Posts Tagged ‘heaven’

Heavenly Deposit

Posted: November 16, 2025 in Heaven Bound
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I had the opportunity to spend some time with an old work friend recently who I hadn’t seen for a long time. At one point, we had worked together every day for two years but after I left that company, I lost touch with him. But as luck would have it, I had the chance to re-connect with him over some dinner so I took advantage. 

As you can imagine, we talked about the usual work stuff and family stuff but somehow the topic bent toward him planning to win the lottery. 

To be clear, in MY mind, that topic was mentally wasting energy because the chances of winning are not worth spending the time thinking about what you would do with all that money. But as I sat there and listened to my friend talk, I realized he had taken this lottery-planning topic to a whole new level. 

Honestly, the amount of detail he had already planned out was utterly amazing. He knew what businesses and stocks he would invest in, who he planned to give money to, and how much. He knew what upgrades he would make to his home, where he would take his first vacation, how he would quit his job, and the list went on and on. 

He even worked out a plan to help his kids pay off their student loans, buy his parents, sister, and nephews new homes…and guys, I could keep going. I finally interrupted him and asked him why? Why would you invest so much of your time and brainpower on a topic that will most likely NEVER happen? 

He replied simply, “ah, but it could, and I want to be prepared”

“Prepared”, I thought. “That is an Interesting concept.”

From your perspective, what does it really take to be prepared for anything? Investing your time and brain power towards something helps one be prepared. However, from a Christian persepctive, Christ told us to prepare by storing up for ourselves, treasures in Heaven. 

In other words, preparation for eternity…not preparation for winning the lottery, or for that matter, anything else here on earth. Besides, like my Dad always used to say, “you can’t take it with you”.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can consume, and where thieves can neither break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt. 6:20-21

So what is a treasure in heaven? How can I have any connection with heaven while I am still here and living on this earth? 

Here is how I look at this; my friend was investing huge amounts of his physical time thinking about a fantasy event rather than thinking about how to make a difference now. 

For example, how about spending more time with his kids, or his wife, or both? What about focusing on or engaging with a particular subject that might make him better or even the people around him better? 

The way I see it, all of these suggestions are treasures that are being stored in heaven for him. It truly is like making a deposit in a bank or better yet, it’s an investment in your heavenly eternal future.

Jesus said, “How will they know me? By how YOU love one another”

Pretty simple actually. If we take the time to be kind to someone, anyone…when you aren’t required to do so… it helps them, but believe it or not, that is also a treasure YOU have stored in heaven. 

What you do here on earth is preparation for your eternal future…and it is SAFE

You see…everything we store up in heaven is safe…forever. There are not any malware or viruses that can wipe out your deposits in Heaven. Christ said in that same verse above, where neither moth nor rust can consume, and where thieves can neither break through nor steal.

NOTHING can destroy what you have stored there…It is safe for all eternity

My simple advice:

Why don’t we try to get out of our own way and focus on each other for a change, and watch what happens…

What I think you will find is a far happier group of family and friends because you aren’t 100% solely focused on you…or like my friend at the beginning of this post, who simply spent too much time planning for something that would never happen

So as you begin to look and plan for this next year, 2026…my recommendation is to start making your own heavenly deposits sooner rather than later…

Honestly, your future depends on it…

Until next time Guys…

Why would a good God send people to Hell?

Posted: March 15, 2025 in Devotional
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I am not a theologian and for that reason, I get frustrated when I don’t know the answers to specific questions raised about God. The title of this blog post is, ”Why would a good God send people to hell’?  and I have had that question brought up many times and for years it has frustrated me. Why? 

Because it is a great question! How could God allow that to happen? Good people in hell make no sense. But, over time, I have begun to understand more about God’s character, which in turn has clarified some answers.

When I want to get to the root of a “why” question, I go back to the source to find the answers. How could God allow good people to go to hell? To me, we need to begin with God and who HE is to try and answer this question. 

A.W Tozer, a real theologian, said it this way, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us”.

There must be reasons about His character and why He acts or behaves as He does rather than just what I see here on Earth. What I’ve discovered is some reasons cause God to be who He is.

Let’s start with Holy. If you really understand this word and how it applies to God, you will second-guess everything you do or say. I never really understood this word but yet when applied to God, our Creator, all the reasons are clarified. Here is what I mean; God is the most perfect and holy being in our universe and it is His perfect, holy, character that decides what is right and wrong. That perfection He puts forth into us is His morality and then into our world which is how humans are to behave. 

In other words, that is how inherently we know that killing is bad and helping our neighbor is good. It is in our DNA. Yet why is there so much killing in this world? The answer is simple… Satan is still alive and operating as the prince of this world…for a time.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  1 Peter 5:8

Satan is working just as hard to distract you from God as God is trying to get your attention.

Think of it this way: God’s absolute Holiness binds Him and compels Him to respond in a particular manner which means, simply put; GOD HATES sin. He hates to see it, smell it, or even be around it (read Mark 9:42-47). But yet you and I are His children and we absolutely reek of sin. We are born into it, and without the saving salvation of Jesus Christ, we actually stink to heaven.

Let me summarize quickly at this point:

    1. We learned God is perfectly Holy

    2. Holy means God must behave according to His perfect character.

    3. Holy means God can’t be around sin.

Now, for those of you who did not know, God did solve the problem of sin for us by sending His blameless son Jesus, to take our place as a sacrifice for our sin committed.

So understand things this way, because God is holy, He MUST judge everyone according to His perfect character and because He is perfect, His judgments are fair and right.

Let’s keep going. As mentioned previously, Jesus came to this earth to solve the sin sacrifice issue for you and me but He is also the most loving person who ever lived, yet it is He who teaches us the most about the reality of hell and the consequences. Why would He do this? 

Because Jesus knows Hell is a very real thing and He doesn’t want any of us to suffer the inevitable consequences of our rebellion against God. 

Rebellion? What am I talking about?  

Rebellion is having sin in your life and NOT doing anything about it…living in sin is rebellion against God…why? Because God is holy…

Do you see a pattern?

Heaven and Hell are or will be, defined by our relationship with God. Heaven means enjoying the amazing gifts of a Father and more importantly, being with Him. Hell is the absence of His blessings; love, communion, presence, beauty, etc.

Simply put; Heaven is being with our Holy God and Hell is being apart from Him.

Think about that for a moment. The closest thing to Heaven on earth is to have a relationship with Him and to feel His presence in our lives. 

Hell on earth is the opposite of everything GOD.

So now that we understand a little more about the God we serve I must make this statement to you and ask this question; 

Now that we truly understand how holy God is, we shouldn’t be asking the question why would a good God send people to hell…the real question should be…

How can God allow anyone into Heaven?

The bottom line…going to Heaven or Hell is a choice WE get to make while here on this earth. 

God doesn’t send good people to Hell…they get to make that decision for themselves…

Until next time guys…

Pride or Humility…It is your Choice

Posted: April 22, 2024 in Heaven Bound
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If you’re like me, the older I get, the more I learn, and the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know…but that is a whole other blog. This post is about my continuing revelation of how God constructed this whole “personal relationship with Jesus” idea and why I think its so hard for men to stay consistent. 

News Flash, yours (and mines) personal relationship with Christ must begin with humility.

Yes, I said Humility. But the problem is that “being humble” works directly against how we feel about ourselves while we live on earth. 

Face it guys, it is HARD to be humble when all we see is ego exhibited everyday of our lives. It seems like very athlete just seems to call attention to themselves. Not everyone…but a lot of them. A baseball player hits a monster home run and he just stands there and admires it as it leaves the ballpark…A body builder stands in front of the mirror and just stares and stares…

We live in such a “Me ONLY” focused world that as Christian men, its so easy to assimilate into that culture. Look at it this way, if you get up each day and don’t think about your relationship with Christ and just start your day with you driving, I can easily say that over time, you will find yourself moving towards prideful behavior. The influence is that strong.

Listen to how The Message translation of the Bible talks about this in Proverbs 16:18, First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. That is pretty self explanatory isn’t it? God doesn’t have any place for pride or egos in His Kingdom. Its all about HIM, not us.

What you and I see around us here on earth was NOT the plan God had in mind. Rather, sin got in the way and it corrupted everything (Genesis 3 to be exact). As hard as this may be to grasp, pride is NOT from God. It was NOT created by God but rather it is from Satan and he is the one selling that crap to all of us through television, or online, or at the gym…

It is everywhere and conditioning you slowly.

Pride IS a wall keeping you from a relationship with God and it blocks your ability to communicate with Him. Once you reach a point that you are so full of yourself that you don’t think you need God, then the enemy has you where he wants you.


Remember the Bible also tells us in James 4:10 to Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. As I have told you before, NOW IS THE TIME to get right with God Guys! You can see the signs all around you just as easily as I can. 

Satan is working overtime to pull as many men and their families down as he can. 

Where do you plan on spending eternity?

My “ask” of you today is don’t let your ego be the reason you walk away from God. You might be very good at something…your job, or a sport, or something else…but remember that skill is a gift from Him and if you thank Him for it rather than act like it came from you, who knows, we just might be playing a pick up game on that Heavenly court in the sky.

I’ll meet you there…

Until next time Guys-

Is Good Enough, Good Enough to Get into Heaven?

Posted: January 28, 2024 in Heaven Bound
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Over the last year, I have found myself in conversations with different friends discussing Heaven and the different journeys we are taking to get there. What is clear to me is each of them has a very different viewpoint on how to get there and the direction we each are going is also very different. I think the most concerning takeaway I have gleaned from these conversations is the fact that many of them have a diluted idea of what God says in His word about this very topic. They believe strongly in the idea that being Good Enough, is good enough, to get to Heaven. 

You have probably heard this a thousand times but how could God send a good person to Hell?

If you live your life well, meaning you haven’t killed anyone or you haven’t wronged anyone, and although you are apart from Christ, why would living “that kind of life” sentence you to Hell?

Let’s begin this short blog by ensuring we are all on the same page with this one fact. You, me, Billy Graham, even Mother Teresa; there is absolutely no path available for any human being to earn their way into Heaven. With ALL of the amazing things that Mother Teresa did, literally saving thousands of children’s lives through her efforts…those actions were not good enough to get her into Heaven.

Billy Graham preached for over 50 years and I would say millions of people came to know Christ through his many years of ministry. Do you think that punched his ticket into eternity?

Think of it this way…No matter how amazing of a person you are on this Earth, there is NO version of a “better me” or a “better you” where we can achieve something that earns our gift of Heaven. All of us are born into this sinful, unclean world with no way of saving ourselves, and people who rely on “goodness only” as their life plan are going to be disappointed. Trust me.

Paul said, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” He also said, the wages of sin is death” Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23

The bottom line is, that is why Christ came. God knew we couldn’t do this on our own, so He sent Christ to pay the price we couldn’t pay. When we think that just being good enough is enough, there is an arrogance to that mindset which is the opposite of what is needed. God requires humility from us. We need Him, He doesn’t need us. But, He loves us and that is the difference.

If you hear just one thing from me today, please hear this, our human version of “good enough” is NOT good enough. Being just a good person is NOT good enough.

You and I need rescuing from this world but we can’t simply go along in life thinking good enough is good enough, because it isn’t. 

You are probably NOT hearing this from many people but please hear me today-

The key is, recognizing that you can’t get to Heaven on your own and that you need to receive forgiveness from Christ first…if you do, it will help ensure your stay at God’s Heavenly Hilton…and your own eternal life. I know these are hard words, but please know they are the truth.

Until next time Guys-

The Story of Satan – part 6

Posted: February 6, 2022 in Something to think about
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So we have finally reached the last episode of The Story of Satan. Several weeks ago, we started this series together with the intent to learn more about our enemy who is the fallen angel Lucifer who is now referred to as Satan. Lucifer was God’s greatest masterpiece, whose creation brought glory to his creator so God placed him in a high rank in Heaven. This gave Lucifer access to the throne of God that the majority of angels would never have. But, as we learned, he became so enamored with his own beauty that evil grew inside him. 

So, Lucifer made his choice that would not only impact him but all the angels that followed him along with the humans that chose or still choose to follow him. The ultimate result of that selfish, sinful choice is what we are going to talk about in this last episode; Satan’s Future.

Can you recall a situation in your own life where you made a decision that had long-lasting effects on you…like for the rest of your life? Now that could be a good decision too, right? Your life or your faith? But then there are the ones that are not so good that have far-reaching effects on your life. 

This is why when you learn more about Satan, you see that his, “thinking he could be better than God” thoughts were just so short-sighted. Against all rational probability, Lucifer waged his will against that of God. This also meant that even through all of his efforts; his scheming, lying, and deception would ultimately still give God the glory. 

YES…this is exactly the opposite of what Satan intended to take place.

Honestly, the most bizarre part about our enemy was his myopic view of what he thought actually would happen. Because the reality for him was the very moment he said, “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God…. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Isa 14:13-14, he was doomed to hell. 

And thus we have exposed evil for what it is: 

The desire to oppose God even with the full knowledge that in the end, the Almighty will triumph.

So now, if we take a step back and look around us, I think we can see that there is an accelerated intensity of evil on this earth. I do not know what the plans of God are but what I do know is that when God no longer needs Satan for HIS purposes, the end will come. 

All of that said, before Christ returns to this earth, things are going to get much worse for humans as Satan and his dark angels continue to step up all of their nasty business.

ALL OF THIS activity will act as the beginning of Satan’s final ruin and this will happen in 3 separate stages:

First, Satan is cast out of Heaven-

Now, there are scholars that believe Satan does NOT still have access to Heaven but I am not one of them. I believe that Satan still has access to Heaven even now and that is evidenced by the final war in Heaven where he battles against the mighty archangel Michael and is defeated. Satan is in heaven already but that defeat meant there was no longer any place for him in Heaven and he was cast out. 

Think about this for a second…Satan, who was created by God long before the world was created, and who had only ever known in his existence in both Heaven and earth…and now he was cast out of this place, permanently. God’s judgment is always final.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. Rev 12:7-8 ESV

(By the way, if you didn’t notice, the dragon mentioned above is Satan, and “his angels” are the ones that followed him when he decided he had a better plan for his life than God did)

Second, Satan is bound for 1000 years-

At the end of the age, Satan is to be confined into the Abyss for a thousand years.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be released for a little while. Rev 20:1-3 ESV

Third, Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire

After his release he will make a final attempt to overthrow God; this act will result in Satan’s final defeat and his being thrown into the Lake of Fire.

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  Rev 20:7-10 ESV 

I heard someone say once that God never learns anything new, and if you think about that for a second, you realize that no matter what Satan thought or did…GOD already knew it would happen. The irony for this fallen angel is that he left Heaven thinking he could rule and be like God himself but instead, he continued to exist FOR the glory of God just as he had always done. 

I also love the hypothetical idea someone said about when Satan successfully tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit that there were no emergency meetings in Heaven as to how to respond and what the next steps were. Why? Because again…none of this activity was new to God. 

If you are a Christian, that is one HUGE relief because, in the Bible, you constantly read about how God has a plan for you and me…and again, ironically, for Satan as well. Remember what Paul said in Romans 8:28,

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

GUYS – You can bank on this fact: No matter WHAT happens to you in this life, it is NOT by accident…either good or bad…God knew it beforehand. Sometimes that fact will be a very hard pill to swallow depending on your circumstances but I assure you, as the verse states clearly above; God will weave it for good.

Finally, guys, thank you for staying with me on this long series because I have never done one with so many parts before. Also please note that I still had to skip a great deal of information about Satan’s story because my intent was only to summarize who he is, what he does, and where he is going. Frankly, I hope you take the baton from me and study more just for you. 

Honestly, I would call this series a success if it lit a small flame of interest in you to learn more about this topic. If the answer is yes, then I would highly recommend you read this book below as this was a great help and encouragement to me in this study. I don’t normally recommend books, but this one gave me a HUGE new perspective about this topic that I found particularly strengthening so check it out.

Gods Devil, by Erwin Lutzer, and published by Moody Publishers, and of course, it is available on Amazon.

Until next time guys-

Heavenly Deposits

Posted: December 26, 2020 in Heaven Bound
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I had the opportunity to spend some time with an old work friend who I hadn’t seen in a long time. At one point, we had worked together every day for two years but after I left that company, not so much anymore. But I had the chance to connect over some dinner so I took advantage of the chance to see him. As you can imagine, we talked about the usual work stuff and family stuff but somehow the topic bent toward him planning to win the lottery of all things. 

To be clear in MY mind, that topic was wasted mental energy because the chances of winning are not worth spending the time thinking about what you would do with all that money. But as I sat there and listened to my friend talk, I realized he had taken this lottery-planning topic to a whole new level. Honestly, the amount of detail he had already planned out was utterly amazing. He knew where he would invest, who he would give money to, and how much. He knew what upgrades he would make to his home, where he would take his first vacation, how he would quit his job, and the list went on and on. He even worked out a plan to help his kids pay off their student loans, and buy his parents, sister, and nephews new homes…and guys, I could keep going. I finally interrupted him and asked him why? Why would you invest so much of your time and brainpower on a topic that will most likely NEVER happen? 

He replied simply, “ah, but it could, and I want to be prepared”

“Prepared”, I thought. “Interesting concept.”

From your perspective, what does it take to be prepared for anything? Investing time, thought, and effort toward something helps you be prepared…However Christ told us to prepare by storing up for ourselves, treasures in Heaven…in other words, preparation for eternity…not preparation for a fictitious event, or for that matter, anything else here on earth.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can consume, and where thieves can neither break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt. 6:20-21

So what is a treasure in heaven? How can I have any connection with heaven while I am still here and living on this earth? 

Here is how I look at this; my friend was investing huge amounts of his time thinking about a fantasy event rather than thinking about how to make a difference now while he is here on earth. For example, how about spending more time with his kids, his wife, or both? What about focusing on or engaging with a particular subject that might make him better or even the people around him better? 

The way I see it, all of these suggestions are treasures that are being stored in heaven for him. It’s like making a deposit in a bank or maybe better yet, it’s an investment in your heavenly eternal future.

Jesus said, “How will they know me? By how YOU love one another”

Pretty simple actually. If we take the time to be kind to someone, anyone…when we aren’t required to do so…YES… it helps them, but believe it or not, that is a treasure YOU have stored in heaven. 

What you do here on earth matters for your eternal future.

You see…everything we store up in heaven is safe…forever. There are not any malware or viruses that can wipe out your deposits in Heaven. Christ said this in the verse above, where neither moth nor rust can consume, and where thieves can neither break through nor steal.

NOTHING can destroy what you have stored there…It is safe for all eternity

My simple advice:

Why don’t we try to get out of our own way, focus on each other for a change, and watch what happens…

What I think you will find is a far happier group of family and friends because you aren’t 100% solely focused on yourself…or like my friend at the beginning of this post, who simply spent too much time planning for a fantasy event.

So as you begin to look and plan for this next year, 2021…my recommendation is to start making heavenly deposits sooner rather than later…

Honestly, your future depends on it…

Until next time Guys…

Some Lessons I Find so Hard to Learn

Posted: May 6, 2017 in Something to think about
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I have a friend who by earthly standards is incredibly successful. In fact, when I look at his “Midas touch” in business, I find myself amazed at what he has done and continues to do. I won’t go into all of his business statistics because frankly, they are mind-boggling but suffice it to say, my friend is very gifted with a business mind.

That being said, along with wealth comes all the other “stuff” right? Cars, houses, vacations, etc. everything on this earth that I wouldn’t mind having myself. You see it’s very easy to look at his life and all of his stuff and do what the Bible calls…covet.

Coveting is wanting what someone else has and throughout the Bible we are presented with scenarios that show that coveting never turns out well for the coveter. In fact, coveting is one of the 10 commandments…which is how much God didn’t want us to look at our neighbor and lust for their stuff.

Now, I know that I am not telling any one anything you don’t already know. This is a very old lesson and many of us are humbled each time we find ourselves going down the coveting path. My only purpose in talking today is taking a look at this idea of what he has, versus what I have.

You see, when I mentioned my friend before, I was careful to say “by earthly standards” he is rich. One thing I have learned over time is everything I see around me is temporary…EVERYTHING. It will all go away at some point with the biggest being ME. I am not going to live forever nor do I want to…at least, here.

(Side note: I do believe I will live forever in another place that is being prepared for me and there, coveting and comparisons to other people all go away.)

My point is when I compare what I have accomplished to what he has accomplished, it is very easy to think something went wrong however, I am very quick to point out to all of you that is EXACTLY what Satan wants you to think. He wants you to think you are a failure and you aren’t worth anything.

WRONG…

The Bible tells us:

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (ESV) 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord..

The Bible also tells us this:

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So as I continue to ponder the “why” of my of my supposed earthly “predicament” as to why I am not earthly rich, I am reminded of the lesson God wanted me to understand in the first place;

Each day of my life, I am depositing my future wealth into a far better place than this temporary one called earth.

Please remember this guys-

I hope that statement above will give you hope as it does me. Frankly, if I believe it faithfully, it will allow me to spend less time wondering why, and more time enjoying the life God has blessed me with right now.

Would that make a difference for you too?

Until next time guys…

5 important things you NEED to tell your brother…Again

Posted: April 2, 2016 in Inspirational
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A few years ago, I posted a blog about brothers that has been one of my all time best posts ever. I can tell you that every time I read it, I think of my own brother and thank God that he is around because of the dangerous deployments he has had in the last 28 years of his military service. But I also think that’s really the point, because this post is about Brothers…whether they are your blood or not, and I encourage you to read this and remember your brother even if he lives in heaven, or give him a call if he lives somewhere else. Either way, be thankful for your time with him and enjoy this short read…

5 important things you NEED to tell your brother:

The definition of a real brother can be more than just a blood sibling; He can be the guy you have spent your entire life with since you were just a little man, or it can be someone else who through the journey of life’s ups and downs, has become as close as a brother. In either case, a true brother in your life is the one who is there for you when you need him, no matter what the circumstances.

It’s always painful for me when I hear someone tell me they haven’t spoken to their Brother in many years because of something that was said along time ago and they can’t get over it. In the meantime, everyone in the family loses out on that connection families receive from spending time together.

My bottom line is this, when your parents inevitably pass from this earth, you will have your brother(s) and that strong brotherly bond should be forever because frankly, brothers should look out for each other throughout life’s journey. That’s the way God planned brotherhood…you have each other’s back, no matter what the circumstances.

I know for me, I wasn’t as close to my brother when I was younger but now I appreciate the man he grew to be and respect the father and husband he is today. My only wish would be to get to live closer to him so we could spend more time together.

I ran across this list of important things to tell your brother and I thought it very appropriate for this blog because we are all about Iron Sharpening Iron (Proverbs 27:17), which means, brothers strengthening brothers.

Next time you see your bro, blood relation or not, give him a bear hug and let him know you’re thankful he’s around…and whatever you do, don’t live your life with regret that you didn’t take the time to mend fences. You know what I mean…

Remember these words:

There’s no other love like the love for a brother.  

There’s no other love like the love from a brother.  

 

Terri Guillemets

5 important things you NEED to tell your brother:

  1. Hey Brother, Be the kind of man that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says, “Oh Crap, He’s up!”
  1. Hey Brother, life is too short to wake up with regrets, so love the people who treat you right and forgive the ones who don’t. Not because you should, but because you can.
  1. Hey Brother, believe everything that happens to you, happens for a reason. If God gives you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If that second chance changes your life, let it.
  1. Hey Brother, Always take a few minutes to think before you act when you’re angry. Forgive quickly. God never told us life would be easy, He just promised it would be worth it.

 

  1. Remember this my Brother; A real Brother walks with you when the rest of the world walks on you.

 

In 2016 we say “Brother, I have your six.”

I end this post with a great quote from one of my favorite Baseball players of all time from the past, Harmon Killebrew who said:

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard.  Mother would come out and say, “You’re tearing up the grass.”  “We’re not raising grass,” Dad would reply.  “We’re raising boys.”

Do me a favor my friends, call your brother today…

 

Until next time guys…

 

 

Are you really Watching?

Posted: January 16, 2016 in Something to think about
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32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.

36 If he comes suddenly do not let him find you sleeping.

37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch’!   (Mark 13:32-37 NIV)

As you may or may not know, Christ is coming back for his people and the scriptures are full of references to that very fact. But the reality is that NO ONE knows when…not even Christ himself as told to us in the verses above in the book of Mark. So what does that mean for you and me?

We must wait faithfully for His return.

In my last blog post, I told you there were three things that God requests us to do while we are waiting and today, I am going to focus on the first one on the list.

Christ revealed this to His disciples in the form of a parable and in fact, Jesus gave all 3 of them as parables in order to help the disciples better understand and apply them to their lives. Here is the first one:

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?

46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’

49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.

51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.   (Matthew 24:45-51 NIV)

Jesus paints this picture using words of 2 extremes; 1 servant who was faithful and carried out what his master had asked him to do, and the other servant who saw the masters absence as a chance to enjoy himself to the fullest and just party.

The Faithful Servant

Because this servant was faithful the entire time the master was away, he was rewarded beyond any expectation imaginable. He is promoted and given privileges that are almost to the level of the master himself.

Guys, this is a peak inside to the eternal rewards that all faithful Christians will be able to share in.

The Evil Servant

This servant represents a self-deceived doubter who simply pretends to be serving his master. The truth be told, he doesn’t love the master or even look forward to his return and I think he actually believes he isn’t coming back and therefore he can do anything he wants. Moreover, he convinces himself of this idea and seemingly justifies it to himself and then continues down his evil path.

When the master does return, the evil servant is uncovered and punished to the other complete negative extreme, as the faithful servant reward was positive. He is sent to a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth…which represents hell.

So this is not a very difficult parable to understand or how it applies to all of us. Christ represents the master and has left for a while but He expects us, his faithful servants, to watch for Him because He is coming back…

So which servant are you?

This is not a difficult question to answer if you’re honest with yourself. But as a simple friendly reminder, you need to figure this question out sooner rather than later and begin to live your life accordingly because Christ’s return is imminent.

 

For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”

And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” (Hebrews 10:37-38 NIV)

 

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.   (Matthew 24:42 NIV)

Guys, if you haven’t figured it out already, the first thing God requests of us is to watch. I encourage you to be the faithful servant Christ spoke about in His parable rather than the evil one who thought he could outsmart his master. Fundamentally, he paid the ultimate price by going to a horrific place and I don’t want that to be you…

So please…keep a close watch…

Until next time guys…

 

 

5 Reasons for ALL OF US to have HOPE right now…again

Posted: November 21, 2015 in Inspirational
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Very near 3 years ago, I wrote this post based upon what I sensed and felt going on in the world at that time; sadness and destruction. As I listen and watch the world news over the last few days, with all of the horrific death and destruction in France, Belgium and the Middle East, I once again seek God for the very same thing…hope.

I cannot provide anyone with the reasons why all of this is happening other than simply the Bible talking about “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4, John 12:31, 1 John 5:19) prowling around seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8) those who don’t resist him. Believe me my friends, NOW IS THE TIME TO RESIST HIM. Don’t give up but rather look to Him for your hope.

God’s word is clear…”I will never leave you or forsake (forget) you” (Joshua 1:5)

So here again, are my 5 reasons we can have HOPE right now…

By its very nature, the word hope concerns the future, our future. However, I am not referring to a simple hope such as, “I wish I had a nicer car or bigger house”, but rather I am talking about Biblical hope, which is very different. Biblical hope consists of an assurance inside your heart or better yet, a firm confidence about future things because of Gods promises and His revelation to us. Guys, real Biblical hope in Christ Jesus is something that is never failing when you place your trust in Him. In fact Paul tells us in Romans 15:13;

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In other words, Biblical hope is inseparably linked with a firm faith in Him. They go hand-in-hand with one another. As a result, what is yielded is a confident trust in God that is unshakable when the adversity of life hits you like a wave….(Like right now).

So with all of the chaos our world is throwing at you every single day, I wanted to give you some actual reasons why you can still have faith and HOPE that things are going to still be alright…So here are my 5 reasons for all of us to have HOPE right now…

  1. God is still on the throne – He hasn’t gone anywhere. He is still alive and at work in our world. I know it is very easy to look at what happens in this world and say God is dead or may he is just sleeping because I have heard that before. But I assure you He is alive and well and knows exactly what is happening on this earth.
  2. With man, things are impossible…but with God, ALL things are possible (Mark 10:27) It is so very easy to just give up and give in to all of the adversity that is constantly thrown in our direction because we simply forget Gods promises. Bottom line, God has NO limitations. His ways are NOT our ways and therefore he will not react or think as we do…our response needs to be to simply ask, to trust, and to hope in Him.
  3. You Are Not Alone – As we are told in Joshua 1:5, He will never leave us nor forsake us and I’ve come to realize that me trying to understand the why’s of this world is NOT my job. My job is to completely trust in Him…even though I don’t understand. LET GOD DO THE HEAVY LIFTING. Do you remember the story of Peter when he got out of the boat and started walking on the water to meet Jesus? (Matthew 14:29-30) He was actually walking on water until he took his eyes off of Christ and then what happened? He started sinking fast…and what was his reaction? He cried, “Lord save me!” which is exactly what we are supposed to do…
  4. All of what you are going through right now is only temporary – Weeping may last for the night…but joy comes in the morning (Psalms 30:5). It is easy to “get caught up” with what we SEE. But I am here to remind you that Jesus has prepared a place for all of us IN HEAVEN (John 14:2) and this place we see around us, will all pass away. It is only temporary. Heaven is eternal.
  5. I know how this story ends – All of the difficulty and adversity we face every day sometimes can be overwhelming. In fact, it may seem like the bad guy in this world may be winning. But let me assure you with an overwhelming confidence. Have you ever read Revelation? Because I know who wins in the end. You and I will be victorius.

But you MUST STAY THE COURSE. Don’t give up. Have faith and put your trust in Him and He will give you reason to HOPE…

 

Until next time guys…

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