VBS - DAY 3

Another day - another terrific VBS! Out Bible Voyage today was the story of Paul on the island of Malta - getting bit by a poisonous snake and God protecting him. God bringing good out of bad...but the bad still happened. Paul served God - yet he was shipwrecked and in this story - bitten by a snake. 'Paul' told us bad things happen - but God is with us - and because of the surprise of Paul not puffing up and dying from the snake bite, the kids learned that God's Word is surprising. It holds lots of surprises for us!

Our story teller today had a wonderful imaginative idea for having the kids jump off the ship and swim to the island - using mini-trampolines. It was a wonderful addition to creating a memory! I love God's infusion of energy and imagination in our stories this week....

VBS Days 1 & 2

A pastor's wife from another church brought her kids the first day and asked if she could stay and help.... Her description of FAL's VBS was 'VBS on steroids.' Every moment of every bit of effort in preparation is worth it. I can see it in the kids'faces!

We change our room every day to fit the story. Monday we had Rhoda tell how Peter got out of prison - and no one believed her when she ran back to the gathered group and said Peter was at the door. My granddaughter, Miah, was Rhoda. She did an excellent job.

Today Missionary Mark Schaufler dressed in the full uniform of a Roman soldier - and told the story of Paul down in the hold whom he was escorting to Rome - and the shipwreck. It was awesome!

All of this - and we are just one station in the kids' fun-filled day! It is a wow event!

And - in between one picture from yesterday and one from today, I inserted a photo I took from our deck last night as the sun was setting....enjoy!

HANGING IN THERE

Many times when I've believed I was doing exactly what God asked of me things have gone topsy-turvy, and I've felt like I was left hanging upside down. I don't know the reason why things sometimes go that way - and may not ever know this side of heaven - and when I get there, I won't care!

Jesus tells us in John 16:33 "In this world you will have trouble." Thankfully the good news he extends follows immediately, "But take heart! I have overcome the world." That verse actually begins with the statement: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace."

He is our peace in the storm. When the script doesn't go the way we thought it would. When we need direction. His Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)

The words of the Psalmist come back to me for comfort: Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23 KJV)

And - the words of the hymn 'It is well with my soul' sing comfort as well. In the storm, when there is trouble - or turmoil - or distress - I can do a soul-check and know with certainty:

"Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul."

Thank you, Lord. And help me fine the fun when life leaves me hanging upside down. It must be lurking there somewhere!

GOD'S PEACE IN THE STORM

This is the picture on my computer screen. It is one I took July 27, 2009 of Mt Shuksan - after Al and I hiked out from our overnight campout closer to the mountain.

It is a perpetual reminder of God's majesty - and in the face of challenge - that the peace that he brings us is peace with him. I don't have time to write today - so one picture is going to have to be worth a thousand words.

Life has lots of challenges. The relatively inconsequential screams at us with urgency - and the challenge is to find true peace - peace with God.

When cacophony pierces my ears and troubles my heart I have to remember the basics:

God is faithful.

He deserves our praise and worship no matter what our circumstances.

The greatest gift we can give him is to live out our praise of him by living our lives in faithfulness and obedience.

Everything but the eternal is temporary.

SIGNS OF EXTREME EROSION; Matthew 24:45-51

Delicate Arch in Utah is one example of astounding erosion. It sits alone on a mountain top - exposed, vulnerable.... How was it spared when everything else around it washed away? So many things in nature to wonder about....

I took this of Al on a trip we took to Utah and Colorado. So many amazing wonders....

All I can say is, "Good job, God. You amaze me, and your handiwork declares your greatness."

It is easy to see the effects of erosion in nature - conspicuous indicators that the flood defined in the Bible really occurred. Some people want to point to billions of years of the passing of time. I don't care how long God's days were for what he created - but I do care that he was/is the one who crafted the world, etching out its designs with great intention.

It's also easy to see the erosion of society - and to find it startling that we can be propelled down a path of utter destruction as a country because we aren't paying attention to the road signs. I have to admit that I've been too much of a fatalist - believing it is forewarned and will happen - - and not praying as I should for God's patience and mercy so more people will have time to choose eternal life.

But - I keep feeling that we have headed in....to a spiral from which there is no recovery.

I have never been 'negative' - as in always seeing the bad in everything - but I am a realist - and the Bible's realities provide some pretty dramatic warnings. I want to finish Matthew 24 - then move on....

Matthew 24:45-51
Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

There is a lie being promoted that since Jesus' death was 'for everyone' that it automatically means every person will be saved. It's a feel-good religious belief - - but it doesn't hold up to what the Bible teaches. Not just here, but in other Bible passages, it is very clear that there is a place we don't want to risk going.

These verses specify faithfulness as the key - and that is consistent with other Biblical teaching. 'He who endures to the end will be saved.' Matthew 10:22. I'm glad knows what he is doing - and that it is all in his very capable hands. The only purpose there is for me to study end times prophecy is just to see how much has been fulfilled and ascertain which bits are left...and there aren't many...

END TIMES PROPHECY: As it was in the days of Noah

As a follow-up from yesterday, I decided to use a net like they did in Bible days. Our VBS Director had a cheapie net made of lightweight string – and I cut it in half this morning and painstakingly tied the two halves together, then threaded a nylon rope through the outside edge. It took time. Time for the kingdom. If it creates a visual that God can use for planting His Word in a child’s mind it will be worth every minute….

Yesterday I got a lot accomplished for VBS – the house will wait until after VBS. I am a project person – and this is the project I am immersed in. I decided to put the pictures we catch while fishing on cut-outs in the shape of fish – well, whimsical whales, to be specific. The colors of the fish will match the colors of the beads that will reinforce and hopefully remind the kids later of what they learned. I’m excited for the kids – and joy-filled to have the privilege of going on the journey with them….

As for the End Times Prophecy Pursuit – it rattles around in my brain while I am doing the tasks that need to be accomplished in preparation for next week.

Sunday morning while I was showering God reminded me of two things: One – as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the last days; and number two – He warned them.

Genesis 6 tells us how it was in the days of Noah. Man’s wickedness on the earth was great. God regretted he had ever made man. Men of God had married daughters of men who did not honor God – and their children were not brought up to love and honor the Lord. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. In all of that sin and corruption, there was one man who was righteous – who lived according to God’s standard – who lived such a good life that he was blameless even among the people of his time…. Well done, Noah!

As for everyone else, the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. All the rest of the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God made a covenant with Noah. And Noah was obedient. He did everything precisely as God commanded him to do. Well done, Noah!

As it was in the days of Noah…people were preoccupied with what was going on in their lives to the exclusion of paying any attention to God. When Jesus talks about they were ‘marrying and giving in marriage’ – it wasn’t just about having weddings….it was about the reality that men who were supposed to know better – men who knew God – were drawn into a snare of following after beauty and sensual desire instead of keeping themselves pure by only marrying God-fearing women, and in that decision, they turned away from God, and were swept into lives that bred wickedness and corruption.

It only takes one generation of turning away.

God told Noah to build an ark. The people of his day thought he was a whack job. They mocked. They guffawed. They ridiculed. They certainly didn’t listen.

Can you blame them, really?

It had never rained before. Prior to that the earth was watered by dew. And now this bizarre over-500-year-old man was gathering a ton or so of wood to build something that floated on water – building it so far from any sea that he would never be able to get it to shore. No wonder they laughed.

Board by board, notch by notch, they watched Noah’s progress. He was sort of a public humiliation – that guy on the outside of town building some sort of ship….

They went about their business while he hewed out shapes according to the design God had given him, then coated it both inside and out with pitch, just as God had directed. It was a huge undertaking. It didn’t happen overnight!

As it was in the days of Noah…. God provided them a warning. If they had hearts inclined at all to the Lord, they would have asked Noah for wisdom, and God would have heard their heart’s plea – but their hearts were hardened against God.

As it was in the days of Noah. Does it sound like our world today? Corrupt. Wicked. People turning away from God by the droves, immersed in self-satisfying pursuits. And – even those who have known God diluting their faith by pursuing after what God warns against?

It is getting harder and harder to find something decent to watch on T V. Recently when we were flipping channels, I commented to Al that ‘this must just make God sick. ‘ and he responded, “Yeah. If there was a God, why would he let people get away with this kind of behavior?” “Grace,” I replied. But – I do wonder. The filth is beyond belief. Even when we try to keep everything we watch above PG-13, the line keeps getting moved further and further. When will God say, “ENOUGH.”

He has warned us very clearly that when we see these things happen, to look up for our redemption is nigh – very close. Just like at the auction – fair warning.

UP TO MY GILLS IN VBS

Ahoy!

Our church is having Vacation Bible School next week - and they are going all out in their preparation. My job for the week is hosting one of the Story rooms with Anita - Bible Voyage - and each day we change the room to fit the story. I spent all day on that yesterday - - and Anita helped me for over 5 hours of that time - - and Al even got into the act, making us archaic looking crutches and a cross.... Then - a trip to Shipwreck Beads to find beads for reinforcing our final day object lesson.... There is still a bit more to do.

It is an excellent program - except that I didn't like what we were supposed to do for Friday - - and finally, this morning I got it re-written in an acceptable form. It feels wonderful to have that done. Now - off to find cellophane in fire colors for the day we find Paul shipwrecked - - when the snake bit him....

But I will leave you with my story for Friday - since I don't have time to write any more today!
Day 5: God’s Word is for Everyone

Props for Day 5:
____ Bible
____ big blue tarp as water
____ Bible times fishing net – net with rope woven into edge OR
Fishing pole and barrier for helper to hide behind to attach caught fish
____ large fish to ‘catch’ – in green, white, blue and red poster paper
____ 1. baby bottle – (or a picture of a baby bottle or baby with a bottle)
____ 2. picture of God’s Word, the Bible (on green fish)
____ 3. picture of children praying (on white fish)
____ 4. picture of church with a group of ‘friends’ out front (on blue fish)
____ 5. picture of a crowd of people (on red fish)
____ a ‘fish’ bead for each child (ours is a whale)
____ green, white, blue and red reminder beads
____ cord or yarn to put beads on to be a necklace (30” long; heat sealed if nylon)
____ small Ziploc sandwich bags to hold all the necklace parts – 1 per child
____ beach blankets for sitting on shore (optional)

All of the reminders for each day for review:
Day 1: Set of plastic handcuffs
Day 2: Cargo box & Ship’s wheel
Day 3: Rubber snake and ‘fire’
Day 4: Cross and bandaging strips
Day 5: Necklace & 4 colored fish….
Posters for the week.


Day 5: God’s Word is for Everyone

Memory Verse for today: “Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created.” Psalm 119:90

Adapted Bible Passage for today:
Matthew 4:18-20 (New International Version)
Mark 1:16-18 (New International Version)
The Calling of the First Disciples
18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20At once they left their nets and followed him.


BIBLE STORY: Gone fishing!
Lesson Objective: How to Grow

We are going fishing today! Some of the disciples were fishermen, and Jesus taught them that he was going to make them fishers of men. In fact, when Jesus first started his ministry on earth, he called 2 fishermen to be his first followers. Their names were Peter and Andrew.

In those days they fished with nets. They threw out their net, and then gathered it back in, and they caught how ever many fish were in it. Jesus used fishing as an example for them, because they could understand what he meant since they were fishermen. He taught them how to throw out a net of what God’s Word taught – and all who jumped into that net were saved.

The difference between fish and people, of course, was that people have a choice whether or not they jump into Jesus’ net of salvation. And – people can be any age when they accept Jesus as their personal Savior. Jesus is LORD over all the earth – but we have to choose whether or not we want him to be our Savior. But – God’s Word is for Everyone!

If we were going fishing we’d do it with a fishing pole – but I’m going to try a net. I watched them do it in Israel a few years ago! So – let’s do a little fishing and see what we catch.

1. BABY BOTTLE
Hmmm. I wasn’t expecting to catch baby bottles out here fishing….but it does remind me of something important.

When we are born into our human family, we all start out as babies. When we are born into God’s family, we start out as baby Christians. WE don’t become Christians by being born to parents who believe in God – we have to place our faith in him ourselves. That’s how we become a Christian – by asking Jesus to come live in our heart. It doesn’t matter if we are 6, 10, 15, 44 or any other age, when we ask Jesus to come live in our heart, we are a baby in Christ. So – you can’t look at a person and know how old they are in Jesus. Sometimes people are over 80 years old before they become a baby Christian – because becoming a Christian can happen at any age. Once we are old enough to understand Jesus’ love, and we feel him tugging at our hearts, that lets us know we are ready to invite him in.

And what do babies need to grow? Food. Do human babies start out with steak and hamburgers and French fries? No they start out with milk. That’s what this baby bottle reminds me of.

It is the same with growing in our walk with God. We start out as babies. We have to have the basics. First we learn that Jesus loves us . We learn about the message in John 3:16, which tells us that God loves us so much that he sent his one and only son to earth – and that anyone who believes in him can have eternal life.

When we believe that message, we ask Jesus to come live in our hearts – and bam! We are born again – born into the family of God. We should send out birth announcements! It’s the most amazing thing that will ever happen in your life!

But what do human babies do? Do they stay brand new? No, they grow! How do they do that? They eat and sleep and eat and sleep and before you know it – we have a toddler, then a kid, then a pre-teen – then a teenager…. And all that time they are growing.

Baby Christians also grow – they grow spiritually. They need food to do that. What is that food?

Let’s see what else we caught in our net Wow!

2. PICTURE OF A BIBLE

This is a picture of a Bible – God’s Word. God speaks to us through His Word. (Can also hold up your own Bible – but to be consistent with the fish and beads – there has to be a picture.)

Reading God’s Word – the Bible – is the most important thing we need for growing. The Bible tells us all about God – and it teaches us how to live, how to love, and how to honor God with our lives. It teaches us who Jesus is – who God is – and who we are in relation to him. It teaches us Truth. There are lots of things in the world that are not true, [God’s Word is true, Let’s go!] but God’s Word is true. It is what we need to live by. Reading the Bible is one of the most important ways to get our spiritual food. We have to read God’s Word if we want to grow.

What color do you think of when you think of plants growing? Green. Green is going to be our color to remind us we need to read God’s Word to grow.

Let’s see what else we caught.

3. PICTURE OF CHILDREN PRAYING

Prayer is also important for growing. We are never too young to pray. God hears our prayers. There are four main parts to prayer: The first is Praise. Praise is telling God how wonderful He is – just because He deserves to be told. He loves our praise.

Thanking God for the good things he has done for us is another part of prayer. We have a lot to be thankful for. Sometimes we forget to say thank you – but we need to do that. We need to find something good in every day to say thank you for – and then tell God thank you.

Another part of prayer is saying we are sorry for things we have done that wouldn’t make God happy. When we tell God we are sorry we are confessing our sins. That’s what we call it. He is our heavenly father. Sometimes we do things that make God sad or unhappy. We need to say we are sorry – and he promises us he will forgive us. Then we need to ask him for his help not to do that same sin again.

And finally, asking God for the things we need is part of prayer. Sometimes people forget to thank God or praise God, or confess their sins – they just start asking him for things they want. In fact sometimes people tell God exactly what they want – and just expect him to do what they say. God doesn’t work like that. As we grow out of the baby Christian phase, we learn that prayer helps us ask for the things God wants for us – and the thing he wants most is for us to become more and more like Jesus. So – when we read our Bibles we need to ask God to help us understand it and do what it says.

Let’s have white be our color for reminding us to pray. White reminds me of being clean – and prayer makes me feel clean.

Let’s see what else we caught:

4. PICTURE OF A CHURCH WITH A GROUP OF ‘FRIENDS’ IN FRONT

The next thing we need to grow is to be faithful to God, and that includes being part of a Christian community. We have to be faithful in being part of a Bible believing church. Just like God puts baby people in families so they have someone to care for them, God places us in spiritual families. No matter how cute the stories about Tarzan and Mowgli are, baby people do not survive alone. Baby Christians don’t either. We need to be in the family of God. We need to be in Sunday School and church – and we need Christian friends. FAL is not the only wonderful church – so if this is not your church – just be faithful where God has planted you – and grow.

Being faithful – making honoring God your top priority – is the most important goal you can have.

When I think of a color that reminds me of faithfulness, I think ‘true blue’ so let’s have blue be our color that reminds us of our faithfulness to God.

Ah! There is one more fish in our net today.

5. PICTURE OF A CROWD OF PEOPLE

Do you know what happens when you start growing as a Christian? You start wanting to share the truth with others! God’s Truth is for everyone. His Word is for everyone. Jesus loves everyone. We want to share the good news when we know him.

Do you remember those fishermen Jesus first called – Peter and Andrew? Well, they used to be just fishermen who caught fish – but then they became fishers of men -
and as they shared the Good News about Jesus, thousands of other people became baby Christians – who grew and became fishers of men, too….

It is exciting when someone else comes to Jesus. There are lots of ways we can share our excitement of having Jesus in our life with other people. I think red is a good color to remind us of the excitement of sharing Jesus. Red also reminds us that Jesus shed his blood on the cross for us – and made salvation possible.

So, let’s review, When we first come into the world we are a baby. When we first ask Jesus to come into our heart, what do we become?

A BABY CHRISTIAN.

Hold up green bead. What is the first thing a baby Christian needs to grow?
Reading God’s Word.

Hold up white bead . What is the second thing we need to grow?
Prayer – all kinds of prayers!

Hold up blue bead. What is the third thing we need to grow?
Faithful Sunday School and church attendance in a Bible believing church; staying connected to Christians.

Hold up red bead. And what will be result?
We will grow – and as we grow we will want to share God’s truth with others.

GOD’S WORD IS FOR EVERYONE. Let’s go.

REVIEW FOR THE WEEK
Let’s review the wonderful stories from the Bible you’ve heard this week.

On Monday we heard from the servant girl, Rhoda. What did we say every time she said ‘That’s not true?’ GOD’S WORD IS TRUE. Let’s go. What happened in the story Rhoda told?

On Tuesday, we had a substitute Captain – Captain Mark take over for Captain Sam. When things in his story got scary, what did he teach us to say? GOD’S WORD IS COMFORTING. Let’s go. When the ship was about to crash, it was really good to know that GOD’S WORD IS COMFORTING. Let’s go.

On Wednesday, we had Pastor Peter come tell us the story of what happened to Paul after the shipwreck. Everyone made it to the island. That was surprising! GOD’S WORD IS SURPRISING. Let’s go. And that is what we learned. In spite of Paul getting bit by a snake, He was O K – and that was surprising. GOD’S WORD IS SURPRISING. Let’s go.

On Thursday, we learned that GOD’S WORD IS LIFE-CHANGING. Let’s go. God’s Word IS life changing. We have new life in Him, and just like he changed the life of the beggar at the gate, he changes us.

Today we learned that to be a Christian means we have asked Jesus to come live in our hearts and what we need to Grow from being baby Christians to more mature Christians. We learned that reading God’s Word, praying and being faithful in Christian community will help us grow. And we learned that GOD’S WORD IS FOR EVERYONE. Let’s go.

God’s Word is for Everyone! Let’s go share the Good News! Let’s be ‘fishers of men’. God’s Word is for Everyone! Let’s go!


Little details:

I ‘cut’ the nylon cord with a candle flame – sealing both ends in the process.

Instead of ‘going fishing’ every time – I decided to throw out the net only once and then just pick up one fish at a time to talk about. I really deliberated about doing the net or the fishing pole. They both work!

If I had heavier netting I’d only catch one item at a time – but I can’t gather it in and then have this one stretch back out well….

This is totally different than the VBS writer’s Day 5 – but I did tie it in so what they learn in other sessions will still blend. I just wanted them to have resources for living their faith – and Bible Reading, prayer and fellowship are the keys to doing that! - Lola

END TIMES PROPHECY: Matthew 24:36-44

Matthew 24:36-44 (Jesus speaking, con't)
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.


(Some manuscripts do not have ‘nor the Son’. I don’t know if it is the older manuscripts or the newer that omit ‘nor the Son’ – wish I did know that little detail…but the NIV footnote doesn’t’ specify.)

I grew up (from age 8 to +-22) in a Pentecostal Church. I heard lots of views on prophecy. Many of them stated that the Christians would be removed from the earth in the rapture before the awful stuff happened. Others believed it would be half way through the 7 year tribulation. I don't recall ever hearing someone speak who thought Christians would live through all of it....

I found end times prophecy to be fascinating...and sometimes fear-filled. I wanted to grow up, fall in love, marry, and have a family before Jesus returned. I remember praying God would wait until I had that chance. 'When I was a child, I thought as a child, spoke as a child....'

Now, of course, I realize that some generation will be interrupted....why not mine....

Looking at Matthew 24: 29-35 again, it sounds like Jesus return to gather those who believe in him is going to be after some pretty severe distress. I don't know exactly how it will play out - God doesn't need me to know - He just needs me to trust him. All I know is he said it - and it will come to pass. Some things are easy to see how they might play out - others are not.

And that segues perfectly into today's verses. No one knows the day or the hour. No one who prophesies a specific day is right. There is a lot of talk about the Mayan calendar,and that it ends on December 21, 2012 - 12-21-2012. Anyone who is interested can explore and gather all kinds of information on the internet. They are conjectures. And - serve no purpose.

What we are told to do is pay attention to the general signs. We need to know what to expect so we aren't deceived, and we need to live intentionally every day, knowing it could be our last. When 9/11 happened in 2001, I asked the Lord if it was 'the end', and he clearly told me: "Keep on keeping on. Occupy until I come." He hasn't changed his mind about those directions - and has only confirmed that message with other subsequent encouragement to 'persevere'.

It is easy to get deterred and bogged down - - but his directive is clear. We are to see the signs of our time as a warning - a head's up - pray for those who have not accepted him and follow him closely. It's hard not to be distracted.

Earlier this week I wrote a list of God's priorities for my life. Sometimes in working toward those specifics there are challenges - big challenges - but I believe with all my heart that God gives us the desire and ability to do his good pleasure - and that as we follow more closely, we learn to set aside all of the encumbrances. I'm learning - and leaning on his grace!

END TIMES PROPHECY: Matthew 24:29-35

Matthew 24:29-35 (Jesus speaking)
“Immediately after the distress of those days
“ ‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its lights;
and stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you will know it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation (or race) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Yesterday’s warning was that false Christs and false prophets will come – and immediately after that we have this warning.

Jesus quotes the following prophecies in Isaiah about the end of the age:

Isaiah 13:10
The stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened
And the moon will not give its light.

And

Isaiah 34:4
All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved
And the sky rolled up like a scroll;
All the starry host will fall
Like withered leaves from the vine,
Like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

Isaiah was written about 700 years before Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah was born. And in Jesus’ words recorded for us in Matthew 24, he quotes Isaiah.

The NIV states that the angels will be sent with a loud trumpet call – but, more technically I believe it will be the sound of a shofar. Just my opinion!

For today, these are words to consider. We need the next segment of verses…and this is enough for today!

In our comparison of what Islam, Judaism and Christianity teach, another ‘similarity’ listed is that the final Judgment will be announced with the trumpet of an archangel.

Judaism: A shofar will announce the beginning of the messianic era, gather the scattered exiles, and serve as a summons to the heavenly court on the Day of Judgment.

Christianity: Matthew 24:31: “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

Islam: Qu’ran 36:51 “And the trumpet shall be blown, and lo! They shall speed out of their sepulchers to their Lord:”

The miniscule amount I know about Muslims and Islam has only been learned in the last few years – literally since 2006. I assume most Americans are as ignorant as I am. I know that assuming is dangerous – but I have no reason to believe otherwise….

I will address that more later – but for now, I have grandkids to hug….. They just walked in the door!

END TIMES PROPHECY: Matthew 24:23-28

It would be human and natural for me to be diverted today, but I think staying the course is the better choice....but on the human side - I am grappling with a huge challenge, and praying for God's intervention and grace.... I need to see trouble as an opportunity and ask God what He is trying to teach me through it....

Matthew 24:23-28 is the designated segment of scripture for today.
"At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look,here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - - if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.

"So, if anyone tells you, 'There he is out in the desert', do not go out; or, 'Here he is in the inner rooms', do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather...."

The first thing that leaps out to me is to be alert and aware that Jesus is not coming to earth again in such an innocuous way that we will be confused. He is coming in power and in glory. My understanding is that he is gathering those who believe in him first - in what we refer to as 'The Rapture' - - which is not a term in the Bible...and then, other events unfold before his ultimate 'Second Coming.'

But, his actions are not contingent on my understanding - and that is the point of this journey - to search out what the Bible says and seek to hear what God has to say to me - and to others in this process of consideration - about what he wants us to know at this juncture in our journey. My experience with God is that he is always on time - but rarely early. In other words, he discloses tidbits and allows our eyes to be opened to what he has always known, in layers. He doesn't need us to know it all in advance - but in retrospect we see what he said, and our rear-view vision is clear. The beauty in that is that it envelops us with Trust. Over and over we have been able to see that what he promised, he did. And, we know that what is still to be fulfilled, he will also do. We can have absolute confidence in that!

Not everyone is a prophet. Not everyone has their eyes opened to be able to be on the frontlines of sharing the knowledge of His ever-unveiling truth of things to come. I do not have an expectation of being that messenger, but I do want him to be my teacher - and I am willing to share the perspectives I have along the way. And - I believe that when there are those who do speak what he has revealed to them, his Spirit witnesses with our Spirit. That is why it is so critical to keep that relationship with God intact - so we can hear what it is he is saying accurately.

We certainly have seen false prophets - and currently with the political correctness that has swept our world, those who have been deceived and are caught up in tickling the ears of those whose ears they have sway over. Jesus warning to us is, "Do not be deceived - even if they perform miracles." He has clearly prescribed the way he will come, and this isn't it....

The most important messages I can convey today are: God knows what he is doing, and will reveal it as he chooses;

and

Test everything by His Word. If what is 'revealed' doesn't line up with what His Word says, it isn't true. It can sound good - it can even be part-truth - - but he is TRUTH - 100% - and there is no fault in him - - no supposition, no maybe, no if. It is very important to keep that clearly in mind....

When I was a youth leader I told the kids: "Challenge everything I say. Test it by God's Word."

There are many 'blind guides' - - and many endearing, lovely people who just follow blindly, never reading their Bible, never searching out Truth from the One who is Truth. The Bible is the plumb line. It preceded all of the -isms and their writings. Anything that doesn't line up with God's Word is a lie. A scary, deceiving lie. And - Galatians 1:8 warns us about that. The point of that verse is very clear: even if angels come and tell us something other than what God's Word says, we are not to fall for the lie. There is only one gospel - one Truth - one Good News - and it is that Jesus Christ came to earth to purchase our salvation by His blood shed for our sin as the ultimate sacrifice.

The Bible is the plumb line. God's Word is Truth. Some of it has yet to be revealed - but it is true. We have to begin with that as the premise to have a Biblical view of what will come....

For the next tidbit on the comparison of the 3 major religions: all believe that there will be signs preceding judgment day. Surprising to me is that the chart I am using for my information states that the teaching of Islam is that one of the signs is that the Jews will be gathered together. They believe there will be a final battle between the Muslims and the Jews. It cites that the Quran/ Koran tells a revised edition of the battle of Gog & Magog - a war the Bible predicted long before the Koran was ever drafted.

Satan wraps his lies in truth. Buyer beware! Even the very elect are at risk if we aren't careful to keep our plumb line plumb.

STEPPING ASIDE FOR A DAY

The past six weeks I've been a participant in a Womens Bible Study written by Jennifer Rothschild. The study is titled WALKING BY FAITH: Lessons Learned In The Dark. Jennifer became blind at age 15. She is a gifted speaker, and her lessons learned in 'the dark' are significant lessons. Most of her lessons are reminders of lessons I've already 'learned' but I certainly needed the refresher course.... We never arrive at a pinnacle of perfection where we no longer need to learn or need a refresher course.

This morning I'm briefly stepping off the path of my current Eschatological pursuit to address the blessing of the lesson(s) I just studied. I am incredulous at God's timing - once again!

This morning in my prayer time I specifically asked God to help me focus on the reality that He is enough - to celebrate HIM, and not His gifts. To worship the Giver, and not be focused on answers I want....

Then today's lesson responded specifically to those cries of my heart. He knows I have patiently waited for Him to work out some difficult details in life.... In addition, he searches the very recesses of my heart and today He found a little root of pain that is a seed for potential bitterness that needed to be weeded out. It was long enough ago that I hadn't thought about it for quite awhile. It was an injustice against me for which I wanted resolution and vindication.

Today - I choose to forgive and lay it as His feet. If the reminder surfaces again, I will forgive again. I am not responsible for my emotions - but I am responsible for my responses and actions. Forgiveness is a choice - just like love is a choice. They are action words not emotion words in the spiritual realm. There are other unresolved issues. I can only do what He asks of me - but the results are up to Him. My choice is to forgive. My choice is in response to His demand. Forgiveness is not optional. It's not a done deal - I will keep working on it - but it is freeing. He asks us to forgive for our benefit - not just the other person's benefit....

In today's lesson, Jennifer led us back to the very roots of salvation, and the truths they proclaim - and the reminder that confession is the beginning of restoration for Christian health.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 6:23 The wage of sin is (eternal) death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Romans 5:8 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

Romans 10:9-10 If we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart...we will be saved

She referenced Romans 5:6-11 - but I shortened it to the one I memorized back in college when I first learned these verses in Romans as 'The Royal Roman Road'. They are good verses for going back to our roots. Finding perfect peace in His reconciliation. Being reminded to cast our cares on Him, because He truly does care for us.... Forgiveness is so freeing....both His forgiveness granted to us - and our forgiveness of others.

In September, 2000, the two books of the Bible that I read while I was recuperating from an oophorectomy were Job and Revelation. Talk about unlikely 'comfort' reading in an already difficult time! But - it was the perfect time for God to teach me. What I learned from Job was that God deserves our praise and worship no matter what our circumstances. We absolutely are not to hold Him hostage to our agendas or dilemmas. He deserves praise! He is the Lord of Glory, the Great I AM, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.... He is GOD! Yet, He says He inhabits the praises of His people. We are compelled to praise. No matter what life dishes out.

Praise also frees us!

From Revelation I learned a couple of significant things. Number one, I learned that Revelation 3:20 was not a salvation verse - it was God speaking to a church - to believers, telling them he longed for an intimate, nurturing relationship. "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice, I will come in. I will eat with you - and you with me."

And - regarding the end times prophecies - I learned that all I needed was to trust Him. It was not time for me to pursue anything deeper. I just had to know that He is in charge, holds all of life and time and governments in His very capable hands - and that He would reveal whatever He needed to reveal to me on a 'need to know basis'. It is a topic that can divert too much time - and it is so fraught with pitfalls for voicing too many opinions that aren't God's view, but our own. Back when I was young and very curious about End Times Events and what was to come, I heard so many points of view regarding the timing of the rapture of the church, and whether it was going to be pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib. The trib meaning tribulation. Ultimately I just decided 'God knows and that's all I need to know'. I still believe that. Throwing myself on His mercy also frees me.

I am just so incredibly grateful for GOD - - for knowing Him, and finding His mercy and love so prevalent and available.

So - I will continue the End Times review - but I realize it will be just that - a review - and it will be up to the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our understanding in His time. I find peace in that.

For today, I'm just going to mention one more similarity listed in the Prophecy Comparison I mentioned yesterday. With regard to the resurrection of the body, Islam, Judaism and Christianity all agree on the bodily resurrection. Islam even teaches that all will assemble at the Mount of Olives to receive judgment! I certainly don't know much about Islam. That's the point of finding out!

Housework is calling! God bless your day!

ESCHATOLOGY/ End Times Prophecy Matthew 24:15-22

Matthew 24:15-22 (Jesus speaking:)
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of the house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened….”

Daniel 9:27
Daniel 11:31
Daniel 12:11

I have mentioned Bible Gateway before – but I will mention it again. It makes searching for verses so much easier…. If you haven’t checked it out I encourage you to do that – just type in Bible Gateway in your search on the internet.

I have a slight dilemma. I’m not ready to dive into Daniel yet – but I do want to get through all of Matthew 24 (in chewable doses).

My NIV Study Bible notes provide the following insight: In 168 B C Antiochus Epiphanes erected a pagan altar to Zeus on the sacred altar in the temple of Jerusalem. That was a layer that had already occurred, but which is linked to the future.

The warning about a great distress unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – alerts us to the reality that this prophecy is layered.

The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A D. The persecution that occurred at that time was horrible…but it did not fulfill all of Daniel’s prophecies – and it didn’t fulfill the final layer of Jesus’ prophecies about the end of time. Jesus was answering both the question of what would occur when the temple would be torn down – and a far more distant question of what the signs would be alerting his followers to the ‘end of the age.’

To keep that in perspective, we must remind ourselves that we view time differently than God does. Jesus’ coming was the beginning of the end of the age…. It ushered in a new era – one in which men have the chance once again to accept or reject the One True God – just as Adam and Eve did….

In the days of the Diaspora when Christians were so severely persecuted, the persecution forced them to flee – and in fleeing they shared the gospel everywhere they went. The witness to the Truth arose out of conflict and persecution. It occurs to me as I write this morning that ‘Jesus as Christ’ being preached to all nations, as we considered in the last segment of Matthew, may be accomplished the same way.

Man has a longing for peace – but true peace is peace with God. In our journey as faithful followers, to represent God’s love accurately, we have to speak Truth – speak it in love – be prepared to give an answer – walk holding tight to His hand, for we cannot do it in our own strength.

…choose….this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15). It is a reminder that is going to follow us throughout the coming days….

We’ll get back to this text when we look at Daniel…. Until then, I’m going to leave it as a carrot….

I am in the early stages of reading an excellent book. It is filling in lots of blanks for me – and at this point for where I am in the book, is particularly informative about the United States’ role, influence and failed responsibility with regard to the Jews – and what we could have done to prevent the holocaust. It is information I have never been exposed to before. It is compelling. I will refer to it later, but for now it is definitely an eye-opener….

And, I’m following through on my quest to learn more about Muslim beliefs. I’ll share a tidbit of that with you today. There is an Eschatology Comparison on Contender Ministries that is titled, ‘Muslim, Jewish and Christian End-Times Prophecy Comparison’.

It begins with similarities. The first similarity topic is: The Purpose of Christ’s Coming. [Please note:I find the first ‘similarity’ terribly dissimilar!] It says that Islam teaches that Isa (Jesus) didn’t die, but has been in a state of suspended animation since 33 A D – that he will return to battle and overthrow ‘all pigs’ and confirm Islam as the only true religion. After 40 years, he will then die and be buried next to Muhammed in Medina. (Not!) O K – I’m just supposed to be ‘reporting’ for this bit – not editorializing. I can’t help it!

In this segment it states that Judaism teaches that Messiah will defeat the gentile nations and restore the kingdom of Israel. The Jews in exile will return and rule in an age of spiritual harmony. God will be recognized as the universal King.

Note: they do not acknowledge that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah. They have always been looking for the Messiah to come as a vanquishing warrior – so they missed him the first visit. Could that account at least in part for why so many were deceived initially by Mohammed. He came as that warrior.

Anyway – Biblical Christians don’t disagree with the reality of all God has planned for His chosen people, Israel – but we do know that will be Jesus’ Second Coming when all of that occurs – not his first.

Christianity confirms that Jesus will come again, that he will rescue Israel miraculously, and that he will rule for one thousand years from His throne in Jerusalem.

But first – there is some prophecy yet to be fulfilled….

When I told you sometime back about Jesus appearing in a dream to an Algerian Muslim, I explained that Jesus identified himself as Isa al Masih. That translates: Jesus the Messiah. It is important to note the distinction. Islam refers to Jesus as Isa. He is in their writings – but only as a prophet, not as the One he proclaimed Himself to be. He is Isa al Masih – Jesus the Christ. He identifies himself in every language in the mother tongue of the people he is proclaimed to. Isa is Jesus – but the Isa they tell about it not represented by God’s definition. That is important to note….

Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Yeshua – Isa – Ioseos - Yesu – Jesu – Jesus is the Meshiach, Masih, Messiah, the Christ, Cristo, Cristos….

And it may be soon!

ESCHATOLOGY - Matthew 24:9-14

Last time we considered the 'beginning of birth pains'. Today, we move on to the next few verses in Matthew's gospel:

Matthew 24:9-14 (Jesus speaking to his followers)
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come...."

Just let me say, this is not my favorite passage in the Bible. I take it to heart - and take it personally - but what his hearers would have heard when he said this matters. We have to look at context in addition to application. Both apply.

His hearers were Jewish. We certainly see evidence throughout history of how our Jews have been treated - the holocaust being just one significant example. Taking it personally for the gentile world who follow Christ - Christians are being killed every day for their standing firm in their faith. A conservative estimate says that 450 Christians are killed every day, while others are burned, beaten, and otherwise severely persecuted.

Type 'Christians being martyred' into your search (I used Google) and you can watch videos on youtube that speak louder than any words I can write. I watched the first one that was listed....it was heartbreaking and compelling. It told of a 10 year old boy who was instructed to gather wood for a fire - and when he wouldn't deny his faith he was thrown on the fire and left to die. He escaped - but with severe burns. Another story was of a 16 year old girl who went away to camp - and on the 2nd day was attacked and threatened with broken glass....

For me to be faced with death is one thing - for my grandchildren to be faced with the same choice is overwhelming.

It makes Matthew 10:22 (repeated in Matthew 24:13) more significant: All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. This is not seeker-friendly Christianity. This is the real deal.

This is not being hated because of anything we've done but just because of people's hatred for Christ in us. Hatred for the One who died for their salvation as well as ours. Hatred that comes from Satan himself. It is almost incomprehensible. I'm not fond of being hated. I've experienced just enough of a hint of it that I know I don't like it. My automatic reaction is to want clarity - to want to explain - to want equity - to want vindication. I'm going to need God's grace....

Next on the list is that many will turn from the faith and betray and hate each other. It is pure logic that unless someone is very well grounded in their faith, they are not going to stand up for something they aren't absolutely certain of. Many will fall into that category. And - there will be those who will be threatened with pain who will identify others who are Christian - probably believing their persecutors that things will go easier for them.... Hatred comes in lots of packages. Hatred is simply any act or emotion that wishes another person dead - even for our convenience. It doesn't have to be virulent, seething animosity to be classified as hatred.

'Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people' is the next on the list. I covered a bit of that on the wading in day. Two of the larger -isms that affect me personally. I have a Muslim family I love dearly. I have Mormon relatives I love and want to know the Truth.

Jim Jones and his compound at Jamestown,British Guyana; David Koresh and the Branch Davidians; The Aryan Nations aka The Church of Jesus Christ-Christian of North Idaho, The Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who was set up in Antelope, Oregon. These are just a few in my day. Any church or religion that does not place Jesus in His rightful role - the ONE who is the Messiah - the only Messiah - who came in the flesh, fully God and fully human. Any teacher or preacher who says there is any other way to God than through the shed blood of Jesus Christ - all fit into the list of those who deceive.... In our day it includes the plethora of preachers who have soft-soaped and watered down the Word of God to make it more appealing. All I know is: if I am standing at the business end of an AK-47, I want to know that the One I believe in is going to be there as I am ushered in to eternity - and I want Him to give me the courage to be faithful no matter what....

Having said that, living for Him faithfully in a world littered with spiritual land-mines is a daily challenge for all who seek to follow Him. Sometimes it is harder to 'live' faithfully than it would be to face death. We are challenged to do both.

The increase of wickedness....next on the list....and because of it the love of most will grow cold. We face that onslaught of risk every day: there is so much to distract us and divert our attention. Every one of us is at risk for succumbing to the diversions. It takes being very intentional in our faith to maintain focus and proper perspective. When I see all that is 'in the world' today - I wonder how God can stand it - how He can delay His coming to set it all right. He created the world to be beautiful - and we humans have corrupted it - from what we are doing to the earth itself - to what we are doing to ourselves in polluting our minds and bodies with sensual overload. God must weep. We become desensitized.

And finally, the good news in this portion of prophecy: the good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the world....

Because of the explosion of technological advances, that is now possible in a way never before conceived. People all over the world - even those who are illiterate - have i-pods and the potential to have satellite internet. Connecting with the world is easier every day.

We have this little window of opportunity to speak to the nations: to tell them that Jesus Christ, Yeshua ha Meshiach, Isa al Masih, Jesu Cristo, came to seek and save that which was lost.

It is a little bit frightening - but even more than that, it is compelling. In our going we are to disciple. To build relationships. To share the Good News. Lord, may it be so.

ESCHATOLOGY - Wading into the water....Matthew 24:1-8

Matthew 24:1-8
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ (the Messiah), and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains...."

I suppose writing about Shayne's birth provides a natural segue to my current topic since it references 'birth pains'!

When I was a teen I was absolutely fascinated by Eschatology (the study of what will occur at the end of time). Then after I walked away from God for approximately 2 years in my early 20's, when I recommitted my life to Him, I realized it was far more important to live my life to be ready to meet Him - whenever that might be, rather than be overly focused on the 'end of time'.

But, this past Sunday my interest was piqued again. That has led me to two things: one is to study the difference between Islam and Christianity to try to gain an understanding for how so many people could be so dreadfully deceived by Satan;and more importantly, to read through the prophecies and prophetic books of the Bible to see what God might say to me. Writing about that journey certainly means taking some risks. I'm in way over my head!

In the beginning of Matthew 24, which events in 'real time' happened about 33 A D, Jesus tells the disciples about the destruction of the temple. That prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A D, just +-37 years later. What he told them was true. It happened.

But - for the other prophetic statements made on the Mt of Olives, the message was for future generations. They were asking multiple questions - though they obviously didn't perceive that....

We are seeing that fulfillment. It is true that there have been wars for a long time - history is littered with reports of wars. What makes the wars for the 20th Century more significant to the prophetic warning is that they tie in with other prophecies that are also being fulfilled. We'll see more of that in later days....

I am not a brilliant student of prophecy - but it doesn't take a degree to see the fulfillment of the Bible's predictions of wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, famines and earthquakes in various places, and the escalation of those realities.

My other deficiency for this specific quest is that I never had a good history teacher - so I am not as 'trained' as I should be for launching out on this particular journey. But with some trepidation, I'm pushing off, and we'll see where the tide takes me. You're welcome to come along for the ride. You're welcome to throw your line into the water and share the fish you catch....

Jesus' first prophecy for the time leading to the end of time: Many will come claiming to be the Messiah.

The -ism's abound. The truly huge one we deal with today is the deceit of Islam. Mohammed was born +-570 years after Yeshua (Jesus). He claimed to be a prophet of God. The problem is that all who spoke for Yahweh/ Jehovah/ the One True God, elevated Jesus Christ as the one and only Son of God and Islam does not. Jesus is the only way to God. The Bible is absolutely clear about that. He didn't come claiming to be a prophet. He claimed to be the One and only Son of God! In fact, Jesus is God-in-the-flesh, God Incarnate. It was because of His proclamation of that fact that He was crucified. But, being crucified was what He came to do. He came to bring the Good News - to be the Good News - that man could once again have a personal relationship with God. That which was severed when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden was restored - and that Good News was purchased at the price of His blood shed by whips and thorns - scourging and death on a cruel cross. We just covered all of that in the Lenten journey....

Another following of an -ism that is of particular concern - in the United States, especially, since it started here - is Mormonism. The Bible is clear that there is no other way and no other truth than the way of truth outlined in God's only written Word, the Bible. Biblical Christianity is far different than what is taught in Mormonism - - even though they teach many good things. The sad thing is, the greatest lie is the one with the most truth in it. They have espoused a deception that is not Truth. In my limited experience, Mormons who read their Bible and see the Truth leave and connect with a Bible-believing church following their seeing the truth of God's Word.

This issue occupies a tender place in my heart. I have many relatives by marriage who are Mormon, as well as a wonderful great nephew who married into a loving Mormon family. In fact, my husband has a relative on his mother's side named Daniel Webster Jones, who was taken in and nursed back to health by the Mormons, who converted to Mormonism and was the founder of Mesa, Arizona. I have gone to family reunions on that side of the family, and have been lovingly embraced by people who call me a 'gentile', but who tell me I would be a good Mormon. I wouldn't. I absolutely do not believe that my security of going to heaven is based on a husband's choice. I do not believe men become gods. I do not believe they will rule their own planet.

They do not teach who Jesus really is. Jesus didn't 'become' God - He was God who became man - and for his 33 years on earth, was fully man and fully God. Mormon worshipers may sing the same songs I sing in church - but their meaning in their minds is twisted to mean something else. I know that I cannot be anyone else's Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can take that role in their lives - but I do believe that anyone who reads the actual Bible, and asks for God to show them Truth, will find it. The book of Hebrews is very clear that Jesus was the final priest in the order of Melchizadek. The book of John presents Jesus through the eyes of 'the one Jesus' loved'. Truth is there to be embraced.

Jesus' second prophecy for the time leading to the end of time: wars and rumors of wars. I typed '20th Century Wars' into my search on Google, and found a site that lists all of the wars and casualties of the 20th Century. It is a long list. At the top it states that 160 MILLION people died in wars in the 20th Century! And that is just the beginning of birth pains....

Next on the list of things that precede the end of time is: nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. That syncs with the wars, of course, but it also speaks of tensions and disagreements. Hostile attitudes and malicious accusations. A general absence of peace among nations; even brother rising up against brother, as is conspicuously apparent with all of the territoriality we see throughout the world.

And, finally, last on the list in these few verses - famines and earthquakes. If you type in 'Earthquakes - Long Term Trends' in your search engine, you should be able to find the sites I found. The graph I found that shows earthquakes from just 1973 - 2006, shows a marked increase in numbers - but the more significant report is this: earthquakes measuring 6.99 or higher divided into 38-year periods are reported as follows:

1863 - 1900: 12
1901 - 1938: 53
1939 - 1976: 71
1977 - 4/2010: 151
Just think what that will be by 2014 when this 38-year segment ends.

If you look at the stats for the death tolls over history - there were some major death tolls historically - but what I am addressing specifically is the increase in the number of earthquakes. Some of that could be due to better information gathering - but it certainly appears to fall into the prophetic pattern Jesus foretold 'as the beginning of birth pains.'

The stats on famines are there, too.... Pretty compelling in light of God's Word....
Jesus foretold it - and it is coming true....


For a tidbit of hopefully helpful information on a 'life-as-we-live-it' level: Starting today, in Washington, it is illegal to hold your cell phone while driving. It is now a first offense - not a secondary offense - and people will be stopped just for holding it. A word to the wise....

OVERLAKE HOSPITAL, Bellevue, WA Birth Experience

(Shayne is 4 months old in this photo.)

I received a surprise comment from the Marketing Department at Overlake Hospital because I mentioned Overlake on my June 8 blog when I mentioned Shayne's 43rd birthday.

The lady who contacted me wanted to know the story of our experience there, as they are preparing for the 50th anniversary celebration of the hospital. So - I wrote and told her the following:

We arrived at the hospital between 11 and 11:30 a m that morning, as I recall, and when I went up to the desk, the gal took one look at me and said, "I'm sorry. We are very busy today. Could you please come back another day for your tour?"

In those days, they encouraged parents-to-be to come in for a pre-visit, just to see the maternity wing and get a feeling for where they would be coming.... She presumed that was why I was there. For some reason, I was very 'compact' with that first pregnancy. I went into the hospital weighing 132, came out weighing +-117, and in a week was down to 110! I never achieved that record again!

So - - I calmly told her, "No, I'm not here for the tour. I'm here to have the baby. My contractions are about 3 minutes apart." She was stunned, but directed us to where we needed to be. It was definitely a birthing boom day! I was pre-registered, so all of that went smoothly.

Back in those days, of course, we didn't have the luxury of choosing whether to learn the baby's gender prior to birth. You got what you got! There was lots of yellow purchased for going home outfits - suitable for boys or girls!

I remember the birth very clearly. I had a caudal 1/2 hour before baby was born, but up to that point got to experience all of it. I remember their having to snap my tailbone - which had been broken a couple of years earlier in Mexico City bouncing down a flight of cement stairs. It had healed turned inward and was going to hurt the baby. The blessing was that after it healed that time, it didn't hurt any longer - and never gave me any further trouble. There were some other incidentals common to birth experiences in those days that I don't think I want to mention on a blog!

However, I do recall that having the caudal meant I had to lay absolutely still for many hours afterward until it wore off. I didn't ever do that again, since I knew that once I got to the point of 'ready for this to be over' it would only be about 1/2 hour longer.... So - my 3 girls were born pretty naturally - - with only a drip to speed up labor in a couple of cases. But with the first one there was no way to know how fast that part of dilation and birth would progress, so it seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.

My care at Overlake was wonderful. I never had any better care with any subsequent pregnancy. I remember the nurse coming in every 15 minutes or so to massage the uterus - something I did myself for the the 3 later full-term pregnancies, without the amazing attentive care at Overlake, since I no longer lived in that area.... (I lived in Montesano when my 3 girls were born.) I was in the hospital for a few days at Overlake - something else that changed with subsequent deliveries.

At the end of my note to her I stated:

Because Northwest University (College in those days) in Kirkland had several students whose babies were born at Overlake, you might find that a good resource for connecting with other parents in that era. Perhaps even some of the first babies born there could be tracked down that way....

If you are a Northwest alum who had a child at Overlake, write to me at yoandpa@hotmail.com and I will send you the address to write to - - or just refer to the comment on my June 8 blog entry and reply to the address given.... There should be several! It would be super cool if some born in 1960 could be located through our alumni connections!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SON

Today is my son's birthday - so I searched through my i-photo file for a picture - and just about got lost in memories. This picture is a few years old now - but it still looks like him....so it will do.

Shayne was born 6-8-1967 in Overlake Memorial Hospital in Bellevue, WA...43 years ago. I'm way too young to have a kid who is 43. But it is true!

He is a kind, loving man. I love his heart. I love him. Happy Birthday, son!

It is easier to understand how passionately God feels about us when we have children. We are God's joy. He yearns to spend time with us - yearns to mold us into His image. Sometimes the schooling is hard for us - but it is for our good. God only has good in mind.

Of course, since we live in a spiritual world, there is that other entity - Satan - who doesn't have similar goals for us. In fact, The Bible warns us that 'he goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.' Every now and then he may win a skirmish - but he never will win the battle as long as we keep following the Commander. That is such a comfort. CHRIST IN US, THE HOPE OF GLORY!

Last week I had some really strange dreams - which I am not going to relate - but in one of the dreams, the message was 'He's coming soon'. It has run through my mind over and over ever since. He's coming soon. He's coming soon. How will I spend these last days before His return?

With being gone I got out of sync in my faithfulness of prayer time. Reverted to those 'praying as I went' and popcorn prayers - definitely 'praying without ceasing' in the sense that I know God walks with me - - but not taking time to be in the kind of prayer a faithful follower needs to be in to hear God clearly. I know better. It's time to be faithful in prayer, faithful to listen, faithful to hear, faithful to follow God's instructions heard in prayer, faithful to 'do' His will....

At the end of the journey I want to hear, 'Well done, good and faithful servant'.

He's coming soon. There's a lot to do. People to love to Him. Lord, lead me....

OUR JAUNT TO OREGON & IDAHO

Thank you to the readers who actually look to see if I've written - your saying you miss the blog is inspiring and encouraging.

I am not on a specific 'spiritual journey' right now. After the current Jennifer Rothschild Bible Study ends, we'll see what comes next - but for the other recent physical journey - I will write a bit and you may read if you choose!

My eldest brother graduated from Midvale High School, Midvale, Idaho - I think the year was 1956. Earlier this Spring he told me that he was going to an all-school reunion in Midvale - and I decided I wanted to go - even though I had only attended there my 5th, 6th and 7th grade years. But - we lived at the ranch 20 miles out of Midvale for a total of six summers, beginning just after my 2nd grade year - so it was a walk back in time I wanted to explore.

Al said he'd be happy to go if we could combine it with a trip to get some obsidian, so the plan was made....and I made my reservations.

Just getting registered was a joy, because I got to be in touch with one of the Branch twins - Lois, to be specific. She and her sister, Doris, are a couple of years younger than I am, but their ranch was on the way out to ours, and sometimes I rode the bus home with them, then Dad picked me up on his way home. Memories spill over each other and tumble out. Things I had not thought of in years.... The Branch twins were one of the great memories. One time someone asked if Lois and I were the ones who were twins - because we both had light hair - and Doris's was dark. And another time, someone asked if we were triplets. I was thrilled someone thought I might be a 'Branch'. As I told one lady at the reunion, "They were hot stuff back in the day." I didn't have sisters - and I lived vicariously through friends who did...and/or adopted friends with the exuberance of having them be 'like a sister'.

Our trip began Tuesday morning, May 25. We were gone for 8 days, returning the following Tuesday night around 9 p m.

Our first destination was near Glass Butte in Central Oregon. More specifically, Little Glass Butte, where we expected to dig large chunks of obsidian in various colorations. We didn't find much 'fire' obsidian, or any rainbow obsidian, but we did get a lot of plain black obsidian and red and black mixed in various patterns - and much smaller than we had planned. Al concluded that I am my father's daughter. Dad was a rock hound. I never went with him - but I do love colorful rocks. Al was more specific in what he wanted, because his purpose for the obsidian is to do flintknapping - making arrowheads of varying lengths. My intent was purely aesthetic. So - we have some that are garden rocks and some that are specifically his....

Camping at the dig was free, of course.... Thursday we left the digging site and that night we camped up a gravel road toward Beulah at an Oregon State campground. Senior Citizen's rate: $2.50. One of the joys of being a seasoned citizen . . . or in this case, being with one. I have to wait until September to qualify.

While we were in Idaho, I got to see all 3 of my brothers. The eldest came up to the reunion from Brigham City, Utah, and the other two live about 16 miles apart, in Parma and New Plymouth. I also got to see my cousin and his wife - my only first cousin on the Rice side who is still living. (We had only one other.) And, I got to see my dear friends Arlene & LeRoy Grothaus. They always have stories to tell. My eldest brother, Duane, was with me when we stopped, so this time the story was on him....

And - on Saturday when we registered for the Sunday reunion, I got to see the lovely Branch twins and get a picture with them; see my best friend from the ranch - Phyllis Grothaus; and my best friend from in town - Faye Towell. It was such an incredible joy to see friends I treasured whom I had not seen for so many years.... I left Midvale in 1957, and had seen Phyllis just once in between - and that was a long time ago.

The day of the actual reunion dinner I saw a lot more people from my 'olden days' - - and it was all a joy!

I realized for the first time what Midvale had meant to us in terms of healing from the pain of our mother's death. There we were just 'us' - not 'the kid's whose mother committed suicide'. We just got to be. To live and laugh and be embraced by a warm, closely-knit community.

Midvale was a place where everyone waved. There were no strangers - just friends we didn't know yet. I am so grateful for that time in my life. Thank you, Midvale - and all the people who embraced us!

There were two bonus joys of the trip: Al wanted to meet a guy named Emery Coon from Burns, Oregon, who is a highly regarded flintknapper - and a man named Dwight Towell, from Midvale, who is a world-renowned knife maker. There's a story about Emery only Al can tell - - but I bought Al one of his creations for Father's Day: an obsidian knife with a sagebrush handle. It really is beautifully done - and his favorite expression when we complimented his work was, "I just have way too much fun." Emery is young, and has no idea how good he is. His grandfather and father were flintknappers and he started at age 5.

As it turned out, Dwight Towell is related to my friend Faye, and her husband, Bob, tracked Dwight down at the reunion and brought him over so Al could meet him. He had just delivered one of his knives to a man at the reunion - a gift for his retirement, so we got to see one piece of his work. It was unbelievable. I told him I couldn't even imagine how one would go about making such a knife, and his reply was, "You just take a piece of steel and cut away everything that doesn't look like a knife." I laughed and told him that is Al's line about carving ducks: just taking a block of wood and carving away everything that doesn't look like a duck. But this was steel, not wood - and it was a knife with a flip-out blade. It was an absolutely beautiful piece of craftsmanship - and art - and the man was even more impressive to me in light of his fame - modest, down-to-earth - but a legend.

Of course, I live with one of those. A man who is equally nice, down-to-earth and a legend in his own time for various reasons. I've had phonecallers who have asked me, "Is this the house of the Al Cain, the surveyor?" Yep! And when he was working he had a reputation that was pretty phenomenal - people who referred to him as a legend. I get that.

After we left Idaho, we decided on a whim to take off at Durkee to go through the backroads to our next destination - and it just happened to take us to one of the places on my bucket list! My mother was born in Bridgeport, Oregon - and even though my brother told me there is nothing there any more, I wanted to go to Bridgeport to see what wasn't there. I just wanted to know where it was. There is a cemetery in a field just a ways away from where the town was - and a sign that designates the site of historic Bridgeport - which points to another field, where sheep were grazing....but I got to be there, and it was a journey back to time before my time that coursed through me. I am so grateful for that fortuitous happening that made us decide to take that specific road without knowing where it would pass.

It also passed through Hereford - a town with more unseen memories. My mother's eldest sister, Lola, married a man named Frank Warren. They lived in Hereford. His family had the mercantile store and he ran the local garage and repair shop - mostly working on farm equipment back in those days. One day when my mother was a little girl, she was staying with her sister Lola. Lola asked her to run over to her mother-in-law's house to get a recipe for her, but when Nellie (my mother)got there, she couldn't remember what to call the thing she had come for so she stammered, " I came to get a . . . a . . . a piece-a-que! Of course, Mrs.Warren knew why she had come - and that she was there to get a recipe - but everyone thought it was so cute, that in that family, they called recipes 'piece-a-ques' ever after.

I didn't know the story until I was an adult when an older cousin - one of Lola's daughter's - told me. Since my mother died when I was 7, I collect memories as treasures - and I love that story. Now I have a visual for where it happened. I've been to Hereford.

Since coming home, I've realized how much joy there is going to be in heaven when we see people we haven't seen for so long. My reunion reconnections mirrored that on a much smaller scale. I'm torn right now between sadness and joy - sadness for those who do not believe, and joy for the Hope we have as believers.

He's coming soon! It's time to make travel plans!

At the end of our trip we went to visit friends who were camping on acreage they purchased near Kimberly, Oregon, in the John Day area. That, too, was good! We came home tired, grateful for all the adventures, and grateful for the weather we had... and glad to be home again!

WONDERS IN GOD'S HANDIWORK

I really can't imagine why it is so difficult to believe there is a God when we survey the wonders of creation. Yet - there was a time when I walked away from God and didn't consider that reality...so I of all people should be understanding. But now - from this vantage point, it truly is incomprehensible.

My irises were a gift from my daughter's mother-in-law. They were 'excess bulbs' she offered and I accepted - and now I absolutely thrill to the beauty they bring to our yard - and they are another reminder of the amazing creativity of God. So many different flowers. So many different plants. So many different animals. All from a 'happy little accident' some say. Not me.

They all speak of a creator. A very intentional creator. And his name is God. Jehovah. Yahweh. And for the part that is something I know to be true but that is just beyond my understanding completely - the yet unborn Yeshua/ Jesus/ Savior was there. John 1:1-4 New Testament from Aramaic: The Word was in the beginning, and that very Word was with God, and God was that Word. The same was in the beginning with God. Everything came to be by his hand; and without him not even one thing came to be that was created. The life was in him, and the life is the light of men.