bible

Are You on the Right Path to the Real God?

  • “There are many paths to God.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that.

If you mean there are many ways in which some of us come to know the true Lord of the Universe, you’re correct.  My path was via witnessing three terrible, fatal, accidents when I was ten. In a state of fear, I asked God to reveal Himself to me. He did, ten years later, after I waded through a path filled with a lot of mud, dung, and steep terrain. I have another friend who was a Muslim Sheik who came to know the true God when Jesus appeared to him in a vision and said, “Follow me.” This path was supernatural. My friend is now a Christian pastor in the Middle East.

If you mean a path that includes worshipping mother earth, reincarnation, universalism, Islam, or Christian denominations that don’t teach Biblical truth, you’re heading the wrong way.  Not to be offensive, but those are not proper paths to God.

Jesus said, “I am the way, truth, and life. No one comes to my Father except through me.”

Either Jesus was a liar, lunatic, or he was who he said he was: the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the “Son of Man,” the Savior, who has the power to forgive, restore, and eternally save from hell.

The Bible provides the roadmap to the true God (recall, the Bible is the most corroborated historical book on the planet).

One of the earliest articles of faith was set forth in Deuteronomy 6:4-7:  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” This is known to Jews as the “shema,” and is the foundation of all the commandments of God. It establishes the unity of God, the supremacy of God, and the priority of serving God.

Another is found in  1 Corinthians 15:1-4. “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Jesus died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”  This article of faith declares the bare essentials for saving faith in Christ.

And there’s one more important truth that will determine if your really on the sole path: Jesus is returning.

In Matthew 24:36-44 Jesus declares (referring to himself), “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come…So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.”

If we place our faith in Him, trusting His death on the cross to pay for our sins, we will be forgiven and receive the promise of eternal life in heaven. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Faith alone in the finished work of Christ on the cross is the only true path to eternal life! “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

There is only one true path to God, and therefore to Heaven.

Are you on the right path?

Back to Basics: What is Heaven Really Like?

If you ask 100 people, including pastors and theologians, what heaven is like you’ll get 100 different answers.

Actually, for every theologian in your query you’re bound to get 10 different explanations, so let’s take theologians out of the example. That still keeps us at about 100 different descriptions of heaven.

Last night I believe God gave me this wonderful vision of heaven:

Imagine you have lived your entire life land-locked. You’ve never seen a body of water bigger than a pond, or maybe a small lake. You’ve never seen a fish, let alone a whale, a dolphin, or an octopus. In fact, you never even seen photographs or video of these creatures, or the ocean in which they live. However, you’ve read a few stories about such environs, and you’ve heard 100 people give 100 different descriptions of what abides in that mysterious thing called “the ocean.”

Then one day you finally see the ocean with your own eyes. Your heart nearly stops at its immense splendor. You witness the great tail of a whale splashing the surface of the water and pod of dolphins dancing between the rolling waves. You’re taken to a bay with crystal clear water and wade into a tide pool. There, right next to your submerged feet, your jaw drops as you look at sea anemones, brilliant fish, and even octopus.

Some say, “Heaven will be a state of mind.”  While they are incorrect, I can understand their statement in that we humans can’t wrap our brains around, “what God has prepared for those who love Him,” (Psalm 31:19 and 1 Corinthians 2:9).

So You Want Global Warming? No Worries

Having personally produced two excellent books flawlessly tracing the communist roots of the failed theory of human-induced global warming (Climategate and Eco-Tryanny), I was pleased to hear what Pastor John MacArthur had to say recently.

He reminded everyone that global warming will indeed be very real, but it will not be triggered by the use of fossil fuels, cow flatulence, or hairspray.

MacArthur quoted the New Testament’s Book of 2nd Peter, chapter 3, verses 10-12, which says this:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Bring it on, Lord!  But…

In the meantime, may many souls acknowledge that Jesus is the way, truth and life–because NO ONE will enter the Kingdom of Heaven without such a recognition.

When Life Smacks You Upside the Head: Here’s the Podcast For You

In preparing to produce Episode 21 of the Another Chance Podcast series, God led me to a brief but powerful devotional I wrote a few years ago. I’m not sure what I intended to do with it at the time, but it certainly represents my heart’s desire right now.

That said, it’s now what Episode 21 is all about:

If life has, or is, smacking you upside the head, this is a brief podcast will really help you see what’s in front of you a bit more clearly and put a little bounce back in your steps.

Below is the devotional. Hope you’ll check out the podcast too.  Enjoy:

Trusting in Him

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
 and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him,
and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV).

We’ve all been let down by someone we love, trust, or both.  It hurts.  Sometimes the pain is really bad.   I’ve come to the conclusion that there is only one person I can count on 100 percent of the time: Jesus.

Besides the Lord, my wife—with whom I’ve had a covenant relationship with for over three decades—is next person I can completely trust.  But even then, our mutual assurance is temporal.  The trust I have in God is everlasting.

When there’s bad news, hurt feelings, disappointments, and the emotional trauma associated with such things, only the Lord is able to provide me with the comfort and grace that genuinely soothes my soul.  I refer to this serene, spiritual space of grace as, “the sweet spot.”

Being Jewish, I never knew the beautiful Christian hymns sung on Sunday mornings in the church.  Now that I know Him, I have learned to love the hymns, even when they’re sung with their traditional melodies.

When I’m in the sweet spot, the song, My Hope is Built on Nothing Less, composed by Edward Mote in the 1834, comes to mind:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When life smacks you upside the head—and it will—remember that your hope rests with Jesus.  Lean on Him.  Cling tight to Him.  Hold tight to His word and promises.  Even when it seems like He’s not hearing your cry, know that He is present and caring for you.

On Christ, the solid Rock you stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

Lord, thank you for your saving grace.  You are my hope, my strength, and my joy.  May I walk in your ways all the days of my life.  Amen. 

SCOTUS Turns Down Texas Lawsuit: Why I Remain Encouraged

What we are witnessing in the United States of America is the BIGGEST SCANDAL IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.

Think about it. We are the most significant country on the planet. We have been an exporter of more good than any country in history. For the naysayers, that good includes food, clothing, and billions of dollars in cash. It also include the use of our military and countless American lives to stop many a vicious enemy from killing innocent people, destroying property, and spreading evil upon the earth.

But most importantly, our American benevolence has brought the saving grace of God to all corners of the planet, providing hope: both in this life and eternally! The United States has been the country The Everlasting God (in Hebrew, El Olam) has used to spread the good news of His Son’s sacrificial death on a cross to save many a wretch like me!

So, what does the Bible say about addressing the fraud that has occurred in this election? It’s very clear. When God confronts evil on a national scale He WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL REALIZE HE ALONE SHALL GET ALL THE GLORY.

I was just recalling the account of the Israelites and the parting of the Red Sea. In Exodus chapter 14 we’re told that the Lord instructed Moses to perform a Muhammed Ali type of rope-a-dope. He instructed Moses to move the people in a way that made it look as if they were lost in the desert, so that Pharaoh would think the Israelites were confused and they would be easily caught and destroyed.

“I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,” said God (Exodus 14:4), “and he will pursue them. But I WILL GAIN GLORY FOR MYSELF through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

What happened next? Pharaoh’s powerful army foolishly chased Moses and the Israelites into the astonishingly parted Red Sea hoping catch and kill them all with a final knockout punch. But then God caused the waters to crash upon them, drowning them all. And only El Olam was able to receive the glory!

You see, when our opportunity before the Texas lawsuit before the Supreme Court quickly failed the idiot pundits on the left all cackled at us like demons. They now believe they have us against the ropes and they’re preparing for a knockout punch.

Let them laugh, let them be over-confident. The devil always overplays his filthy hand. If we gained victory at the Supreme Court, that court would have received the glory.

BUT GOD HAS SOMETHING MORE AMAZING PLANNED.

My wife and I watched many a sporting event over the years in which our boys were playing. I know it’s only sports, but there were moments when everyone on our side thought it was over–only a miracle could save us. And then in the last possible moment, out of nowhere, there was fumble, a hail Mary, or an impossible three-pointer at the buzzer, and we won! The victories were so out of nowhere that fans would proclaim, “It’ a miracle!” But even still, in those moments we could all pin the win on one or two stars; a few times those accolades went to our boys.

But this is no sporting event.  What I’m talking about for our nation is this: ONLY GOD WILL GET THE GLORY.

Friends, lying, cheating, fraud, and calling out “Soldiers” to intimidate the opposition, are all personalities of the devil himself. God hates this.

Get ready. I’m banking on a victory of Biblical proportions.

Pray. And if you haven’t prayed for years, take a private moment with God right now, repent, and start praying.  We need you. The New Testament book of James encourages us: The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective (5:16)!

And, as we get closer to the finish line, remember this: Ephesians 6:12 tells us: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

This will be awesome.