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."    In this capacity, satan knows where to tempt you and he knows where you are weak.

The main thing to understand and remember to encourage us today is that God, living powerfully in you, is much greater than Satan and your sin nature. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing to fear, even if you are praying out loud.. . . greater is He (Jesus) who is in you than he (Satan) who is in the world. —1 John 4:4

​"If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."  2 Chronicles 7:14
 
 
If you are alive and have eyes to see and ears to hear you know that we as Americans are in trouble.  How do we get our country back on track?  How can we turn this nation back to God?  Can it even be done? Yes!  We can make a difference!  This verse is God’s wonderful promise to His people.  His hand of judgment could be stopped.   Let's take a look at this scripture in detail!
 
I. IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME...
There can be no “finger-pointing” when returning to God. He’s talking to us, individually.  The Bible tells us that Judgment always begins at the House of God.  We Believers, we Christians must confess Him.
 
II. ...WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE…
It is good to be a proud American as long as we can bow to God.  Prayer is never obsolete, outdated or too late. We must ALL do the three things listed in this verse: HUMBLE OURSELVES, PRAY, and SEEK GOD's Face.   The prayer referenced here is not just a "quick, cute little, bless-me, prayer", but an "old fashioned, revival seeking, faith filled"  prayer, much like the one that Daniel prayed as recorded in Daniel chapter 9.
 
III. ...AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS...
We are notorious for repenting but not turning. Repentance means to turn.   A real 180 degree turn.   Most times it seems that we love evil too much to turn from it.  This scripture is reminding us that we must pray and seek Him.
 
IV. ...THEN I (GOD) WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN...
God is waiting to hear from us.  God longs for America to return to Him.  Our Father wants to hear from us.  Then the results will be forgiveness and the healing of our land!
 
V. ...AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND HEAL THEIR LAND!
Forgiveness awaits all who will turn.  Healing awaits all who turn.  Can America return to God?  If America wants to –  YES.
 
But the question is:  Do we want to change?
 
God has given us a great blessing in our country. It is a blessing worth preserving through prayer and devotion to God in the face of those who would want to tear it down.  Unless we serve God we will live in bondage.  I know many say alcoholism, drug addiction, all other kinds of addictions keep people in bondage BUT the Bible reminds us that pride, greed, envy, jealousy, gossip, life-style choices also keeps us in bondage.
 
Christianity and patriotism have much in common.  It is significant to note that:  Our patriotic hymn  "My County, ’Tis of Thee", was written by a Baptist clergyman, Samuel Francis Smith.
 
The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag was written in 1892 by a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy.  Do you even remember the Pledge of Allegiance?????  Can you recite it?
 
The words, "In God We Trust," carried on all of our coins, are traced to the efforts of the Rev. W.R. Watkinson of Ridleyville, Pennsylvania.   His letter of concern, addressed to the Hon. S.P. Chase, was dated November 13, 1861. Seven days later Mr. Chase wrote to James Pollock, Director of the U.S. Mint as follows:
 
"No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense.  The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.  Will you cause a device to be prepared without delay with a motto expressing in the finest and tersest words possible this national recognition."
 
The president of the College of New Jersey, the Reverend John Witherspoon (Presbyterian) was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence.   He is too much forgotten in our history books: John Witherspoon had a far-reaching influence on democracy. He had personally taught several of the signers of the document, and nine of them were graduates of the little college over which he presided at Princeton.  When he took up his pen to put his name to the document, Witherspoon declared:  "There is a tide in the affairs of men, a spark.  We perceive it now before us.  To hesitate is to consent to our own slavery.”
 
Have you ever asked yourself the question why did God make me? 

We were created to know and serve the Lord, to walk with him, to enjoy him, and to work for him and to have a relationship with Him.  But as a people we have chosen instead to go our own way, looking to find satisfaction and fulfillment in:  Money, Drugs, Achievements,  Food, Sex, Education,  Sports,  Music, Family, Work, Religion- the list is almost endless. But still there is a gaping hole in our spirits, still there is a wound that cannot be healed, still there is a heart cry that cannot be answered. Only God can fill that hole, that emptiness that we all experience! Only God can mend that wound! Only God can heal and fill that emptiness.  Only God can answer that heart cry!
 
If we obey God, we will receive the blessing of God.  If we disobey God, the hand of God’s chastisement and judgment will fall upon us.  From the beginning of time we have had the choice to choose whom we would worship.

Whom do you choose to serve today?  Will you turn to the LORD in Humble repentance today?  Will you let HIM fill every empty corner of your life with HIS love and joy.  Accept HIM as your Savior and have HIM lead you in His paths of righteousness and you will never be alone or feel empty again.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4
 
The coming of Jesus Christ and the end of the world are what are discussed in this final section of the book of Second Peter.  This is a subject that has fascinated tens of thousands of people for years.  Let me tell you that fascination is not what God is looking for by discussing the return of His Son to earth and the end
of the world.  All the date guessing for the end of the age is a total waste of time.
 
Growing up in the church I have heard people ask this question all my life.  “Oh, we have heard that the end of time is coming soon but it has been many, many years and we are all still here. “

Well, what does God want to tell us and what do these verses mean?
 
He wants us to be prepared. You see if we are prepared for Christ’s return we will be ready; but if we are not ready then we will be doomed.  Peter is telling us that the first thing to know is that scoffers shall come.  Peter uses the term scoffers, or a more up to date word is mockers; they will ridicule the return of Christ and they are willingly ignorant.  Know that the mockers shall come in the last days.  (We can see many of them today and some are in our families).
 
Remember the first coming of Jesus Christ to the earth was the vital point of human history.  The time between Christ’s first coming and His second coming is called the age of grace, the age when God’s mercy, love and grace are flowing out to the world through His Son, Jesus Christ.
 
How do I know Jesus is coming again? 
Because, I believe the Bible! The Bible has shown itself to be the Word of God, and repeatedly the Bible mentions the Second Coming of Jesus. Now the new birth is important, but a new birth is mentioned only nine times in the Bible.  Baptism is important, but it’s only mentioned 20 times in the Bible. Repentance is wonderfully important—it is only mentioned 70 times in the New Testament. BUT the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is mentioned 380 times in the New Testament alone!
 
In our passage, Peter said that some will ask, “Where is this promise of his coming?” There is that scoffing, ridiculing, mocking, arrogant doubter spitting in the face of Jesus, but the Word of God establishes it as a Truth through out the entirety of the Bible. He has promised, and He cannot lie.
 
If you look at the Bible as one entire passage, instead of 66 separate books, the whole Bible, one out of every twenty-five verses speak of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus has said He will return, and He won’t break that promise.
 
The final chapter of human history is now being written.  Soon Jesus will return to earth and time will be no more.  When? Jesus said that no man can know…. ONLY GOD.
 
So as always the choice is ours and ours alone.  Are we going to attach ourselves to the world and be destroyed with it OR attach our selves to Jesus Christ and enter into the glory of the new world that is coming soon.  The choice is always ours.  We either follow the trends of the world that are doomed to destruction and hell or else we follow Jesus Christ and enter the new world promised by Him.
 
Peter tells us that scoffers or mockers walk after their own lusts.  They live like they want and they do their own thing.  They want everything the world has to offer, and this group of people are unwilling to change their lives, they do not want to repent and they do not want to allow Christ to control their lives.  They believe themselves to be little “gods”.  That whatever they believe is true has to be true.  After all it is in their thoughts.
 
The mockers ridicule the return of Jesus Christ.  They scoff because it has been two thousand years since Jesus came to earth the first time BUT the Bible also says that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord.
 
They scoff because they say, the world continues on just as it always has so why get so excited and become concerned about the world ending?  They believe that the world will continue to go on as it has. The laws of nature will continue to run the universe and keep it stable.  The Bible tells us that God is working out HIS plan.  The Bible says that no person knows the day or time. even the angels do not know.  Not even the Son of God Himself  knows (Matthew 24:36)  God the Father has the timing planned out to the minute, but He is keeping it close to His chest, so they say.  But as I look at the world through the eyes of 2022, I firmly believe that the day of Jesus’ return is rapidly approaching.
 
Well, what do you believe?
 

"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.  For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."  Acts 17:22-23 (KJV)

Paul stood in the middle of Mars Hill ready to preach.  He stood where so many of the  world’s greatest philosophers had stood.   Philosophers,  such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.  They had explained the great thoughts of their philosophies; now Paul was about to proclaim the great Truths of God. 

Let us get the full picture here.  The official court sat before him and a large crowd of interested philosophers and poets and citizens surrounded him.  There they were:  some stood, all heathens, completely unaware of any knowledge of the living and true God.  The most momentous moment of their lives was about to take place.  They were about to hear the most glorious news ever proclaimed to a human being.  Paul is telling them that God had revealed Himself and made Himself known to man.  He had sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to earth to save man from sin, death and judgment to come.  God was very concerned with the welfare of man.

You must realize that this was a little different approach than normal for Paul.  The Apostle Paul had an interesting style of ministry. Paul would travel to a city, get to know a few people, plant a church, then stay around as long as it took (usually a couple years) until the church was self-sufficient. Then he would pack up and move to a new city and start the process all over again.  

But here he goes out of his comfort zone!

On one of Paul’s journey’s he arrived in the city of Athens. Athens was a great center of philosophy, architecture, art, and religion. We learn in Acts 17:16 that Paul became concerned at how many idols they had lying around the city. So Paul begins to reason with the people in that city about the One True God. In his opening statement to the group assembled at the Areopagus, Paul says, Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.¨ (Acts 17:22)

In Paul’s day, there was no shortage of religion. Not much different from our society today. We live in a culture where the supply of religion certainly meets the demand. But the truth that Paul knew in his day is the same truth we must know today: We do not need more religion, what we need is a relationship with Jesus Christ!

The message of the entire Bible could be summed up in saying that God is trying to establish a relationship with us. Jesus Himself said, These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.¨ (Matthew 15:8) God is not interested in lip service. God is interested in your heart. God wants a relationship with you, His Child.

Paul goes on to say you are very superstitious or very religious.  When we humans are very religious and superstitious that reveals that we are searching for God.  Men worship because they are seeking for God.  Their hearts are restless, searching for peace and life with God.  They are hungry, seeking to have God’s care and provision.  They are fearful, seeking to have God’s protection.  The good news is that God is not hidden and He is not unknown.  As Paul walked through the great city of Athens, he had read many of the
inscriptions written on the monuments and idols.  And as the verse states one in particular caught his attention:  the altar “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD”.   So the people were acknowledging that there was an unknown god, and they worshipped him.  But they did not know Him.  The restlessness, the hunger and the fear were still in their hearts and minds, especially in lonely moments.  All they did was worship an unknown god, they knew nothing about him, yet they worshipped him. 

Then what did Paul do? 

He declared that he knew the unknown God.  He personally knew Him, and it was He whom Paul was giving them the lesson about so they would know and get their questions answered.

Are we focusing more on our religion or on our relationship with Christ?  That will let you know how far you are on your Christian journey.  It is not about me BUT it is about HIM.  As another year comes to an end let's take a moment to reflect on our relationship with JESUS!  We pray that HE is not "UNKNOWN" to you nor you to HIM!   If you haven't done so already, take this time to get your relationship with CHRIST right...then go out and share the good news of JESUS CHRIST to all whom GOD puts in your path.   Be like Paul and tell others about the "UNKNOWN GOD"!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17 (KJV)
 
In this verse God’s goodness is seen as He presents the Gift of His Son, the LORD, JESUS CHRIST, by whom every “Perfect Gift” is given.  Here we see that evil is darkness and light is goodness.  This is no
wishy - washy God for He never changes.  He is not a trend-setter. God is good and perfect.  Remember He is not God if He is not good and perfect.  He is the source of all good and perfect gifts.  Our problem is that we do not believe that He has a plan for each of our lives.  Many times our plans are not in accordance with His plans so we assume that He does not love us or that He does not care about us.  The Bible says that we are the apple of His eye.  Many times we will go through trials and temptations and we lose faith in God.  But remain strong in your faith.

I came across an illustration that I want to pass along to you and pray it gives you a perspective that helps you through your trials and temptations. It is titled the birth of a giraffe and know that sometimes thing occur in our lives to strengthen us. There is no victory without opposition.

The birth of a baby giraffe is quite an earth-shaking event.  The baby falls from its mother’s womb, some eight to ten feet above the ground and lands on its back. It shrivels up and lies still, too weak to move.

The mother giraffe lovingly lowers her neck to smooch the baby giraffe. And then something unbelievable happens.  She lifts her long leg and kicks the baby giraffe, sending it flying up in the air and tumbling down on the ground. Within seconds, it rolls to an upright position with its legs tucked under its body. The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to get take a quick look.

Then she positions herself over the baby, waits for about a minute and then swings her leg outward and kicks her baby so that it is sent sprawling head over heels. If it doesn’t get up, the process is repeated over and over again. The struggle to rise is monumental. As the baby calf grows tired, the mother kicks it again to stimulate its efforts. As the baby lies curled up, the mother kicks the baby again and again until the baby giraffe, still trembling and tired, pushes its limbs and for the first time learns to stand on its feet.

Happy to see the baby standing on its own feet, the mother giraffe comes over and gives it yet another kick.  Now,  the baby giraffe falls one more time but now quickly recovers and stands up. Mama Giraffe is delighted. She knows that her baby has learned an important lesson  Finally, the calf stands for the first time, and then the mother kicks it off its feet again.

Why does the mother persist in this action?  Because she knows the giraffe cannot get too comfortable; it must stay with the herd for safety. Too many animals enjoy eating young giraffes. Why does the mother giraffe do this? She knows that lions and leopards love giraffe meat.

So unless the baby giraffe quickly learns to stand and run with the pack – it will have no chance of survival.

Well how does this illustration apply to us?

For us Christians we need to keep our eyes on the prize-Jesus Christ.  We need to get back to our first love.  God is in control and has the plans set for each of our lives.  Remember that we belong to the King
of Kings.  We are a child of the King.  Most of us though are not quite as fortunate as baby giraffes.

No one teaches us to stand up every time we fall. When we fail, when  we are down, we just want to give up. We want to throw in the towel. No one kicks us out of our comfort zone to remind us that to survive and succeed, yes, even as Christians we need to depend upon our Lord and He will help us move on and get back on our feet.

That is why we need to pray for one another, to undergird each other with the love of the Lord and to encourage each other to stay the course.

If you study the lives of successful Christians you will see a recurring pattern (People like King David, Abraham, the prophets, etc.). Were they always successful in all they did? NO. Yet, you will find that the common streak running through their lives is their ability to keep their focus on the Lord - to never give in and not give up.