A tattooed number, a computer chip under the skin, or something subtler? It’s one of the most misinterpreted prophecies in all of the Bible—yet it is vitally important to understand it.
The final battle between Satan and God is just ahead, and it is described in the book of Revelation. This prophetic book points out that God has an emblem, a mark, that will identify His people. Satan also has an emblem, a mark, that will identify those who support him.
In the simplest of terms, those who decide to follow the false teachings of the Beast (Satan) will receive his mark. Those who follow Jesus and obey His truth receive His mark. It is comparable to having your name recorded in the Book of Life.
It is not literal. Following Jesus is important and will be recognized. God will know those that are His. Belonging to Jesus or the Beast is not to be confused by having a number assigned to us by a government, whether a Social Security number which we all already have, or a DL number, or some other number assigned in the future. Advancements in technologies, like bar codes periodically trigger "mark of the beast" concerns for those who take seriously the prophecy. While I am not worried by how the government chooses to identify me, I believe it certainly is a slippery slope. I think we should be cautious about allowing that measure of control or surveillance into our lives.
Each person must know God for themselves. If we don’t know God ourselves, we will not have the power to resist Satan’s temptations. It is only when we hide God’s Word in our heart that we will have the ability not to sin against God. We can not depend on others. No one else will be able to save us. Those who have chosen to obey God fully are those closely connected with God. When we do, we are His. He knows us.
“If anyone has an ear to hear, let him hear.” This is a clue from the Book of Revelation that what is to follow is very important. If we be led into captivity, we will go into captivity. It is important that we are to completely trust in the Lord. We must stand strong against Satan with patience and faith. How do we win the battle? “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” We must not go against God and His instructions. That is how to overcome Satan.
Revelation is confusing and hard to understand. But, to me, it just tells us that the battle against Satan is real, and Satan seeks to steal you and to capture you. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” We must know the Bible so that we can tell truth from error. Keep God’s word in our heart. Those with the mark of the Beast are those who have placed themselves in opposition to God.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Monday, February 18, 2019
How much does it cost?
This is probably the most common question we ask. How much does it cost? Can we afford it? A free concert in the park, you say? Oh yeah, I am in. But $250 a ticket? I don't know about that.
Steak or hot dogs? Sometimes we can't afford the steak.
The bible says, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
I can tell what you really care about by what you spend your money on. To some people, the car they drive is important. Or the shoes they wear, that is real important. Where the money goes shows where your heart is.
When the money is short or scarce, you are forced into choices.I read often of the elderly having to choose between food or medicine? Toys or school supplies? Sometimes you do without so your kids have what they need. Who among us hasn't had to make tough choices like this?
I have been dead broke, with no job and no income. I have had low paying jobs where I had to be so careful with every dollar. And I have had successful times where I had all the bills paid and extra to spare. And through the course of all my experiences I have learned where my heart is.
I can do without expensive meals. I can eat pretty cheap, when I have to.I need a place to sleep. I don't want to be homeless. I need a roof and a bed. And somewhere safe, I don't want to be in danger. I need to get to work, so I just need something reliable to drive.And I want my family to be provided for. I need enough to meet their basic needs and wants.
So that is where my heart is. My family is my treasure, and that is where my money goes, to provide for them. If I ever have any extra, it is only spent to make them feel special. I want them all to feel as special and loved as they are to me. I have been guilty of spending money I don't have. But when I do it is for them.
Beyond that, my treasure is in Heaven, and I want to please the Lord. I want to help the needy. I want to give to the poor. I do that all the time.
I see people all the time who never stopped to ask, "what does it cost?" I see parents who never bothered to ask what was the cost to their kids, as they worked excessive hours at their career. I see famous people who never worried about the cost of fame.
The Bible says, "What shall a man be profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his soul."
We make the bed we lie in. We have to live with our choices. Let's be smart and and consider the question, How much does it cost?
Steak or hot dogs? Sometimes we can't afford the steak.
The bible says, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
I can tell what you really care about by what you spend your money on. To some people, the car they drive is important. Or the shoes they wear, that is real important. Where the money goes shows where your heart is.
When the money is short or scarce, you are forced into choices.I read often of the elderly having to choose between food or medicine? Toys or school supplies? Sometimes you do without so your kids have what they need. Who among us hasn't had to make tough choices like this?
I have been dead broke, with no job and no income. I have had low paying jobs where I had to be so careful with every dollar. And I have had successful times where I had all the bills paid and extra to spare. And through the course of all my experiences I have learned where my heart is.
I can do without expensive meals. I can eat pretty cheap, when I have to.I need a place to sleep. I don't want to be homeless. I need a roof and a bed. And somewhere safe, I don't want to be in danger. I need to get to work, so I just need something reliable to drive.And I want my family to be provided for. I need enough to meet their basic needs and wants.
So that is where my heart is. My family is my treasure, and that is where my money goes, to provide for them. If I ever have any extra, it is only spent to make them feel special. I want them all to feel as special and loved as they are to me. I have been guilty of spending money I don't have. But when I do it is for them.
Beyond that, my treasure is in Heaven, and I want to please the Lord. I want to help the needy. I want to give to the poor. I do that all the time.
I see people all the time who never stopped to ask, "what does it cost?" I see parents who never bothered to ask what was the cost to their kids, as they worked excessive hours at their career. I see famous people who never worried about the cost of fame.
The Bible says, "What shall a man be profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his soul."
We make the bed we lie in. We have to live with our choices. Let's be smart and and consider the question, How much does it cost?
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Starting Over
The new session is underway in my APA pool league. It runs now through the end of the year.
The last session ended up disappointing for us. In 9 ball we were in 1st place with 3 weeks to go. Those last 3 weeks we lost all 3, and lost the session, in that we fell out of the playoffs. In 8 ball we ended up in 2nd place, missing 1st place by only 3 points. One 3-0 win away from winning it all. We played against the wild card team in the playoffs, and came up short, we lost. Not fun. So close.
But we press forward, and try again. We start over. I know, that if you keep on long enough, you will eventually get to experience the thrill of victory. And it will be so deep, and wide, and life-changing, that you will forget the losses and the long journey completed. They won’t even matter anymore. Because winning the championship will re-set your eyes, it will reshape your beliefs on how amazing the experience can be, but you have to keep playing, keep trying, keep learning.
You can feel it when you are on. The stroke is smooth and almost natural. You see the shot and it happens the way it is supposed to. You make the shot, you get the leave, and you do it again. It doesn’t get any better. Except when your teammates do it too and everyone is playing good at the same time. That is an experience. We love to see each other succeed. We all want something that is bigger than ourselves. I love to win myself. But I love us winning together as a team more. And I love to be around my teammates, that through our ups and downs week to week, have become friends. I choose good people to start with. I get to hang out with good people each week. But they are also gladiators. Their heart is full of fight. They play to win. They never give up.
Put it all together, a team of friends, giving it their best, securing a win, advancing from one playoff to another, and finally winning it all, well, all I can say is it is worth it. So much fun. It is like driving to the Grand Canyon. It takes forever to get there. But once you arrive, the experience is so awesome, it takes your breath away. If you have ever studied the word “amazing”, it is truly amazing (causing astonishment, great wonder). The destination is so great, all the hardship of the journey is forgotten. It is worth it. I hope you get to experience it. And if you are with me I hope we get to experience it together. We will need some luck. A good roll here and there helps.
But life is all about starting over. We all know about it. We have been there, right? A divorce happens. You start over. You get let go from a job. You start over. You get sick or hurt. You have to start over sometimes. During all the times I have had to start over, I was reminded of the importance of life. You learn, or re-learn, a reverence for life. It will reshape you to fully live, love and matter. I have started over several times. And it changed me, each time, to think deeper about how I show up in the world, how I treat others, and what it is I want to contribute to those in my world. It is scary. The doubt, the worry and the uncertainty is real. The hardship is real. Those full stop second chances in life end up being monumental breakthroughs in your life. In the end, it helps you. You will come out on the other end. There will be building blocks. When it is time to start over, be more intentional, courageous and appreciative. You don’t have to know the full path to take the first step. Take a small step. And then another. I know, I still remember re-learning to walk. It is hard. You are not going to enjoy starting over, but you can honor the struggle. But you have to start somewhere. You may not yet have confidence, but just go. Start. Take the first step. Believe in yourself and in your ability to figure things out. Believe in God. That is what carries me. I believe in Him and His love for me. It can get you through the darkest night. Take it from someone who knows a thing or two about starting over.
So if you are starting over in life, or just starting over with me in pool, let’s go. Let’s do this.
The last session ended up disappointing for us. In 9 ball we were in 1st place with 3 weeks to go. Those last 3 weeks we lost all 3, and lost the session, in that we fell out of the playoffs. In 8 ball we ended up in 2nd place, missing 1st place by only 3 points. One 3-0 win away from winning it all. We played against the wild card team in the playoffs, and came up short, we lost. Not fun. So close.
But we press forward, and try again. We start over. I know, that if you keep on long enough, you will eventually get to experience the thrill of victory. And it will be so deep, and wide, and life-changing, that you will forget the losses and the long journey completed. They won’t even matter anymore. Because winning the championship will re-set your eyes, it will reshape your beliefs on how amazing the experience can be, but you have to keep playing, keep trying, keep learning.
You can feel it when you are on. The stroke is smooth and almost natural. You see the shot and it happens the way it is supposed to. You make the shot, you get the leave, and you do it again. It doesn’t get any better. Except when your teammates do it too and everyone is playing good at the same time. That is an experience. We love to see each other succeed. We all want something that is bigger than ourselves. I love to win myself. But I love us winning together as a team more. And I love to be around my teammates, that through our ups and downs week to week, have become friends. I choose good people to start with. I get to hang out with good people each week. But they are also gladiators. Their heart is full of fight. They play to win. They never give up.
Put it all together, a team of friends, giving it their best, securing a win, advancing from one playoff to another, and finally winning it all, well, all I can say is it is worth it. So much fun. It is like driving to the Grand Canyon. It takes forever to get there. But once you arrive, the experience is so awesome, it takes your breath away. If you have ever studied the word “amazing”, it is truly amazing (causing astonishment, great wonder). The destination is so great, all the hardship of the journey is forgotten. It is worth it. I hope you get to experience it. And if you are with me I hope we get to experience it together. We will need some luck. A good roll here and there helps.
But life is all about starting over. We all know about it. We have been there, right? A divorce happens. You start over. You get let go from a job. You start over. You get sick or hurt. You have to start over sometimes. During all the times I have had to start over, I was reminded of the importance of life. You learn, or re-learn, a reverence for life. It will reshape you to fully live, love and matter. I have started over several times. And it changed me, each time, to think deeper about how I show up in the world, how I treat others, and what it is I want to contribute to those in my world. It is scary. The doubt, the worry and the uncertainty is real. The hardship is real. Those full stop second chances in life end up being monumental breakthroughs in your life. In the end, it helps you. You will come out on the other end. There will be building blocks. When it is time to start over, be more intentional, courageous and appreciative. You don’t have to know the full path to take the first step. Take a small step. And then another. I know, I still remember re-learning to walk. It is hard. You are not going to enjoy starting over, but you can honor the struggle. But you have to start somewhere. You may not yet have confidence, but just go. Start. Take the first step. Believe in yourself and in your ability to figure things out. Believe in God. That is what carries me. I believe in Him and His love for me. It can get you through the darkest night. Take it from someone who knows a thing or two about starting over.
So if you are starting over in life, or just starting over with me in pool, let’s go. Let’s do this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)