Why should we sing?

 Good morning,

Why Should We Sing?

Remember when God was talking to Job about the creation of the earth and that He mentioned that, the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?(Job 38:7)  Did they know that the earth they had just seen created would become a place that Satan and his followers who would claim as their own?  It wasn’t long after Adam and Eve had to leave the garden that a man named Jubal was, the first of all who play the harp and flute.(Gen.4:21) No doubt his skills and the twisting of the enemy on earth taught the people then to rebel against God. Music is a powerful part of what God built into us for learning and acting out what we  believe.  It ties people to one another and it gives expression to those who have chosen their god.  When we read the Bible we see the importance of song in the life of a shepherd boy, David, who became a king and who developed both the music and the instruments that were so meaningful to God’s people. However our Enemy did his best to twist even that music to lead people away from their love for their God.  

We are all now coming to the time for us that was so long ago when an angel showed up to let some shepherds know that God had sent a special baby, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord, to them and their people. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others–the armies of heaven–praising God and saying, "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”(Luk.2:13,14)  I think the angles new because they were excited about what would benefit Jesus’s coming and because they were part of what happened during his life here on earth. Remember that Jesus was the way and the truth and the life for those who pleased God.  Also remember that Jesus himself used music when he left from the Passover meal with his disciples to begin the process of going to the cross.  It was there that night that he was praying in agony when, an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.(Luk.22:43) After Jesus rose from the grave at least three angels were a part of letting people know what had happened as Jesus promised them.

When we come to the book of Revelation the apostle John saw, four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. And they sang a new song with these words: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.(Rev.5:8,9) Heaven’s angels knew what God had planned. Then as John looked again, he wrote, I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered–to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”(Vs.11,12) Then John heard, every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: "Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”(v.13) He also heard,The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants the prophets, as well as your holy people, and all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.”(Rev.11:18)  So why should we sing?  No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.(Rev.22:3) So why should we sing?

Revelation 22:12 "Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. 

Roy Wisner

We may be sure that -

 Good morning,

We may be sure that -

Moses had his hands full when he led the people of Israel out of Egypt. The tribes that he was leading were mainly worshiping other gods.  When two of the tribes wanted to get land before the rest of the tribes had been given their part, they were told they had to go ahead of all the others to conquer the rest of the land. They agreed and Moses said, “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.(Num.32:23) That promise came true again and again for all of us until the end of time. People have always kept ignoring what God told them.  The most gifted man on Earth to succeed in life, Solomon, went from holy and obedient to rebellious.  He stopped obeying God’s commands. So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you.(1Ki.11:11)  Another example much later was the prophet Habakkuk who cried out, How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice?(Hab.1:2,3)  What they were faced with was, Therefore the law is paralyzed,  and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.(v.4) God was  keeping his promise again. Because Habakkuk trusted God he was able to accept God’s decision and said, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.(vs.18,19) We can be sure of that promise as well if we are willing to live by faith as these saints did.

In the New Testament we are told again, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.(Rom.6:23)  People haven’t stopped sinning since Jesus came and lived with us and died and arose again. What we can also be sure of as sinners is that if we are willing to trust and obey Jesus as Savior and Lord, we  may be sure that we will have God’s gift of eternal life no matter what kind of challenges we face in our lives in time. Jesus warned us that especially at the end of time, At that time many will turn away 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,((Mat.24:10-12) We can be sure that what Jesus said was also true when he added, 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.(vs.13,14) Again we are told, For God has said,"I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”(Heb.13:5,6)  Again we may be sure that no matter what we are facing in this time in history, no matter what wicked people try to do to us we can look ahead to an eternal life that will last forever.

Habakkuk 3:18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Roy Wisner,

The Other Side of Thanksgiving

 Good morning,

The Other Side of Thanksgiving

This year in America Thanksgiving was very different than most of us have ever seen before. We have been used to family and friends and food and sports and looking back on the year. With all the confusion in America and in the world as a whole, and the demands by our government that we not get together this year made it feel really strange. When we were talking about this year it was easy to  think in terms of what was going wrong and hard to think thankfully about God’s goodness. The darkness and hate around us makes it easy for us to hope for Jesus to come as soon as possible. What is hard for us to do is to think about the other side of Thanksgiving. What is going to happen next? What God longs for us to do is to be just as thankful about God’s promises for our future as we are about His goodness to us in the past. For example we are told, And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.(Rom.8:28) Does God know what he is doing and why we are still living here in times like these?

What our Enemy and our sinful world do their best is to get our focus on what might happen and so forget what our Savior and Lord have promised us. It’s very easy these days to forget or to not even think about about God’s time table. The real truth is, For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.(v.29) Our Enemy does his best to keep us so self centered that we don’t realize that God’s plan is, And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.(v.30) We will never be alone here on earth no matter what is going on around us.  In God’s eyes he is allowing us to live our lives here now for His glory to be seen and demonstrated by how we live our lives in the middle of the darkness and confusion. Even now we should celebrate Thanksgiving because, If God is for us, who can ever be against us?(v.31)  We need to remember that, Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one–(v.33) Who then will condemn us? No one–(v.34) Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?(v.35) No matter whatever we will face in the future God promises us, No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.(v.37)

 What our LORD, our Savior, and His Holy Spirit long for us to do is to be thankful for all that the future holds for us as well as all that has happened to us in the past.  Paul knew what he was writing when he wrote, And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.(v.38)  When we have a thankful heart toward our God and what he has promised us for eternity we will also be able to live with joy and thanksgiving like Paul when he wrote, No power in the sky above or in the earth below–indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.(v.38) Dear Lord, please help us to be thankful about our future that will always be under your control.

Romans 8:31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

 

Roy Wisner

You can also view the Monday Minutes at  http://ngumondayminute.blogspot.com/

Our land the free!

 Good morning,

Our land of the free!

It was 400 years ago this month that a group of religious people known as “the Pilgrims” got off their boat to begin a life that would be the beginning of their place of freedom. They came here to live and believe and die without being controlled by religious and  governmental demands.  They knew their God and their Savior and their Bible and did their best to live like God’s children.  The first year they were here they found themselves living in very difficult times, lost many of their people to sickness, and also saw their God keep them going on by God’s grace in this new and strange world.  They celebrated for three days what we know as Thanksgiving. Since that time the people of what we now know as Americans have celebrated the crops of fall for what God has done for another year. This year is different. This year our government has decided that the celebration of Thanksgiving and Christmas it a dangerous time for people to get together. God’s goodness and God’s Son, Jesus, are not necessary parts of our new value system. What is now important is that we do what we are told. What’s even more interesting is this same value system has fallen into place all over the world.

For those of us who believe the God of the Bible and who are finding ourselves surrounded by terror and control, where will we go to find the freedom that guided those “Pilgrims” 400 years ago?  When Paul wrote to the Corinthians in difficult times then he told them, We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.(2Cor.4:14) As God’s children we must always remember that our God is always in control of his earth and the people who are living with us.  God never loses a war with our hate filled enemy, Satan. Paul continued, All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.(v.15) Our Father God is allowing us in his family to be living examples of the God of the Bible.  As  was true for the Pilgrims, That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.(v.16)  In fact, the real good news in all of this is, For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! (v.17) It’s important that all of us who are God’s genuine family members to remember, So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.(v.18)  The attacks that we are facing are always controlled by our Savior and this battle will only go on until God’s plans have been accomplished.  

It just keeps getting better as we are told, For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.(v.5:1) We must remember that our Father has chosen us to be his representatives for this time in history. Our Father knows everything that is going on in every part of his world.  What God wants for us is to give us what David said, The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.(Psa.28:7) Remember what the Apostle John saw and heard the angels singing in Heaven, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.”(Rev.7:12)

2 Corinthians 4:16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 

Roy Wisner

Why are we surprised?

Good morning,

Why are we surprised?

None of us who were genuine born again Christians, who started the year 2020, knew that we were going to be turning a sharp corner in God’s plan for His world.  God wasn’t surprised, but we are. We must remember that  Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation.(Lam.4:19) Our God knows the complete timing, from start to finish, of the world He created. God knew all the life forms that he would create and that He would make people in His image starting with Adam and Eve and finishing the last born child at the end of time. After about 2,000 years, The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.(Gen.6:5) The Lord wiped out all of human life except Noah and his family and started from there again.(v.8) From that time on the Lord watched as people would trust and obey God’s love only to see the generations that followed move farther and farther away from God. The Old Testament of the Bible is a wonderful story of the men and women who loved and served and followed God’s guidelines and of  the people who walked away from God and lived in hatred and rebellion against their creator. At one point Joshua told God’s people, If you abandon the LORD and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”(Jos.24:20)

In the New Testament we have the love of God for His people and how He sent His Son, Jesus, to live with us and die for us even though he never sinned in any way.  As an adult Jesus loved the people around him, he healed them, he fed them, he taught them, and he even brought a number of people back from the dead.  He was often found with large numbers of people who were hoping he would be the Messiah who would rescue them from their enemies. He was also hounded by the Bible experts of his day who hated him and finally succeeded in having him crucified.  What they didn’t know was that Jesus died to pay for all of our sins.  He told his followers that he would come back again to be the King of the earth.  Jesus told them,  "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn't love me will not obey me.(Jo.14:23,24) He also told them,  "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day.(Lk.17:26)Then he also said, "When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.(Mar.13:9)

Then Jesus added something that I believe is very important to us today.  He said, For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.(Mar.13:10) For those of us who have been around for the last many years, we have had the special joy of seeing what Jesus mentioned, happening all around the world as missionaries, as new and seasoned believers have spread out over the whole world sharing the reality of God’s love and salvation.  The Lord has allowed his truth and love to reach out through so many ways of telling, showing, teaching and encouraging people in even the most remote nations the telling and living of God’s truth. Could it be that this Covid-19 and the hatred of God’s standards and of God’s people all over the world at the same time be a warning and a joyful occurrence that is about ready to take place?

Mark 13:10 For the Good News must first be preached to all nations. 

Roy Wisner

God blesses those who -

 Good morning,

God blesses those who -

Last week we were thinking about all the promises that God has made to his children.  Then we were also thinking that by this time we would know for sure who the next president would be here in America. By now we have an answer, but there are still a lot of problems that have yet to be solved for everyone to agree.  It may be some time before everything will be settled because of the problems. What we do know now for sure is that our whole world is living in fear and anger and fighting for control of life and peace. Last week finished our talk with, God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.(Jam.1:12) For those of us in God’s family we need to remember that we are not just living in the world that we can see.  We are actually living in a war zone for the eternal souls of those people that are living all around us. The rules for living in our world without loving God requires fear, lies, anger, hate and control. For those of us in God’s family we have a whole different set of rules that have been laid out by our Savior and our God.  When Jesus was praying for us to our Father he said, I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. (Jn.17:14,15)  Those of God’s family who are now living here are here for the death and life of peoples eternal life.  Jesus prayed, Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. (vs.17,18)

Paul understood this very clearly when he wrote, In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. (2Co.6:4) If we are hated, that is a normal event for God’s genuine child.  And for those of us who are not living in America we can expect, We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.(v.5) The only way anything like these challenges can be carried out is, We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.(v.6) We as American Christians have been tricked into thinking that if we are good Christians we should be living lives of success and health and wealth and honor and approval. What God wants from anywhere we live is that, We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors.(v.8) What the real battle is often like in the world at large is, We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed.(v.9) The really good news to all this is, Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.(v.10)

What we must know and not forget is that what we have just been told from God’s Word has been true for thousands of God’s family over thousands of years and that when we arrive home in heaven we will hear the love and the joy and the wonderful benefits that the Lord has given them because they were willing stay true to their part of God’s goodness. If we endured, we will have wonderful stories to tell as well.   

James 1:12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Roy Wisner

Promises, promises, and His Promises

 Good morning,

Promises, promises, and His Promises

This week in America we will be choosing our president for the next four years? Well, maybe that will be true, but maybe that won’t be true at all.  As we have come to this point in time we have been overwhelmed with all kinds of promises from the right and the left in our government.  We have been told of the promises made and kept on the one hand and then we have been promised a whole new way of living and being controlled by the other.  What has been left out is the fact that God has a plan already in place from the past and for the future that will override any other plans that we make. The people who refuse to believe the God of the Bible can’t change what will happen and then the people who are genuine members of God’s eternal family have been given all kinds of Promises that are impossible to break.  God promised us that he loved the world and the people on it.  That is totally true. Jesus promised that he would pay the price for our sins. Totally true again.  Jesus promised us eternal life if we would trust him. Then Jesus also promised us, "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. (Jn.14:15,16)  That is an eternal promise for those who obey him. Then again he promises, The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him.(v.17)

The Bible is full of God’s promises from beginning to end about his plans and his plan for each of us who are genuine children of God.  Even in times of confusion and fear God promises us, If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?(Rom.8:31,32)  No matter how difficult our lives become He promises us, No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.(v.37) Then Paul tells us, I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.(v.38) We are constantly attacked by Satan and the enemies of our Lord, but then we are told, Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.(Rom.8:18,19)  Having said all that, we must remember that all that God has promised to those in his family does not include anyone who has just believed in a religious life made up by doing good things now and planning later to get into heaven because of their goodness.  

We must remember who makes promises that will always be accurate and just during times like today and the days ahead.  We must understand, the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him.(Eph.1:19) Jesus came and lived with us, died and rose again and has been seated, in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms.(v.20)  We must never forget that any promise that is made by by humans, good or bad, will only be allowed by Jesus who is, far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else–not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ (Vs.20,21)  Please Lord, help us to keep remembering that, God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.(Jam.1:12) 

Romans 8:31  What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 

Roy Wisner

What's really going on?

 Good morning,

What’s really going on?

It’s a wonderful feeling for those of us who are a part of God’s eternal family to know that what the world sees as confusion and terror is something that our God told us would happen thousands of years ago.  The Bible tells us that right from the beginning of time our world would be a war zone for all of time. Adam and Eve were the first targets of the billions of people that have been involved in the war ever since. On one side is the Creator God, the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords.(1Tim.6:15) On the other side is Satan and evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.(Eph.6:12) Early on in the Bible we are given a picture of how this works in the book of Job. One day Satan showed up in heaven and God asked where he had come from. His answer, "I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on.”(Job 1:7) Then the Lord said, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth.(v.8) Satan whined and complained and challenged God to allow him to test him. The LORD said, "Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically.”(v.12) Satan’s plan didn’t work. When Satan showed up in heaven again the Lord asked, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He also added,  he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.”(Job 2:3) Satan suggested another test and the LORD said, "All right, do with him as you please,”-"But spare his life.”(v.6) It was a long hard test for Job but he stayed true to the Lord and was rewarded wonderfully by his powerful loving God and Savior.  Could it that our Lord and Savior today will be allowing these kinds of tests to be a part of testing the people who are God’s children or who claim to be God’s children all over the earth?

It’s important that we realize several things if we are going to find ourselves living in heaven with the likes of Job and the saints that have gone before us.  First we must understand that our only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords is the same now as he has always been in eternity and time. Next we must remember that, He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.(1Tim.6:16) Next we must remember that, Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways  For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?(Rom.11:33,34)  Next we must remember that our God knows every detail of our history from its beginning to its end. So when it comes to His and our enemies, Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”(Rev.17:14) Finally we must remember, All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. "But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars–their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”(Rev.21:7,8) May we be willing to say like Job, Though he slay me, I will hope in him.(Job13:15)

1 Timothy 6:15 For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

Roy Wisner

You can also view the Monday Minutes at  http://ngumondayminute.blogspot.com/

Passing the terror test!

 Good morning,

Passing the terror test!

When God made the earth and filled it with all kinds of life, He also made it a place of testing for those who would be given human life before they would be given eternal life or eternal punishment.  God made the world a place of beauty and love and safety and eternal life but He also allowed his arch enemy, Satan, to offer the human race a life based on their selves, their control and their success. God made sure that every generation would  have the choice of knowing and loving and believing Him. Satan’s favorite tools have been giving the need for the right of personal pleasure or the threat of losing control of life, or facing terror and death.  Now that we are at this time of history we find our whole world facing terror and death in some very powerful ways. I believe that this challenge is allowed by God to test and reward people for their genuine love of God or to be outed as enemies of God by the intensity of the terror they are facing. For those of us in God’s family it is our opportunity to Never Give Up in time as we prepare for our eternal life with the family of God.

We will Never Give Up if, We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don't try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.(2Cor.4:2) By contrast Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.(v.4) God’s children have a very different outlook. You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake.(v.5)  While the world around us is terrorized in darkness, We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.(v.7) While the people in the world around us are doing their best to control themselves and everyone else around them, it is clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.(v.7)  What makes the world around us hate us even more is, We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.(vs.8,9) For those of us who are in God’s family we know that God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”(Heb.13:5)While the people around us who belong to Satan are terrified by the possibility that they will die and maybe go to hell, We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. ((2Cor.4:14) 

The truth about God’s family is, That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. (v.16) While the rebellious people around us feel overwhelmed by wave after wave of terror, God’s family know that, our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!(v.17) We must remember that if we are really going to pass God’s test for each of us, we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.(v.18)  As God’s children, He will help us to keep remembering, For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.(v.18) Dear Lord, Please help us to remember what you have promised us, to do our best to live and love like you do, and to feel a deep sorrow for those who refuse your love and who hate us because we will not stop loving you.

2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 

Roy Wisner

Why would Jesus cry?

 Good morning,

Why would Jesus cry?

When Jesus began his final trip to Jerusalem, His trip into town found him riding on a young colt, surrounded by confused disciples, and a growing group of people who were all excited about Jesus and saying, "Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”(Luk.19:38)  When he got close enough to see Jerusalem, Jesus started to cry. Was he afraid or angry or overwhelmed?  No, he said, "How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.(v.42) He wasn’t crying for himself, but for those who hated him and were planning to kill him. Jesus really did love the people in his world, who hated him.  Jesus knew what would happen to those who hated him and his love spilled out in tears for their eternal life of suffering.

 It is now becoming increasingly clear that the world of that time is now beginning to show up in our time, so what should we do when we find ourselves surrounded this way? The Lord taught Saul, Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.(2Cor.2:15) You see, now we are being surrounded by terrified and hateful people, and the Lord tells us, To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom.(v.16) God built into those who hate Him and His Son the possibility of death and doom when their life is over.  But then he tells us, But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.(v.16) Remember what Jesus told his disciples, I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!”(Jon.8:51)  That kind of faith and living is what makes us and our Savior so smelly because that’s not what they want out of life.  They want control!

Jesus himself told us a story of what God has planned for those who will not trust and obey and love Him. A rich man living a wonderful life and a beggar living outsider his house sick and poor. The rich man wanted nothing to do with him.  Then they both died. The poor man went to what we would call paradise.(Luk.16:22)  The rich man went to what we would call hell and he was living in torment. To make his pain even more painful, he could see the beggar a long way off being taken care of by one of God’s favorite children.(v.23) The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’(v.24) Abraham said, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.(v.25)  He then told the rich man that he could never get into God ’s family and no one in heaven could get him out of hell.  At another time Jesus told his disciples that in hell they would always be living in fire and the maggots would never die.(Mar.9:43,48)  Jesus wasn’t happy they were going there,  He was profoundly sad.  Also John tells us that at the end of time, I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. (Rev.20:11) He then tells us what the ungodly will face. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.(v.12) Finally, And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.(v.15) Dear Lord, please help us to live and love with your love and not be controlled by our earthly enemies.

Luke 19:41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 

Roy Wisner

Someone we can really trust!

Good morning,

Someone we can really trust!

In America in 1776 our founding fathers based the values of their documents on the God of the Bible. In 1868, right after the civil war, our leaders put In God We Trust on all our coins. In 1956, we decided that we would put In God We Trust on the back of our paper money.  In 2020 it is still on our money, but now they are just empty words to the vast majority of our citizens.  Alas, that same attitude is true in almost all of the nations in our world today.  What we have forgotten, even in many of our churches worldwide today, is what David knew and wrote for us to read and believe today. He tells us, For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does.(Ps.33:4) Right now we are overwhelmed with all kinds of lies and terror and anger from the world around us, and many of those who claim to be Christians have stopped believing what the Lord has told them. He reminds us that God loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth.(v.5) Then he reminds us that, From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.(v.14,15)

While the world around us lives on lies the Bible makes it very clear that the Lord just had to speak a word to create the earth and the heavens.(v.6,7) What the Lord longs for us to do is to trust his work and words at any time in any place and in any set of circumstances. David reminds us that, Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him.(v.8) Satan is doing his best to get us to be controlled by fear and force and the approval of his followers. He wants us to rely on science and medicine and the personal control of our leaders instead of, the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.(vs.18,19) Our God isn’t against medicine, but if we will only trust what we can do ourselves, we are missing the important of relying on him instead of what others say and do to control us.  

  

Then what David had learned from the Lord during his many years of confusion and hatred and fear was that, We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.(v.20)  Our Lord knows everything that is going on in his world.  He knows who we are and why we are where we are. He always stand between us and our enemies.  He is like a shield that can never be broken. When we really understand this truth, In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.(v.21)  While the world around us is living in fear and hatred, our God will fill us with heart based rejoicing and we will be living in peace and trust and joy no matter how challenging  our lives look to us and those around us. David also learned to pray a prayer that also becomes a very important for us as well.  He tells us, Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.(v22)  Thank you Lord that you are really here, you really know us, and you really care. Thank you that you are really someone we can always trust in time and in eternity. 

Psalms 33:22 Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.

Roy Wisner

Trust our fears or trust His love.

Good morning,

Trust our fears or trust His love?

When the Lord of life and love and peace lets the Enemy of our souls roar and rage and threaten us, we can be sure that God knows what he is doing no matter how we feel.  God gave us the Bible so that his family would  understand the reason for the darkness around us. When God sent his Son Jesus to live with us, John the baptist told his followers,  “He (Jesus) has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.(Jn.3:31)  He also said,   And anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment.”(v.36)  Does that mean that we are supposed to listen and love and obey Him?  Does Jesus owe us something just because we have decided to call ourselves Christians?

Remember when Jesus was talking to his disciples he told them, Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.(Jn.14:21)  Then Jesus promised them, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.  Anyone who doesn't love me will not obey me.(vs.23,24)  God knew that we could’t do this by ourselves so Jesus promised us, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.(Jn.14:16,17) He also promised us, the Holy Spirit–he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.(v.26) But then Jesus tells us, The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him.(v.17) If we call ourselves a christian but are controlled by fear and anger and what will happen next, are we believing God and trusting God and relying on God’s Holy Spirit to control us?

Jesus went on to clarify this when he told them, "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.(Jn.15:9)  The real issue we are dealing with is the difference between believing our fears or believing and living out God’s love.  Again Jesus said, When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love.(v.10) So what is Jesus promising us?  He said, I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!(v.11)   At another time Jesus told them, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”(Jn.8:12) Dear Lord, please help us to remember in this battle for our hearts and lives is built on trusting our Father, our Savior and Lord Jesus, and the power you give us from your Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Roy Wisner

Good morning,

Lord, help us not to forget!

Next weekend in America we will be celebrating Memorial day, a day to remember the men and women who have fought and died in order to keep America free. This all started long ago, May 30, 1868, after the Civil War between the North and Southern states when around 600,000 men died for what they believed was right. If all of our war casualties in America were added together we have well over a million people who have paid the price of their lives to perfect our country. Now we are faced with a new kind of war.  A deadly virus has become the enemy for so many of us from all over the world. This year we need to remember on our memorial days the thousands of doctors and nurses and support helpers of all kinds who have died in trying to save the millions of people all around the world who are caught this virus. This battle is based on the fear and sickness  and death that no one has the right medicine to cure. As God’s family is concerned, we need to remember that the people around us who are not in in God’s family are facing terror, anger and hatred for our leaders and the God of the Bible for letting something like this to happen to them. The God of the Bible knows what he is doing in allowing this to happen, and God’s sworn Enemy is delighted to do his best to create confusion and destruction. 

There is something else that those of us who are genuine members of God’s family need to keep remembering, that our Savior, Good Shepherd, Lover and perfect planner will never forget his promises to us. Remember, Jesus said, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,(Jn.10:27,28)  and then he adds, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand.(v.29) We can also remember that, For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.(1Th.5:9) We are also told, Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.(v.10) Another thing is, Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1Pt.5:8) While the world around us is overwhelmed, we are told, Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.(v.9)  Then God tell us, So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.(v.10) 

There is one more very important issue that we need to be aware of every day.  We need to keep remembering that Jesus promised to come back for His church.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.(1Th.4:16) The believers who have already died will be raised first and then, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.(v.17)  We can not know the day or hour, but I think it is very close indeed.  Dear Lord, please help us to stay awake and alert and to obey you gladly so that when you come, we will be ready.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Roy Wisner

Happy Mother's Day

Good morning,

Happy Mother’s Day

Yesterday in America we were celebrating our mothers with flowers and cards and special meals with families who are able to be together in person or on the phone or on our computers.  When God designed us in his image he designed us based on the basis of the three parts of God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, that have always worked perfectly in eternity past. They all agreed and, Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.(Gen.1:26) When God spoke them into their creation, he created them; male and female he created them.(v.27)  Their relationship as humans worked very well until they listened to a fallen angel and found themselves at odds with one another as is true for all of us sinners since then.  God gave the man the responsibility of leadership, but his wife and helper were always a part of the story of the Bible from it’s beginning to its end.  The Bible is filled with stories of the role of wives and mothers who shared the responsibility and the challenges that come with growing families and taking care of their husbands needs. God has always used women and mothers as an important part of His eternal plan.

At one point in the Bible King Lemuel wrote a wonderful card to his wife or wives that reminded him so much of his mother. The king wrote a special letter based on the letters of the Hebrew alphabet that started and ended with “excellence.”  If you are a women I am sure that you would enjoy what he wrote, but be careful or you will find yourself feeling far from the perfect wife he was writing about.  He began his letter in Proverbs 31:10 and finished it in verse 27. He had so many wonderful things to say about her, but being a wise and loving man he didn’t include the challenges that were also a part of their years together.  What he did say that was especially meaningful to her was, Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:(v.28) It was obvious that he really did love her, but we also need to remember that Peter tells us, Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.(1Pet.4:8)  The king went on to say, "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”(v.29) He recognized that God had given him just the right person for him and them, and they were so blessed by her.  

Then he made two different statements that tells us how God was a part of why they were relating to her in that way.  I would expect that their marriage had been a long and somewhat challenging relationship but the wear and tear was not the key factor in their relationship.  He writes, Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.(v.30)  Her love for God was the most beautiful part of her heart and person, and all the people around here were praising her as well. Then he prays to God, Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.(v.31)  Dear Lord, please help us as sons and husbands and fathers to love our mothers and wives with God’s love and gratitude that is so important for us to remember during these challenging days.

Proverbs 31:29 "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!"

Roy Wisner

Something old, Something new!

Good morning,

Something old, Something new!

If you are just beginning to read the Bible or if you have been reading the Bible for years and years, it is important for all of us to realize that from the first few pages to the final pages in the Bible, it’s a story of love and hate, war and peace, with eternal consequences.  The God who gave us this book did so to alert us to the fact that war and fear was always going to be a part of life for anyone who lived in time.  From Genesis on ,we are given stories of love and success and hate and cruelty that happens for each generation of livers.  Two people, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament, can help us to understand how this works.  

David, the youngest of eight brothers, was anointed as king as a very young man, And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on.(1Sam.16:13)  From that day on he was hated by people around him. His brothers hated him, the King hated him, his first wife hated him, he collected many others who hated him all his life.  What did God do for him? Because he genuinely trusted God he could say, I trust in the LORD for protection. So why do you say to me, "Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!(Ps.11:1) How challenging was the war around him? The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right.(v.2) What was happening to the culture around him like? The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”(v.3) So what was his response? But the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. The LORD examines both the righteous and the wicked.(vs.4,5) He trusted God to deal with those who hated him, and he had learned that God genuinely loved him and that some day he would see Him face to face. The Old Testament is full of people like that!

The New Testament is full of people just like that as well. From the beginning of the NewTestament we are told how God the Father sent His Son Jesus to live in a body like ours and then to live perfectly for thirty years being tempted like we are. Jesus was always surrounded by enemies from the time he was a new born. He was hated by kings, the town people, his brothers and almost all of the religious leaders who claimed to love his Heavenly Father. Even the people he healed and taught only loved him to get what they wanted from him. Jesus knew what was going on, so he told his faithful followers, "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.(Jn.15:18) Then Jesus explained, The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.(v.19) He made the situation even clearer when he said, Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you.(v.20)  he also said, And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.(v.20) 

There is a lot more to be said on this matter, but I am running out of space today.  For now we need to accept the fact that now our new generations are being surrounded by hate and fear and the attacks that come to each of us from the enemy of our souls. Are we really trusting the Lord of Heaven to take care us of as David did and are we also trusting the Lord of heaven to know what to do with those who hate Him far more than they hate us? Can we honestly say like David,

Psalms 11:4 But the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.

Roy Wisner

May God, the Rock of my salvation,

Good morning,

May God, the Rock of my salvation,

Well folks, I believe that we are about to see our Lord show up in a very special way.  Right now our whole world is being changed in ways that are new and frightening to almost all of us  Suddenly we are finding ourselves surrounded with high levels of fear, sudden changes in how we have been forced to live, and a growing anger coming from both our leaders and those they are trying to control. What our world has basically forgotten is that God is very alive, knows what is going on, and has His perfect plan to deal with the problem is  ready to go. God tell his children, "Don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them.(Isa.8:12)  What our Savior wants his family to do is, Make the LORD of Heaven's Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear.(v.13) Since the beginning of time, God’s family has always had his special promise for those who know and love him. As David said, The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.(Psa.18:2) David could say that because he really did love and trust God.  What about us today?

I think that our churches and those who call themselves Christians have forgotten that having this kind of protection is only given to those who meet God’s standards for following him. In the same section that begins at John 3:16 we discover that God loves us, he sent his son Jesus to live and die for us and if we believe in him, he will give us eternal life. Gladly we take the offer without reading the rest of what goes with that belief. One section of that promise is, - anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment.”(Jn.3:36) Later Peter tells us, Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,  "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”(1Pet.2:7) Since Jesus really is the Rock, we need to listen when he tells us, And "He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall”. They stumble because they do not obey God's word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.(v.8) The Rock isn’t demanding perfection because he knows that we are all sinners. He tells us, But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.(1Jn.1:9) When our heart is right our walk with our Savior will be right as well.

There is one more thing that the Lord, our Rock, tells us we must not forget.  Even though our world is full of sin and wickedness and hate and cruelty, what does John 3:16 tell us about how he feels about each one of us? The Rock loves them. Does our Enemy know what God thinks about them? Yes, he knows and he also knows that he can get us into a lot of trouble if we forget that. So what does our Lord require from us? We are told, Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.(1Pet.3:9) You see, unforgiveness is never a part of God’s plan for our lives. We are also reminded, Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.(Rom.12:19) Dear Lord, help us to exalt you as we should.

2 Samuel 22:47  "The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!

Roy Wisner

Lead me on the right path,

Good morning,

Lead me in the right path.

It seems that God’s children, in our day, are about to begin to understand what it means to be a follower of the God who loves his children perfectly.  Remember what Jesus told his disciples. "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.(Mat.28:18) The God who gave us life is also the God who longs to give us eternal life that begins now in the darkness of sin and rebellion in a whole new way.  Instead of living for ourselves, he longs for us to share his love with the people around us.  If we are going to do that we are told, Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.(v.20) we will have to take a whole different outlook on what it means to be a Christian.  Sadly, it seems that our enemy has succeeded in getting us to see trusting Jesus as a way of leading a better life and getting God to keep his promises and be successful and loved by those around us. We also like the sound of what he said, And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”(v.20) With a little bit of a twist, we see Jesus as the one who owes us the good life here on earth.

David, a man after God’s own heart, gives us a very different perspective on what is involved in being faithful to the God he loved. He prayed, Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.(Psa.5:8) David was asking for help because for almost all of his life he was surrounded by enemies.  My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with flattery.(v.9) David knew he was a sinner and that living around that kind of pressure it would be easy to focus on himself and not on his Lord and his purpose in life. His way of dealing with that was to pray, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.(Psa.139:23,24) David knew as all the other people in God’s Word knew, that obedience to God’s truth was what was needed if they were ever be successful in following and serving their Savior and Lord.

David also gives another outcome of following God’s way when he prayed, But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.(Psa.5:11) Though his life was filled with battles, he knew what it means to have the joy of the Lord. He learned as he grew that everything the Lord had said was trustworthy, and when he focused on obedience instead of what he wanted for himself he could say, For you bless the godly, O LORD you surround them with your shield of love.(v.12) Dear Lord, will you keep us focused on knowing you, believing you and obeying you instead of being captured by the hate and anger and fear that is whirling around us.

Psalms 5:8 Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.

Roy Wisner