Brother James'
Glory To God - Tumblr Blog
Strawberry Fields
Let me share a short story with you - and I pray it lightens your heart today.
My dad & mom came from farm country, and they grew up back in the day. Their parents, both my dad's and my mom's parents, were farmers who raised dairy cows. They milked the cows twice a day, besides raising hogs and chickens and big gardens.
But times change. After my dad and mom got married, they moved to the city where dad found work that better suited him.
I was born and raised in the city. When I was just a little boy, about every weekend dad and mom loaded the family in the car and off we went to visit my two sets of grandparents out in the sticks. And how I did love them - and how I loved running free through the hills and hollers and backwoods.
By the time I was a young boy, grandpa & grandma (my mom's parents) were raising strawberries. That was strawberry country in those days, and they still have an annual strawberry festival in that little town. Let me brag on my old grandpa a little bit. They put his picture on the cover of Progressive Farmer magazine - standing in his strawberry field. The magazine wrote up a nice article on the strawberry farmers. That was a big deal - wow, grandpa was famous!
Now the berries got ripe in May, and when they got ripe they needed to be picked pronto. There was a narrow window before they would rot in the fields because, as you know, strawberries are not good keepers.
When the berries got ripe, my dad and mom and all other family members were needed to come home and help pick those juicy reds. Grandpa & grandma had no sons, but they had six daughters! Each daughter was expected to provide one willing son-in-law!
Even us grandkids helped out, plus the neighbors and all their in-laws and out-laws also. And everybody made money. Grandpa paid everybody "by the quart picked." All of us grandkids made some spending money.
But as I said before, times change. The time came when grandpa & grandma just couldn't get everybody together - family and friends and neighbors had other obligations. There just weren't enough people around who could pick berries for a short period of time in May. Grandpa needed help from somebody. But who would be willing to come in, camp out in the fields, pick berries, and then move on?
Picking strawberries became the job of the migrant workers, the Mexicans. All the farmers in the region depended on them.
Everybody knew they were "illegals" - but who cared? Why would you care? They were needed, and they got the job done. They were paid "by the quart picked" and were happy to make US dollars.
Now when I grew up, after my schooling & years of traveling, I was drawn to live in that little strawberry town in the boondocks where my family came from. I became a country boy, and raised my own garden, hunted my own game to eat, cut my own firewood that I burned in a pot-belly "warm morning stove" - I really went native.
Grandpa and his strawberry farm had both passed into history by that time. But I would still see the migrant workers come into the countryside in May. Loaded in trucks, it seemed every pick-up truck carried several families - with children and babies onboard.
I never gave it much thought. But one night, I stepped out my backdoor on a fine evening in May. I sat down out in my backyard - and looked up into a clear starry night sky.
And you know, I could hear something soft and beautiful begin to arise in the air.
Before you know it, I was listening to the sound of singing. And it was like music I had never heard before. It was truly heavenly singing - like angels singing.
And then I recognized, the words they were singing were Spanish. I listened for an hour or more to some of the sweetest songs I had ever heard, sung by those migrant workers camped out in the fields not far away.
As I listened, I could picture them sitting around together with their children - making beautiful music together out of their hearts.
I never forgot that night of sweet singing. I think the Lord made it possible for me and others to hear that - as I'm sure many other people in the neighborhood also heard it - to bless us in a special way.
I never looked at those Mexicans again in the same way. When I saw them out in the fields picking strawberries, I was moved to see them as the very, very precious people that they are. They were not just a "thing" that happened every May.
We live in a time when some Americans are literally demonizing entire groups of people as "those bad people." What happened to Christian love, mercy and compassion?
People today are choosing between Christ and Antichrist. They are becoming either more Christ-like or more Trump-like.
If we choose Jesus' Narrow Way of salvation, we choose love and godliness. We choose to humble our hearts in the worship of Jesus. And we choose to be like Him.
If you choose the way of Antichrist, you choose the broad road of politics and prejudice. Following Trump, you will adopt his character, demonizing "those people."
Are you being formed in the image of Trump? Are you growing cold, cruel and callous? Unmerciful? The hearts of many will grow colder and colder, Jesus said.
There is only One Way to be saved from all that. Turn from Donald Trump and put your faith only in the true Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Antichrist will not make anything great. Our Savior Jesus Christ is doing all things well - preparing a place for us in Heaven - and that is great!
Here is Good News for you!
God is love! You were created in God's image to respond to His love! Yet sadly, we all have sinned against our Creator. The result of sin is separation from God! But God gave His Son Jesus to die for our sins! Christ took our place and suffered for us on the cross! Then He arose from the dead! Jesus is alive - to give life to us! To be saved from spiritual death, you must turn away from sin and put your faith in Jesus! Ask God to forgive your sins, believing in Jesus to save you. He will be your Lord and Savior! It is this Good News that saves you if you truly believe it!
Thirteen Myths
About the Antichrist:
BUSTED
Click to read each busted myth -
FALSE
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Back to the Bible!
"According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the Foundation." - The Apostle Paul (1 Cor 3:10)
Do you like pizza? Seldom do you find someone who doesn't! I never get tired of it!
The wonderful thing about pizza, you can build it anyway you like! The different ways of making a pizza are unlimited!
But there is ONE necessity. And without that one thing, you do NOT have a pizza.
You must have the foundation to have a pizza! If you don't have the foundation, the bread crust, then you don't have a pizza! You need the foundation to build on!
Simple as it may sound, our Christian faith is like pizza in that sense. We have a great deal of freedom in how we worship our Savior. But we must have the foundation!
Our varieties of Christian music are an example of our freedom. Some people like the old hymns, other people like traditional gospel music. Some folks like the praise and worship music - other folks enjoy contemporary songs.
Another example of our freedom in Christ is in choosing a place of worship. Some people choose to congregate with large numbers in large buildings. Other people like to assemble in humble settings, perhaps in storefront buildings, or even in open-air meetings.
Just like making a pizza, we have a great deal of freedom in our Christian faith. But if we don't have the foundation, the essential truths of God's Word, then we don't have Christ!
We must have the foundation!
"I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you have received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the Word I preached to you! Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Cor 15:1-4)
The foundation of the Christian faith is the essential, fundamental doctrines given to us in the Bible. The word "doctrine" means "teaching." And our faith in Jesus Christ is built upon the essential "teachings" of the apostles and prophets who wrote down the Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit.
A most disturbing trend among many professing Christians today is this: The doctrines of our faith are being downplayed or thrown out altogether!
This is being done with the faulty reasoning that doctrine is "divisive."
The word "doctrine" has become a dirty word in the minds of many Christians because their leaders are telling them "less doctrine is more inclusive." The trend is toward unity with anything calling itself "Christian" at the expense of sound Christian doctrine.
It's true that doctrine is divisive, but that's a good thing! Sound doctrine, biblical teaching, separates the sheep from the goats!
"Jesus died on the cross for our sins" - that is CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, a teaching of our faith. If you do NOT believe that teaching, that Jesus died for your sins, then you do not have Christ! You are NOT a Christian!
Yes, doctrine is divisive! And it is meant to be! It divides the saved from the lost!
"Jesus rose from the dead" - and if you do NOT believe that, you are not saved! We are called to make disciples of people - and to do that, we must give them the essential Christian doctrines!
Jesus said, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, division! There will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three." (Luke 12:51-52)
It is the teachings, the doctrines of our faith, that separate the believer from the non-believer! And yet, many churches are being encouraged by false teachers to abandon Doctrinal Statements! They are being led to give up their commitment to sound doctrine! All for the sake of INCLUSIVE UNITY. The trend is to no longer use the words "saved and unsaved" - but rather "churched and unchurched."
It's not about winning souls to eternal life! It's all about packing them in, filling up seats!
Beloved, the move AWAY from sound Christian teaching, AWAY from doctrinal statements - to be more "inclusive" - is a move TOWARD apostasy and confusion in the church! If the foundation is destroyed, what do you have left? If you build a house without a foundation, how long will it stand?
These words by the leader of the Purpose Driven Church movement, lead the way into the abyss of apostasy and confusion:
"The reformation of the church 500 years ago was about beliefs. A second reformation is going to be about behavior. I don't care why you do good, as long as you do good. It's not about what the church believes, it's about what the church is doing. It's all about deeds, not creeds. The first reformation divided the church. The second reformation will unify the church."
This is the FALLEN AWAY "church" being built by men who either do not get it or simply do not care. A "church" where it doesn't matter what you believe! UNITY without the foundation of the church, the Word of God!
Beloved, the church IS in need of reformation. But not as the false prophets envision it. They lead the church into a wilderness, a never-never land, tossed to and fro.
The first reformation brought division, yes, it divided faithful Christians from paganism! The first reformation brought AWAKENING - because it brought souls TO THE BIBLE! The people of that time came to know the Word of God. They came to the FOUNDATION upon which they could build a strong house!
Child of God, the Lord is calling us today, COME BACK TO THE WORD OF GOD!
"Before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord, turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse!" (Mal 4:5-6)
Young people today are being told by a world-gone-mad that there is no real "truth." They are drawn into "churches" that do NOT teach Christian doctrine. They are encouraged to be pleasure-seekers and self-seekers, not God-seekers.
Beloved, let's listen to the call of God in these last days! His call to Return to the Solid Foundation!
"I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My Word and puts it into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the Foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it!" (Luke 6:47-48)
"You are members of God's household! Built on the Foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone! In Him the whole building is joined together!" (Eph 2:19-21)
American Antichrist
In this brief article, I'll cover these topics:
1) a possible scenario concerning the general timeframe of our Lord's Second Coming,
2) Christians standing together in an anti-christ world, 3) allegiance to Christ alone in a fallen-away culture, 4) the ungodly nation that leads the world, and 5) the biblical traits that describe the rising Antichrist.
A Bit of Biblical Chronology
You may be familiar with the research of creationist men of God like James Ussher and Frank Klassen in the field of biblical chronology. These men and many others have come to the conclusion that the biblical record tells us the history of the world is contained within about 6,000 years from the creation account to today. That is so interesting in light of the scripture, "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Peter 3:8)
It could be possible that just as creation happened in 6 days with the one day of rest, the Lord's History (His Story) on earth will last 6,000 years plus 1,000 years (the Millennium).
Jesus told us of signs by which we could recognize the general time of His second coming. "When you see all these things, you know that He is near, right at the door." (Matt 24:33) The signs are all around us now in these last days. Jesus told us we could not know the day or the hour. But He wanted us to know the general time marked by signs He gave us in scripture. Now that we see the many signs He gave us, we know it will not be very much longer to wait. (Hallelujah!)
So here is the striking thing about all this: If we count 6,000 years from the time these students of Bible chronology concluded that creation took place, we come to somewhere around the year 2034. That general time frame is also about 2,000 years from the time Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. So you have 4,000 years from the time of creation until the central event in history, the death and resurrection of Jesus. Then you have 2,000 years from then until 2034.
The Antichrist could arise on the world stage now in order to amass power over time, and then fulfill the final years of events foretold in scripture concerning his wars and conquests and reign of terror. We have yet to see the establishment of the ten kings who will give him their power and authority. All the prophecies will happen as foretold, and the clock is ticking to God's appointed end.
The Importance of This Conversation
I believe it's so important that we talk about these things ahead of time - share our thoughts and prayers and feelings with one another. It will help us prepare for these very last days.
Many people are saying we can't be 100% sure Trump is the Antichrist at this time. If the watchman stands on the wall and says to himself, "I am 99% sure I see a coming danger, but I won't sound the alarm because I'm not 100% sure" - he has chosen to err on the side of carelessness instead of choosing to err on the side of caution. I will choose to sound the alarm against the danger I see coming - even if some aren't yet 100% sure.
The Bible tells us: One of the traits of the Antichrist is that he will persecute anyone who refuses to honor and acknowledge him. Trump comes down hard on anyone who dares criticize him. This is a man who cannot "let it go" when anyone pushes back against his bullying. We've seen him hold unrelenting grudges - and dismantle & destroy opponents.
In the end, the Bible warns us that Antichrist will make war on the Christians and execute many - until his appointed day of doom. But let's not go down easy. Let's not let him pick us off one group at a time. Let's pray for anyone persecuted, and stand with them, and stand up for one another. Political differences, our denominational differences, all that won't matter anymore - it will be a time when all that matters is our devotion to Jesus Christ.
Our Lord Does The Unexpected
Christians have for years expected that when the time came, the Antichrist would no doubt emerge from the socialist-leftwing movement. I can't begin to recall all the times I've been told by Christians on social media that, "Obama is the Antichrist!" And now Obama has gone the way of Carter and Clinton - written into the dusty and seldom read history books.
In spite of what was expected, looking at history, anti-christ dictators with an eye on world conquest have almost always emerged from nationalist-rightwing movements. Hitler, as a prime example, began his reign of terror with a patriotic band of zealots. People professing to be Christians in 1930s Germany were ready to follow that nationalist demagogue - because most had long since departed from true biblical Christianity.
Christians in America have for years indulged in a worldview that baptizes Christianity in the muddy waters of nationalism. Let's be honest, for the past decade many Christians in the US have woven patriotic-religiosity into their Christian profession. The US constitution has been glorified as if it is divinely-inspired! But Christians are called to exalt only the Bible as the true divinely-inspired Word of God.
If America's children are brought up with the notion that God's holy throne in Heaven is draped with the American flag, how will they ever be able to understand that love of God must be far and above love of any country? When all nations unite under an Antichrist world government, how will they understand the separation between what Christ expects of them versus what America expects of them? How will they discern Christ from Antichrist?
Be honest: The majority of Americans have forsaken the God of the Bible to follow gods of this world. The policies of their government have long reflected greed and self-indulgence.
The prophet Daniel talks about the 4th kingdom that comes upon the earth that is different from every other kingdom in history: It tramples and devours the entire earth (Dan 7:23). That iron kingdom (Dan 2:40) undoubtedly began as the ancient Roman Empire, but the original empire in Europe was only the beginning. America is the Revived Roman Empire, the Final World Empire, of both iron and clay (Dan 2:41).
America is the most powerful military empire in all of history, with over 800 foreign military bases around the planet! No other world superpower has ever come close to such total domination over the earth.
Traits that Describe the Antichrist
Does Donald Trump fit the description of the Antichrist? Depending on what Bible version you read from, the Antichrist is described as having a fierce countenance, a stern face. And he is described as understanding dark sentences - a master of intrigue (Dan 8:23). Some of those closest to Trump have let it be known that he studied the speeches of Adolf Hitler, a master of manipulation who knew how to use words to win over the people: Never defend, always attack. Deny, deny, lie and lie. Repeat slogans, repeat, repeat until the people believe you. Divide the people and blame "those people" for everything.
"Truth was thrown to the ground" (Dan 8:12). What matters in Trump's world of propaganda is not the truth, but perception. In Trump's world, it's not about believing in the truth, it's about believing in Donald Trump.
"He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does." (Dan 8:24) The book of Revelation says the world's people will ask the question: "Who can make war with the beast?" Who can make war with a military that overwhelms all nations?
We believe Donald Trump will return to the US presidency in 2025 after winning the election of 2024. As the commander-in-chief of the mightiest military in all of world history, we believe Antichrist Donald Trump will use the US military empire to "go out conquering and to conquer." (Rev 6:2)
