"Old man, look at my life, I'm alot like you were."

My dad once told me he wanted to live to the age of 84. Unfortunately he died at 72 but his desire to live to 84 transferred to me. In fact, I think I would like to hit 85. One of my favorite Bible characters is Caleb. Caleb lived beyond 85 but his story is found in the book of Joshua. Joshua 14.6-15 is the story of Joshua giving land to Caleb. Caleb by this time was 85 and was looking not for a rocking chair but for the high country where the giants were.

What an incredible attitude toward life. As a Pastor friend once told me, "There is no such thing as Christian retirement." Caleb embodies that lifestyle. Even though he was considered "old" he never stopped going, doing, conquering, and winning. Hence my reasoning for living to 85. But of course only God knows when I will die. I may live to 85 or I may die on the way home today, regardless it is all in His will. I am telling you the truth when I say that I am actually enjoying getting older. Someone may say, "you say that now but just wait until you get to ____ age." But I am quite positive that I will have the same attitude then as I do now. In fact, I may end up being one of those jovial old men who laughs alot, not crazy or loony just happy. After all, the older I get the closer I get to Jesus.

But my prayer is that Kathryn and I grow old together and that at 85, I'm still hitting the heavy bag, hiking mountains, and killing giants.

Keep the Faith, God does.

God is good to me. In spite of my personal struggles with sin God remains faithful, even when I am not. When we struggle with sin, what we are saying to God is that His provision for us is not good enough; in essence, we are disbelieving what He says in His word.

As an example, Romans 6.6 teaches that our flesh was crucified with Christ on the cross. The Greek meaning of that statement is "rendered powerless". So that the verse is saying our flesh was "rendered powerless" at the cross. Now the question is do I believe that or do I not believe it? I am a believer in Christ therefore I received at salvation all the benefits that go along with becoming a believer. Among those benefits is the defeat of the power of the flesh over my life. Therefore, when I fall into sin, when I do things that no one else sees but God, things that are sinful then what I am doing is saying to God, "I don't believe what you said in Romans 6.6. My flesh is still alive and at this point in time I have decided to listen to it instead of you."

OUCH!! that hurts yes? But as I said, God is good. In spite of my failures and struggle with sin He always does His part by remaining faithful to me. I may disbelieve Him sometimes but He never stops believing in me, do you know why?

Because when God looks at me He sees Jesus Christ. Why? because I am now the property of Jesus Christ. And since Jesus is the second member of the Trinity, God Himself, then God cannot deny Himself.

Consider 2 Timothy 2.11-13, "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."

We died with Him we will also live with Him. My flesh is considered dead by God. So also I must come to consider it dead/powerless. I will live with Him because He rose from the dead.

If we endure, we will also reign with Him. When we "walk by means of the Spirit" (Ephesians 5.18) we are not walking by the power of the flesh. When we are not walking by the power of the flesh, we are "getting it right" pleasing God and gaining reward; hence we are enduring. Our reward will be the privilege of co-reigning with Christ during the millennium.

If we deny Him, He also will deny us. No, this has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with losing our salvation, it has EVERYTHING to do with losing reward. To deny Christ is to dis-believe what He says (struggle with sin above). When we "deny Christ" we are walking in the power of the flesh not the Spirit. The result, LOSS OF REWARD. In context, the phrase prior to this one spoke of GAINING REWARD by endurance (walking in the Spirit). The logical flow would then state what happens when we "walk in the flesh" we LOSE REWARD He will deny it, take it away. BUT WE WILL NEVER LOSE OUR SALVATION. WHY??

If we are faithless He remains faithful because He cannot deny Himself. If we are faithless means again that we dis-believe what He says in His word. But even if we dis-believe He will remain faithful to us because it is IMPOSSIBLE for Him not to. At salvation, God imputes His Righteousness into the one who believes (Romans 5.10-11). The same life that brought Jesus Christ from the grave is now the same life that resides in the believer. Accordingly, God is in Heaven and God is in the believer. So denial of Himself is impossible.

It would be like me denying that my son is my son even thought his DNA proves that he is my son. ITS IMPOSSIBLE.

Take heart believer. Even when we sin and dis-believe what God says, He will remain faithful because of who He is not because of what we have done.

What is the big deal about Israel?

Turn on the T.V. news any time during the day or night and it is almost guaranteed that at some point, there will be some kind of news about Israel. Threats, bombings, killings, kidnappings, all of it is part of daily life in the land of Israel. Everyone hates Israel. As of late even the leadership in the United States has turned a cold shoulder toward the nation of Israel. Iran and various terrorist groups want the nation destroyed. Why?

Go back in history to the founding of the nation by Abraham and you will find people trying to take them out. 722 B.C., 586 B.C., 70 A.D., 135 A.D. and most recently during the 19th and 20th century some nation somewhere has taken Israel out; destroyed the nation. Yet still the Jewish race is here. There are still Jews who are alive and well today. Why?

Why do people all over the world hate Jews? Why are they always in the news? What is the big deal about Israel?

Answer:

They are God's chosen people who will one day receive the benefits of the promises that God made to them. They will never go away because God promised that they would not. They will always be around now and forever. They made mistakes in the past for which God chastised them. The time is coming soon when things will get worse then ever for them but then God will set things straight because His Son, Jesus Christ, will return to make them so.

To all you enemies of Israel and the Jews. Get over it. Israel is going nowhere. Give it up, you will lose in the end. You will think that you have won but then you will be utterly destroyed.

What do Christians do about Israel? Is the nation at the present time apostate? Yup, sure is. Are Christians supposed to blow them off and do nothing? Nope, we are to pray for the Jews and the nation of Israel. Think about it. What does the Word of God command us to do for those who do not believe? Pray that they may become believers and see the light of the Gospel of Truth. What better people and nation to pray for then the Jews and the land of Israel. The promise of Genesis 12.3 still stands, God said to Abraham, "I will curse those who curse you and bless those who bless you". Pretty cut and dry to me. Support Israel and all is well. Don't support Israel and all will not be well.