Ron & Family – Suffering Has Ended
“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
Hi Men:
I pray you had a great week “in” the Lord….
I ran across a list this week of some of the reasons the Bible gives for why Jesus Christ will return at the end of the age. It was a good reminder to review what Scripture actually says. I pulled out just a few of them.
According to the Bible, when Christ returns He will:
- Give relief to believers who have suffered persecution
(Matthew 24:21-22; 2 Thessalonians 1:7) - Bring rest to His people from their earthly labors
(Revelation 14:13) - Resurrect the dead in Christ and gather them to Himself
(1 Corinthians 15:42-44; Philippians 3:20-21) - Redeem believers from this fallen world and their sinful bodies
(Luke 21:28; Ephesians 1:14) - Reward believers for all their work for Him
(2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelations 22:12) - Judge evil and bring divine justice to the world
(Psalm 98:9; Jude 14-15)
Good reasons to keep our eyes on eternity.
PHOTO ABOVE
Last Saturday we had the memorial service for Ron, the husband of my niece, Kristin (see photo). In December of 2017, Ron was diagnosed with one of the most lethal brain tumors known – glioblastoma. For someone his age, the median survival rate is only 14–18 months. Yet Ron survived over eight years, which is extraordinarily rare. Sadly, the disease slowly took away his ability to speak and many of his physical abilities.
During those early years, Kristin and I would meet at my office. Sometimes it was discussing business ideas and prospects, but many times we opened the Bible and talked about what God says about life and eternity. In one of our meetings, we were going through Steps To Peace With God, and 1 Tim 2:5 really impacted her.
Kristin sent me a text in 2018, and said she and Ron stood outside in the pouring rain and Ron accepted Jesus into his life. Glorious News!
In December of 2019, Ron and Kristin came to our home with their 2 daughters. After we took a photo by the horses, Ron and I stayed back for a while. Because of the tumor he could no longer talk, but I shared the gospel with him anyway. Then I asked him, “Ron, have you repented and made Jesus the Lord of your life?”
To my surprise, he said one word: ……… “Jesus”.
At the memorial service last Saturday, I shared some of what I said above, and right before the closing prayer, I told everyone something very simple:
The most important question you will ever ask is, “Where will you spend eternity?”
I briefly showed them Steps to Peace with God and encouraged everyone to pick up the Million Dollar Gospel of John, and told them I had copies of both available at the back of the church. After the service, several people came up and said they had taken one and were going to read John and the Gospel tract.
Only the Lord knows. We just have to be faithful to opportunities that He gives us.
IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD
Earlier this week I stopped by the Walmart Vision Center to order some new glasses. It was unusually quiet – only one other person in the whole place. When I sat down with Lynn, who I’ve seen there before, she took great care of me.
Under her name badge it said she was a Certified Optician and a Proud Veteran, so I asked her about it. That started a great conversation. She told me that when she was younger she wanted to study pathology at the University of Michigan, but her dad wanted her to go to the community college instead. So she came home one day and said, “Surprise… I’m joining the Marines.” She thought that might change his mind. It didn’t. Since she was only 17, he simply signed the paperwork and off she went!
After she shared that story and what her kids and grandkids are doing, I went through my normal routine and asked, “Lynn, I have something I like to give people if you would like it.” Since it was quiet and she seemed very interested, I shared a little of my testimony and then showed her what radically changed my life – the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We walked through a few pages of Steps to Peace with God, Are You a Good Person? tract, the little Jesus card, and the Million Dollar Bill.
I don’t know why I’m still surprised after all these years… but she wanted all of it and was incredibly grateful. Men, these opportunities are everywhere.
And they are so much fun.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Dan
(Gal 2:20)
“The fruit of the Spirit grows only in the garden of obedience”
Men: Not only do we hear the word “WAR”, but we also hear the word “PEACE” I’ve been thinking about “true” peace. This was interesting:
Historians estimate that in the last 3,400 years of secular history, only about 268 years have been free of war somewhere on earth. If we include the Bible’s record of human history going back roughly 6,000 years, the picture doesn’t improve. From Cain killing Abel to the wars of today, humanity has been marked by conflict.
Living in a fallen world, that is why the Bible points us to the coming reign of the Prince of Peace, when swords will finally be beaten into plowshares. What about internal peace? Keep reading…….
Finding Peace – Red Book Day 66
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
1 – Luke 2:14
READ THE PDF HERE / Send it to a friend…
A Taste of Hell
~ Joni Eareckson Tada
Watch On YouTube (2:53 Min)
“Sin is man saying to God throughout his life, ‘Go away and leave me alone.’ Hell is God finally saying to man, ‘You may have your wish.’ It is God’s leaving man to himself, as he has chosen.”
— C.S. Lewis – The Problem of Pain
IRAN & the MAHDI
Even though I’m attempting to watch very little news, one thing that perplexed me was why Iran would attack and provoke its neighboring Muslim states that might appear to be allies?
I think you may find the following explanation interesting…….
Hedieh Mirahmadi Falco
Hedieh Mirahmadi Falco is an Iranian-American who spent more than 20 years working in counterterrorism and national security programs, including serving as a U.S. federal contractor helping build moderate Muslim networks throughout the Middle East. She traveled to more than 35 countries and was deeply immersed in Islamic theology and geopolitics. During this time she was a devout Muslim, but later experienced what she describes as a radical encounter with Jesus Christ, which led her to leave Islam and become a Christian speaker and analyst on Middle Eastern affairs.
Because of her background – both as a Muslim and as a counterterrorism specialist – she speaks with unusual insight into the religious and ideological motivations that can influence Middle Eastern regimes.
In a recent interview, Mirahmadi suggested that some actions by Iran may be influenced not only by politics but also by Shiite Islamic end-times theology. In Twelver Shiite belief, Iran’s dominant religious framework, leaders believe in the future return of the Mahdi…
MAHDI: A messianic Islamic figure believed to appear at the end of history to establish Islamic rule worldwide. According to this theology, the Mahdi is expected to appear during a time of global chaos and corruption.
In short, Mirahmadi’s view is that understanding Iran’s religious worldview can help explain actions that might otherwise seem irrational purely from a geopolitical perspective.
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Men: Check out this short video (YouTube 1:47 min) of Sam Krishna in Kerala, India who become convicted after attending Daniel Janagam’s discipleship workshop
Note from Daniel Janagam:
Sam Krishna, an MTh theological graduate serving the Lord since several years, very much worried that Kerala Pentecostal churches drifting away from the scripture & truth. Sam attended our discipleship workshop, convicted by the Holy Spirit; decided to train younger generation with the real word of God and real Jesus from the Gospels. Glory to God for His works.
What To Do While You Wait To Die
Two years back, I included this article in the Friday Letter. I’m putting it in again because it is excellent. There will come a time you will be able to forward this to someone that is waiting to die…….
Here Is The Link – What To Do While You Wait To Die
The Cost of True Christianity
