In 1 Corinthians 9:24 the apostle Paul says that he is exercising self control in every area of his life in order to win the race that he is in and the prize that will last for all eternity. The prize is to be the person who sits at right hand of Jesus on His throne even as Jesus sits at the right side of the Father’s throne. This goal in Paul’s life kept him on fire and full of passion for the Lord. Most believers don’t understand the end of life judgment that we must all go through and the rewards or lack of rewards that we will receive from Him. Because of this lack of understanding most believers are apathetic in living their life as believers for Christ and growing in their walk with Him. It really doesn’t matter if they grow or not or accomplish anything for the Lord of significance. In their thinking they are saved by Grace, no works required, so now that they are headed for heaven nothing else really matters.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

The rewards that we receive or don’t receive at the “Judgment Seat of Christ” are significant and last for a long, long time.

Today I went Chinook Salmon fishing on the Colombia River with 3 other friends, and we limited out with two fish apiece plus four Jack Salmon, (under 20 inches) twelve salmon in five hours of fishing. We lost another six fish and a sea lion ate two more fish. It was a good day of fishing. As I think about today I realize that I enjoyed the fellowship with my friends as much as I did the actual reeling in of big fish.

We are created by God in His image, and God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are community in their oneness, and essence. We naturally seek fellowship with other people, we need fellowship to grow in character, we need fellowship to experience and have a healthy soul, and we need fellowship to have joy.

The Bible, the Holy Word of God gives us commands like, “love one another,” “forgive one another,” “accept one another,” “encourage one another,” “comfort one another,” “serve one another,” and “pray for one another.” The Bible is a book inspired by God for us, and most of it teaches us how to have a wonderful relationship with God and with other people, that is what life is about.

Thousands of Doctors and Scientists have recently signed a document stating that the “lockdown” which is supposed to prevent the spread of the COVID thing, which restricts people from gathering together is the wrong thing to do because the damage that is done to people’s mental, emotional, and psychological health is greater than the consequence of the disease, as well as the consequences to the economy and people’s welfare. The devil knows that as he works through politicians and the media. As I read about the various battles taking place it seems obvious to me that the “lockdowns”, “social distancing”, and “masks” are much more about controlling people than saving them.

As people we have the capacity to love others and we also have the capacity to hate them. We can help and save or kill and hurt. We can nurture, teach and coach so people can flourish, be fulfilled, and be free, or we can dominate, squelch, and control them so they are slaves. It is amazing how the evil that is in all of us can raise it’s ugly head and then grow into a monster so that instead of controlling ourselves we want to control others, obsessively so.

When you study the Bible on the topic of the devil, his demons, and their control over the lives of people, you discover that their primary tool is creating fear in us, and then they can control us. The devil is the father of lies and he creates fear by getting us to believe lies. The devil and his demons use people to promote their lies and their agenda called in the Bible, “the doctrines of demons.”

The foundation of all fears is the fear of death. The COVID thing has created a ton of fear, and it has been hyped by the media to move fear to cultural hysteria. We recently had a bunch of wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres of timber and many homes. The culprit once the fires got going was the wind, which caused the fire to spread rapidly and burn with intense heat. When I am burning brush piles I put my leaf blower down so that it blows directly on the small flame and soon the fire is going very strong and hot, and burns the wettest of brush with ease. The media was just like a big wind blowing on the COVID thing until our entire country was consumed with fear. Once fear gets going it spreads and grows and begins to feed on itself as people who are fearful will believe most anything, and do most anything.

Those who are followers of Jesus Christ are admonished in the Bible to fear nothing but God. Our freedom from fear makes us totally free. Hebrews 2:15 says, “He will free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” A favorite of many people is the 23rd Psalm and verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.”

I am working at being free from all fear by anticipating my death every day, welcoming my death every day, imagining my death every day, and reminding myself that to die is to enter glory with God.

Progressive politicians, leftist media outlets, secular universities, multinational corporations, and the entertainment industry are actively seeking a socialist agenda. The term that is used now is “Scientific Socialism.” How many times have we heard the slogan “We must follow the science!” The problem for me is the science keeps changing. The question that comes into my mind almost daily is, “Who is actually controlling the data and statistics that our leaders are supposed to rely on to determine the appropriate “scientific” response to the pandemic?” Good scientist who disagree are blackballed and censored. Former President Obama recently said, “listen to the experts, and follow science.” These words come from a Marxist/Socialist philosophy that has as it’s goal a planet run by a bureaucracy of technocrats.

The primary goal of Socialism is control over people using a science based humanism in which unelected experts determine global priorities, and enforce a science based code of conduct in which the individual and his rights are diminished for the sake of the greater good, and the health of planet earth as supreme.

Scientific Socialism will destroy any culture and country. It suppresses independent thought, it crushes creative enterprise, it eliminates free speech, it publicly shames and criminalizes those who disagree, and it actively turns people away from worshipping God and leads to a humanistic and godless tyranny.

I have been in Communist China, and in Communist Vietnam a number of times on short term missions trips, and have visited extensively with missionaries who have visited Cuba, and can’t imagine anyone with any level of intelligence and insight wanting that for our country. Between the years of 1917 and 2017 Marxist governments have been responsible for the deaths of approximately 100 million people in the name of the “good of society.”It is hard to imagine a 100 million people being murdered by their own governments.

The only way to make sense of this push to “transform America” is to understand that it is demonic to it’s core. I am going to be teaching a class on “Eschatology,”the study of the end times, and the goal of the devil as you study the Bible, is a one world economy, a one world government, and a one world religion.

As Christians we need to understand that things are going to get worse and worse, but as they do our ability to influence people around us is going to increase, but only if we live our lives with one foot in heaven. I truly believe that all that is happening is a clear sign that Jesus is returning soon, and that we need to live our lives as the only hope for many to know Jesus and live with Him forever. “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us, be reconciled to God!”

My class will start next Sunday, October 18th, it will be in the main Sanctuary from 10:15 to 11:15 am.

I was flying home from Mexico yesterday, and we hit a momentary turbulence which made the plane buck a bit. My imagination kicked into high gear, and I imagined the pilot coming on the loud speaker announcing that the jet engines had quit, and we were going to crash. But we were fairly close to the Pacific Ocean so they were going to try and reach the ocean before all elevation was lost, because the chance of survival was about 10% greater with a powerless landing on water rather than land. There was WiFi on the plane so I quickly googled “time to crash powerless jet at 30,000 feet,” and it said about 8 minutes.

So, our plane is losing altitude rapidly, and the probability of living is close to zero. I have 8 minutes, what am I going to think about? Am I going to feel remorse over my sins, my lack of accomplishments, or am I going to feel excited about my soon entry into the presence of God and the glory I will experience beyond comprehension? I imagined that most people in the plane would be screaming hysterically. Would I be filled with fear or would I have a strong peace because of my confidence that I would see Jesus in a few minutes? Would I attempt to share the gospel quickly with people around me? I could yell as loud as I could that I had the answer to getting into heaven so listen carefully and follow my instructions otherwise you are going to die in a few minutes and go straight to hell. I wondered if anyone would listen.

I was startled out of my private movie when a real voice came over the loud speaker and announced that we would be landing in a few minutes, I guessed it would be about 8 minutes! I prayed silently right then thanking the Lord for my faith, the confidence that it gave me, the peace, the strength, and the freedom from fear that were mine because of the Holy Spirit living in me, because I was a follower of Jesus.

I thought of the verses I had recently memorized from Philippians, “my citizenship is in heaven, from where I eagerly wait for my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In Philippians Paul says, “join in following my example.” Leadership is not about title or position it is about the amount of influence you have on the people around you. Do people who know you well change their behavior, their opinions, and their values to be more inline with you in these areas? The more people act like you, believe what you believe, and become like you in their values the stronger your leadership.

This power to influence people is called charisma, it is called magnetism, and it is called giftedness, but what it is more than anything else is God’s power working through a person to influence another person to change, to grow, to accomplish. That power of God is given to those who meet certain qualifications, and when they do God uses them. I teach a leadership class each year to men and to ladies. I am not teaching the skill of leadership, but I am teaching what God requires of us in the way of behavior and character if He is going to give us His power. God works through and uses certain kinds of people. In the case of David He called it, “a man after my own heart”. Paul told Timothy, his prodigy that if he would become a certain kind of person than God would declare him to be “a golden vessel, set apart, useful to the master, prepared for every good work.”

I have identified some key character traits and behavior patterns that God promises to bless and use. I teach these principles in my “Leadership Class” and those who get it and change their behavior accordingly become leaders because they start influencing others around them, some dramatically so.

Being a person who positively influences others is very rewarding. Join me in my leadership class and learn what God blesses, values, and uses to accomplish His will in the lives of other people. Ladies leadership is Sunday morning at 8:00 am, and Men’s Leadership is Saturday nights at 5:30 pm and Sunday afternoon at 1:00 pm.

Many mornings when I do a quick read of the news on my iPad I will say, “I don’t see anything about a bunch of people who have disappeared, the rapture must not have happened, so we didn’t get left behind!” Patty just rolls her eyes at me, and humors my attempt at eschatological humor.

One of the discussions that comes up with followers of Jesus Christ is, “does the rapture take place before, in the middle of, or at the end of the Tribulation?” As a believer in Jesus that is a pretty serious question because it is also asking the question, “do Christians go through the tribulation.” If you read the description of the Tribulation in the last book in the Bible, Revelation you will quickly come to the realization that those seven years are a hundred times worse than now. Then it will be a “mark” on the back of our hand or on our forehead instead of a face mask that everyone is expected to have, and instead of getting scolded, or fined, or catching COVID, we will be killed if we don’t comply. The bad thing about agreeing to receive the “Mark” is that the consequence is far worse than being killed.

Revelation 14:9-11 Then another angel . . . saying with a loud voice, “If anyone . . .receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone . . . forever and ever; they have no rest day and night,

I am going to start teaching a class on Eschatology, Sunday mornings, October 18th, at 9:15 to 10:15 am. We will look at what the Bible says about the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Kingdom of God, and many other very important topics. We will look at what are some of the “signs of the times,” and what they suggest about when Jesus is coming back.

1 Peter 2:17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Acts 23:2-5 The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

President Obama was my least favorite President of those I have lived under, but it was a rare week that I didn’t pray for him and ask God to give him wisdom, to fill him with a knowledge of God’s will, and to protect him from the evil one. Our Governor, Kate Brown is my least favorite politician of all kinds, for all time, but I pray for her as well. I disagree with most of the decisions of our governor, I have written many emails to her office communicating that fact, and I signed the petition trying to recall her. If Joe Biden gets elected President he will take over top spot, or rather bottom spot from both Obama and Kate Brown.

I get in discussions, like most of you, with other people, both verbal and in writing about the politics of the day and my view about things, and some of them get fairly heated. But I try very hard to remember that there is a right way and a wrong way to talk about a leader of our country. A wrong way is to make jokes about them that are mean, rude, and insulting, though they may be funny. A wrong way is to call them derogatory names, though when you hear someone else do it, you smile. I have blown my commitment to honor the leaders of our country occasionally, but I try to remember to confess it to the Lord as sin and repent of ever doing it again before going to sleep.

I have read so many crude comments, heard so many very rude jokes, and seen so many stupid cartoons about the fly that landed on Vice President Pence’s head during the debate in the last day. Really, what does that have to do with anything. If I did that, what would that say about my character, my maturity, and my fear of the Lord.

Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Five of us left JBC this morning at 3:00 am for the airport where we boarded a plane for Los Angeles and then after a two hour layover we boarded another plane to Cabo San Lucas and then a three hour car ride to La Paz where I sit now in a motel writing this blog at 9:30 pm. Tomorrow morning we get up at 5:30 am, eat breakfast at 6:00 am and then leave to go fishing all day in the sea of Cortez which is on the East side of Baja. We will be fishing for Dorado, Tuna, Sailfish, Marlin, Wahoo, Pargo, Bonita, and a variety of bottom fish. My goal is to bring a hundred pounds of an assortment of frozen fish back with me on the airplane. I am thinking that will be an easy goal to meet from what I see on the videos of fishing in this place, but we will see. I have had similar goals in the past and caught nothing, that is fishing, and I love it, good days and bad.

In the Gospel of Luke Jesus asked Peter how fishing was, and he responded by saying, “ we fished all night, we fished hard, and caught nothing.” Jesus said, “go back out and try again,” they did and caught so many fish their nets began to tear. I don’t think that is a norm for fishing that I can claim for myself, even though I am a Pastor. It would be really cool if I could claim that blessing for myself, I really would be the greatest fisherman in the world.

I am going to start teaching a “Doctrine and Theology” class on October 18th from 9:15 to 10:15 am, between the two Sunday morning services at JBC. Last year I taught on the Trinity, Creation and Evolution, and on Hermeneutics. This year I am going to teach on Eschatology or prophecy because of the times we are living in. As you study the various theological topics you discover that there are a lot of different interpretations of the Bible and many different views. The main reason for the great variety is because of the poor job that people do in hermeneutics, that is in deciding what the author of any given book in the Bible meant when he wrote what he did. There are principles or rules of hermeneutics that must be followed if a proper understanding of a particular passage of scripture is to be arrived at. A basic rule is, “there is one, and only one interpretation of any given passage of the Bible, and it has to do with the people that the passage was originally written to.” We, you and I, make applications of the primary interpretation to our own life, but only after we discover the one, true interpretation. God told Adam and Eve that they could eat from any tree in the garden except one. So is there a tree in my life that I shouldn’t eat from? What is the application to our life from that event in the Bible. The application I have made is, “When God gives a clear command, don’t break it, otherwise there will be serious consequences both for yourself and possibly for many others in your life.”

I invite you to join me in my class as we talk about the Tribulation, the rapture, the second coming, the anti-Christ, the Kingdom, and a bunch more information about the coming days that you will find very interesting.