Time With God
A devotional trip through the Bible with a caring community to support, love and care for each other... while spending Time With God. If you would like our daily email version of this podcast send me a note to info@pinegrovecommunitychurch.com
4-30 Heaven is a wonderful place
Download this episode (22 min)
It’s almost over! One more week of Awana! Boo-hoo! I pick up 4 or 5 overly energetic middle school boys. It makes for an interesting ride. Dylan looks forward to it. He often calls me to make sure I’m going to be there. It wasn’t always like that. He had a rough go of it at first, but things have changed. Johnny has a sweet innocence to him. He is easy to like and easy to take advantage of. Bubba likes to be an authority of sorts. He’s a ways up there in the pecking order. Not too egotistical, and not quite a know it all… yet. Caleb... I think that he thinks he’s too grown up, or too worldly wise for church. He comes less and less. I asked him what kept him away from Awana and he said he didn’t know. I asked him what he liked about it, and he said the games. He perked up and jumped in the car. I can’t quite get a read on Anthony. He loves it when he comes, but he is coming less as well. Get 4 or 5 kids in my car and you have mass bedlam. It is enough to drive anyone crazy. They were going wild after the Awana Store yesterday. I had to pull over to calm them down! What human being would ever consider being a bus driver?
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 13; Hosea 1; Romans 8
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
Did you hear the joke about the Sunday School teacher who asked his students if they wanted to go to heaven? All but one boy raised his hand. “Johnny? Don’t you want to go to heaven someday?” “Well, yah! But I thought you was fetching to get a trip up today!” We all want to go there… someday, but I don’t see too many of you jumping off buildings to get there! That’s probably a bad idea. Heaven must wait. A premature trip to heaven isn’t in our best interest. Instead it’s a “promise” we look forward to. It’s not just any promise, God gave His word that there will be a new heavens and a new earth created for us! In fact that’s what heaven is… “a new heaven and a new earth.” In other words heaven is a perfect, remade universe. Some people think of heaven as clouds and angels… the cloud part is a bit off. We are back on earth. It’s just not exactly the same old earth we live on, it’s better. In heaven “righteousness dwells.” What is so very cool about this is that one of the main characteristics of our universe is the deterioration of all things and the pervasive tendency toward sin. But the main characteristic of the new universe is the flawlessness of all things and the absolute invasiveness and predisposition to goodness. Everything stays good and righteous! That means people don’t fall into sin, addictions or crime. They don’t exist anymore! They are wiped out of our genetic makeup! Instead there is a predisposition to joy, hope and prosperity. That’s a world I’m looking forward to. So no matter what happens down here, nothing can steal my future hope. I can be at peace knowing the reality of heaven. Future heaven makes present earth bearable. I just need to remind myself of that and begin acting like I really am a citizen of God’s future kingdom NOW! My goal? Fight the tendency toward sin and seek to live blamelessly before God who knows my heart.
Dear Lord. I look forward to the day when I will be with you in heaven. Help me to live like a citizen of Your kingdom now. Thank you for loving me and help me to love you like you love me.
The LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:39 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Wednesday, Apr 29, 20094-29 Growing Old and Godliness
Download this episode (20 min)
The bad thing about aging is growing old. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not old yet, but I am getting older. And as I get older I’m beginning to feel some of the aches and pains of aging. I’ve begun to wear wrist braces on both arms at night when I sleep to deal with Carpal Tunnel. I’ve got pains in my left elbow and back. Now, I’m not complaining! These pains just remind me of the inevitable. I’m going to get older, perhaps infirm and have to deal with all that elderly jazz. A friend… Dave, just got back from a family conference with his elderly parents. They had to deal with aging problems such as no more driving, selling the house, assisted care, memory loss and declining health. Dave is WAY older than I am! But I’m not too far behind! Then there is my ole mom (she reads this stuff!). I really don’t relish the day when we have to think about all those things. Nahh! She’s going to be healthy as a horse till the day she dies! I hope! Hi mom.
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 12; Proverbs 31; Romans 7
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
How should we then live? The End is coming. If you don’t make it to The End, you will certainly come to the end of your own life… and shortly. Life happens so quickly. “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear.” Yesterday I was a teenager, or so it seems, and tomorrow I’ll be an old man. The Psalmist described the passing of the years “like yesterday… and like a watch in the night… like grass… In the morning it flourishes and grows up; in the evening it is cut down and withers… it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Psalm 90. Since all these things we know as “our life” will soon be dissolved, what kind of a person should I be? I suppose we could choose the epicurean philosophy, “Eat, drink, party, for tomorrow we die,” But that is self defeating if there is a Judgment Day coming. There are three responses we should take instead. #1 Develop a life of holy conduct. #2 Live a life of godliness. #3 Live a life of expectation and hope for His coming. Holy conduct has to do with the way we live in our relationship to others and godliness has to do with our attitude and response to God. As far as other people go, we should live in such a way that they can see Jesus in us. Our behavior ought to be clearly and noticeably Christ like. Jesus laid out Kingdom living in His Sermon on the Mount. Those behaviors should become ours. But we can’t really live that way until we are passionately and wholly in love with Jesus. Godliness comes before holiness. To be godly means that you know God intimately. You have to spend the time with God in private before it changes your life in public. And if you love Him, you will want the time to hasten by so you can see Him face to face. Even so, Lord Jesus come!
Even so, Lord Jesus, come. Help me to live a holy life… even more, I want to know You intimately. I want to be with You and have your presence fill my life. May it be said of me that “he was a man who knew his God!” There is nothing better than Time with God!
The LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:03 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Tuesday, Apr 28, 20094-28 The Heat Death of the Universe
Download this episode (18 min)
The crust of the earth is made up of dirt and rocks, basically. Look around… dirt and rocks everywhere. So if there’s so much of it, how come you have to pay so much to get it? Have you ever priced rocks! They sell them by the pound! If that isn’t a rip off! But, not all rocks are created equal. There are good rocks and not so good rocks. Some rocks break apart and deteriorate. Now why am I giving you the low down on dirt? Because Susan and I are building a rock wall… not a tall one, but it is going to snake all the way around our back yard. We went out looking for rocks! We’re really looking for something closer to FREE! You cannot believe the prices! So we decided to beat the system. We are just going to find rocks that we can pick up and bring home… but unless you get river rock… or drive way up into the mountains, you may be stuck with not so good rock. Hey but it does look nice! Come on over some time and I’ll show you our rock wall.
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 11; Proverbs 30; Romans 6
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
Fast Forward to the very end… Past the Tribulation, past the Second Coming, past the Millennium, past the Final Judgment… to the end of the universe as we know it. The ultimate end of the universe is a Big Bang! It may not have begun with a Big Bang, but it will end with one. And it is not only the end of planet earth, it is the end of the physical universe! You know all those TV shows about colonists flying to other planets because this one is used up, toxic or destroyed? There won’t be any other planets to fly to! When the final curtain comes down the entire universe is going the way of the horse & buggy and typewriter. It will be obsolete. It will be completely wiped out and a new universe will be created. Why? Because this universe is subject to the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics… the principle of sin and deterioration. It doesn’t need a face lift, it needs a brand new clean slate! God is going to wipe it out and begin anew. Want to know what it will be like? The universe will die an explosive heat death. There will be a deafening roar as it evaporates into nothingness. It will die a death of such extreme heat that everything that is not burned up will melt and then be dissolved and vanish. There won’t be anything left! That nice house you call a home? Gone. Your bank account? Frozen! (or should I say burnt to a crisp.) Your brand new Lamborghini Merc Roadster? Melted. Your job? Downsized. Washington DC? Nonexistent. Your favorite camping spot? Vanished. There will be absolutely nothing of this world left. In that day, none of the things you value will matter because they won’t exist! The only thing left will be you, your loved ones and God! So what really matters in the long run? What are we working so hard to maintain? Where should we put our time and energy! I think I need a priority adjustment, how about you?
Dear Eternal God. Help me to consider what is really important in life and pursue that. Help me to place Your Kingdom at the top of the list. I know what is important, help me to have the faith to live it! Forgive me for living for this world when I should be living for the next.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:11 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Monday, Apr 27, 20094-27 Why God is Still Waiting…
Download this episode (19 min)
Love those car races… actually I am not a race fan. Never have understood the point of watching cars with loud engines burning rubber on asphalt. But apparently there are a lot of people who love it! And they loved our Pine Wood Derby on Saturday as well. We had 35 cars ready to race, and the competition was fierce. It was serious! Winning meant you got to take home a trophy and bragging rights. One boy, Dylan won it all! He not only won our T&T class race, but in the “race off” he beat the Sparkies winner and our Open Class winner by a car length! What a car. When I dropped him off, his grandpa was so proud. After all he was the engineer behind the car! But beyond the hype, we also got to present the gospel to some who had never heard it before. Pray that it bears fruit.
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 10; Proverbs 29; Romans 5
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
God is never early, never late… He’s always on time. You can set your clock by His timing! So why has it taken so long for God to come through on His promised return? To us a few thousand years is like an eternity. Beam me up Jesus. A lot has happened over the past few hundred centuries! We have put a man on the moon, we’ve invented the car and the light bulb. We’ve survived tyrants like Stalin and Hitler. Lincoln freed the slave. Washington led the fight for independence. Columbus discovered the new world. Luther ignited the reformation. Rome fell. Christians were thrown to the lions… billions of people were born and billions died… and billions have looked to the sky and cried, “how long, Lord Jesus? How long?” But to God, it’s as though all this happened just yesterday. He’s got the time. And it’s to our advantage that He’s so patient! Think of the myriads of rebels who have surrendered to Christ as Savior. The persecutor Paul, the Nixon hatchet man Chuck Colson, skeptic Frank Morrison, slave trader John Newton, And millions more! God’s timing is right. He is patiently waiting for the unrepentant to repent. God’s love and patience stretches for a long, long time! Thank God for that! Were that not true, we would have been little black singed charcoal cinders long ago. When the skeptic asks you why Christ hasn’t returned by now, just look him straight in the eye and tell him, “Because He loves you too much to lose you! He doesn’t want to see you in hell! He is giving you time to turn!” Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see!
Dear eternal God! Help me to have patience when you want me to wait, to be trusting when I’m in a pinch and to believe in all circumstances that you are all knowing, all wise and on top of the situation. You’ve got it under control! It’s nothing for you to do the impossible at any moment! Convince me of that truth!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:48 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Friday, Apr 24, 20094-24 Of Time and Scrooge McDuck
Download this episode (23 min)
Miracles happen! With God all things are possible. Susan and I sat across from a few of our friends as they told us the amazing story of how God provided a new home for them! They can’t get a loan the conventional way because of a business bust due to health issues some years ago. But they have been trusting God anyway! They asked, “Lord if you can use this house as a blessing for your kingdom, then provide it!” That’s a powerful prayer! What an incredible story. Would you believe it if someone offered you a house with… no money down! They will hold the note for 30 years! The interest rate is 6%! The house is on the river! They’ll throw in a riding lawn mower with it! That is the deal maker! You can’t pass up the lawn mower! And did I mention that they will drop the price by $25,000! Then to top it off, these people who have never met each other before did it all on a handshake and hoped that they would be the best of friends for the next thirty years! Now there are some more details that are just as amazing that I won’t mention here! God is at work! Perhaps this doesn’t fit the strict definition of a miracle… but it is one to me! Just remember, miracles happen, especially when you are seeking God’s kingdom first!
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 9; Proverbs 28; Romans 4
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
I’m sort of a Scrooge McDuck fan. I like him because he illustrates a few scriptural principles well, like this one… “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” This poor scripture has been abused and misused more than most. We tend to see what we want to see, and if you believe that the earth has been around for a few billion years, this may well be your favorite verse! “See! One day is a thousand years! That means the six days of creation could have been six thousand years long!” OK. Let’s just say I give that point to you for the sake of argument. How does an extra 6,000 years get you anywhere near the billion or six that you desperately want for your evolutionary scheme? Ka Ching! No Sale. But let’s get back to the book… nowhere does it say that a day IS a thousand years, it says a day is AS a thousand years TO THE LORD! (not to us). That means that a day seems like a thousand years, and a thousand years seems like just a day to the Lord. Time is irrelevant to God, he has all the time in the world to invest in one second. That’s why he can hear your prayers (along with the other 6 billion), dilly dally for a while, take a long vacation, sip lemonade, take a nap and come back and you still are on the same sentence! Enter Scrooge McDuck to illustrate. To Scrooge, a penny is as a million dollars, and a million dollars is as a penny. In other words Scrooge is such a miser that if you steal even one penny he wakes up in the middle of the night with cold sweats! He would no more part with a penny than he would with a million! But he has so many millions of dollars that just one million is like spare change to him. So what’s the point of this passage? Time and spare change are unchanged! A day is still a day, and a dollar is still a dollar (until inflation hits). But God is not constrained by time! He is never early, never late, never caught by surprise. Even at one second till midnight he’s got all the time in the world to bring his plan to completion, all without sweating it! His plan will always come to pass. So why should we sweat it?
Dear eternal God! Help me to have patience when you want me to wait, to be trusting when I’m in a pinch and to believe in all circumstances that you are all knowing, all wise and on top of the situation. You’ve got it under control! It’s nothing for you to do the impossible at any moment! Convince me of that truth!
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:41 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Thursday, Apr 23, 20094-23 Judgment Day
Download this episode (19 min)
Miss California just lost the Miss America pageant because in one of her answers to the judges she said she believed that marriage should be between a man and a woman… excluding gay marriage. Congratulations on your loss! The win would have been hollow. We’ve come a long way baby... and not in a good way. Yesterday I sat across from a couple and talked to them about the dangers of living together and premarital intimacy. I had the same conversation a few weeks ago. Cohabitation is so prevalent today that it’s almost a shock when someone says something against it! But here are the facts. Sexual intimacy before marriage inevitably results in an emotional, spiritual and physical change in a relationship. First there is the guilt at doing what you know to be wrong… even if it is buried guilt. Guilt results in unintended frustration, anger or apathy. Instead of drawing a couple closer together it constructs an emotional wall between them. It also damages needed self control. Learn to control the strongest of impulses that you have and you will be able to control any of the lesser emotions such as anger, frustration, irritation etc. It’s a good thing.
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 8; Proverbs 27; Romans 3
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Judgment Day: an old fashioned term used by wild eyed preachers! Hell, fire, brimstone and perdition… were they just used to scare the serfs into religious submission, or is there such a thing as the “Lake of Fire” where the ungodly go? In our age of tolerance and diversity the ridiculous idea that the ten suggestions are really commandments and that God is really going to judge the ungodly is way out of vogue! But God is not just kidding. He has the right, since he is almighty, to demand whatever he wants. He is the creator, after all, and one day He is going to hold court. It may seem far, far away and irrelevant at present, but it will be as serious as a heart attack on judgment day! Hell is a term we use to describe coming judgment. It is an eternal experience of inescapable pain, punishment, searing heat and complete darkness. It is identified as the place called “The Lake of Fire!” Not a happy thought. Judgment Day begins at a place called “The Great White Throne.” God is judging and it is there that the books are opened detailing every person’s life. A search is made to determine whether or not a person’s name is written in “The Book of Life.” Anyone not in the Book of Life does not get to pass Go and does not get to collect $200. Instead they go straight to jail (cf Revelation 20:11-15). So how does one get his name in the Book of Life? Through simple faith… trust Christ as The Only Way to save you from that horrible fate and you get a “get out of jail free” card. After all, He (The Almighty God) left heaven for you, took the form of a man and died to pay your penalty on the cross. Every one of us has a choice: Pay the penalty ourselves in the Lake of Fire or accept His payment on the cross for it. It is an exchange God is willingly making, an offer that stands until the day you die. And it is one I suggest that you take! Just trust Him and the deal is yours.
Dear Mighty God. I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I do want to miss out on Hell and I do want your free offer of Heaven. I trust that Your death on the cross was the complete payment for my sin and I trust You as my Lord and Savior.
And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:57 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Wednesday, Apr 22, 20094-22 Destruction of Planet Earth
Download this episode (20 min)
People are interesting… complex… at times dishonest. I got a call from a woman a few weeks ago. She told me some stories that sounded too amazing to be true about her husband (they live out of town). I was somewhat incredulous so I was interested to hear his side of the story. I spoke to him and got an entirely different picture. Unfortunately I was in no position to get the two of them together and I was in no position to find out the truth… but God knows. Someone wasn’t telling the whole truth, and perhaps the truth lay somewhere in between. I got a long email yesterday from one of them outlining their side of the story. I still have no way to verify the veracity of any of it… ever been in the middle of a situation like that? What would you do? I did two things: #1 I told both of them to find a godly counselor who could sort it out… I can’t do it long distance. #2 I told both of them that if what they said was true then certain biblical principles apply. They had two problems that many couples today have “trust” and “lust.” Without trust you don’t have much of a marriage. And with uncontrolled lust you’ll soon lack trust!
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 7; Proverbs 26; Romans 2
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Preserved and reserved. Those are your two words of the day. “the heavens and the earth which are now PRESERVED by the same word, are RESERVED for fire until the day of judgment.” Preserve means “1) to keep or maintain in unaltered condition; 2) to conserve: keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction; 3) to save: to keep up and reserve for personal or special use.” The biblical word reflects use #3. To keep in good condition for special use. The world is now being “preserved” by God. In this context it means that God will never again wipe the world out with a flood, but the idea is much deeper than that. It is the idea that the world will never be wiped out by anything until it’s time is up. Global warming won’t do it. Neither will a nuclear explosion, nor will a plague, war, alien invasion or any other thing real or imaginary until God’s time is right. So we Christians don’t need to be afraid of man’s evil inventions. That is not to say that man and nature will not destroy major parts of our world and cause massive destruction! That’s a given. But a whole scale destruction of planet earth will not happen until THE END because of God’s supernatural preservation. Reserved means “1) set aside for the use of a particular person or party; 2) marked by self-restraint and reticence.” Just because we can’t completely destroy the earth doesn’t mean that it won’t happen. God is holding that right for the Day of Judgment. God is restraining well deserved judgment on planet earth until the right time. Judgment day is coming! The earth’s destruction by fire is contingent upon the judgment and punishment of the ungodly! Since judgment day is coming how then should we live? That’s exactly what we are on earth to figure out.
Dear Gracious Father. Thank you for holding back your judgment so that men might come to a knowledge of the truth. Help us who know better to be aware of the reality of Judgment Day and warn an oblivious world of the consequences of disregarding their precious Savior Jesus Christ! Help us to live lives in keeping with the truth of a coming day of reckoning.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:01 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Tuesday, Apr 21, 20094-21 Ever Seen a Whale Fly?
Download this episode (21 min)
Six Degrees of Separation… the idea that we are only six steps away from any person on earth… if you know one person (one step) and he knows another person you don’t know (two steps)… you get the picture. It is a nice thought but probably an urban myth. However I experienced it yesterday. My new renter Lacy was watching the work I was doing on her new room and timidly commented… I think I know someone you know… Joyce R. And to make the world a little smaller, Lacy is dating her son! What are the chances of all this? I guess they must be pretty good in God’s plan. He doesn’t want any separation from us! That’s why each of us need to let our lights shine in every degree of our relationships… because if we do, we’ll have six people witnessing to the same person without knowing it!
And here is another example… Susie wrote me yesterday “Dad has ALWAYS been my hero. Thank you for recognizing him (and others) for that. I know there will be many in heaven through the love and the ministry of Pine Grove. My family has certainly been blessed by being there! I think of the people who had an influence on my life as a child. Some have gone on to their reward in heaven, but what a blessing they have been! All have left a legacy for us. Many who have worshipped and served at Pine Grove will be hearing "well done, good and faithful servant!"
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 6; Proverbs 25; Romans 1
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Can you imagine a world of nothing but water? Waterworld! The thought was so intriguing that they made a movie about it. After the doomsday event of flooding caused by global warming melting the ice caps the ramshackle remnants of the human race now live in flotillas. It wasn’t a real blockbuster of a movie… but the real flood, now that was a blockbuster! If there was a real Noah who built a real ark that sailed to safety on a real worldwide flood, that would be powerful evidence for God’s Word and for the second coming! Did you know that they have found the fossil of an entire whale in Michigan! And in Quibec, 600 feet above sea level, they have found buried, fossilized whale bones! Did whales fly in prehistoric times? In Mountains all over the world one can find sea shells and other marine fossils. These include the Sierras, the Swiss Alps, the Himalayas and many more. How’d they get there? They swam! So how did the water get above Mount Everest? There is no way that there is enough moisture in the glaciers to bring the water level up above the highest mountains of some 29,000 feet above sea level! Global warming just won’t do it! The answer is that the pre-flood world was flatter. And that the flood was anything but a placid flood. The great fountains of the deep broke up. Great volcanoes exploded forming the mountains and walah, a new world was created. Once the flood was over we now had mountain ranges with whales on them! The whales didn’t have to swim 600 feet above sea level, the upper thrust of a newly formed mountain range carried them up! If there was a flood of biblical proportions, we can expect a second coming of biblical proportions! And by the way the real global warming we should be worried about will be just a little hotter than the one scientist are predicting. The heavens and earth will melt with fierce heat ushering in Christ’s kingdom… and oh, yes, the lake of fire will be the ultimate global warming! No air conditioning there! So reserve your seat in a place that is much cooler!
Dear God Almighty! You can do anything. When I look at the world and how you created it, and how you left footprints in the sand demonstrating your mighty works I stand amazed. I can do nothing else but fall down and worship you! Thanks for the warning of the flood. May it wake me up to live right before you.
My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:46 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Monday, Apr 20, 20094-20 3 Evidences for the Second Coming
Download this episode (18 min)
Do you have any heroes? Last night I sat with 24 of them! Do you know what it is like sitting with the “stars?” It’s humbling and moving. So who were they? NFL football players? Soldiers? Actors? No. These were just ordinary people who are doing extra-ordinary things. They are straightforward people like Carl, a telephone man all his life, who has chosen to dedicate his life to Christ. His steadfast commitment to Christ has changed the world for un-numbered people. Unruly kids who he has taught weekly in Sunday School, who are now walking with the Lord. Adults he has influenced because he never gives up on them. It’s just his way. And he’s only one of the stories. There were 24 of them there last night! Each one committing themselves to the Lord and to some area of service! It is truly phenomenal to be a part of a church where that happens. We praise God for our heroes!
Today’s Scripture reading is 1 1 Samuel 5; Proverbs 24; Luke 24:36-52
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
What are the top three evidences for Christianity? How do we know it is true, and how do we know that what the Bible says about the future will come true? Here they are… #1 the resurrection. That’s THE premiere evidence. If Christ is not risen our faith is in vain… but now Christ is risen from the dead. #2 Creation. If God created the universe then we are accountable to Him… the heavens declare the glory of God! #3 The flood! If there was a worldwide flood, it provides powerful evidence for Christ’s return. The flood last time, the fire next time. Peter uses #2 and #3 as his case for Christ’s return. There is a huge body of evidence that exists demonstrating the reality of Creation that they don’t teach you in the secular classroom. Why would they? To do so would be to admit that there is a God and that they are accountable to Him… so it’s best to dismiss those “crazy creationists.” There are hundreds of good books written about the subject. If you need a few titles, just ask, but let me outline a few reasons why it makes good sense to believe in Creationism and the God of creation. It is a universally accepted truth… anything that exists had a designer and creator. Your house, your birthday cake, a beautiful picture… everything created had a creator. In fact the most nonsensical statement in the world just might be that the “nonexistent universe” created itself! How could something that did not exist develop the brains and the mechanism to make itself? This is what I like to call evolution’s imaginary friend! A second reason I believe in creationism is because everything is running down and breaking down… another universal truth. I’m getting older, my house is aging, my truck keeps breaking down, the sun is getting older… everything in the universe is aging. Everything isn’t getting better, it’s breaking down! That means that at one time it was younger and at its youngest point it was brought into existence. I was born, my truck was built in Detroit, some contractor cut some trees down and my house got built… the sun flashed into existence along with the rest of the universe. But things do not get newer and younger and better. That’s what evolution requires. It requires that everything started on a small scale and grew up into more complex things. That would be like saying my lawn, left to itself will become nicely manicured and weed free! Not a chance. It takes hard work to maintain it and just a few short seasons to destroy it! Not a fertile ground for evolution. Hey, but I’m out of time… more on this tomorrow.
Dear Almighty Creator. I do believe that you created the universe. I stand in awe of the trees of the forest. I am filled with wonder by your rivers and streams. You have made this world a place of unbelievable beauty and diversity! The heavens truly declare your glory and so do I!
It is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:27 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Friday, Apr 17, 20094-17 Signs of His Coming
Download this episode (22 min)
Did you get out in that sunshine yesterday? That was perfect! What a great day. I went out to the Amphitheater and discovered that Mike had finished the bricks on the eastern stairway! Now that was great! Thanks Mike! I brought a bit of dirt in to fill in some holes. The lawn does need raking and mowing badly! I was going to do one or the other but Evie and Isaiah came out and we talked for a while. Evie is making a great little garden with raised beds… and she wants to take the pond I build for Susan when we lived there… and turn it into a fire pit! I guess a small pond would make a nice fire pit. After work Kyle, Marcia and I went outside in the sun and did a brisk 2 mile walk. More sun.
Today is April 17, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a complete turn of events; it is a 180 degree turn around. God is changing us and turning us around as a community. This is not business as usual, this is life transforming, this is spiritual, this is essential.
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 4; Proverbs 23; Luke 24:1-35
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Where is the promise of His coming? It has been 2000 years since Jesus left, 2000 years of more of the same stuff that went on the previous 2000 years. Nations rise and fall. Famines, earthquakes and natural disasters come and go… tyrants, deliverers and would be messiahs live and die, and yet life goes on. Scoffers say, “Come on! Don’t you get it? God is not real! His promises are not going to come true. Where are the signs of his coming? Why is he waiting so long? If he was going to come, he would have come already! There isn’t the slightest evidence for it. You Christians are completely deluded.” How do you answer that? The fact is, if someone doesn’t want to listen to the evidence, there is nary a thing that you can do to convince him. On the one hand, we like to say that the coming of the Lord for his Saints is “sign less.” In other words there really isn’t any prophetic sign that must be fulfilled before Christ returns for His saints. He could come any day, any minute or any second! Be ready. On the other hand there have been a host of signs that have preceded His coming for His saints. Let me refresh your memory: Israel is back in the land as prophesied by Ezekiel. That is THE one crucial and amazing sign because they have to be in the land for God to deal with them during the Tribulation. No other nation has ever returned to their land… they’ve done it three times! Another sign: The gospel will be preached to the whole world; Matthew 24:14. We’re not there yet, but we are so very close! With TV, radio and internet as well as a missionary force we are closing in on it! There are many more, such as the rise of the European Union, the end times “kings” of the North (Russia) and the East (China) with a million man army – as prophesied. And how about the development of WMD’s, worldwide communications, the exponential increase in natural disasters and wars all as prophesied. Add them up and you have a huge body of evidence! Not to mention one other point… The world was destroyed once by the flood… if true it is a major biblical proof that the end is coming. The flood last time, the fire next time! Be ready.
Dear Lord Jesus, come quickly! Perhaps today, maybe tonight! We look for you. Dear Lord, help me to be ready and waiting. Help me to be doing the things you would be pleased with when you return. Help me to find my purpose in life in serving you as I anxiously await your promised coming for the saints!
I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:59 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Thursday, Apr 16, 20094-16 Of Scoffers and Mockers
Download this episode (15 min)
I had forgotten what it’s like to work without so much pressure! Trying to get all the stuff ready for Easter, coupled with the other stuff I’m doing made for such packed days. Now here I am on Thursday still feeling more relaxed and loving it! And hey… got news yesterday that our repaired truck is still OK. They just didn’t put one part back on it because they didn’t think the truck needed it. But apparently it did. Last night at Awana my granddaughter came up and demanded a Great BIG kiss! How could I say no? Grand kids are great!
Today is April 16, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. We are doing something of eternal significance. We are redeeming the time. That is one of the basic premises of TWG. We believe that what we do every day is so important that we must do the important things each day. That is why we read the word every Day
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 3; Luke 23:26-56
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
"Christians are losers." At least according to skeptic Ted Turner. And "Christianity is such a silly religion." At least according to Gore Vidal, a skeptic from a generation ago. And there have been many others. Voltaire, Robert Ingersoll and Thomas Paine to mention a few. According to the Apostle Peter we are going to see more and more scoffers in the last days. And here we are, and here they are. Two characteristics of scoffers I see here are #1 they scoff, and #2 they walk according to their own lusts. There are only two uses of this term “scoffer” in the New Testament, one here and one in Jude 1:18. Both references are about end time skeptics. They scoff at our faith and they mock it. The idea is that they treat Christianity contemptuously, derisively… they jeer at it, leer at it, dismiss it and laugh it down. It’s meaning comes from the idea of children heartlessly mocking other children. They are like the SNL of religion. The second characteristic is that they walk according to their own lusts. They do their own thing. They wanna come out of the closet. They want to push the envelope. Bad girls just want to have fun. In fact, I’d suggest that this is one of the reasons why they scoff. They love their sin! They hate the shackles of morality! Cast them off. And since God is the biggest proponent of the “holy, holy, holy” movement he’s got to go. A generation ago, the Christian ethic still had a strong hold on America… but today we are reeling from one assault after the other. I caught a quote from Dr James Dobson the other day in which he said, “Humanly speaking, we can say that we have lost all of those battles." That’s why the atheist’s best friend and best recruiting tool is loose living. Sin city is the hotbed of scoffers. So we shouldn’t be surprised at this turn of events… God is not! In fact it’s just another indicator that God’s plan is infallible. Jesus is coming soon.
Dear Lord. Many in the world seem deathly opposed to your Word and your ways. It can cause discouragement and there will be battles that we must fight. But Lord help me to see it as just another stage in the ever plodding plan of God. You are bringing things to their conclusion and I can’t wait to see You!
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:09 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Wednesday, Apr 15, 20094-15 The Correct Prophetic Posture
Download this episode (20 min)
Well, it doesn’t look like snow… but it does look like frost this morning. Yesterday was my Monday after Easter and it was tough to get going until I realized that I had a bunch of stuff to do! Then I powered up and worked on Discovery Class 2 for a little while and then did Power Point for worship. Lunch was good. I had a turkey, pickle and mayo sandwich. I did do some emailing during the day… and before you know it, Susan picked me up and it was time for Awana Car Making and Men’s Meeting. An interesting night. Now that we have our truck back it has more problems! Susan thinks it’s the transmission… uh oh. Pray hard.
Today is April 15, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. You are part of a devotional community where we put Christ first and our commitment is to spend time with each other and Time with God every day.
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 2; Proverbs 21; Luke 23:1-25
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
What is the proper posture of prophecy? Did you know that there was one? Posture is important. Right now I’m a bit slumped over as I sit on my couch typing away… bad posture. I just sat up… that’s better. Posture tells us a lot about a person. I can tell, for instance, if my wife is upset, just by her posture! When I’m down, I tend to walk around with my head down, but when something great has just happened, my head is up and I skip down the lane! Let me tell you the improper posture of prophecy; “siesta!” That’s right; it is lying down with hat over the head sleeping. That’s wrong. The correct posture of prophecy is standing like a watchman who is scanning the horizon with binoculars for danger. Your prophetic posture is an indicator. If you don’t believe these things are going to happen and happen soon, you’ll lay your prophetic mindset down for a long snooze. Another word for it is “prophetic apathy.” If you don’t stay alert you will certainly be caught by surprise when they happen. And they will happen! We are not of the night, nor of the darkness that we should allow misty apathy to swoon us to sleep. We are supposed to let our light shine and we are supposed to take the correct prophetic posture. There are two keys to good prophetic posture: #1 Watch. The idea is that we are vigilantly looking for the coming of the Lord. We scan the horizon like a watchman looking for fire. Most of the time, he’s not going to see anything, but that is no reason for dereliction of duty! He’s a watchman! If a fire happens on his watch and he doesn’t catch it, it could be a disaster! Prophetic awareness is a powerful means of keeping us on the right track! Believe in prophecy and you will live right! You will want to be ready for the Lord’s return. 2nd Key to good prophetic posture: Be sober. Sobriety is a metaphor. We’re not just talking about being drunk, we are talking about a careless worldly attitude that says, “eat, drink, party for tomorrow we die!” Instead we should be wise, useful and watchful. So wake up and stand up straight like a watchman scanning the horizon. Jesus is coming again!
Dear Lord. I pray that we would truly be prepared for Your coming. Help me to be watchful and vigilant. I want to have your coming on my mind so that I anticipate it daily. Daily may I look to the skies and say, “maybe today? Perhaps tonight!” Help me to keep a prophetic posture about all the events of the world so that I see your hand everywhere!
"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:46 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Tuesday, Apr 14, 20094-14 Don't be caught unprepared!
Download this episode (20 min)
It’s snowing in Roseburg! Can you believe that? But I want to say a few things about yesterday’s email just in case you got the wrong impression. Yesterday’s email was not meant to imply that the “us” and “them” of America’s politics is equivalent with the us and them of prophecy. There are Christians with an interesting variety of ideologies. It was meant to be illustrative rather than divisive. The “us” of prophecy is all genuine believers regardless of their political leanings. And I do want to say something about my politics. Over the years I have become less and less of a “party” guy and more and more of a cultural commentator. As time marches on I have a reduced identification with any party. The party is a broad secular mindset which often strays from solid ground. I don’t care which party you like, what I care about is the values and truths of God’s Word. And it is precisely God’s Truth that every one of us should line our lives up with. After all, God’s Truth is the only truth that will last into eternity! “Your Word O Lord is settled for ever in heaven.” Psalm 119:89
Today is April 14, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. This is your invitation to take one step forward every day in your relationship with Christ. We invite you to do something unbelievably radical. We invite you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 1; Proverbs 22; Luke 22:39-71
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
The prophetic future is full of deadly and dangerous pitfalls for the unsuspecting. That is the idea of the words “sudden destruction.” The Day of the Lord will prophetically bring sudden destruction on the earth. The Greek word for sudden means unexpected, unforeseen and therefore sudden! For most of us, the mortgage meltdown was just that; sudden, unforeseen and unexpected. If we had only had a broader “bird’s eye view” we might have seen it coming. The warning signs were all there! We might have known that many thousands of homeowners were all going to have substantial increases in their house payments at the same time due to the ARM loans they took out, and scores of them would not be able to make up the difference. Sudden destruction cometh! I don’t know when the Day of the Lord will begin, no one does! Trying to predict it is a fool’s game. Don’t jump the gun and assume we are there yet! But don’t discount its reality! It will happen! There is a doomsday for earth that is a-comin’. I don’t relish this. I honestly wish that it wasn’t so. I don’t want anyone to suffer! I don’t wish bad times on anyone. I wish that “good times” would roll on forever! Doomsday and Final Judgment don’t fit well for my personal psyche. But don’t shoot the messenger! In the olde days when a messenger from the enemy camp brought bad news, sometimes an angry general or king would insult him or even kill him! That happened to King David when he sent messengers with a message of peace to the king of Ammon… but he shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle of their buttocks, and sent them away humiliated! That didn’t go over very well! Instead of peace, David brought the army! Sudden destruction is coming in the future… how can you be prepared? I suppose you could store up food in your pantry or buy up gold or silver for use when paper money is worthless, or build an underground bunker or lock and load a chest full of guns and ammo. Those things might help and they might not. Thieves could break in and steal! The only substantial way I know of is to trust Christ and to share Christ with others so they can trust Him. Be prepared! Pass it on.
Dear Lord. I pray that we would truly be prepared for the future. I pray that we would put You first in our lives. I pray for repentance and a return to God. Lord heal our land. We have strayed far from you and have even used Your Word to justify our waywardness and sin. Lord grant that we might be passionate in sharing the greatest news ever… salvation, hope and peace in the death and resurrection of Christ!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength. This is the greatest commandment
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:49 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Monday, Apr 13, 20094-13 US and THEM
Download this episode (17 min)
He is Risen! What a great Easter we had. It began at 6:45 for early service. A small group of us gathered around the fire Mike & Jayn had built and we shared some intimate moments as it misted and sprinkled. But it was great. Breakfast was yummy. Then Evie said… hey we need something to keep the kids occupied for a half an hour of dead time… so we did a few puppet plays. It was great. After that came the egg hunt and balloon release. And then more of the good stuff. We had a very long service! It began at 9:30 – pre-service worship. And at 10:00 came our themed worship, “God, You Reign!” It was great as we watched a few videos of Doris and Claude and Carlene share their struggles and then realized that God Reigns! After church, the grand kids came over and we had a few hours of fun with them. Then I hit the snooze button and… finally… finally got some much needed extra rest! Nice touch at the end of a great day.
Today is April 13, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. Together we are strong. As we walk though the word together we help each other grow.
Today’s Scripture reading is Ruth 4; Luke 22:1-38
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
With the current Obama administration I get a lot of alarming emails from concerned citizens. On the one side, the sharp left turn our country has taken has so many Christians… can I say… “fearful” of what the future holds. On the other side, I know some facebook people who love the direction the country is taking. There are occasional political arguments on my facebook page that border on heated and hysterical with name calling and bashing on both sides. Sometimes it feels like the country has been divided into at least two factions “US” and “THEM.” The intensity and heat of the argument concerns me. We all have strong opinions, I’m just wondering when those heated exchanges will turn into fanaticism or violence? I hope it doesn’t happen. The reason I bring the “us” and “them” discussion up is because Paul prophetically anticipated it in 1 Thessalonians 5. Take a closer look at verses 1-9. Verse 1 and 2 are “us” verses. YOU have no need for me to write you. YOU know that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Verse 3 is a “them” verse. When THEY say peace and safety, sudden destruction will come on THEM and THEY will not escape. Verses 4-6 are “us” verses. But YOU are not in darkness that this day should overtake YOU like a thief. YOU are sons of the light. WE are not of the night. Let US watch and stay awake. And verse 9… God did not appoint US to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. I can’t help but notice the crystal clear distinction between us and them. The sudden destruction of the Day of the Lord will come upon… who? THEM! (verse 3) That’s clear. But the Wrath of the Day of the Lord will NOT come upon… who? US! (verse 9). That’s crystal clear! How’s that going to work? I thought that the Day of God’s Wrath was going to fall upon all those on the earth? Will believers be supernaturally protected? Some will, others will die a martyrs death. But the answer is that US is gone in the harpazo of 1 Thessalonians 4… the catching away of the saints. That is the great Christian hope! That is good news. It would be nice to have THEM become one of US.
Dear Lord. I pray for our divided country. People are so passionate on all sides. I pray that truth and righteousness would prevail. I pray for repentance and a return to God. Lord heal our land. We have strayed far from you and have even used Your Word to justify our waywardness and sin. Lord grant that we might be passionate in sharing the greatest news ever… salvation, hope and peace in the death and resurrection of Christ!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength. This is the greatest commandment
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 8:31 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Friday, Apr 10, 20094-10 Predicting the End of the World•
Download this episode (20 min)
Hmmm… It seems like I’m making progress slowly. I am now neck deep in my studies for Sunday! Help! Not enough time! But you know how it is… God always comes in for you in the pinch! It happens every time! I can’t wait to retell the Resurrection story! What a powerful and comforting truth! And I can’t wait to share how God Reigns! He rose, He ascended into heaven, He reigns! Last night I went to Melrose Church where a group of us prepared for Good Friday Services… TONIGHT! Pray for it! It’s going to be pressure today!
Today is April 10, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a complete turn of events; it is a 180 degree turn around. God is changing us and turning us around as a community. This is not business as usual, this is life transforming, this is spiritual, this is essential.
Today’s Scripture reading is Ruth 3; Proverbs 21; Luke 21
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
We are insatiably curious. We want to know! One of the things we would love to know is what’s going to happen next? If you knew when the events of the future were going to take place, you could make a killing! Think of all the TV shows made about this theme… Lots of shows about time travel… there was one about a guy who got a newspaper every morning… a day early, so he knew what would transpire that day. Think of the horse races you could win, or the stocks you could buy! But how about something more important like when you are going to die! Or even more important when the Day of the Lord begins! Sorry. We don’t get to know those things. Jesus told us in Acts 1:7 that it is not for us to know the times and the seasons. Paul adds a twist. He says we ought to know perfectly well about the times and seasons… they sneak up like a thief in the night! We don’t know when they will happen. But we do know WHAT will happen! A summary of future headlines might read like this: “World Leaders Meet to Discuss Peace and Safety,” “Riots Erupt around the World as Millions March for Peace and Safety!” There will be a hue and cry for world peace (already is!). We will march for it, sue for it, chant for it, join hands around the world and meditate for it, and even come to believe it is possible. There will even be a calm before the storm and then all hell will break loose! Sudden destruction will come upon the world. The Day of the Lord will begin like the painful labor of a mother in childbirth and then intensify with unbearable agonizing delivery as the Great Tribulation breaks upon the earth. There will be no place on earth to hide from it. It will be such a time of horror and trial that men will seek death and not find it. People will cry out in fear hoping to end their lives in desperation. Millions, even billions will die horrible deaths in war, pestilence, famine, earthquakes, riots and starvation. Is there any good news? Yes there is THE GOOD NEWS, the Gospel of salvation. This should motivate us to speak up like Noah before the flood or Jonah before the destruction of Nineveh, “yet 40 days and Nineveh will be destroyed!” There is time to turn! There is still time to tell. That’s why God has you here.
Dear Father. Help me to find peace with You! Let me find my safety and security in the shelter of your wings. I know that there is no hope anywhere else. I want to pass that message on… to proclaim it like Noah and Jonah of old. The Gospel is truly good news!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength. This is the greatest commandment
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 8:52 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Thursday, Apr 09, 20094-9 The Reality of God's Plan
Download this episode (19 min)
And it’s a race to see if I will get all my stuff done for the weekend! Let’s see I have a few 5 minute messages for Good Friday, A Sunrise Service message, An Easter message… at least I’m close to the end on my two videos. They are turning out great! That’s what I did yesterday. We also had an Awana meeting. After Awana, two of the parents were standing there and one of their kids was jumping up and down ecstatically! Best promotion we’ve had for Pine Grove Church in years! Then on the way home I stopped at three of the kids houses to invite the families to Easter. A family of 8 said they plan to be there! But they need a ride! That will take some doing… but what a great thing.
Today is April 9, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. We are doing something of eternal significance. We are redeeming the time. That is one of the basic premises of TWG. We believe that what we do every day is so important that we must do the important things each day. That is why we read the word every Day
Today's Scripture reading is Ruth 2; Proverbs 19; Luke 20:27-47
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:15 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
What a mess this world is in! Barna just found that only 15% of church attendees say that their faith is very important in their lives! Yikes… Ok… maybe they should spend only 15% of their time in heaven! Or only have 15% chance of getting to heaven! Would that shake you up? Hey it’s the Rapture, but only 15% of your body can go… the other 85% has to stay here. Ok, so I’m being a bit satirical, but come on people, quit being so wishy washy about the one thing in life that REALLY matters. If God is real, and if the future is really going to happen as he said it would, act like it! Listen up! Here is what God has planned for you. On the day of the harpazo, Jesus will give a wakeup call to the dead in Christ. At the sound of the trumpet, they will ascend. If you happen to be alive, you will fly, for the first time ever, on your own! In a moment, faster than a blink of the eye, your earthly body will be transformed. By the time you meet Jesus in the air your big fat paunch will be gone, you’ll have hair again (those of you who are bald), all your ugly wrinkles will be baby soft, I won’t need glasses or contacts any more, all of my flaws and deformities will be fixed! What’s more, and more better, is that my sinful self will no longer be inclined to sin any longer! My emotions will be healed! I won’t ever say another word that I will live to regret. I will never, ever do anything wrong again. I will even think right thoughts forever anon! Wahoo! And then the best news, better than all of the above is that I will be with Jesus forever and ever! He will be our God, and we shall be His people. God will dwell with us and wipe every tear from our eyes! He’s prepared a wonderful place for us! A place specially made that you will absolutely fall in love with… head over heels. There can be nothing better. So if you are not one of the 15%, throw down! Step up to the plate and be a real Christian. Put Jesus first in your life!
Dear Jesus, thank you for the wonderful plans you have for my life. Forgive me for not realizing the reality of spiritual truth. Help me to see that You are THE most important thing, above all else. I wish to be one of the 15% who say that you are the most important thing in my life.
All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpo
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:42 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Wednesday, Apr 08, 20094-8 The Harpazo
Download this episode (18 min)
Well yesterday was surprisingly productive… considering I had video to edit. I got a lot further than I thought I would and got the video distilled down into a nice little package! What a surprise. Still a long ways to go, but at least there is progress! Now I just hope I have more of the same today! I’m editing two videos of people who have had heartbreak in the last few years and have come out knowing that “our God reigns!” Both are quite touching. Hope you’re there for Easter to see them. Last night we worked with the Awana kids to help them make pine wood derby cars! It was great! A lot of good looking cars out there. I got to help my grandkids do their cars! Wow my cars, (oops) their cars look good!
Today is April 8, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. You are part of a devotional community where we put Christ first and our commitment is to spend time with each other and Time with God every day.
Today's Scripture reading is Ruth 1; Proverbs 18; Luke 20:1-26
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:15 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
There is no little bone of contention on the harpazo… the catching away of the saints. But it is one of the most comforting and amazing events in history future. The question centers not so much on what will happen, but when it will happen! It’s pretty clear what is going to happen: The Lord will descend with a shout, the dead in Christ rise, and we believers who are alive will be caught up with the Lord. Simple right? End of story. But the question that befuddles the average Christian is when, in the prophetic plan of God does this happen? There is all this theological mumbo jumbo. You can be Pre, Mid, Pre-Wrath, or Post Tribulational… combined with Pre, A, or Post Millennial. What is that all about? Shall we sort it out or not? And do you care? You might want to have more than a passing interest because it is your future we are talking about! Simply put the question always centers around a simple definition of what the Bible means when it uses the term “Israel” and what it means when it uses the term “church.” Ask yourself the question… “is there any difference between Israel and the church?” Simple question, simple answer… “YES” Israel is God’s earthly chosen people… an ethnic group which is Semitic, and the Church is God’s heavenly chosen people… a group of people which comes from every tribe and nation on earth. Next question… “Do Israel and the church play equivalent or different parts in history and prophecy?” Again… fairly simple… “DIFFERENT.” God dealt with Israel in the past, but after Christ came he is dealing primarily with the Church in the present… and what about the future? Read Revelation and you discover that after Chapter 3 God deals with Israel in the future! So what happens to the church? The harpazo! Hey just check out what happens next in 1 Thessalonians. Chapter 4 we have the harpazo… in Chapter 5 we have the Day of the Lord, beginning with the tribulation. And why do we get to beam out? 5:9 God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord… beam me up! I want to thank You that I am not appointed to wrath, but that you have chosen to save me! Please keep me forever faithful to you, telling others about the greatest news ever given… that Jesus Saves!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:49 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Tuesday, Apr 07, 20094-7 Do You Believe in Soul Sleep?
Download this episode (18 min)
I am just a bit tired… trying to do too much in too little time. I think I need a day off, and may have to take one soon. Yesterday I laid a rug in a dining room and cut off a door and re-hung it. We finally have all of our rentals full! Never thought that would happen. It’s been so long! Last night I went to Doris’ house with Dale, and we took a video of her for Easter. She was sharing her story of how God’s plan was being carried out in her life even in difficult times. It was good.
Today is April 7, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. This is your invitation to take one step forward every day in your relationship with Christ. We invite you to do something unbelievably radical. We invite you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus
Today's Scripture reading is Judges 21; Proverbs 17; Luke 19:27-47
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:15 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Beam me up Jesus! One of the most comforting and amazing events in history future is the coming of the Lord for His children. If you are alive on this earth at that time you will be part of the harpazo… the catching away of the saints. (Harpazo is the Greek word for “caught up.”). Another amazing and comforting truth has to do with the “sleeping” saints. Believers who have died are referred to as “asleep.” Does this mean, as some believe, that they are unconscious in a soul sleep until their resurrection? Not at all. It means that their body sleeps in the grave until the resurrection. It means that they are finally at rest! Consider what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 that when we die we are “absent from the body and present with the Lord.” And how about what Jesus told the Thief on the Cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise!” And then there is Moses and Elijah who appeared to Jesus in the Transfiguration. And don’t forget the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Lazarus died and was talking to Abraham in Paradise. Then there are the martyred believers of Revelation who surround the throne before the resurrection (Revelation 6:9). Now that is something to look forward to! When you die, you will be with Jesus! That’s comforting. You will get to rest from all your toil, trouble and turmoil. It’s all over! Wahoo! And then consider 1 Thessalonians 4:15 & 17. In verse 15 Jesus is going to bring the sleeping saints “with him” when he comes. And in verse 17 those “sleeping saints” will rise before the living to “meet the Lord in the air.” So which is it? There are two possibilities. #1 When they rise, they get to Jesus first and he brings them to meet with us in the air. This only takes seconds. #2 They have been with Jesus all this time, and they come down to meet us and to meet up with their resurrected bodies. I am personally a fan of #2. And besides, I know that it is really going to happen that way! Since the sleeping saints are NOW with Christ, it only makes sense that they are coming back to meet their bodies! Which brings up the question, what are they like now without their physical body? Are they disembodied souls or something? Not really. But it’s time to sign off, so how about putting that question on the back burner for now. Today’s point? We take comfort in knowing that every believer who dies is resting in Jesus right now!
Dear Father. I am comforted in knowing that my dad is with you. He’s resting from all the turmoil of the world. He’s enjoying heaven with You! He’s having a party with the angels. What a great truth. I want that for every person on this earth. Help me to pass the hope of heaven and the promise of eternal life though Jesus Christ on to everyone I meet!
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:41 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Monday, Apr 06, 20094-6 What Happens After I Die
Download this episode (18 min)
Well, Yesterday is done. It was a good Lord’s Day. We talked about conduct in church and decided the most important behavior in church is to worship God with all your heart, soul and mind. Saturday my grandson, Dakota and friend William won first place in Awana Bible Quizzing! That was quite a display of knowledge and speed. Susan and I also went to Awana Games where the kids won third place. It was quite competitive. Sunday afternoon I ran out to Phil’s house where he loaded up his old rug onto my borrowed rig and I brought it home. Now I get to install it in a rental, oh boy!
Today is April 6, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. Together we are strong. As we walk though the word together we help each other grow.
Today's Scripture reading is Judges 20:29-48; Proverbs 16; Luke 19:1-26
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 1 Thessalonians4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
What happens after we die? There aren’t too many choices. Some people believe that you just die. You rot and become food for worms. The end. Your memory, personality, awareness, body, and mind disappear and are no more. This is called Annihilation. Others believe that you become reincarnated. Western reincarnation believes that your soul is transmigrated to another human soul being born, but Eastern beliefs have people being reincarnated into anything… trees, ants, rabbits or whatever. The “near death experience” NDO people suggest that there is a common theme that happens to people who “die” and return. They become free from their body, get psychic abilities. They meet a spirit guide, pass through a tunnel, encounter a being a great light and joy, experience a life review, and they may be reborn. In contrast, the Bible teaches that there is a Heaven for the “saved” and hell for the unsaved. We class all deaths into two kinds: those who have no hope, and those that do. Hopelessness turns into relentless sorrow and unremitting grief because of the unanswered questions of death. If you have not settled the questions of eternal destinations you will be forever plagued with nagging questions about the seriousness of those realities. Every belief system about life after death besides Christianity must be classed into the “without hope” category. Why? Because nothing can be definitively proven about any of those ideas. It really doesn’t matter how many people have NDE’s, or how real they seem, their experiences may be real or imaginary. But the Christian hope is built on nothing less that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. After being dead over the course of three days, Christ arose. This is no NDE or OBE (out of body experience)! This is a bonafide, genuine, “RDE” – REAL death experience! He was “gone.” Not just for minutes or even hours… he was gone for days! Rigor mortis set in. His body turned chalky white. He was embalmed, put in a murky, cold cave and they slammed the door (or should I say 2 ton rock… they really didn’t want anybody going in or anyone coming back out!). But he came back to life! Because HE came back to life... Because He lived a sinless life… Because He is God the Son, we have a sure hope. The issue is settled. There is a heaven to gain, and I hope you are going there.
Almighty God. I do believe that Your Son Jesus rose from the grave. I am so glad for Easter morn. Thank you for your death on the cross and your resurrection. Because of that I have hope! Fill me with your hope that I might be able to communicate that to others clearly.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:56 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Friday, Apr 03, 20094-3 Lovin' the Truth
Download this episode (21 min)
I was able to buckle down and work yesterday… but some things just take a long time – that’s the excuse I use for getting older and slower… and I’m still young! Mike stopped in yesterday. He is such an inspiration and blessing! He just keeps on doing things around here – for the Lord! He and Melissa are such faithful prayer warriors. I got an email from Greg… I want to share parts of it… “I have been receiving your emails for some time now, and I read over 90% of them. I wish I could say that I have read every one, but new kids, moves,
new jobs, no jobs, etc...... have made our life quite interesting. Someone once told me that the life of a Christian is a messy adventure. And in my Dad's words, it builds character… thank you for providing a short daily study of the Living Word. My wife and I have finally learned how to surrender our lives and our will to Christ, and it feels so right. And it is absolutely centered on staying in The Word DAILY! So we thank you for allowing The Holy Spirit to work through you and reach us and the many others that are reached as well. Thank you for providing some glue for Truth to the Church. We need it. Keep doing it. I need it.” Wow! Thank you Greg! God bless.
Today is April 3, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a complete turn of events; it is a 180 degree turn around. God is changing us and turning us around as a community. This is not business as usual, this is life transforming, this is spiritual, this is essential.
Today's Scripture reading is Judges 20:1-28; Proverbs 15; Luke 18:19-42
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
One of the oft asked questions I get about the Tribulation period is this, “Will people be ‘saved’ during that time?” And the answer is “yes.” Multitudes of believers will be martyred during the Tribulation for their faith. They come to faith in Christ during that dark period. It’s not exactly easy for many grown men or women to come to the place of surrender to Christ and it won’t be then. Why? Requirement #1… you must love the truth. Love the Truth? I don’t always like it. Sometimes the truth reveals how ugly I am. I’d rather hide from it! It’s much easier to justify my behavior than to face it. And there is no better judge of my flaws than the clarity of God’s Word. It’s like a mirror. When I look in the mirror each morning I say to myself, “you handsome devil you! You are the best looking guy I know! If looks were worth cash, I’d be a millionaire!” (Conceited too!). But that’s before I take a close up! A second look reveals a middle age paunch, a sunken chest, a few scars, a chipped tooth… let’s stop there please! God’s Word is like a mirror for the inner man! A closer look reveals that, while I may look pretty good at first glance, when I compare myself to God’s Standards I don’t measure up! Not even to something as simple as the Ten Commandments! If you think you do, you ought to try asking yourself some of them… “Have I ever lied, stolen, lusted, coveted, failed to worship, dishonored parents…” and that’s only half! No wonder people don’t love the Word! It bites! It cuts. It’s sharp as a surgeons scalpel. I revolt at the thought of my failures! Who wants to dwell on them? Who wants to believe they are true? Who wants to spend that much time depressingly sunk in dark reflection? Believe it or not the second Requirement to be saved is that you Believe it! Love the Truth… Believe the Truth. The fact is until you realize the enormous negative magnitude of your sins and failures, you can never be saved. And when I say saved, I mean saved from Hell and saved to Heaven. After all who needs a Savior, if there is nothing to be saved from? If you ain’t all that bad, you don’t need Jesus. You’ll do just fine on your own, thank you. I’m not asking you to be depressed about your shortcomings for the rest of your life, not at all. I’m suggesting that you do the right thing with them! Admit you don’t make the grade with God, and ask Him to save you. That’s why they call Him the Savior. That’s why he died – to pay the penalty for your sins. And the Truth is… He promised that if you call on Him, you will be saved! Good news! End of story. No more need for depression!
Dear Lord Jesus. I do want to love the truth! I do admit that I have sinned and failed miserably at meeting your standards. I do believe the truth. I believe that You are the Savior and You are willing and able to save me from the penalty of my sins. So, I trust you. I place my faith in you. I surrender to Your plan. Please be my Savior!
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 9:57 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Thursday, Apr 02, 20094/2 People are like Sheep
Download this episode (20 min)
Another extremely busy day with so much left to accomplish. Easter is bearing down hard on me and I’m not ready for it! I had Reese in my office for a while, and another couple stopped in. A busy day of talking to folks. Daniel emailed and suggested we all join the Boston Tea Party movement (google it). I spent a little time on the phone with the mechanic trying to figure out what I need to know about the truck repair. It looks like we are moving in the direction of a repair. It makes the most sense. Still have to finish Discovery Class 1. Then last night we went to Awana. Great group of kids… must have had 30. And two of them said they made a commitment to trust Christ last night!
Today is April 3, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. We are doing something of eternal significance. We are redeeming the time. That is one of the basic premises of TWG. We believe that what we do every day is so important that we must do the important things each day. That is why we read the word every Day
Today's Scripture reading is Judges 19; Proverbs 14; Luke 18:1-18
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
95% of People are really like sheep. Most people follow the crowd. Research demonstrates that humans flock together like animals. Results from a study at the University of Leeds show that it takes a minority of just five percent to influence a crowd’s direction – and that the other 95 percent follow without realizing it. We are wired to follow leaders who look like they know what they are doing. We easily believe what we see and hear and often don’t question the source. That’s where the Antichrist comes in… and it’s one of the techniques that political leaders use; deception. Get people to believe your movement is swallowing up the country and the sheep will follow! Use whatever means necessary to convince the populace that your leadership is what they need and, baaaah, here come the sheep. How in the world is it possible for so many to follow someone so heinous? Why did people follow a man as evil as Hitler, Stalin, or Mao… all three deliberately killed tens of millions of their own countrymen and people flocked to them! Why? Maybe we are just stupid sheep. If you want to pull the wool off your eyes, you must make a commitment to the Truth. The simple reason why people are deceived is that they do not “love the truth.” I know, I know… “what is truth?” You have your truth, and I have mine. No, that is not how the laws of the universe work at all. There are universal truths that apply to all of us. The law of gravity works on all of us on earth. No exceptions. No one breaks the law of gravity. You can rise above it with propulsion, but that just proves the law. You wouldn’t need propulsion if you didn’t have gravity. The Laws of God are similar. God left us his truth. Those not committed to truth easily succumb to a lie and the long fall off the high cliff always has a sudden stop at the bottom. So how do so many ignore the Truth? Hitler proved it well with his “big lie” propaganda. If you tell a lie that's big enough, and you tell it often enough, people will believe you. In the case of the Antichirst there is an action and reaction that will occur. People will not be committed to the truth. God will send them a strong delusion (the Antichrist’s lies). People will believe the lie. And here’s the kicker… Why will they choose the lie over the truth? …Because they take pleasure in unrighteousness. Dr John Gardin relates that people with life dominating addictions will eventually justify their actions and even change what they believe rather than change the way they live. (ie homosexuality is ok, so is porn, rape etc… I was born this way… I thought it was wrong but I was a sheep… now I believe different). In other words if you enjoy sin, you will eventually reject truth. And so my wooly friend, you too will follow the deceptions of the duped along with the herd… BAAAAAHHH. Don’t do it. Follow the Good Shepherd instead.
Dear Father. I commit myself to the truth. I believe Your Word and I want to obey it. Please keep me from being deceived by people around me. I want to follow only those who are committed to the best interests of Your kingdom.
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.”
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:53 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
Wednesday, Apr 01, 20094/1 - The Coming Political Messiah
Download this episode (20 min)
I write this last TWG at @ 10,000 feet elevation and rising quickly. I have been RAPTURED so you will hear no more from me on earth as I will forever be with the Lord from now on… I guess you’ve figured out by now that this must be an APRIL FOOLS! Wow! But wouldn’t that be nice? I’m thinking the view gets better and better as we go up! No, back to earth. Yesterday seemed to fly by. I spend most of the day fielding phone calls and meeting with Nicki. It was a busy day. I did actually start on Discovery Class I… but I’m in trouble! I’ve got a lot of work to do today and it’s just piling up! We did accept 1 renter last night, with one more application to look at, and we turned 1 down. Pray for wisdom. We had men’s meeting last night, and I was tired! It was tough to concentrate.
Today is April 1, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. You are part of a devotional community where we put Christ first and our commitment is to spend time with each other and Time with God every day.
Today's Scripture reading is Judges 18; Proverbs 13; Luke 17
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com
Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
So what’s the public perception of the Antichrist going to be like? What will the world think of him? He is going to be a man of special power. According to the definition of this word, Antichrist will exude the presence of power. Some people just have that ability and he is going to get his from Satan. He will have a demonically inspired magnetism that will blow the world away. He will intuitively, or should I say demonically, know how to use power in strategic ways. He will know how to use wealth to his advantage to impress! He will know how to use people to get his agenda accomplished. And he will use the power of the military in calculated ways to expand his ever growing empire. He will be a man who is capable of amazing signs! He will have a messiah complex… and from what I have observed in American Politics, people are looking for a political messiah! That much is evident from our last election! You would not believe all the websites out there that talk about “Obama for Messiah!” It’s astounding. The Antichrist will be even more attractive and messiah like. And he will point to unusual occurrences, transcending the common course of nature to prove that he is “The One.” But make no mistake about it; he will be a man of lying wonders. He will be a “pseudo miracle man.” His signs and wonders will be faked! He will stage events in order to deceive the public. Since 9/11 the rumors have abounded that George Bush and the US government were behind the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The conspiracy theory goes like this: George needed some kind of public fiasco to rescue his image and give him a reason to attack Iraq so that he could sell his oil at a higher price! So they used controlled demolition to collapse the Twin Towers, not airplane crashes! What are they smoking? Regardless… the Antichrist will orchestrate some amazingly evil deceptions to fool the public into believing in him. If you hear any conspiracy theories about him… they will likely be true! For all of the above reasons the Antichrist will be exuberantly popular. So much so that I predict that people will swoon and weep when they hear him speak. They will chant his name wildly in the streets. Wherever he goes there will be crowds almost at riot levels fighting to get near him. He will seem bigger than life and almost too good to be true… and if you see a politician that seems too good to be true, he probably is. Look out! Pity the world that must deal with the Antichrist.
Dear Father. I wish to idolize no one but you! I choose to believe in no man, save the God – Man Jesus Christ. Please keep my eyes from being deceived, and my ears from being clouded with half truths and outright deception. Help me to keep Your Word at the forefront of my life so that I will know truth from error.
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.”
Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:01 AM | MAKE A COMMENT
My Profile
Dennis Kreiss
Roseburg, Oregon
View my complete profile
Recent Posts
3/31 - Don't Sweat The Bad Times 3/27 - Restraining Evil 3/26 - No More Freedom of Worship? 3-20 Things are going to get worse! 3/19 The Great Apostasy 3/18 Jesus is coming Again 3-17 Obama the Antichrist???•Archives
Nov 2009 Oct 2009 Sep 2009 Aug 2009 Jul 2009 Jun 2009 May 2009Apr 2009
Mar 2009 Feb 2009 Jan 2009 Jan 2008 Nov 2007 Oct 2007 Sep 2007 Aug 2007 Jul 2007 Jun 2007 May 2007 Apr 2007 Mar 2007 Feb 2007 Jan 2007