Songs to Encourage

I woke up this morning with that sinking feeling of "Everything's going wrong in the world.  Everything is falling apart."

Falling apart?

Or falling into place?

I truly think we are headed towards the end times.  In fact, I have been sure for years that it's almost here, whatever "almost" meant.  And so none of what's going wrong in the world surprises me.  I would actually be more surprised if the rapture doesn't happen by the end of the year than I would be if it did.  But that's just me.

Anyway, these songs were on my mind this morning, a comfort in troubling times (godly music, along with prayer and immersing yourself in God's Word, is one of the best ways to fill your heart with hope when the world offers none):

Lord (I Don't Know) by Newsboys  [We don't have to know what's going on or where it's all headed ... because it's enough that He knows!]

Fell Apart by The City Harmonic  [One of my favorite opening lines in a song ever.  It's okay to fall apart .. when you know the One who can put you back together again!]

Hallelujah by Newsboys  [Looking forward to that day!]

My God by The City Harmonic  [I listen to this band practically everyday.  They are a big part of why I never lost faith when times got really tough.  When I get to heaven, the first people I want to find and hug are the members of this band and my on-line pastor, Dr. Tony Evans, whom I turned to after we left our home church of almost 20 years because of their growing Calvinist theology (see this post for more on that).]

Coming My Way  [Getting on with living, heading in His direction, while we're waiting for the Lord to meet us in the middle!  That's what it's all about.]

Praise the Lord by The City Harmonic  [Praising the Lord when all is going wrong - sometimes that's the only way to find peace in the midst of trouble!]

Oh, What Love by The City Harmonic  [This will always be one of my all-time favorites.  There is no greater love than this!] 


(For more great songs, click here.)

Tony Evans - A Challenge to Higher Standards

Since we left our home church last year because of its Calvinist theology, we have been doing church at home, watching videos online.  And my all-time favorite pastor is Dr. Tony Evans.  Hearing him preach these past many months has been so healing to my starved soul.  (I could actually feel my soul suffocating and drying up while we sat under the Calvinist pastor.)  

Anyway, this is the sermon we watched today as a family and - Wow! - was it a great one: A Challenge to Higher Standards!  (If these links don't work anymore, search for the titles of these sermons online.  Someone should have a video or podcast of them.)

It's so relevant to today's culture and so important for Christians to keep in mind, especially since it seems like the end times are fast approaching.


We've also watched these sermons from the same series:

A Challenge to Prioritize Your Priorities

A Challenge to Greater Convictions

A Challenge to Faithfulness

And if you're looking for a great home church, even if you can only attend online, like me, here is Tony Evans YouTube channel.  Watch some videos and be challenged, convicted, and inspired!

Christian Testimony: Pamella - "How I Became a Christian"

Here is Pamella.  She has a very sweet, simple testimony ... in addition to a very sweet personality and voice.  She's someone it would be great to have a conversation with, just listening to her share the faith lessons she's learned throughout the 26 years she's been a Christian.  I appreciate that she shares the gospel in way that is easy for all people to understand.  Just like the gospel was meant to be!

Click here for her 11-minute-long "How I Became a Christian" testimony.  

Giggle Translate #1: Random Facts About Me (skydiving, flashlights, and "I'm a WHAT!?!")

I'm bored.  So I've been running some paragraphs I've written through a bunch of randomly-chosen languages in a row with Google Translate and then back into English, just for giggles.  (I'm not serious, uptight, and a deep-thinker all the time.)  It's like a funny, terrible game of "Telephone."  (FYI: Bad word ahead.  Not my fault.  Blame Google Translate.  But I did bleep out a couple letters.)  

Here are a few of the first ones I've done so far (the original writing was taken from my post "Random Facts About Me, Just For Fun"):

What Will The Rapture Be Like? (repost)

So what will the rapture be like?

Answer: I don't know.

There is no way to know exactly what the rapture will be like until it happens.  So this is only my opinion, based on Scripture, as best I understand it.  

Here are some passages I believe refer to the rapture (though many others believe some of these refer to events during the tribulation):  

Christian Testimony: Gordon - "How I Became a Christian"

This is Gordon.  He is a new believer in his 40's (I believe).  I love that!  I love to hear when adults come to the Lord.  Children believe and trust much more easily, but adults have so much that gets in the way of believing and trusting.  And so whenever an adult comes to the Lord for the first time, I find it amazing and inspiring.  And I love to hear about where they came from, what drew them to the Lord, and how it changed them.

Click here for Gordon's testimony (6 minutes long).  

And click here for his view on what's really going wrong in the world today.  He's got it right.  Such great wisdom and insight for a new believer.  If only all Christians had this accurate perspective and focus - about the reality of the spiritual world and the spiritual battle - then maybe we wouldn't be in the mess we are in!

Welcome to the Family, Gordon!  And God bless you!

One Pastor's Prophetic Dream of Things to Come

I am not one for listening to other people's prophetic dreams or visions.  Far too many people over the years have thought God gave them some sort of special insight, which proved to be false or unimportant.  I am especially wary now since everything seems so "end timesy."  It's far too easy to get caught up in sensationalizing or over-spiritualizing everything. 

But sometimes, someone's account of their dream or vision makes you go, "Hmm."  And while I still don't put much stock into other people's "God told me X,Y, or Z" stories, I do think some things are worth listening to and storing in the back of your mind.  Just in case.  These are strange days and, if we are really headed into the end times soon, then things will probably only get more "supernatural."  And if that's the case, then anything's possible.  

The Stages of the End Times (repost)

(Reposted from 2018.  A shorter version of this post.)

I wrote a section for Christians about “The End Times” in the Bible study I wrote.  But I wanted to write a shorter, easier-to-understand version for everyone else.  With all the hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic activity, “cash-less” technology, terrorism, martyring of Christians, people’s rebellion against God and everything He stands for, disease epidemics, the technology to put little radio transmitters into people’s hands containing their information (and now there's electronic tattoos), the various celestial events, a fast-approaching “one-world system,” a brewing civil war, a brewing world war, the events surrounding Israel and Jerusalem, the search for a new "peace plan" in the Middle East, the events in Syria, the locust swarms, famines, and crazy weather, etc., it seems like a good time to post this.

And no … contrary to a popular “prophecy,” I do not think the world will end with a large Planet X crashing into us.

Oh, no … it’s so much worse than that!  Or better!  Depending on whose side you’re on.

Christian Testimony: Mariah - "Atheist Feels Sorry for Brainwashed Christians Until..."

This is Mariah.  She's got a great story of how she came to the Lord, of finding true hope when all seemed hopeless.  I love it that she is so open, that she comes across so vulnerable and honest and humble.  This is the kind of testimony I love to hear (as was Kyle's testimony - such good, genuine people).  And as she talks, it almost feels as if ... I'm not sure how to explain it, but ... it's almost like she's looking right out of her soul into yours.  Like she's talking right to you, and only you.  I have never before seen such intense, from-the-depths-of-the-soul, heart-felt sharing from someone online.  It was intriguing.  And such a great testimony!

Anyway, here is her testimony: "As an atheist, I felt sorry for brainwashed Christians until Jesus manifested Himself to me!" 

And you can click here for her YouTube channel.

And here is a link for a dream she had, one where she believes God told her that the "probation period" is ending soon.  I don't like to listen to anyone's "prophecies" or "prophetic dreams" ... because they are a dime a dozen, and everyone thinks God gave them some special word that they need to tell the world, and these prophecies rarely come true ... but it's still interesting.  And seeing the condition the world is in right now, it doesn't seem that unlikely.  In fact, I have long thought that we are hurdling towards the end times.  And in the beginning of 2020, it kicked into warp speed.

Anyway, listen to Mariah's testimony and be inspired.  Jesus is still in the business of healing people's hurts and saving people's souls.  The world might have given up on Him, but He hasn't given up on us!

A New Pig Virus? The Next Pandemic?

So apparently Dr. Fauci warns that there is a new pig virus which has the potential to cross over to humans, one that would be similar to the dangerous 1918 swine flu and the 2009 H1N1 virus.

Does this make anyone else wonder if "they" are tipping their hand to us, letting us know which plandemic pandemic is coming next?

Or, at the very least, could it be an attempt to create more fear and panic (since panic over the coronavirus is waning) ... because fearful, panicked people are easier to control?

Just wondering.  Wondering why they need to warn us about a "potential" new virus outbreak when we are still in the thick of this one.  What good can come from speculating about possible future viruses, when we are nowhere near done with this one?  

(Or maybe they think calling it before it happens will help build our trust in them, like "Wow, they were right!  They're so smart!  So I guess we can trust everything they say now and do everything they want us to do.")

I, for one, would not be surprised at all if this new pig virus is the next "unexpected" thing to hit us.

I'm just sayin'.