Daniel 11:40-45 – “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also, the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore, he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.” – NKJV

Daniel 11 is speaking of the man of sin, the antichrist, and reveals what is going to happen to him and his followers.  “He shall come to his end…”   He will have ZERO help because God will deal with him directly.  That is the conclusion and I have cautioned believers for years to refuse to focus on the wrong thing.  STOP worrying about the Antichrist and focus on Christ!

While working for a company that included a very large bank we went through training and one of those sessions dealt with counterfeiting.  The lead instructor asked, “What is the best way to identify counterfeit bills?”  There were many responses and he then said, “It is by becoming so familiar with the original and real that it is second nature to notice subtle variations.”  I have thought about that concerning the devil and his deceptions that if we know the Truth, the Real, Christ and hold the reality that God will not be defeated by the devil we can lay fear to rest.

Please understand, I am not saying there will not be chaos and destruction at the hands of the Antichrist. But even if he were to kill us, he has only accomplished the silencing of our singular voice.  He has not hindered the plan or purposes of God.  Throughout my lifetime I have heard so many theories of who the man of sin is and most of those are now dead.  Some of the modern ones are living and none of them meet my understanding of the Bible prophecies for who he is or his land of origin.  I won’t get into that debate here for that is not my purpose.  My objective is to urge everyone to shift the focus from Wickedness to Holiness!

Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33 where He cautioned against fretting over what is or might happen. He urged us to make the foundational focus of our hearts, the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.  There are many things in biblical eschatology that I cannot answer I seldom get into debates over them.  I love to discuss biblical prophecy and end time events in a session where we are brainstorming and civilly sharing ideas and even theories but when the discussion becomes overly consuming, I move on.  I am concerned about where we are as a nation, a world, and a race of people.  However, I know biblically that the best way to know the ‘false’ is to know the ‘truth’ and that is Jesus and God’s Word!

My understanding of Scripture and even Daniel 11 suggests that the Antichrist will not dominate the entire world for we are told some escape out of his hands and the news of opposition infuriates him.  He will impact the world, but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is our Rock!  I have found that which dominates your thoughts controls your life and I refuse to allow the devil to dominate my thoughts. 

I desire and strive to bring every thought ‘captive’ to the obedience of Christ.  There is a place to ‘warn the wicked’ of impending danger and destruction but at the end of the day, Jesus must be our focus.  In warning others, we may prevent their destruction but just warning is insufficient UNLESS we have something for them to ‘run to’ when they ‘run from’ something.   That something is the Cross, the Gospel, and the Grace of God!

God bless you as you go through this day and refuse to allow fear to overcome you!  God is God and He always will be God!  Blessings!

Luke 21:25-28 – “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,  26 men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  27 “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.  28 “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” NASB

Many of us have heard most of our lives that ‘this is the generation that will see the Lord return’.  I believe that the finale is rapidly approaching, and the predictions of the Bible are coming to pass at an alarming pace.  The one thing that stands out in this passage other than the return of Jesus, which is obviously the most important, is that there will be a time when men faint from fear due to what they see coming on the world. 

We have had it relatively easy in America compared to some parts of the world.  This is especially true with regard to our faith and freedom.  We have been able to worship as we desire with little hindrance from the government and have lived relatively free lives in comparison to many in other parts of the world.  That, I believe is about to change, and everything that can be shaken will be shaken.  We are nearing a time when fear and dread of what is coming will be the prevailing mindset among multiplied millions.

The encouragement I can give is verse 28 – “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”  The finale is coming and coming soon!  I believe that things will continue to grow worse, but we have something upon which we base our confidence and hope that is not of this world.  We have a hope and expectation beyond this life.  We have a liberty and freedom that is not man given and cannot be taken by man.  They may place us in chains, restrict our physical movement but they cannot take our true freedom that comes from God!

Instead of dreading what might be coming, turn your eyes upon Jesus!  Instead of fearing what might happen, turn your eyes upon Jesus!  Instead of wringing your hands and contemplating throwing in the towel of concession in defeat, turn your eyes upon Jesus!  He is the author and finisher of our faith and He will NEVER leave us or forsake us.  The finale is not a bad thing if you are in the family of God.  It is a promotion to the next and eternal phase of our eternal existence. It is simply relocation from this present world to that eternal world where we will spend eternity with the Lord!

Therefore, as you go through this day go in hope and confidence!  Banish fear Oh Lord, banish fear from our lives! 

Proverbs 10:9 – “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.” NASB

The old saying, “Everything that goes around comes around,” is applicable here.  The writer of Proverbs is assuring us that if we maintain Integrity, we will find God’s defense, protection, and leading.  However, if we do not, we will be exposed for the entire world to see.  Which do you choose? 

I know that often we are perplexed as to how and why those who walk in wickedness and deception escape without any visible evidence that they are being penalized for their ways. Conversely those who seek to walk uprightly suffer.  That is not ours to be concerned with as it will only lead to doubt, question, and anger.  Instead, we should walk knowing that there will be “Pay Day Someday” and that whatever is done in secret will be exposed to the light.  It may not be in this world, but it will happen.  I’ve observed that frequently those who walk a perverted path are exposed in time.  Sooner or later their deviousness is brought to light and they are exposed to the light of critical examination.

We should all desire to walk in the ‘Security that God affords’ and to do so we must always maintain integrity in all things.  There cannot be lapses or exceptions to that rule.  Tragically, I know people who believe that they have a business life, a social life, a personal life, a religious life, etc.  They compartmentalize their lives into segments as though they were totally separate and unconnected.   We do not have lives we have A Life!  

You cannot be lacking in Integrity in business and be a person of Integrity in the Church.  It doesn’t work that way.  You either have Integrity or you do not and if you do not in one place you do not in any place.  I can hear someone saying, “Wait, Roy, what about lapses or stumbling.”  I have no problem with the idea that a person might have a momentary lapse and fall short of walking in Integrity but what they do after that lapse is what determines if they maintain Integrity or not.  Do they excuse it, hide it, or do they immediately take it to the Cross confessing their sin and receiving the forgiveness of God?  If others were wounded do, they go to them and ask forgiveness?  Integrity is not whimsical or fleeting.  It is a rock-solid anchor of life and we either have it, demonstrate it or we do not.  If we do then the promise of God is that our way will be Secure!  If we do not God’s promise is, we will be Exposed! 

As you face situations today that give you opportunity to either manifest Integrity or not carefully weigh what is happening and choose the way of Security in Integrity. 

God bless you as you go through this day!

Luke 13:6-9 – “And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.  7 “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’  8 “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'” NASB

This is somewhat of a difficult passage for many people to fully wrap their minds around and accept.  The reason I say that is if you fully examine the message it suggests that there can and will come a time when God through the Holy Spirit will deem that a person has become nothing more than an ornamental shrub rather than a fruit tree in the Kingdom.  Two possibilities can be arrived at in this.  One, if you fail to produce fruit in your life through relationship and obedience to God, He may choose to remove you from the earthly orchard and take you home.  Second, failure to produce fruit separates you from God and that is seen in ‘cut it down.’

Regardless which interpretation you choose, the fact is clear that God is not desirous of ornamental shrubs in his garden He wants trees that ‘bear fruit.’  The kingdom is not enhanced by fruitlessness!  Lives are not touched by fruitlessness!  If we are nothing more than an ornamental shrub in the garden of God, we have little functional value.  I do not mean to suggest that you have to be a pulpit preacher or doing great exploits for the Kingdom simply that you are doing what the Holy Spirit has and does give you to do and being faithful in that.  If you do that you will BEAR FRUIT, the fruit God chooses not the fruit man deems valuable.  Our lives should be trees that the lost can come to and be introduced to the life-changing fruit of salvation.  Our lives should be trees that the saved can come to and receive the life-enhancing fruit of wisdom, knowledge, encouragement, and brotherhood.

We are to be Trees of Righteousness and those trees bear fruit.  If you want to know how Jesus feels about fruitlessness reexamine his reaction to the Fig Tree that had leaves indicating fruit but no figs.  That will move you to serious thought and hopefully such self-examination that you will turn to Him and call out for His mercy and pray like David, “Renew in me a right spirit, create in me a clean heart, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” 

We have been equipped, commissioned, and commanded to Bear Fruit!  Examine your heart and life and if you are fruitless it is time to run to the Throne Room of prayer and cry out for renewal and restoration in an attitude of repentance.

God bless you as you go through your day!

Colossians 3:1-4 – “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”  NASB

I love it when the Bible says ‘therefore’ because if you will continue reading or read the previous you will find out what the ‘therefore’ is there for.  Here the apostle Paul is teaching about the New Self and as he begins his discourse in this passage, he says, THEREFORE…. Therefore what?

1. IF you have been RAISED up with Christ.

That is a conditional statement that renders the remainder null and void if the answer to that assertion is in the negative.  This Only Applies to those who have been Raised Up with Christ in the New Birth.  It only applies to those who have been grafted into the true vine, adopted into the Family of God, and have their names written in the Book of Life.  It is not speaking to everyone but has a specific audience in mind – Believers!

• IF that is your condition THEN keep seeking the things above.

If you are born again by the blood of Jesus then make it a daily and continual practice in your life to SEEK the things of God, those things where Jesus resides at the Right Hand of the Father. 

• IF that is your condition SET your mind on the things above not on the things of the earth.

Your focus, loyalty, and desire are to be spiritual things not earthly things.  That should be the overriding characteristic of your life.

            WHY?  Because you have ‘died and your life is hidden with Christ’.  Because when Christ is revealed, you will be revealed with Him in glory.  You are just a sojourner in this world.  You are just passing through.  Your ultimate citizenship is not this world but the Eternal World of God.  You are looking for the City whose builder and maker is God.  Your desire is God above all else.  You have been transferred or translated from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s Light.  You are BORN AGAIN!  Therefore…

            The ‘therefore’ is there for you to know what you have and where you are headed as well as to give you guidance on How to Live while you make your journey from this natural world to God’s eternal spiritual world – HEAVEN!  You have an assignment, responsibility, and opportunity but your ultimate objective and goal – – ETERNITY!

God bless you as you go through your day!

2 Corinthians 10:1-6 – “Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ — who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” NKJV

It has been my experience in life, both in practice and observation, that too many people just do not know how to fight.  They fight but as one ‘beating the air’ and ‘shadow boxing’ without really accomplishing anything except utter exhaustion and disappointment.  I’ve observed people try to fight spiritual battles with natural weapons and usually end up dividing and alienating other people rather than accomplishing the objective of God and the Spirit of God which is always ‘reconciliation’ and ‘liberty.’

Paul makes it clear that we cannot divest ourselves of ‘the flesh’ we live in an earthly tabernacle of clay called FLESH.  We will battle ‘fleshly tendencies’ as long as we remain on this planet or in this life.  However, he made it equally clear that our ‘battles’ are not to be fought in the natural but the spiritual and that those weapons afforded or supplied to us by God Himself are ‘mighty’ able to pull down ‘strongholds’ and bring every thought into obedience to Christ.  That is powerful!

This leads to the thought that at least part of the battle is waged in the mind.  If we get our thinking right, we will get our acting right, our living right, and our relationships right.  We are not what we think we are, but we are a product of what we think.  We are the product of what we allow to be planted, grow, and develop in our minds.  Our ‘thought life’ is incredibly important and a key part of our ‘spiritual weaponry’ and ‘spiritual warfare.’  Too many fail to comprehend this and never seek to allow the Holy Spirit to have control of our THOUGHTS but let them run around unsupervised and unbridled.  That is not only dangerous it is destructive.

If we are to learn how to fight, we must learn how to bring our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and thereby pull-down strongholds.  We must be ready to bring rogue and destructive thoughts to the Cross and allow them to be crucified there with Jesus nailing them to the Cross and having them covered with the precious blood of Jesus. 

Our thoughts are far more important to our victory in our Christian walk than most are willing to acknowledge because to acknowledge that would mean that they have to take responsibility for what they think.  They could no longer declare, “Well I can’t help thoughts coming.”  That is true but you can prevent them from staying!  You can prevent them from being able to take root and grow.  You are responsible for WHAT YOU THINK.  Our entire person belongs to God, not just parts!

As you go through this day go with the realization that your thoughts are important, and you are responsible for what you think. 

God bless you as you go through your day!

Nehemiah 4:6 – “So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”  NASB

In this account of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, there were obstacles and opposition but Nehemiah had a heart to see the city rebuilt and believed that God’s hand was upon them and the work not only could be accomplished but would be accomplished.  Sanballat, Tobia, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites were all in opposition because it threatened their standing and was a sign that the God of All Living was restoring a people who would follow Him in the land.

Nehemiah says that the wall was built and the whole wall joined together to half its height because the people ‘had a mind to work.’  Nothing ever gets done unless that becomes the attitude of a people.  We have to look past the obstacles and opposition to the God of All Living and realize that He will enable us to accomplish that which appears impossible.  In this labor, several things shine forth to me.

1. The mindset of the people was to DO THE WORK.

They believed the report of Nehemiah and were inspired to invest their time and energy in the accomplishment of the task set before them. 

• The OPPOSITION surfaced almost immediately.

Anytime the people of God begin to move toward accomplishing a God-ordained task the devil’s crowd immediately and viciously attack. 

• The people not only PRAYED, and WORKED, but the ARMED THEMSELVES.

It was not ‘spiritual weapons’ alone that they took up but swords, spears, bows, etc.  They were committed to ‘fighting in the natural’ if necessary to accomplish the purposes of God and achieve their freedom. 

• GOD demonstrated His greatness on their behalf.

God will bring to naught the attempts of the enemy if we will remain faithful and diligent in pursuit of His purposes.

Whatever is set before you by the Spirit of God and any godly challenge presented by the leaders should be entered into prayerfully but with total commitment to see it through to the conclusion.  If we make a total commitment and rely on God we will find SUCCESS!  That my friend is the Secret to Success – – Commitment. Determination and Faith.  Those will be the lights leading us to the successful accomplishment of the purpose set before us.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

1 John 2:1-2 – “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  NASB

It is clear from scripture that only God can forgive sin and that you and I, as sinful human beings, have no claim upon God. Our only access or hope of pardon comes through the sacrificial work of Jesus on the Cross as a sacrifice for the sin of mankind.  It is by ‘grace’ that we are saved through ‘faith’ and not works.  It is recognition of our condition, admission of our guilt, repentance, and reception of what He has done, who He is, and the forgiveness that comes to us as a result.

It is interesting to note that while most of the mentions of the word translated advocate or prakleetos is normally applied to the ministry and person of the Holy Spirit.  Here it is applied to Jesus and depicts the imagery of one representing us in a court of law.  However, it is quite different than what would be the normal course of a human attorney.  For no human attorney would begin his defense of his client by acknowledging their guilt but Jesus does! 

A human attorney would seek to find either justification for the actions of the client or put into question the guilt of that person they represent.  They would be seeking ‘reasonable doubt’ in the minds of the jurors.  Not so with Jesus, He readily and immediately acknowledges our guilt.  He acknowledges that we are guilty as charged and makes no attempt to conceal or justify our sin.  He then becomes surety for us and the universe.  He brings to the fore His sacrifice and identifies that He has satisfied ‘divine justice’ with regard to sin and that based on our repentance and reception of His sacrifice we can be and should be acquitted of the punishment for our sin.  He presents the case for our admission or adoption into the family of God.

Do not think that you will ever be able to argue your case before the Father and win, you won’t.  If you try to stand on your own merit you will fail.  If you fall on the mercy of the court and receive the ‘Blood of Jesus’ as the covering and cleansing of your sin you will walk into eternity ‘white as snow’ having been washed in the blood of the lamb.  The choice is yours.  You can believe and receive, or you can deny and try to justify yourself.  I only recommend the former not the latter.

God bless you as you go through your day!