FRUIT. John 15:8,16.

But why not take the disciples with Him? Why not take us? It hurts to live in this world—we suffer emotional and physical pains all our lives. If our sins have been forgiven, why doesn’t He just put us on the elevator and whisk us up to heaven now? Why does He leave us here where He knows—we all know—that we are going to continue to struggle and suffer for years?

We are here to bear fruit.

“My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples…. You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you so that you should go out and produce fruit—fruit that would be eternal” John 15:8,16.

We were made to work hard FOR HIS KINGDOM. IT IS THE ONLY REASON WE ARE HERE.

How can you bear fruit today?

Read John 15.

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TRUTH BOMBS. John 14:3-6; 18:37-38.

“‘I go to prepare a place for you…. You know the way where I am going.’

Thomas said, ‘Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?’

Jesus answered, ‘I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:3-6.

Jesus says, ‘I have come into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.’

‘What is truth?’ said Pilate.” John 18:37-38.

God, bring us opportunities to share your truth with genuine seekers—and give us wisdom and words that might reach even the skeptics around us.

Read John 14.

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[1] Jesus may also be showing mercy. Pilate will forever be the man who condemned the Son of God to death. Had Jesus spoken more clearly, Pilate would be that much guiltier for rejecting the Truth. Knowing that there are degrees of punishment in hell—and knowing Pilate’s heart was not going to repent—perhaps it was an act of mercy NOT to say, “I am the Truth,” thus increasing Pilate’s sin.

GOD IS YOUR FATHER. John 14:18.

God will not abandon you to muddle through on your own.

Jesus will come to you and He WILL speak! Keys to hearing His voice:

“My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.” John 10:27.

God, teach us to know Your voice, to LISTEN and OBEY. Remind us when we are mistaken—when time passes and we discover it was NOT you—but help us to always EXPECT you to speak.

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SATAN MADE A TERRIBLE BLUNDER. “Then Satan Entered Judas.” Luke 22:3.

“The devils roared in victory, the saints shocked and perplexed, as wounds appeared upon his hands and feet.

Then Satan kicked him in his side and blood and water flowed. And they waited for the ten-count of defeat.

God the Father, turned his head,

His tears announcing Christ was dead.

The ten-count would proclaim the battle’s end.

Then Satan trembled through his sweat

In unexpected horror yet,

as God started to count by saying

‘Ten, (hey, wait a minute, God)

Nine, (stop, you’re counting wrong)

Eight, (his eyes),

Seven, (what’s that twitching?)

Six, (oh no!)

Five, (he’s alive!) ….”

But for whatever reason, the devil’s interests were temporarily aligned with those of his greatest enemy: they both moved toward the cross.

And then Aslan broke the stone table. Remember that scene in THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE? C.S. Lewis understood what Carman tried to convey in his song: the devil was taken by surprise somehow.

The finite cannot be compared to the infinite. Think about it mathematically: the finite cannot be compared to the infinite.

God is so much greater than the devil that your enemy is small and weak and infinitesimal by comparison.

And the crucifixion—Satan’s greatest victory—became his greatest defeat. He completely misread the situation. In spite of a genius mind and millennia of experience with God, Satan did not understand the cross. 

I suspect his hatred and hubris blinded him to the realities of God’s love and forgiveness. Imagine that: a brilliant military strategist, a war general who has been battling God for millennia, yet his mind is so filled with hate and hubris that he loses the war to a sacrificial act of love and humility. He should have known the simple truth: “God is love.” But the mind of this evil genius was corrupted and blinded by hatred and rage, and he caused Judas to betray Jesus, Pilate to surrender to the mob, and Roman soldiers to crucify Him. Satan must have enjoyed and relished the crucifixion.

In the crucifixion, Satan’s greatest victory became his greatest defeat.

Read Luke 22.

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[1] https://fencingwithink.com/2021/02/20/top-10-carman-songs/ (scroll down to number five for an audio of the song and some analysis of its power).

[2] See Tim Sheppard’s ‘Hosanna’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBhn-e0qCws

Signs and Wonders. Mark 13:21-23.

When crowds debated whether Jesus was a good man, one common-sense argument stood out: “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” John 9:16. 

Similarly, Jesus predicted that bad men would perform miracles. “False messiahs and false prophets will rise up and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” Mark 13:22.

The truth is, bad people often do good things (what better way to gain your trust?).

What can be done? Jesus says “Do not believe it! … You must watch!” Mark 13:21 and 23.

Here is the test for truth:

Do not believe the speaker’s message to be Biblical because you think his sign is genuine. Instead, believe the sign to be genuine if the speaker’s message is Biblical.

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” Galatians 1:8.

Remember: you will see miracles. They prove nothing. Faithfulness to the gospel of Christ is the test for truth.

Read Mark 13.

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P.S. WordPress now includes a feature that uses AI to generate images. I used AI to generate a picture based on these instructions: “Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a serpent.”

Jesus said the end times would be characterized not only by “wars and rumors of wars,” by earthquakes and famines and the beginning of the birth pangs, but by DECEPTION. “Take heed that no one misleads you” Matthew 24:4. I have never seen such a chorus of misleading voices. Between anti-intellectualism, social media, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Fakes, incompetent Influencers, the predatory wellness movement, biased reporting masquerading as journalism, the ignorance of expertise, plagiarism and other factors decimating scholarship and the peer-review process, the rise of false religions, cults, and new age spirituality, I am more inclined to call ours the end times than ever before.

When Jesus Talks About the End Times, He Talks About Stewardship. Matthew 24:3-8.

“Watch out that no one deceives you” Matthew 24:4.

“For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many” 24:5.

First: WATCH OUT that no one deceives you into believing He is Jesus, returned from Heaven. (It sounds crazy, but what cult leader has NOT told followers He was Jesus?)

Second: DO NOT BE ALARMED by wars. You will hear about wars, and wars must happen, but they are only the beginning. Do not assume that every new war is a ‘sign of the times,’ and we will all be raptured tomorrow.

Third: SERVING JESUS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANALYZING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

Use your gifts, encourage people with hope and love, and make a difference by storing up treasure for your Father in Heaven. That is what matters most.

Read Matthew chapters 24 and 25 together, and you will notice that Jesus steers the conversation about the end times into a discussion of stewardship and faithfulness. We have a job to do. God put you here for a purpose. Let’s focus on doing the work more, and predicting the future less.

Read Matthew 24 and 25.

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No Small Parts. Matthew 25:23.

Jesus was encouraging too, saying if you are faithful in the small things, God will make you ruler over big things, Matthew 25:23. 

He has duties for us too. He put us here to be SALT and LIGHT. 

Those are our jobs on earth: light the way, slow the decay, and bring out the best in people.

What can you do today to reach those goals? Be an encourager and a voice of HOPE.

Let God love people through you today! 

Read Matthew 25.

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“WHERE THE CARCASS IS, THERE THE VULTURES WILL GATHER” Luke 21:34-35.

But you must be ALERT. Otherwise, you will miss God’s signs—not only the signs of the times, but the SIGNS of God’s work in your life and the lives around you.

Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, AND WORRIES OF LIFE, or that day will come on you unexpectedly, like a trap” Luke 21:34-35.

STOP THE WORRY. The worries of life DULL YOUR MIND. God wants your mind SHARP so you can see His SIGNS and hear His VOICE.

Read Luke 21.

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–As quoted in ABRAHAM LINCOLN: THEOLOGIAN OF AMERICAN ANGUISH, by D. Elton Trueblood.

BE ALERT! Do You Want Your Mind Dull or Sharp? Luke 21:34-36.

Be on your guard, so your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly—like a trap…. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place” Luke 21:34-36.

What does Jesus name that causes people to be unprepared? Carousing (defined as “drinking alcohol and enjoying oneself in a noisy, lively way”), drunkenness, and worries.

Worries of life seem to have nothing in common with the totally carefree mindset of carousing and drunkenness. But Jesus puts the three together, naming them as three things that dull your mind. He seems to say that when you let your worries distract you, you might as well be drunk—you have totally lost your focus.

Instead, “Be on the alert at all times, PRAYING that you may have strength….”

Read Luke 21.

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Are You Alert to the Things of God? Luke 21:28.

“Be on your guard so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, or the worries of life, or that day will come unexpectedly—like a trap” Luke 21:34

Jesus says, “Look up and be watchful, for your redemption draweth nigh” Luke 21:28.

Read Luke 21.

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