Where is your vision? Where is your confidence? Are you among the multitudes who have been deceived into the notion that it’s still okay to accept the horrible things that are going on in this world and say nothing for fear of attracting the attention of the enemy? I’m not sure how things will evolve from here, but you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be able to tell that things have gone beyond any point of return to “normalcy”, in fact, if you are a rocket scientist it might be harder for you to see it.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, it’s abundantly clear that we are living in the last days of our existence as humans on this planet. People are dying by the thousands from the record heat in places around the world. Floods are occurring in places that have till now hardly ever even received much rain. Slaughters and wars are taking the lives of hundreds of thousands. At this writing, the Campi Flegri super volcano in Italy is shaking the ground in what many scientists are saying is a pre-eruptive phase – if this one goes off, there’s going to be a whole new basket of problems with which Europe, maybe the world will have to deal if it’s powerful enough, it might be the last.

We sit on the razor’s edge of nuclear war and the guys with their fingers on the button are itching to get it going, but the Lord is giving people like this old Grandpa time to get the messages out before it all happens to give everyone a last chance to come to grips with the reality of Jesus Christ and what he means to us in these troubled times. There are those who laugh at this notion now, but I’m thoroughly convinced that everyone will stop laughing quite shortly. God sees a world that is behaving as it has in times past, such as in the days of lustful decadence that consumed the world prior to the flood of Noah’s time. God was so angered that He was ready to completely wipe out all of mankind but decided to give us another chance. Another time His anger was on display was during the destruction of that immoral and sick bunch of people in Sodom. Think about what that must have been like, seeing fire raining down from the sky and having nowhere to hide from it. Now imagine it on a scale of the whole planet instead of just one or two perverted towns. The world is just as immoral today as it was in the days of Sodom, and I’m pretty sure He is just as angry as He was back then. It ain’t gonna be pretty folks.

We can all see and feel it coming. It’s just a matter of how long He chooses to wait. When the very last sinner on the earth that will be saved is saved, that’s when He’s going to light the place up and it will be an event of unimaginable terror. Nobody’s going to be thinking about their bank accounts or whatever luxurious properties they have, that big old multi-million-dollar mansion, their stash of gold, or even all that freeze-dried food they stored away. They’ll all be horrified – in total shock at the absolutely awesome power of an angry God, an indescribably irate Creator of the universe, and the ones who will experience the greatest fear will be those who rejected Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Who actually died at the hands of people of the same mindset as is throughout the world today. It will be a fear of such magnitude that you will be able to feel it in your bones. Many will be scrambling into their holes that they’ve carefully carved out of the ground and stocked with non-perishable foods and water and such, as if that would help them in any way from the angry God. For crying out loud, He created this world, does anyone not think He knows how to destroy it?!! When that Day comes, they will recognize the futility of all their preparations.

Today we look to our scientists for information concerning things like asteroids or Yellowstone erupting, or even what to expect following a nuclear war. Think about this – whenever an “authority figure” tells you what will happen after such an event, he is smart enough to know that if and when a cataclysm of this nature occurs, he might be dead wrong about what the world will be like, or if you took the correct survival strategy, but who cares? After such an event, who’s going to be around to hold him to account for being completely wrong? They can say anything, no matter how preposterous, and it won’t matter one whit after such an event – whether they were correct or whether they were dead wrong! Curiously, the one thing all of them are studiously avoiding is to warn you about being right with God – that’s the answer to all the dilemmas we will face, if we are unfortunate enough to survive the coming apocalypse.

We must learn of Jesus Christ and take that all-important decision to follow Him in order to be safe from that which we fear, but there are other tremendous blessings to be had in taking shelter with Him from the impending storm. For one thing He has a special place in His heart for the poor, so if one happens to be a worker in an African diamond mine, or a rickshaw driver in Mumbai, or (and these are near and dear to Him) a simple fisherman, He is already in a favorable position with Jesus. Don’t get the wrong idea, He is perfectly willing to accept a person with wealth into His Kingdom, but the wealth will have to go first. He spoke with one wealthy young man and told him that he was right with God in every other aspect of his life, but he’d have to give up his wealth in order to follow Him, and the fellow couldn’t bring himself to part with his riches, a choice which prompted the Lord to say, ” [Matthew 19:23]  “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Any wonder why the wealthy of the world don’t like for us to tell folks about Jesus?

It is beyond the purpose of this post to engage in any kind of argument over religion or sectarian dogma – in all honesty, we don’t have time for that sort of thing. It is my purpose to tell all of y’all (ok, I’m from the south) about the Lord Jesus and just how much you mean to Him. Y’all seriously need to know about Jesus Christ and if I’m getting cross-threaded with you because of your current religion or religious practice, I ask you to at least look into the possibility of serving Him – He’s the only One who can promise us eternal life in joy and peace. For now though, we don’t have much time left, He’s gathering His people right now. The Bible says in Revelation, “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. ¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come ^[j]for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” ¹⁶ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Folkpotpourri been blessed to have readers from many nations with whom I can share, and if I’m speaking to those who do in fact practice other faiths, I implore you to check out the Kingdom of Christ – you’ll find there is no other way to serve our God, who as mentioned will be extremely upset with all who rejected His Son because they rejected His Son. Jesus is the Centerpiece of salvation, the Key to our becoming a servant of the Almighty. Believe in Him now, and when we get to Heaven we will have all of eternity to argue the merits of any faith (other than the faith in Jesus Christ) you will need to leave behind – if you still so choose to argue them.

We face catastrophic times and events and we all know it. There is little we can do to avoid them because the power of the evil one is greater than our power. We have an opportunity to become a part of that great harvest, but we must come to Him who wields the sickle, repent of our sins, get baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. For all who are hesitant to believe because of there being Three, trust me, they are all one – I don’t know how, no one else does either, regardless of what they say (unless they are a prophet), because there are a lot of things about the spirit world that God did not give us the ability to understand, however we will know one day. God can take as many forms or identities as He chooses. He’s still God.

How wonderful it will be to stand tall in the face of the coming catastrophes, fully aware that we have absolutely nothing to fear because we are safely in the care of the Son of God! Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need fear no evil, for He is with us – that means everything, friends! Let those who walked without faith be the ones to fear and tremble at His wrath and His astonishing glory when He comes back – instead of fear, we who trust Jesus shall be filled with unimaginably joyful exuberance. So, learn of Him, know Him, love Him.

God bless all,

MK

There’s a bridge down the road from here, they call it a high-water crossing- it’s a big concrete culvert shaped to allow the water in the creek it crosses to flow up and over it when there’s a lot of rain. When the creek is at or below normal levels, there are some big tubes or culverts that go right through the concrete for the water to run through. The little creek is especially pretty in normal times with the clearest Ozark water gently running through the greenery of the summer woods, or my favorite, the pastels of autumn.

The road running over it is just a two-lane blacktop – back where we came from in a previous life in East Texas, we called these “Farm to Market Roads”, just a low-traffic paved road through the country. Most of the back roads around here though, are not paved at all. These are dirt, or gravel roads, and they can get kind of rough, especially in the dry days of summer when they grow a series of ridges that form perpendicular to the direction of travel and are evenly spaced about a foot apart. They cause your vehicle to rattle and at the right speed, you can lose traction and actually skid on them as you navigate through a silent forest of dusty goldenrods or brilliant trees of autumn.

My favorite arteries through the backcountry are the many foot trails that wind in the woods out here. No roads at all, you just hoof it through the woods and listen to the birds and insects and feed the ticks. When the weather’s bad though, you are relegated to travel by automobile, and if the rain is really crazy, the high-water crossings become inundated and you either find another way to where you’re going or just stay home. Here in the hills, the drainage through the hollers is such that a lot of water can collect in the many creeks and rivers, and I guess the county budgets don’t have enough funds to build real bridges on all of the back roads. The crossings can be dangerous to attempt when the water’s up though.

When you come to one of those crossings when the water’s high, it gives you pause to think about situations we come upon in life where things get difficult for us. Like the ravaging flood waters, we often find ourselves in situations in which we have to consider our options, which during times of high water, are limited.

I suppose the first thing to consider is whether or not we really need to get across, how important is our destination? Do we need to get there badly enough to risk the peril of getting washed down the creek if we were to try to cross? Can our destination wait – usually a few hours – until the water goes back down? Is the trip worth going, often several miles, back and around a different route? Difficulties like this we encounter on a road trip bear a similarity to hazards we get into on our life’s journey.

Where are we going, and what kinds of risks are we prepared to take to get there? Seriously, if we’re on life’s road and we are required to make a decision in difficult circumstances, can we do so with a degree of confidence that we might get through, or on the other hand, might our choice lead us to a catastrophe? Is the threat of going through our obstacle at what might turn out to be a high cost worth the threat of not getting where we are going? If we’re trying to get to a fishing hole, maybe it would be prudent to turn around and try again later or maybe not at all. But if we have a family member down that road in dire need of help and whose life is depending on us getting to them, it might be more incumbent to try to get through.

As this old grandpa sees it, we are all on an important mission traveling down this road we call life. It is of the utmost importance that we understand what’s at stake at the end of this road – which for mankind is everything – we must get there with our spirit intact! But in this journey of which I speak, there is only one Route we can take, and unfortunately there will inevitably be some serious hazards. Those hazards will be placed before us by that wily old Devil himself. To mention a few, i.e., the promise of wealth can get in front of us (in so many ways), an inopportune high water of immorality that appears before us, and that one is particularly insidious, given our human nature, or any other of a myriad of earthly distractions. Whatever your flooded high-water crossing, on this trip you have no choice – you absolutely must get beyond the hazard, but how? How do you face that raging torrent of fear, anger, lust, pride – all of which are set before you to hinder your journey?

The answer is already in your heart, and all you have to do is listen to it. He said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” – He’s already there. He will face that obstacle with you and take your hand and lead you through it. There’s no doubt He can do it – He was observed by eyewitnesses shutting down a major storm at sea! There’s no need to fear even the most intimidating dark cloud of discouragement when the Son of God is with you. There’s a lot of chaos and evil in the world today and it’s getting worse by the hour, but there is no threat He is unable to overcome – He’s the best Friend you can have and the only One you need.

Please don’t go trying to drive through a flooded crossing – this whole story is obviously a metaphor for problems we encounter on our life’s journey, and the answer is Jesus Christ – the answer to all distractions and dilemmas that might hinder our progress. At this point in our world, we could be annihilated to vapor in any given instant of time, or worse, we might find ourselves having survived a cataclysmic occurrence looking forward to a horrible future, but nevertheless, we have to get and stay right with Jesus and I’m serious as a heart attack, if we want to come out on the other side of this – to our destination – as we must. I can promise you’ll never for an instant be sorry you did.

God Bless,

MK

Although I get few likes and comments on this site and I’ not going to lie, it’s nice to hear back from readers, I still continue to post things that I feel people enjoy reading and things that Jesus lays it on my heart to say. As I mentioned on my home page, I’m not monetized, so there’s no pecuniary motivation for me, but I still appreciate knowing that my posts are reaching folks.

I have readers all over the world, but to be honest, it’s because of the great sites I link onto and I often wonder how many folks just click on the link because it’s there. It would be wonderful to know that I’m saying things that give people pause to think about deeper spiritual things and help to provide hope to fellow travelers who’ve become mired in trepidation, but with little to no feedback, I just have to hope.

I’m a big-time dog lover and have 4 pups who are a big part of my life. I’ve written earlier posts about them, especially my girl, Little Britches. They all have unique personalities, but hers is really kind of special. She’s harmless and loveable, a little shy until you get to know her, and she has retained some of the border collie wildness – just a tad, but it comes out at times, like when I give them treats. If I don’t remind her to be easy, she forgets her shyness and snatches the treat (usually chicken jerky) so fast it’s like trying to feed a shark or alligator. I’ve learned to always be cautious and remember to tell her to be “EASY!” because she’s nipped my fingers more than once.

I know you’re wondering where I’m going with this, but I suppose there’s some similarity in writing posts – especially posts that attempt to encourage folks to get or stay engaged with Jesus, in that I always expect to get bitten. There are folks out there who genuinely abhor anyone talking about the Lord and they can be vicious. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at times, though, because sometimes after an especially deep spiritual post and I’m left wondering what kind of nasty comments it will evoke, it seems that I get one of those pleasant feedbacks – always from a non-believer! From such experiences I’ve come to understand what Jesus meant when He said He didn’t come to save the righteous, but sinners. I believe the nice, respectful words to be coming from the hearts of folks who profess to be non-believers, but to whom God is obviously speaking, and I pray for them that they will lend Him an ear. I choose to believe that they will – eventually. These are genuine folks who enjoy the treat without biting.

Although it’s rare to get any feedback at all, it’s even more so to hear back from people who are believers. Odd, that. Jesus warned us about casting our pearls (His wisdom we learn) before swine, but He didn’t go into exactly who the swine are. In His day it was probably the Pharisees, the religious lawyers of the day who imposed all the man-made doctrines on everyone. I guess they were the biters, because He warned His sheep that those guys would trample your treasure and turn on you, so I suppose we should be careful with whom we share. And don’t take it that I’m saying believers are mean, either. I just don’t hear much from them. It’s hard to be cautious with whom you share, however, when you post on the internet. Fortunately, though, I have only been assailed rarely in comments, and I guess I really need to grow some thicker skin, because I have a tendency to let negativity get to me.

If we are to be prepared for the bad times that the prophets warned us are coming, we’ll have to come to grips with the fact that the Lord has some genuine enemies in the world and once they know where we’re coming from, there’s no reason to expect that they won’t declare war on any and all known Christians. But then, we don’t have to be afraid of them because, “…though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me…” if we stay focused on Him. Otherwise, a person could start to feel like the Old Red Rooster when he hears she’s coming ’round the mountain. No, I think the thin-skin thing is more about personal acceptance (a fault from a human desire for friendship with the world) than fear, and I need to be able to conquer it without becoming arrogant.

I imagine this post reads like I think I’m some kind of saint, but trust me, if not for the mercy and grace of Jesus, I would already be in the fires of hell. I don’t know anyone who has committed more offenses to the Lord than I have in my former life. Jesus told a parable about a guy who summoned a couple of people who owed him money. One only owed him a little, but the other one (me), owed him a big debt. He forgave both debts. Jesus asked, “which one of them would love him (the debtor) more?” That’s why I don’t have a problem with getting on my knees and thanking Him from the bottom of my soul. That’s why He’s the best friend any human could ever have, because even after the horrible lives some of us have lived, He still loves us profoundly and wants to sit beside us under the shade tree at the river and spend the day in our company or give us that gentle elbow when we see someone who needs our help. He waits at the very gate of Heaven with open arms for us so that one day we may hear Him utter the greatest, most profound and wonderful words that will ever have been spoken in human ears, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant … enter thou into the joy of thy lord!”

Jesus Christ is with us, so you keep that chin up! Even if you and I never meet in this life, I will definitely see you on the other side!

MK

We are now seeing the end times. Of that we can be assured, and it is the mandate of those who have received the gift to discern that Entity upon the cloud with the sharp sickle to shed such inhibitions as restrain our determination and endeavor to give aid to those whom it pleases Him to invite to His Kingdom. Those who have been blessed to understand, and are thankful for His blood, which cleanses the soul, understand that we live with a mandate to share our Divine inspiration, our knowledge gained through His mighty gifts of faith and love, and more so as His return approaches. He increasingly rids us of those restraints and gifts us with such words and thoughts as He deems necessary to fulfil our directions along with giving us the determination to do so.

These words are intended for those souls who have become embittered, who might become lost in hopelessness at the power of evil that we see and feel overcoming the world. Know that these times have to be upon us so that we, as faithful servants of Jesus Christ, may perform our sacred obligations to Him who shed His blood for us. Although we can never repay Him for what He has done for us, we can and shall serve as lights as best we are able to those who seek refuge in this world gone mad. Know also that there is hope, and as the dark clouds gather do not marvel that this Hope patiently abides to allow us time to help gather His sheep.

Our Heavenly Father has provided His servants with everything they need to enter His Kingdom, but He has instructed us that the gate is narrow that leads to life. As we watch so many who live in error, so many who follow false teachers, that lonely feeling of doubt ever threatens. There is a line in a popular song of faith that speaks of a star that becomes increasingly visible as the surrounding darkness increases. We must strive against the gathering darkness and be that star! What a privilege and an honor to have been chosen by the great Shepherd Jesus Christ to help tend His flock!

When He thrusts in that sharp sickle, may we have helped to make ready much for Him to harvest! While He was in the flesh among men, He asked His trusted disciple Peter if he loved Him, and if he did to please feed His sheep. If one studies the New Covenant, he comes to understand that mandate has been inherited by all who would seek Him. We cannot keep our lamp hidden under a basket if we are to please Him. It is our sacred duty to help our fellow travelers to find that narrow gate, thus preparing His field for the Harvest.

There is no doubt any longer that the evil one, that dragon who opposes Christ, has gained control of the world, and in so many ways. The fear and intimidation that threatens Jesus’ followers is the reason for this post. There is hope! Believe it! Jesus said [Matthew 28:20] “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Even to the end of the age! That’s now, friends. Take courage, He is with us.

Those who do not know Jesus, yet are distressed to endure the malignity that permeates the world, are in danger of becoming lost in the tumultuous sea of despair, but only because they have not yet taken refuge on the Rock of Ages. You don’t belong to the evil one, or you’d be able to tolerate his evil. Since the Lord has opened your eyes and you will to resist the evil, you have much Hope! See to it that you look into salvation that comes through Faith in Jesus – you still stand to win an awesome victory that will strengthen your heart! Find Jesus – He’s very easy to find. When you lay down to sleep at night you’ll rest peacefully with a joyful heart – perfect Love – which comes from God – casts out fear! He’s not the hard-core executioner you may have been taught – He’s a perfect friend to have beside you in troubled times who loves you with an incredibly profound love. You’ll never regret getting to know Him, getting to love Him – don’t ask me how I know, I don’t even understand it, but I do know – for sure.

Satan took Jesus up to a high place where He could see the whole world and offered Him kingship of it all if Jesus would worship him. Of course, Jesus denied him, but how many humans has he taken up to that place and made them similar offers? From the rampant evil in the world, we can see that indeed many have accepted his offer. Those who are in charge of nations and kingdoms of this world tend to be very evil men and women, and a time will soon be here, very soon, when posts like this one will be against the laws of men.

Another sign of the times are the new religions springing up around the world which teach a return to the old covenant of Moses, with its adherence to dietary regulations and observance of the old Holy days and other tenets of the old law. This is the leavening of the Pharisees about which Jesus warned us and is possibly one of the most insidious of all blasphemies due to its being part of the Bible but taken out of context, a practice which Satan has mastered. If followed to its logical conclusion, this dogma will, as intended, strive to completely remove Jesus Christ from any possible relationship with God. That is a twisted attempt to reestablish a covenant which no longer exists, and Christians should avoid it – Satan has employed many false teachers with silver tongues who can persuade all but the most faithful that since the old law is in the Bible, they still need to follow it. They forget or ignore the fact that Jesus fulfilled the law and it no longer applies to us. You have to twist and pervert the gospel of Jesus to believe otherwise. As of this writing, there is word that the Synagogue of Satan intends to rebuild their temple and reinstitute animal sacrifices which would completely obviate the precious sacrifice of Jesus, the one which was made to remove our sins.

This whole attempt to return to the old covenant is designed by Satan to eliminate faith in Jesus Christ. Can you see that this growing cult is serving to widen the gate that leads to destruction? I’m quite sure that since this belief system has grown on them, many “Christians” will be perfectly ok with animal sacrifices when they start – which will have the effect of absolute denial of Christ’s sacrifice.

Another closely related false religion is the evangelical “Judeo Christian” movement. Folks, there is no such thing as a Judeo Christian. There are Christians and there are those who still practice Judaism. They’re like oil and water – they don’t mix and if you try to make them mix, you become guilty of false teaching and denial of the power of Jesus. Every step one takes to return to the old covenant is another step away from Jesus Christ. He told us this would happen but many of those who consider themselves to be Christians will do it anyway.

The fast-growing and false teaching of the mega churches that they are Judeo Christians further serves to demonstrate that a big majority of people are abandoning Christ. A big part of the deception is because there’s money at the root of it, and lots of it, and there are more and more people who are trying to somehow contort it into a belief that they’re staying on God’s side while they are in fact leaving Jesus. You can’t mix the old covenant with the new – remember the part about sewing a new patch on an old garment? Or new wine in old wineskins? It ain’t going to happen. Jesus said He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him. What? Do you think Jesus Christ was lying?!! Do you imagine you can approach God more directly by adding pieces of an old covenant that serves to exclude Jesus? Do you believe that you can come closer to God by observing old laws that don’t even apply anymore? In fact, those old laws never were given to the Gentiles at all. The apostle Paul demonstrates to us, however, that the new covenant was handed down to the Jews and Gentiles and is intended for the whole world.

The gate is wide that leads to destruction and it’s getting wider all the time. Many are called, but few are chosen. When that big sickle hits the harvest, there are going to be a lot of folks taken, for sure, but proportionally the number will be small. Jesus will tell many that He never knew them and that’s a shame, but it’s the price they will pay for following false teachers. I personally believe most of those ones will be self-deceived members of the mega churches.

Think about this: There is a vast majority of people in the world who, because of their sinful behavior, immorality, pride, etc., that are in the wide gate. Then there are millions of people who ascribe to false religions. There is, as mentioned, a growing majority of “Christian” people who ascribe to the many corrupted versions of Christianity. The gate to destruction is wide indeed!

There are many, but still a comparative few who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins, and that if we put our faith in Him, get baptized and live like He taught us, love God and love our neighbors, we will be saved. That’s the pure, unadulterated Gospel, and Jesus is all we need. That’s the narrow gate, and we need to go through it.

Imagine if you can, being in a place, a dimension of utter darkness. This could be a place where the senses you once enjoyed would be of absolutely no use to you – for all of eternity. You now understand that you will never again taste or smell anything, but you’ll always remember the wonderful aroma of a fresh hot apple pie. In this overwhelming darkness, your eyes will be of no use whatsoever, never again will you enjoy a magnificent sunset, or watch autumn branches sway in a gentle breeze. In that horrible place, there isn’t, nor will ever be even a pinprick of light. Never again will there be bird songs, nor music. Complete silence. But you will remember all of those things and long for even a hint of them. Forever.

This dreadful place will hold unimaginably terrifying thoughts – fear will abound in measure that right now seems incomprehensible. Think of the worst nightmare you’ve ever had and imagine it lasting forever, one from which you can never awaken. There will be immense pain from which there will be no relief. You can’t even look forward to dying to escape the terror. And you will be utterly alone. Then, to add to the horrors, you realize you have been completely forgotten – no one knows you ever existed, yet here you are in a place and situation that will last for all of eternity. Utter darkness.

For the present, however, we have Light. We also have a Way that has been benevolently made available for us – at unfathomable cost – to approach it. Though we live in a dark world full of evil, this Light shines brightly, and we are beckoned to come to it, realize and appreciate what It means for us.

The light shines into the darkness and the darkness does not comprehend it. The Light of man shines, yet mankind does not comprehend, nor does he make a sincere effort in the Light’s direction, lest he see with his eyes and hear with his ears and so understand that which could lead him to repentance. There are some though, who are sincere as they seek to enter the Light, although they quickly realize the gate is narrow through which they must enter if they are to realize its meaning, its substance, its reward. A great part of comprehending the Light is recognizing one’s own fallibility, one’s weakness for those things in this life that stand to defeat all of one’s efforts, for human pride is an insidious obstacle for all of us. This is an uncomfortable, often implausible circumstance for most. To be unwilling, and therefore unable to see our true desires, motives, and faults is to lose the opportunity to see the Light. Another consideration for those who might become believers, one that arises as a result of discovering the narrowness of the gate, is the necessity of overcoming a natural fear, that of traveling alone. This fear is unfounded however, as one’s faith will attest once he endeavors to follow Jesus. He is always with us.

Regardless of our apprehension, the Light that beckons does not portend the lonely journey we fear, although there are times on our trek when it seems so. This body of dust with its mind of dust cannot easily understand His companionship – we were not designed to comprehend such unfathomable concepts as the presence of His Spirit with us (at all times). The essence of victory therefore, of overcoming the threats we fear, is a voluntary faith in things unseen. Faith is the redeeming quality that levels the field for all of us. Faith is the treasure that endows the lowly beggar with riches only a true believer can understand as the wealthy man looks on with amazement and confusion. The beggar is thus able to see and comprehend the Light, the rich man is not. Indeed, a melancholy darkness, a real journey alone, is the fate of the man who pursues worldly riches, for he becomes enslaved to his desire, he can never have enough. The poor man is free with a lifelong Companion, the rich man is enslaved and spiritually alone. Is it any wonder that those of earthly wealth regard the poor with otherwise inexplicable contempt?

The Son of Man came to the world to provide us with a means to attain a relationship with our God, wherein we shall receive eternal life in His magnificent presence. He is that Light that shines the way for us. God in His divine benevolence will provide for all of our needs while we are here. Earthly pleasures and wealth have no place in God’s plan, we must not allow our attention to be distracted by such, we must strive to be above these things. If we are sincere in our effort, God will provide the strength we need to avoid them. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God.” Where and how, then, can we see God? After all, the Bible says that man cannot look upon God’s countenance and remain alive, so what did Jesus mean? Folks who are truly pure at heart, meaning those who honestly seek God, those who have the proper conscience, who admit their fallibility and truly seek His direction, His forgiveness, will be able to see God in ways other than with their eyes. If a person really stops trying to gloss over his faults and admits he has shortcomings and seeks God’s forgiveness and guidance, once he accepts who Jesus Christ is, he will become able to see God in ways that only a true believer, one who is indeed pure at heart is able to see – in a beautiful spring day, in a bluebird singing high in a tree, in a Godly person he meets. There are many ways to encounter God, but to be able to “see” Him requires a level of humility and honesty achievable only by those, as stated, of pure heart.

This world we live in has become difficult to endure. There are threats to our freedom, our very survival as humans, threats we have little hope of overcoming in this life, especially as we become aware that our enemies’ true motivation for enmity with us is our faith in Jesus Christ. This notion hasn’t sunk in to most “Christians” yet, and in fact for some it may never. Those who profess to be Christians will encounter a time when they will either declare themselves to be His servants come what may, or they will abandon any pretense of following Him due to the trials they will face if they choose to be steadfast. What a dreadful time that will be! But if we maintain our faith and do not succumb to the fear, the tribulations that will be upon us, Jesus has already promised that our reward will be great. We should strive, above all else to hear those precious words from our precious Savior, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” The alternative will be that horrifying place of darkness.

Enduring in our faith until the end can be a difficult proposition, but it can, and it has, been done. We have a Source of strength to lean on. We have the examples of the apostles, think of Stephen, who endured persecution, we have men like Diedrich Bonhoeffer who kept his faith to his end at the hands of Nazis. What about those Christians in the coliseum of ancient Rome who faced death at the hands of gladiators or hungry lions? Above all, we have the supreme example of Jesus Christ himself who died on the cross at Calvary because of His love for us. It’s amazing what the Holy Spirit can do to buttress one’s courage in those times. If we can but keep in mind that this life is only a proving ground – the next one is the real deal. We must be steadfast in our convictions and live a morally upright life, one of faith in the unseen, for only then may we behold the magnificence of His glory, His light that shines to guide His sheep. Hang in there, brothers and sisters – it’s probably not going to be much longer until we will be able to rejoice when we see Him. He said He would come for us – and He will.

MK

We all die. Lots of people claim to have all the answers about life and death, including a lot of Christians, but very few, if anyone of us know, provably with our knowledge and science, what is on the other side. There are some who claim to have seen things beyond, as during out-of-body, or near-death-experiences, but even though some of them sound plausible, and maybe some are real, I have seriously come to doubt most of these stories. By and large, unless we are believers, we do not know what awaits us, and if we are believers, we only know it through our faith.

People of every stripe and nationality all wonder the same things. Why are we here, what should we be doing, and what happens next? We search and research every available source of information, but to no avail. People put their trust in government leaders, many of whom only “lead” as far as their bank accounts allow. Sadly, it’s the same for most of today’s religious leaders.

As I write this post, I wish I could provide some definitive answers, but unfortunately, such is God’s plan that we cannot provide proof of His promises for us, that they must be exclusively accepted by faith. Can you imagine how crowded the ark would have been if Noah could have proven the things of which God warned him? Now for those of us who have been blessed with faith (which comes as a result of His Word), we understand the infallible truth that GOD ALWAYS DOES THE RIGHT THING! We might not understand what He’s got going on, and we might not even agree with what we think is His plan, but any time our understanding gets cross-threaded with God, we have to step back and just take that proverbial deep breath; we have to realize that whatever happens according to God’s plan, it is the right thing.

There is hope. When we choose to stop worrying so much over the predicament that has become our world, I have found, no I have been blessed to come to the realization, that Jesus is real – very real. No matter the intricacies of the world’s condition, the deception always challenging our sensibilities, we have a friend. Jesus Christ is waiting at the door with a patient and gentle knock. The world is sliding into chaos, and if we can’t see it, we’re blind by choice. Jesus can and will open our eyes and lead us through every obstacle before us.

This post is directed to those who are frightened and confused at the impending destruction of the world they have come to call home. Look at Gaza, at Kosovo, at the Ukraine, at Iraq – all those people watched as bombs destroyed their homes, killed their loved ones. What hopelessness must have raged in their hearts to see their whole world destroyed? The fact is that more nations await this same level of destruction, it’s just a matter of time. The great dragon, the enemy of God and mankind, has made these things happen. His work is there for all to see, just look at pictures in the news of Gaza right now. This is what Satan’s work looks like. Satan brings only destruction. Beyond his control, however, is the authority and power of God, who is able to render Satan’s viciousness of no threat to those who trust Jesus.

As followers of Christ, we are given the option to “zoom out”; to see the bigger picture, both in time and space. If one zooms out far enough, the dividing line between this world and the next life becomes invisible. We are able to see more of God’s immaculate plan, that when you step back far enough it’s easier to understand that we can already be in His kingdom in this life, if we so choose.

He gives even the most evil among us the opportunity to repent of wayward lives and come to the cross in preparation for the next existence. We are able to better understand that God does indeed have a plan and His plan is that through acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Son of God Who came to the world and created a church, a highway if you will, that leads us to Him.

It has become impossible nowadays, to see anything on the news, either mainstream or social media, that doesn’t involve unbelievable destruction. We are faced with the end of our very human existence, it’s undeniable now. Yet there is still hope, at least for this last short while, to reach an understanding that in the end, God will take control of this world and mete out justice to His enemies and the enemies of His people. He will also reward His people who stood by Him in an evil world. Jesus Christ very much wants us to be His people, He offers shelter from this insidious storm that Satan has contrived.

Jesus Christ created a ministry about two thousand years ago. It has lasted, and will last, forever. It’s important to understand that His ministry and His words have been under the most intense scrutiny of all studies of mankind, and if even one untruth could have been proven, His ministry could not have stood, but Jesus did not lie about anything. Sadly, false prophets have arisen through the years and we still have plenty of them, but the true church itself is founded on consummate truth, and its Founder, Jesus Christ said that He is able and willing to forgive us of our awful lifestyles and by His own blood, cleanse us spiritually whereby we are able to come into His Kingdom, a place of unimaginable joy and peace. With the world spinning out of control, that’s quite an encouraging promise.

If you’re tired of fretting and worrying about the piteous state of the world and the threats we face, try opening the Bible – start with the 5th chapter of Matthew – read His message and get to know Him, as mentioned earlier, there’s no way to prove He exists, for if there was, we wouldn’t have to have faith. Faith is important to Him. Find a Christian preacher and get yourself baptized and fasten your seat belt, because we’re all in for an eventful ride, but in His care, we need not worry anymore. Especially about what’s on the other side.

God Bless,

MK

Once, a long time ago, there was a man who lived over in the Middle East. He was a particularly good man and he had several friends. His mother knew him better than most mothers know their sons, and even when he was very young, as a matter of fact before he was born, she knew he would grow up to be a very special person. He had an aunt and a cousin who were also privy to who he was and they were pretty excited about him too.

This man did grow up to be a special individual, in fact he became the most influential person who ever lived. Not much is known about his childhood, other than a few snippets – things that his mother probably remembered and passed along to one or more of the multitude of writers who chronicled his life. Although he must have been an extraordinary child, if there had been many mentionable things concerning his youth, surely some of the many writers of his life’s stories would have known and related it in their journals. There’s this one story about him being left behind in Jerusalem when his family left to go home from an event there and they had to go back and find him, and that’s about it. His family went back to look for him and where they found him and what he was doing was a very remarkable event. Other than that, my guess is that he wasn’t that unusual as a kid.

When he got grown however, he gathered several followers from among the peasantry of the area. Fishermen and other guys who had shown curiosity and interest in things he had to say were so enthralled by this fellow that they determined to put their lives aside and hang out with him. Lifelong fishermen just walked away from their nets and boats, such was his righteous allure to them. Little did they know at the time that this new direction would be a permanent, life-consuming pursuit – as it still is today when we learn of him. He was turning out, as they saw it, to be a surprisingly wise man who spoke things they had not heard before. He spoke with confidence and seemed to have an intimate knowledge of God, to whom he continually referred as his Father. Those guys eventually came to be known as his disciples, or followers who spent much time with him as his fame would grow. They also came to love him immensely, for they learned that he loved them profoundly. The cousin mentioned earlier, although not actually one of his group of followers, turned out to be the one who baptized him.

He actually first gained notice at a wedding feast in a place called Cana. There was apparently a party atmosphere, and several people were there. Might have even been more folks there than the organizers anticipated, because during the reception they ran out of wine. From the gist of the conversation, the guests had already had a good bit of the spirits and weren’t ready to shut down the gala just yet, but what do you do? No more fruit of the vine, but no one was ready to go home. Jesus’ mother – yes Jesus was His name (and references to Him will be capitalized henceforth), maybe acting on a hunch, took Him aside to give Him the sad news about the wine shortage. This had to be an obvious hint, and He almost seemed a bit exasperated, as this thing He was about to do wasn’t exactly what His ministry was about – He even called her “woman”, but such was His compassion, His absolutely boundless love for His fellow people (and Mom knew this), that she simply told the servants to just do whatever He told them to do – I can imagine her trying to hold back a big beaming smile, knowing that because of His precious compassion, He would do what needed to be done to take care of the situation. Although this act wasn’t the essence of His purpose, it will nevertheless go down as one of the most remembered events in all of history – it was Jesus’ first miracle.

He told the boys to round up some jars and fill them with water – yep, fill them all the way up. They were big jars too. Six of them, big old clay jars like they had back in those days. Once they filled them up with plain water, He performed His miracle, He then told them to give the master of the feast a shot of the water-become-wine, and lo and behold, the master said this wine was better than what they’d had at first. But then, what did you expect? This was Jesus, the Son of God, making His debut in what was to become the greatest life of miracles and hope for mankind that there has ever been on this earth. He wasn’t going to give His friends any second-rate juice, no He made the good stuff. And to the joy of all, the party resumed. But you need to know, there was no crazy or bad stuff going on there. Just some people having a good time and enjoying a wedding feast. This man was the Son of God. And He is now and forever the Son of God.

Somewhere later on down the road, His disciples came to realize just who this man was (and still is). He ended up giving up His life for them. And for you and me. I love Him, and we have a bond that reaches across that vast chasm that separates us for now, but I know He loves me too. What a feeling to know that! And He made some really good wine, and plenty of it!

Get out your Bible and read about Him and find out what He means to you. He stands at the door of your heart, patiently waiting for you to ask Him in, and when you make the decision to trust Him, hang on for the ride of your life! It’s kind of like getting a buzz and realizing you can’t drive so you need to give Him the keys. He knows exactly where to take you if you let Him. Sometimes He takes us over bumpy roads and sometimes through terrible storms, but He does that for our benefit. It’s scary at times, but we get to the point where we finally realize He has everything under control, then we can relax and have peace – peace you never dreamed was possible in a world full of turmoil. Such is His love for us. We’ll never regret getting to know Him. I can promise you that with complete confidence. Most of us know our driving is terribly impaired when we’re inebriated – drunken by consuming too much of the worldly wine – the drink of sin that corrupts the world and it inevitably leads to a catastrophic crash. He told the brethren at the last supper that He wouldn’t partake of the fruit of the vine again until He drinks it with them (and us) in Heaven, so He’s always sober.

I used to drink way more than what was good for me, but with His help I swore off many years ago, not saying I could drive for you, because I can’t, but He’s always available – the penultimate designated driver.

I can’t wait to try some of His Heavenly home brew when we get There.

So for now, why not just hand Him the keys?

MK

There’s a creek running across the property that comes from up in the woods.  It starts up on the neighbor’s land high up the ridge and empties into the big creek in the bottom of the holler.  The resident old-timer out here says there was an old sawmill up there, somewhere close to where the neighbor’s property and our land meet, but there’s no sign of it today.  There’s an old, galvanized tub in the creek bottom where I suspect the mill might have been, but I don’t have any idea whether that rusty old tub had anything to do with a sawmill, but who knows?  Anyways, whether it did or not, it’s the only sign of anything man-made out there.

I like to walk up there and enjoy the serenity – it’s one of those places where you can chill out and get your thoughts together – and enjoy the company of Jesus.  He’s always there to hang out with me and listen to my problems and accept my thanks for the place, but mostly He’s just simply there.  And that’s more than a mouthful to try and get across to a person who doesn’t know Him.   It’s hard to explain, this faith I have, but it’s real.  If you haven’t experienced His wonderful presence, don’t let any more of your life pass by without getting to know Him.  You will never regret a moment of it.

One day – and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be soon – we’re going to see Him return in all of His glory.  Most of us have a vision of Him as a lowly carpenter, a preacher with no wealth or standing in society, but trust me when He comes back, the world is in for the biggest shock of all time.  Our Savior will be the most glorious, powerful figure you could ever imagine.  Although everyone on earth will be completely awestruck, unimaginable fear will overwhelm the hearts of all who denied Him.   At the moment we see him, we will realize just how puny all of our weapons – in fact, all of the pursuits and accomplishments of mankind through all of history – really are.  The very skies will be opened in a flash of dazzling brilliance as multitudes of angels fill the whole realm of space, time, and thought.  It will be huge!  Incredible lightning, thunderous voices of fearsome angels will resound and echo across the universe, and a Savior come to claim His own and exact vengeance upon all who chose to be servants of the stranger who has wreaked havoc on His people for all the years.  It will be a fearsome thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

As I stroll through the peaceful, silent woods, I think of the contrast on that day when human beings, those who survive the horrors of tribulation, flaming hailstones, pestilence, disease, war, and all of the other horrors that will have been unleashed upon humanity, will literally cry out – some in fear, but some few in sheer delight and relief.  Amid scenes of destruction and horror that the mind cannot fathom, mighty men will scurry into their holes in the earth in piteous and futile attempts to hide from the face of this God who is filled with wrath and indignation.  The righteous, those who have been faithful to Him, will be able to stand and face Him with unimaginable joy in their hearts. What kind of thoughts will His people experience, seeing those fellows who were the “elite” – those whose riches gave them mastery of armies and nations?  I’m pretty sure we’ll pity them at that time.  But do you know what?  Anticipating the horror they will go through at the judgement of God, we should pity them now.

A human soul is worth more than the value of the whole world to the Lord.   As I watch a gentle southern breeze caress the budding trees, I can feel the tenderness with which He nurtures us.  He really doesn’t want any of us to perish and it goes against His design, even for souls of the rich to be lost.  His tender mercy is revealed to us in so many ways, it’s a shame that Satan has deceived so many and that they disregard the opportunity for becoming saved so that they would have opportunity to spend all of eternity in the presence of absolute joy and love.  Jesus said that (human) eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, nor has entered into the mind of man the joy that awaits those who love the Lord.  Let that one sink in.

I know there are many folks who don’t know what it’s like to enjoy a day out in the woods, watching the thrushes flit about, hearing the beautifully insane call of the pileated woodpecker echo through the holler, maybe catching a glimpse of a shy doe strolling through the glen with her curious fawn in tow.  For those folks, I feel pity, because some of the most wonderful experiences of life are being missed.  God is out here in His creation, and although He’s a lot harder to find in some big city with sirens and horns blaring, He’s there too, nevertheless.  I’ve written posts about such like Where the Poor Go to Weep – Folk Potpourri and Thoughts on Creation on a Beautiful Spring Morning – Folk Potpourri in which I try to share this country experience in spirituality with folks who don’t have opportunity to see it for themselves.  Mostly though, I try to get people to thinking about what lies ahead, after we finish with this stage of existence and enter into the next.

I constantly read people’s opinions on social media chats and such and I pay particular attention to the endless comments of those who claim not to believe in God or the afterlife, they put forth arguments that sound reasonable enough if one insists on ignoring evidence of God’s presence.  I guess it’s easy enough to disregard people like me who keep trying to help them open their eyes, but us guys who are sincerely trying to get them to take a serious look are doing it from our hearts.  The Lord has given us faith – a precious commodity, and indeed, we believers realize just how precious it is, but we can’t go so far as to put our own thoughts – our own faith – into other people’s heads.  Once in a while I have the heart-lifting experience of running across someone who is willing to actually give thought to the possibility of the existence of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and even though they don’t usually immediately become believers, you can tell that God is at work in their heart and if they continue with their honest curiosity, it will only be a matter of time.  “Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God.”  I pray earnestly for these folks.

If only people could hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and understand that He is exactly who He says He is, if all of us could just trust that the Gospel of His life, death, and resurrection is the absolute truth, and that He is the Son of God who came here to the earth to teach us of a better way and to be the ultimate Sacrifice Who would make it possible for us to connect with the Heavenly Father, what a joyous and peaceful life they could enjoy!  There would be no need to succumb to the macabre fear that is darkening the world today.  He promised us that as believers we have nothing to fear – we must focus, and stay focused, on what lies ahead after this life, this world which is no more than a test in which we must decide where we choose to spend eternity.

Ignore the foolish people and so-called evangelists – obscene, wealthy fellows who preach no more than distractions from Christ.  Incredibly, they are some of the principal elements of Satan’s attack on goodness, wholesomeness, righteousness, and many are those who are ensnared by them.  Jesus told us that the gate is wide that leads to destruction.  I get a mental image of a huge herd of sheep all being led through a huge wide gate into what they presume will be a wonderful pasture, but they cannot see in beyond the gate.  In reality, what awaits them is a great, dark abyss for which they are ignorantly, but not innocently, heading.  Then there are a few sheep fighting their way out of the crowd, often enough through some serious obstacles, but they are on their way to a narrow, tiny gate beyond which they, through faith, know an unimaginable paradise lies.  They will not be distracted, they hear and know their Shepherd’s voice, a voice to which the big crowd never listened; those ones don’t know His voice at all, by their own choice, even most of the folks who claim to know Him only listen only the deceiving voices of their false preachers.

In God’s grand scheme, and as we are admonished in the Bible, this life we currently live is a very short moment in time.  In fact, if there was any such thing as a graph depicting eternity, a dot representing all of human existence wouldn’t even be detectable on it.  The time that has passed since Jesus ascended to Heaven is but a brief moment, maybe like you’d think about going to the grocery store and coming home.  The Bible constantly speaks of the fact that we are living in the last days, not as we imagine the last days, but as God sees it.  When we think of “last days”, we think months or weeks, or maybe even a few years, but when the Word mentions the last days, even though there are many references to the end times as we understand them, He is most often talking about the entire period of time after Jesus appeared and left to go to Heaven.  As we watch the dark times that are enveloping the whole world right now, I believe that we are approaching the last days as we humans think of them, in other words, I believe the time is drawing nigh for our encounter with eternity, and that some – maybe even most – of us alive today will see it in our lifetime, possibly very soon.

Imagine the apocalyptic happenings when Heaven and His host is revealed.  Mighty Angels with thunderous voices making great proclamations, intense, never-before witnessed lightnings, earthquakes, the very heavens shaken with the mighty and angry Creator of all things looking down in extreme wrath.  Now imagine that the anger of this awesome Being is directed at you – when you find yourself in the unenviable position of having chosen to be His adversary because you rejected His Son. His beloved Son who had to die an excruciating death in which the very heavens were agonized, on a cross long ago just so you could be saved, but even after He went through all that, you rejected Him.

Even though Jesus was dying, hanging by the cruel nails onto that cross in what had to be excruciating pain, such was His unimaginable love for mankind – even His tormentors – His last thoughts were to pray to the Father for their forgiveness – yes, He loved them (and us) that much!  His unbelievable love is the most potent force in all of creation, God Himself is Love.  When a person becomes a believer in Jesus and makes the decision to follow Him, that person begins the process of immersing himself/herself in that profound universe of God’s infinite love and will forever live in His blessed presence!

We have opportunity while we’re here on earth to experience small glimpses of His love.  We can see it in a dogwood bloom, or hear it on a summer evening whippoorwill song echoing through the holler.  When you see a newborn fawn wobbling up to his mother in a peaceful green meadow, you see God’s handiwork.  This is the world God intended for us to inhabit and enjoy, and though most who read these posts don’t get to see things like this, I’m happy to share the experience as much as my words allow.  I’m happier to share the experience of knowing Jesus though.  Being able to get to know Him is the most important thing in this existence, and I hope and pray the readers will do so.  Get yourself ready so you don’t have to find yourself in fear and dread on that awesome day when He returns.  You’ll be forever glad you did.

Now I have to go out and check on the progress of this year’s dogwood bloom – it looks to be another nice one.

God bless you all.

MK