Predicting The Future?

March 28, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 10 Comments

A conversation yesterday shows how crazy March is in my state. Sunday morning we woke up in my city to a bit of snow that was only on the grass. The streets and sidewalks had no snow accumulation because it had been too warm in the prior days and we did not have that much snow. I found out from a friend I was chatting with that they had 7 inches of snow. My friend lives only one hour from my city.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

March Madness is happening these weeks as it does every March. March Madness is a college basketball tournament in the USA comprised of 64 teams, after a few play in games, to decide the National Champion for the year. People fill in brackets trying to predict the outcome. This year the vast majority of brackets filled out have been busted because all four #1 seeds and all four #2 seeds have been eliminated.

Trying to accurately predict the weather in my state and trying to accurately predict the college basketball tournament are both somewhat futile efforts just as most things in life are.

Ever since Jesus ascended to heaven, people have been trying to guess when he will return even though Jesus himself said in Acts 1:7-

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

No one knows when Jesus will return. We only know that he will return. Nothing can prevent Jesus from returning. The only question is whether we are ready for his return.

We also know that when Jesus returns, it will not be in secret or in doubt as to who he is. When Jesus returns, the whole world will know it is him because he will return as the victorious King to reign over the entire earth.

There is one more thing we know. Each day brings us one day closer to his return. 🙂

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

About That Time Change

March 15, 2023March 14, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 12 Comments

Time change weekend always makes me a little curious to see how many people end up coming to second service at church that would normally come to first service. I wonder how many simply watched online Sunday. It is interesting to observe how changing clocks only one hour can affect lives. It is easy for me to talk about it because I am on break this week, so I can ease into the change.

Side note-Loosing that hour of sleep caused me to not be able to do something with that hour but due to the loss of the hour of sleep, I was sleep deprived so I forgot what it was. 🙂

Okay so back to my post. People have differing views about changing time and which time change they prefer whether it is the extra hour of sleep in the fall or lose an hour of sleep in the spring. When we change time, I always think of the craziest experience I had.

It was in October 1999. I had a ministry trip to Romania. It was my shortest trip to Romania which included an eight hour time change to the time there. After the trip, we spent four days in a small city outside of London England which was a two time change. Then we flew back home which was a six hour time change arriving back a few days before the fall time change of one hour back. My internal clock was messed up for weeks.

A time that I think all of us Christian bloggers wish we could know is the time set for when Jesus returns for us. The disciples had that as a burning question after Jesus’s resurrection. They asked Jesus about when he was going to set up his kingdom. We read about it in Acts 1:6-8:

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I do not fault the disciples for the question. The Romans occupied the land. They knew Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, promised one, and were witnesses to the fact that he defeated death. So natural assumption would be if he can defeat death, when will he restore the kingdom.

The answer? It is not for you to know. It is not for us to know when. It is for us to be his witnesses, to share him with others.

And what a way to get their attention. He ascended to heaven right before their eyes. Exclamation Point!!!

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

So it is not for me to know when. There are general signs to look for to be prepared, but it is not for me, for us to know when. Jesus has given us work to do and to focus on.

I still wish we would stop with the whole time change though and just settle on one or the other. 🙂

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Be Prepared- Might Still Need My Gloves

March 9, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 25 Comments

Waking up to see we had a dusting of snow caused me to wonder if I might still need my gloves today. I have to admit that by sharing such a confession, it will cause a few bloggers to laugh to themselves such as Pure Glory who lives in the far north and has polar bear friends and Gary who thrives in an ice fishing shack for several months.

At least I have not lost my gloves which is a normal occurrence for me by this time of year. In March where I live in Nebraska, it is a good idea to be prepared for anything with the weather.

One thing I hope to always be prepared for is to share the love of Jesus as 1 Peter 3:15 says:

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But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

The hope that I have even living with chronic illness and being a trauma survivor is Jesus. Jesus gives me strength, is always with me, and has made things possible for me in life that would amaze people who knew me many years ago.

The caveat catches my attention-do this with gentleness and respect. I am not called to bash people with bible verses. I am called to reflect Jesus to people. I interact with diverse people each day and I do not want me to be the reason they do not come to know Jesus.

Seeking to be prepared to share the hope there is in Jesus is part of another be prepared the bible talks about. Matthew 24:44 talks about the return of Jesus:

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

If I live and share in a way that reflects Jesus to others, I will be prepared for Jesus to return. I also want others to be ready for that day.

Now about those gloves, I will have them ready but will try to not use them. 🙂

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Story Time- Can See the Mountain- It Will Rain

August 5, 2021August 5, 2021 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 4 Comments

In the summer of 2004, I was blessed to teach Conversational English in Saint Genis Laval a suburb of Lyon France. The scenery was beautiful. The food was exquisite. I enjoyed my time with my students. It was a wonderful ministry trip for me.

Lyon France is 157km, 100 miles, from the highest mountain in Europe, Mont Blanc. Usually we could not see Mont Blanc, but one day one of the men in my evening class said, “It will rain tomorrow. I could see Mont Blanc today.” That caught my attention because where I live, we are 500 miles away from the nearest mountain.

Evidently when Mont Blanc was hidden by clouds, people did not expect rain in Lyon, but if Mont Blanc was visible to them, it meant rain was coming. Seeing Mont Blanc was a sign of rain. Sure enough it rained the next day.

Jesus spoke of signs of getting close to his return such as in Matthew 24:

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

Each generation since Jesus ascended to heaven has thought they were in the end times. The signs Jesus spoke of could have applied to events in history such as World War 2. But I have to admit that it seems we are inching ever closer to his return.

The important thing is to be prepared for his return by coming to faith in him. Just as nothing could have stopped the rain from coming that day in Lyon, nothing can stop the return of Jesus.

By the way, even though there are no mountains anywhere near me, I can still see if rain is coming. I just check the radar on the local TV station weather on its website 🙂

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Need to be Ready- The Final Judgement — Ruelha

July 31, 2020July 31, 2020 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 3 Comments

Soon I must leave and go. But the seed of the Word in you, I did sow. Just like the master who departed on a journey. Gave his servants his power of attorney. All three of them, he gave charge of his property. Full freedom to use his name with power and authority. He gave […]
The Final Judgement — Ruelha

Jesus, A Donkey, and His Father Part 4

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 20 Comments

In April it was a blessing to host my first blogger chat. Out of that chat came the idea to do a blog chain on the topic Jesus, A Donkey, and His Father centering around Palms Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem.

Kelly of The Simple Preacher started it off with Jesus, A Donkey, and His Father Part 1.

Deandra of Imago Dei at deandrahurst.com was second with Jesus, A Donkey, and His Father Part 2.

Dawn of Drawing Closer to Christ was third with Jesus, A Donkey, and His Father Part 3.

So today it is my turn with Jesus, A Donkey, and His Father Part 4.

When I think about Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey to fulfill his and the Father’s plan for our salvation, two thoughts come to me. 1- It was a fitting way for him to ride in. 2- It is a stark contrast to how he will return.

When Jesus came the first time, he came as the suffering servant. He emptied himself of all of his glory to be born as a human baby. His earthly birth was in extremely humble circumstances being born in a stable where the animals were. He once commented during his earthly ministry in Matthew 8:

“Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

So for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey for the week that would fulfill his mission of dying on the cross to save us, it was a fitting way for him to enter. At that point he was still the suffering servant.

The stark contrast is with what his return will look like. In Revelation 19 we read;

When Jesus returns, he will return in all of his glory as the victorious Lord of Lords. He will return as King on a white horse not as a suffering servant.

The good news is if we embrace Jesus as the suffering servant, our Savior, then when he returns as Victorious King, we will be ready.

Next Tuesday Lydia of inhisserviceandlovingit.wordpress.com will finish off the series with Part 5. 🙂

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

When Jesus Returns

June 15, 2019June 15, 2019 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 18 Comments

Yesterday afternoon I finally went to see Avengers End Game. I like to wait to see such movies to avoid crowds. There were only five people in the theater, so I really enjoyed watching the movie.

As I watched the battle scene between Thanos and his evil forces against the Avengers, I began to think of something else. That is how my mind works lol.

I began to think about the scene when Jesus returns to earth in Revelation 19:

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written::

King of kings and Lord of lords

When Jesus returns, there will be no doubt that it is him.The armies of the earth will try to fight him, but being all powerful and immortal, those armies won’t stand a chance.

No one knows when he will return. Jesus said himself that it is not for us to know the time in Acts 1:

“Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

“He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”

The way things are going in the world I often wish he would come back very soon.

But then I think about the people who are not ready and I am thankful for what God revealed about himself in 2 Peter 3:

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

God’s desire is for all to come to know him even though he knows many won’t but rather refuse to. However, my desire is to share his love with as many people as I can.

Thank you for reading; God Bless.

Tornado Sirens Sunday Made Me Think about………

May 7, 2019 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 4 Comments

Sunday afternoon the tornado sirens sounded the alarm for my city that a tornado was coming. We had a minor EF-2 tornado that caused damage to trees and some roof tops. A popular ice cream shack near our biggest park was destroyed. Fortunately no one was injured or killed.

Photo by Ralph W. lambrecht on Pexels.com

I saw a video of the tornado forming and noticed something in the video, Some cars were on the road. Some driving away from the tornado and some driving towards the tornado even though the tornado was visible.

It seems like common sense to me that if one sees a tornado while driving, one does not drive to the tornado. It seems like logical thinking to pay attention to the tornado warning.

Jesus told us 2,000 years ago that he would return to earth someday. He could return any day and yet too often I go about my life not expecting him to return that day.

When I think about Jesus returning, it gives me hope as I go through my day. It helps me to remember that whatever happens that day, it is temporary. It also motivates me to pray for my friends who do not know Jesus. It motivates me to live my life in a way that shows the love of Jesus.

The promise of his return and the promise of having a resurrected body that will never experience sickness and pain gives me hope as I live with chronic illness too.

I would like to encourage my readers to reflect on the promise of the return of Jesus and let it fill you with hope.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Music Mondays- I Wish We’d All Been Ready by Larry Norman and by DC Talk

October 15, 2018 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 3 Comments

Yesterday we had our first snow of the season. This year it was early and a bit of a surprise. Where I live we usually get our first snow in November and some years in December. The weather reporters on local TV told us it was coming, but I didn’t really believe them. As I drove to church the rain started to mix with snow, but I still thought nothing of it. I just thought it would not add up to much and would be gone quickly. Here I am outside in the snow outside of my church after services.

Before I came home, I stopped at a few stores to buy some food. The snow was a heavy wet snow and the leaves are still on the trees, so branches broke off into the street. One store I stopped at had no electricity because a tree branch had knocked down a power line.

As I mentioned, it surprised a lot of people especially how much snow we had for mid-October even though the weather reporters told us we would have snow the day before. Many people ignored the reports.

Jesus promised that he will return. We don’t know when he will return. He told us that it is not for us to know when in Acts 1 saying:

“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority”

But he did tell us signs such as wars, increase in natural disasters etc. The signs seem to be getting more noticeable with each year.

I like to the saying live as if he will come back at any moment when it comes to how we live and live as if he won’t come back in your lifetime when it comes to planning. Live in such a way that both possibilities we will be ready.

Live to be ready for Jesus to return, so it will be a positive blessing for us which starts by believing in him and live to be ready for life, so we build a life on solid foundation.

In 1969 Larry Norman first recorded the song, I Wish We’d All Been Ready singing about the return of Jesus.

In the 1990s the group DC Talk covered the song on an album. Larry Norman and DC Talk got together to perform it together.

One day in the future that no one knows when, Jesus will return. My hope is that my readers are ready for that blessed day. It starts with coming to faith in Jesus.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Music Mondays- Hope/The Trumphet Shall Sound-Phil Driscoll

April 16, 2018 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 2 Comments

Going through life in this world, sometimes we sail along, sometimes we simply walk, and sometimes we trudge barely able to do much because of being bogged down. Monday mornings come and I am usually bogged down by just trying to get back in the flow.

There have been serious times of being burdened down in life for me such as the experience of going to several doctors last year over several months last year to find out what was wrong. Family problems can get us down like in my life growing up with an alcoholic father and mentally ill mother.

Jesus has worked in my life in wonderful ways and any difficulties in my past I hope to be of benefit to others as I try to share the love of Jesus with others. It isn’t easy to live for Jesus. Don’t let the TV people fool you. There are struggles. There are trials in life. You can fill in the blanks with your own experiences.

What kept me going last year during a year of pain and doctors? What gave me hope to keep going through adversity? It wasn’t what. It was WHO- Jesus and the fact that one day I will be with him. One day he will come back for those who believe in him. There are different views on what that will be like and this post is not a treatise on those. My focus is on the fact that Jesus will return and we will be changed.

In the 1990s, a group of contemporary Christian music artists got together to do a version of one of my all time favorites- Handel’s Messiah. The artists made Handel’s Young Messiah. Phil Driscoll performed the song “The Trumpet Shall Sound” for the album. Driscoll is a great trumpet player and he also sang the song. So I want to share this video with you of Phil Driscoll performing The Trumpet Shall Sound as a Monday pick me up for you. Hopefully as you listen, whatever you are going through, the song will help you remember that this life is temporary and so are our problems. One day the trumpet will sound and Jesus will come. Until then, we can know him and serve him and know he is with us in every circumstance.