A couple of thousand years ago the days were dark, and wickedness had prevailed upon the land largely due to aberrant teaching and a lack of consecration to God on the part of the priests:  
1 Samuel 2:12   Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the LORD.
 The problem was, that even though Eli was a priest himself, his heart grew complacent and lackadaisical and the Word of God no longer was viewed as the Authority.  What was the result of this attitude?  It was passed down to his children and they would eventually grow up with a greater contempt towards God than their father.
 But, as He often did in Israel’s history, God began to solve the problem by sending  . . . A baby!  Think of Moses, and John the Baptist, not to mention Jesus!  Bible Commentator Warren Wiersbe said it well when he penned, “Babies are God’s announcement that He knows the need, cares about His people, and is at work on their behalf.  The arrival of a baby ushers in new life and a new beginning; babies are signposts to the future, and their conception and birth is a miracle that only God can do!”  Thus, God was going to send a baby to turn things around for the people . . . And it was then that the Prophet Samuel was born.
 A few of us will honor Sanctity Of Life Day on January 21, 2018, and if we look at how dark this world has become, the numbers are both staggering and heartbreaking:
Abortion Stats:
89% of all abortions in the United States are performed in the first trimester of pregnancy.
11% of all abortions in the United States are performed in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
WORLDWIDE
Number of abortions per year: approximately 42 million.
Number of abortions per day: approximately 115,000.
UNITED STATES
Number of abortions per year: 1.21 million. (2005)
Number of abortions per day: approximately 3,315.
WHO’S HAVING ABORTIONS?
50% of women obtaining abortions in the U.S. are younger than 25.
66% of all abortions are performed on never-married women; married women account for 18% of all abortions; and divorced women obtain 9.4%.
BUT EVEN MORE ALARMING . . . WHAT RELIGIONS ARE THE ABORTION SEEKERS?
Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 43% of all abortions in the U.S.
Catholic women account for 27%.
Jewish women account for 1.3%.
And women with no religious affiliation obtain 24% of all abortions.
And 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as born-again or Evangelical.
 In makes perfect sense that the devil wants to eradicate babies . . . After all, babies who are properly taught the Word of God and have embraced Jesus as their Authority can turn this thing around!  As adults we need to share the facts!  
An abortion procedure will certainly kill one of the two people involved, if not both.  
The feminist movement is continuously fighting for the right to kill babies, approximately 50% of which are feminine . . . This is the pinnacle of hyperisy!
Abortion does not remove a “burden”, but rather brings on more; Depression. Guilt. Anxieties. And the upending knowledge that a person has taken another persons life.  
And there are many, many, more.  
(For more information on the history of abortion and its many effects, from the individual mother to society as a whole, I would highly recommend the book, “Choosing For Two” by Dr. David Ross.)
 As a nation, we have made some grave mistakes.  The primary was turning away from God’s Word as the Authority.  But secondarily, we have allowed leaders to be voted into power who purvey wickedness and not righteousness.  And what are they trying to take from us?  Our children!
 I would argue that one of the last hopes we have as a society rests in our children.  This is why we need to teach them the Word of God:
Deuteronomy 6:6-7   “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
 The world may be full of people who are willing to sacrifice their children on the alter of self-aggrandisement . . . But I am not one of them!  Maybe the reason I was allowed to live was so I could share this one message during a time such as this, and therefore I will not be kept silent.  
 May the Lord Jesus Himself, forgives our sins, and allow us to be a people who will stand up and let Truth of His Word and His Name be heralded through this land once again!
In Him,
Frank

As I was studying Mathew 21:1-11 in preparation for my teaching on Palm Sunday, I read through the following two verses and started to really become amazed:
Matthew 21:4-5   All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
 Most of us today, especially in America, have very little understanding of a true monarchy.  In fact, as Americans, we tend to shun the idea.  After all, that is exactly what our Founding Fathers did as they forged a new country.  They left a monarchy of tyrannical rule in order to establish a nation based on democracy and freedom where no man is subjected to another.  This may have been great for intentions sake, but there was a King coordinated over 2,000 years ago that many will miss because we do not understand what a true and loving monarchy is about.  
 Whenever a king or queen is coronated, usually there is an elaborate ceremony with kings or queens dressing in the most extravagant and expensive robes and being driven in the streets by ornate carriages drawn by horses, or at least a styling motorcade.  Accompanying them are usually the greatest soldiers that their nation has to offer.  Then there are the foreign dignitaries that give amazing oratorios to share how great the new king or queen is.  At the end there is usually a crown, or scepter, or some king of significant artifact, that is given to the new reigning monarch to show the transference of power.  Following this, the large crowd that has gathered usually erupts with applause and some times even the singing of the national anthem.  It is all quite the spectacle designed to show such attributes as power, majesty, glory, and honor.    
 I even found the following historical tidbit . . . “At her coronation in 1838, Queen Victoria of England wore a crown encrusted with giant rubies and sapphires surrounding a 309 – carat diamond!  Her scepter was capped with an even larger diamond, cut from the Star of Africa and weighing 516 1/2 carats!”  That is quite impressive indeed.
 But in Matthew 21:1–11 we read about the most significant coronation that ever was, and yet it was the exact opposite of what we just described!
There was no pomp.
There was no splendor.
In fact, there was no real sort of pageantry at all.
 Truly, it would have been absolutely unimaginable that any king, much less Jesus, the King of kings, come riding into His coronation on a donkey!  Where’s the white stallion?  Where is regal chariot with all of the carnal fanfare?  
 Rather, the Son of David chose to ride in to Jerusalem on a donkey!  But this is exactly what God’s Prophets predicted would happen:
Zechariah 9:9   Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
Isaiah 62:11   Indeed the LORD has proclaimed To the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.’”
 The prophet Zechariah had predicted that the people of Jerusalem would hail the Messiah as their King as He was coming into the city and that He would be gentle, humble, and riding on a donkey . . . And this is exactly what happened!
Jesus did not come (at that time) to to reign in fleshly power or splendor.
He had no wealth, and in fact was actually impoverished.
There was no grand entrance, but rather meekness and humility accompanied Him.
He was not there to conquer Israel’s enemies as many had hoped.
Instead, He came to save all of mankind, even the most vile and wretched of them, including myself.
 The crucifixion was not an accident about to unfold . . . It was all part of God’s predetermined plan.  In other word’s Jesus life was not taken from Him, but rather it was given by Him:
John 10:17-18   “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
 Therefore what we are reading in the pages of holy Scripture here not only  demonstrates Jesus omniscience, but His omnipotence!  His coronation would not follow the standards of the world, but rather it was exactly God wanted it to be.  A Savior, riding on a beast of burden because He was going to carry the burdens of the world onto the cross with Him in just a few days.  
 But the crowd did not get it.  
Matthew 21:10   And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
 All we have to do is notice that the crowd was “moved”, but they still had no idea Who Jesus truly was.
 This is the reason for my writing today . . . Many will be “moved” over the next couple of weeks during Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, but they truly have no idea Who Jesus really is and what He truly came to do.  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whether we acknowledge it at all, and yet He humbled Himself and was obedient to death, even the death of the cross.  This is Jesus.  Our Savior.  Our Redeemer.  He is the Conquering King Who will one day return to take those who belong to Him home to a place that He is preparing.  
 Are we ready?  It is imperative that we do not miss this.  After all, being “moved” during the next couple of weeks means nothing unless we have bent our knee and confessed Jesus as Lord and have Him residing in our hearts.  Then, and only then, are we truly “ready” because we understand the difference of The Tale Of Two Crowns.

When I was younger, I remember my parents offering me some particular advice in regards to certain difficult decisions, “You have to decide whether or not it’s worth fighting for.”  Comments with similar meanings are used many times in our world and have often even been passed off as being too cliche’.  Little did I realize that this is not only a stable platform from which to make serious decisions, but it is also one rooted in God’s word and sharing a heart after God.  Allow me to explain . . .
2 Samuel 23:8-12   These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time.  And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated.  He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.  And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines.  But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
 The words “Mighty Men” in the Hebrew means men who were Great, valued, or intense.  People who were important, powerful, and ultimately able to do great things.  
 But one of these, Mighty Men” really stuck out to me.   Eleazar was from the tribe of Benjamin and he fought beside David against the Philistines, probably at Pas Dammim:
1 Chronicles 11:11-14   And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him at one time.
 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.  He was with David at Pasdammim. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. So the people fled from the Philistines.  But they stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
 During this battle, many of the Israelite soldiers were retreating, but Eleazar remained in his place and fought:
2 Samuel 23:10   He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword.
 This is a mighty man . . . One who remembers where the battle is and stays and fights!
 The Lord honored the faith and courage of David and Eleazar and gave Israel a great victory!  But it’s not enough to observe the fight, we need to understand why the fight is worth fighting? “Why should they have risked their lives to defend a field of lentils and barley?”   Because the land belonged to the Lord, that’s why!  
Leviticus 25:23    “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.  And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.
Leviticus 18:24–30   “Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.  For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.  You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.  For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
 “Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God.’ ”
 The principle is that Shammah didn’t want the defiled Philistines to control what belonged to God, and neither should we.  Therefore, we must stand and fight!
 This brings us to a threshing floor of realization mixed with a deeper line of questioning . . . What are the things that God has given us?  The reason we need to ponder this is that it will lead us to  answer the question, “What is worth fighting for?”  I want to address this specifically by dealing with the relationships within the typical “immediate” family structure.  
 Our relationship with God Himself.  Scripture clearly points out that God is the Initiator of the relationship we are in with Him.  He chose Israel, not because they were special, but because He loved them.  The same was true for Jesus’ disciples as He plainly told them in John 15:16a, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you . . .”  Thus, all of us have been pursued by God and drawn into a relationship with Him because of His love for us.  But we have to reciprocate this love since this is what is required in a relationship.  As James tells us, we must, “submit ourselves to God” and cling to Him.  There are many entities that try and separate us from the loving relationship we are in with our Father . . . Some from within, and some that bring the conflict from without.  Whatever the case may be, we have to come to the conclusion that our relationship with God, though the Person of His Son Jesus, is worth fighting for.  Have we sought His face today in ample time of prayer?  Have we devoted a portion of our day to having Him speak to us through His word?  Have we spent at least as much time feeding the spirit as we have feeding the flesh?  As we take an inventory of all the time we have in any given day, allow your grip to be strengthened and raise the Sword of the Spirit to defend the most precious of all of our relationships, that of us to our Heavenly Father.  
 The spouse that God has given us.  It’s very interesting to me, that immediately following the fall Adam blamed God for giving him what up to this point was a blessing.  When God created the woman for the man in Genesis chapter 2, he was ecstatic!  But no sooner had Adam neglected His relationship with God, the relationship of he and his wife suffered.  “Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12)  Within this one sweeping statement, Adam desecrated both of his relationships . . . First by blaming God for giving him the woman, and then trying to pass the guilt of this sin onto his wife.  Adam’s problem was that for the first time, he was fighting with his wife and not fighting for her!  Within the husband and wife relationship, God has allowed us to be more “interconnected” with one person than with anyone else on the planet which is why Jesus said, “The two shall become one flesh.” (Mark 10:8)  Within the pages of Scripture, we have some of the most horrific sins committed within the marital relationships, deceitful plotting, lying, adultery, etc.  But if this is all we see we have missed out on the fact that a marriage should be a reflection of the relationship of Jesus to the church!  He will never leave us!  He will never forsake us!  He will always be faithful to us!  He will never divorce us!  In short, when sin became the obstacle that separated us, He went to the cross and and died for us because He believed we were worth fighting for!  Therefore, if our marriage is a reflection of our relationship with Jesus, we need to stand and fight!  We will pray for our spouse!  We will love our spouse!  We will defend our spouse, both in body and in character!  We will cling to one another and encourage one another in God’s Word!  As we stand at the precipice of the battle, our grip strengthens and we will stand and fight because our marriage is worth fighting for!
 The children that we have been blessed with.  Needless to say, as adults we clearly understand that the fight also rages for the souls of our children.  As parents we walk a really fine line, trying to be both parent and friend, and mentor our offspring in the direction that we are going as we pursue the Person of Jesus.  Not only is this not easy, but as they get older it can become downright combative.  We are warned in in Ephesians 6:4 “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”  So not only are we to train them, but we cannot provoke them within the process as this will hinder growth rather than nurture it.  The problem is that this concept has led many parents to become timid and surrender their children to their own whims and desires, rather than focussing them to pursue what the Lord wants for them.  I want to remind us that we have been given authority over our children and until such time as they belong to another as part of their immediate or “primary” family, they belong to us and we must fight.  We have to view it this way . . . Everyone belongs to another.  The Bible makes it clear, people either belong to God, or the devil.  They either belong to the group of believers, or are in fellowship with unbelievers.  Our children belong to someone, and until they are in another family relationship, that someone is us!  Therefore we will stand and fight!  Well how do we do that?  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 gives us a clear strategy, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  We will pray for them!  We will talk with them!  We will walk with them!  We will write it down for them!  We will live the example for them!  We will put our “following Jesus” on display for them within our homes!  And, this will happen from the time we get up, until the time we go to sleep!  This task may seem daunting, but the souls of the only people we are responsible for are at stake and so retreating is not an option!  Do we feel the weight of the sword?  Is the impression of the handle one with our palm?  Is the blade an extension of our own are.  Are we war-weary and exhausted?  If the answer to these questions are not, “Yes.”, then there is a change that needs to occur, because what is at stake is far more valuable than most things that world wars have been fought over . . . These are the things that God has given and must be defended at all costs.  
 After looking at all of this, the answer to the questions, “What is worth fighting for?”, can be answered by one simple word . . . Family.  God has seen fit, by His divine plan and purpose for us, to place these people within our lives in the most intimate ways that humans can be interconnected, and these relationships are worth fighting for!  Oh, I know we may be getting tired, and this older body may be less fit to do battle than it was in times past, but the reality is that our family is at stake here!  Therefore, we must tighten our grip on the hilt and allow the blade to flash in whatever direction the Lord may lead!  Not until it sticks to our hand and our resolve is made clear, being forged in the battle we were chosen to endure, will we truly understand that whatever God has given to us is worth fighting for!

Joshua 24:15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
This morning I woke up to what the news is calling, “An historic day in America”. Today, within the USA, the Supreme Court misinterpreted our Constitution in what amounts to a judicial overreach provided within this core document of the United States.
Need I remind us as Americans that the whole reason our Country was founded was to evade a state-run tyrannical religion that imposed it’s interpretation of religious beliefs upon the people within it’s borders. Therefore, our founding fathers including William Bradford and those that followed, broke away from this tyranny to be able to worship God in the manner that He, not the state, describes.
Within this new Country, we developed documents and laws around the idea of protecting us from another such onslaught. William Blackstone, the man whom many claim to be the architect of many of America’s legal principles stated, “As man depends absolutely upon his Maker for everything, it is necessary that he should, in all points, conform to his Maker's will. This will of his Maker is called the law of nature. This law of nature, dictated by God Himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at all times: no human laws are of any validity if contrary to this; and such of them as are valid derive all their force, and all their authority from this original. Upon these two foundations, the law of nature and the law of revelation, depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should be suffered to contradict these.” (William Blackstone “Commentaries On Law”, 1723-1780)
It appears that our elected and judicial leaders have forgotten, or ignored, or are just plain ignorant of where we have come from. To them, Abraham Lincoln issued a stern advanced warning, “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.” (Abraham Lincoln, “Proclomation Appointing A National Fasting Day”, 1863)
God Himself is the Author and Architect of marriage, and therefore is the only One Who may define it’s terms. Biblical marriage is rooted in God Himself, and it is an act of worship, not a “right” given by some government that is intoxicated with a false sense of empowerment that is not interested in true love at all, but rather self-aggrandizement.
A feigned mantra of “love” surrounds this topic, yet only a truly loving Person would warn a sinner about the impending judgment that accompanies a lifestyle of unrepentant sin. In fact, over two thousand years ago, such a Person, Jesus the Christ, came to warn people to, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And then, in an act of unprecedented love, went to the cross to be crucified for for the sins of mankind. Jesus Himself then said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:13-14) Let there be no mistake about it, obedience to God is a condition of those who would consider themselves “friends of God.”
Therefore, in love and sincerity, me and my house, my heart, my church, my marriage will serve the Lord Jesus Christ! For I have One Authority, and One Savior to whom I will give account on that great and glorious day, and to Him only will I pledge my allegiance and obedience now and forevermore.
Sincerely and with both feet planted firmly on the foundation which Jesus Himself has laid,
Frank L. Figueroa Jr.
Pastor of Waipio Grace Brethren Church

1John 3:1a   Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
 Are we amazed at God’s love for us?  John sure was.  As he wrote his first letter to the church, he paused right in the middle of it and was overcome by a single thought, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”
 The idea that God loves us should be incomprehensible to most of us.  There are a few of us who might be able to scratch at the surface of this concept . . . It is similar to an orphaned child.  Someone who is alone and incapable of taking care of themselves.  Someone who is surrounded by others, yet tragically “belongs” to no one.  This usually leads to feelings of hopelessness and despair because the situation cannot be rectified by the orphan as he is the one who needs to “belong” and be acquired by another.  
 It is at this point that we “behold” the amazing love of God!  God has created us to “belong,” and life was never meant to be walked alone.  How do we know this?  God Himself has never been Alone.  He has always been in fellowship within the Trinity of the Godhead . . . God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, have always been, and will always be, in relationship with one another.  This is the essence of the family.  In fact, God has allowed trinitarian relationships within the family to reflect this: God, the husband, and the wife; The husband, the wife, and the children; God, the family, and their community; etc.  There are obviously many more, but these things exemplify our need to “belong” and be a part of the family.
 But what about those of us who have walked separate from God, or maybe even walked away from God?  As our verse says, God loved us and decided to bestow on us the gift of “adoption,” but He was very specific in how He chose to do it:
Ephesians 2:18-19   For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.  Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
 Through Jesus, we belong to the Father.
 Through Jesus, we are no longer “strangers”.
 Through Jesus, we have been adopted into the “household of God”.
 Through Jesus, God has demonstrated that He loves us, and has done so by making us His children.
 Therefore, we need to stop for a moment in the middle of our busy lives and reflect just as John did, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”  Through Jesus, we belong to God and are a part of His family and this should leave us amazed!

It’s Christmas Eve . . . What are we waiting for?  Oh, everybody is waiting for something.
 For some, it’s time spent with friends and family that they otherwise don’t get to see.  A few hours surrounded by the smiling faces of loved ones sometimes makes us feel like we have gotten something out of Christmas.
 For others, it may be the special food during this time of the year. Gingerbread cookies, or egg nog and spiced cider, maybe even a special meal.  But even after we get these things, we will soon be hungry again for something else.
 If we’re honest, for most of us, it’s the presents!  All of the gifts wrapped in shiny paper that we get to peel open and hopefully we get what we always wanted.  That is, until we want something else and then the whole cycle starts again.
 Well, what were they waiting for at the first Christmas?  There were two things that the world desperately needed then . . . Forgiveness for the sins that they had accumulated, and the comfort that only true forgiveness can bring.  They may not have “wanted” these things, but they NEEDED them . . . And God gave mankind what was NEEDED, not necessarily what was wanted, and this came in the Gift of His Son Jesus Christ.
 The same is true for us today . . . What are we waiting for?  Is it what we want, or what we need?

"Are you for real?!"

It'a a question we get asked quite a bit among a world full of people surrounded by things that are fake.  Fake hair. Fake fingernails.  Fake __________. (this blank is for the body parts that are not able to be mentioned) And these only constitute the externals . . .
Among us there are also fake smiles.  Fake gestures.  Fake attitudes.  Fake affection.  It's no wonder we as people are astonished by truth and reality.  The reason is that these two things go together and it hit me in a big way as I was studying today.  Allow me to briefly explain . . .
Jesus describes Himself as He who is true.  
Revelation 3:7b   “These things says He who is holy, He who is true, ‘He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
The word "true" is defined as follows:
True = aÓlhqino/ß   aleœthinos = Real.  Unfeigned.  Trustworthy.  
In this same verse Jesus also described himself as someone who is Holy:
Holy = a‚gioß   hagios = Dedicated to purity and righteousness.
But in the context of this verse, holiness and truth are working together to substantiate reality!  
 In fact, Truth is used in combination with Holiness to describe God quite a bit in the Book of Revelation:
Revelation 6:10   And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Revelation 15:3   They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:  “Great and marvelous are Your works,  Lord God Almighty!  Just and true are Your ways,  O King of the saints!
Revelation 16:7   And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Revelation 19:2   For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”
Revelation 19:11   Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
The opposite of this is being fake.  And when you look at the current condition of the church today, it's no wonder people question the authenticity of our faith.  
Maybe this is why people are asking the questions; "Are you for real?!"  "Is that for real?"  "Is this for real?"  In the midst of all the falsehood, perversion, and error that fills the world,the world is looking for something, or someone, that is true.  And therefore, that something, and someone must be holy.  
Maybe if the church, those who call themselves believers, would be holy and true, as Jesus is holy and true, people who live within a depraved world would no longer need to ask, "Are you for real?!", because our lives would substantiate the reality that we are in relationship with Jesus Who is Truly True, and Wholly Holy, and Really Real!  
Time to self examine . . . "Are you for real?!"

Envy Me!
Well, not me really . . . But Christ in me.  What do I mean?
1 Corinthians 15:58   Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
• In Christ, I am beloved
• In Christ, I am a part of the family of God
• In Christ, I can be steadfast
• In Christ, I am immovable
• In Christ, I can abound in what I do for the Lord
• In Christ, my labor is not in vain
• In Christ, and In Him alone, MY LIFE HAS MEANING!
Envy Me!

I read this today in a commentary by John MacArthur Jr., and the question presented is one that we must ponder deeply . . . Is the church we're attending alive?
What are the danger signs that a church is dying?  A church is in danger when it is content to rest on its past laurels, when it is more concerned with liturgical forms than spiritual reality, when it focuses on curing social ills rather than changing people’s hearts through preaching the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ, when it is more concerned with material than spiritual things, when it is more concerned with what men think than what God said, when it is more enamored with doctrinal creeds and systems of theology than with the Word of God, when it loses its conviction that every word of the Bible is the word of God Himself!
No matter what its attendance, no matter how impressive its buildings, no matter what its status in the community, such a church, having denied the only source of spiritual life, is dead!

I just finished concluding my Bible studies in the Book of 1 Samuel and wanted to point out a parallel.
Saul, was in a battle against the Philistines.  Why?  Because he had not finished them off when he was supposed to!  In this final epic battle on Mount Gilboa, Saul lost his army, his sons, and even his own life.  If he was victorious in the past, why did he lose this battle this day?  Well this day had been a long time coming.  He had ignored the prayers of Samuel the Prophet.  He had cast out the godly leadership of his servant, and son-in-law, David.  And he had failed to obey God's leading, and therefore he was destined to fail.  And just as everyone watched as this young man rose to power, so was the Nation of Israel keenly aware when this man and his government fell in a "THUD" that was heard all over the land.
The same is true for us today.  There are so many men and women who "volunteer" to take the role of leadership, but fail to be led, or are led by the devil.  Hear me clearly, I am not politically posturing, I am rather pointing out the obvious, whether is be on a national level, within our churches, or within our homes, a failure to address these mistakes will take us down!
• We need to recognize that The Lord, God, has allowed us any position that we may have the chance to serve in, whether it be Governor, or Deacon, or Father, all positions are allowed by God.
• We need to eradicate sin or it will eradicate us.  Not removing sin completely will one day come back to bite us.
• We need to surround ourselves with godly fellowship  . . . People who exhort us to do what is right, not what is easy.  And, we had better heed when scriptural advice is given because our friends, whom the Lord gave, help guard our souls.
• We had better listen to Biblical counsel, taught from God's Word, spoken from holy men of God, for the Bible is equally as relevant today as It ever was.
• And when we hear the still small voice of God, whether in devotion alone, shared by a co-worker, or spoken from the mouth of a preacher, we had better listen and obey!  Failure to do so will result in our own downfall, and all of those who watched us climb the ladders of success we have created, will see us bite the dust as well.
In short, without Biblical teaching, godly leadership, and The Lord being the "Third Strand" in all of our relationships, great will be the fall of the . . . Nation; Government; Church; Family; Person; and it will be a "THUD" for all to hear and see!

Today, I say, "See you later" to a friend of mine . . .
As I came in to the office today, I noticed like never before Doug Thorp's fingerprints are all over this church, and my life.
As I walked across the parking lot, I noticed the two buckets he had placed out there so that people who helped sweep the parking lot would through the heavier rocky material in them, so that Mrs. Kaneshiro wouldn't have to move rubbish cans that were "too heavy".
I gazed upon the recycling cans, I remember how he set up each collection can with an "example" tied to it so that the younger kids (and some hurried adults), would know that the plastic bottle tied to this one means you throw the plastic bottles here, and the aluminum can tied to this one means you would through the aluminum can in here.
As I peered into the kitchen I remember how he would come in before all of the workers during the remodeling process so that our time wouldn't be wasted on demolition and we could focus on the building of the kitchen.  (I actually think he liked hitting things with a hammer before I showed up so that his stress level was lower when I came in)
You see, Doug and I have known each other for decades, but our relationship was grown intentionally by God.  I think it would be fair to say that I could never have replaced our former Pastor, Pastor Dave Mitchell, as he was not only Doug's Pastor, but one of his closest friends.  As for me . . . not so much, and he let me know it.  He was never disrespectful, but was someone who was not afraid to say what was on his mind, and what was on his mind was that the church be the best that it can be.
He would buy me books so that my knowledge base would be more "well rounded".  In fact I'm looking at the chart of the letters to the churches within the Book of Revelation that he gave me only a couple of weeks ago.  He would sit me down and tell me to slow down in my speaking so that the older people could understand this rapid-fire Portuguese preacher.  But there was another whole side to Doug . . .
He visited me regularly to make sure I was ok and see if I needed help with things around the church.  (in fact, for the past couple of months we were hanging out at least a couple times a week outside of church services) Also, because my dog is usually in my office with me during the day, he would make sure he brought snacks for her whenever he'd pop in.  Because he knew I rode motorcycles, there are several models here in my office, both of metal and carved wood, that he would get for me as he was on his various vacations.  Many of the books that line my shelves and have influenced me greatly, are here as gifts from him.  You see, sometimes being in the ministry is a lonely thing, but God made sure I was never alone.  True, we were like sandpaper to each other in the beginning, but the more friction we receive from sandpaper, the smoother we become.  Or, as Scripture puts it:  "As iron sharpens iron,  So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17  While it's probably true, we may not have been the friends we would have chosen for each other, we were clearly the friends that we both needed.
Doug was many things . . . An refrigeration specialist, an Awana Leader, A Sunday School Teacher, A leader within the Prison Ministry, a handy man, a father, a husband, and a brother or sister to hundreds within the churches he attended . . . But to me, Doug was my friend.  And although some of the circumstances surround his passing are not clear, what is clear is that he truly loved The Lord Jesus and each one of us, and we truly loved him.

Therefore, I will say; "See you later . . . My friend"

I know this will seem foreign to most of us, but it’s worth being said anyway . . . “Embrace the trial.”  It seems contrary that any one of us would long to go through hardships, but this was one of the exemplary characteristics of the apostle Paul . . . He embraced the trials.
We remember the story.  He and Silas cast a demon out of a slave girl only to find themselves thrown into jail due to the monetary loss incurred by her owner.  There they are, sitting in prison, singing hymns and praying, while everyone around listened and watched the two wretched followers of Jesus.  Or, at least that’s how it seemed on the outside.  But there was something much bigger going on which Paul later expounded on in his letter to the Philippians:
“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”  Philippians 1:12-14
Do we get this?  As others watched, and listened, the Gospel was not hindered . . . It was empowered!  The jailer got saved.  His household got saved.  The guards heard the gospel (estimates range that there were about 9,000 of them) Everybody knew the story and what Satan tried to use to quench the Gospel only emboldened it!
Why are we allowed to go through all of the trials we do?  Simple . . . To further the Gospel.  Therefore, embrace it.  I humbly say this from experience.  When my bride got diagnosed with cancer, the question, “Why?”, came to my heart.  Now, in hindsight I get it.  My prayers were deepened.  My dependance on God was exponentially increased.  And, everyone around who “listened and watched”, heard the gospel.  Not all responded to it, but they all can testify as to the fact that it was brought to the forefront like never before.
I have no idea what any of you who read this are going through, and I’m not going to pretend that those situations aren’t difficult and burdensome.  But keep this in mind . . . They were allowed by God so that the Gospel may shine.  Therefore, embrace the trial.

1 John gave me a reminder today . . .
1 John 2:15–17   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Therefore . . . "Goodbye world."

Just want to ask an honest question . . . Do we still love the Lord Jesus, or has another taken His place?
Jeremiah 2:2–13   “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, “Thus says the LORD:  ‘I remember you,  The kindness of your youth,  The love of your betrothal,  When you went after Me in the wilderness,  In a land not sown.   Israel was holiness to the LORD,  The firstfruits of His increase.  All that devour him will offend;  Disaster will come upon them,” says the LORD.’ ”
 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel.  Thus says the LORD:  “What injustice have your fathers found in Me,  That they have gone far from Me,  Have followed idols,  And have become idolaters?   Neither did they say, “Where is the LORD,  Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,  Who led us through the wilderness,  Through a land of deserts and pits,  Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,  Through a land that no one crossed  And where no one dwelt?’   I brought you into a bountiful country,  To eat its fruit and its goodness.  But when you entered, you defiled My land  And made My heritage an abomination.   The priests did not say, “Where is the LORD?’  And those who handle the law did not know Me;  The rulers also transgressed against Me;  The prophets prophesied by Baal,  And walked after things that do not profit.   “Therefore I will yet bring charges against you,” says the LORD,  “And against your children’s children I will bring charges.   For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see,  Send to Kedar and consider diligently,  And see if there has been such a thing.  Has a nation changed its gods,  Which are not gods?  But My people have changed their Glory  For what does not profit.   Be astonished, O heavens, at this,  And be horribly afraid;  Be very desolate,” says the LORD.   “For My people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,  And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water."
 Once again . . . Do we still love the Lord Jesus, or has another taken His place?

We just completed going through the Book of Acts after 110 lessons, and 700 pages worth of notes!  That may seem impressive to those who are not true followers of Christ, but reading a Book for completion is not what God has called us to do.  His desire is that we read His Word for comprehension and live it throughout our live to completion.   "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."  James 1:22-25  
So now that we've completed Acts, and since we know that the point of Acts is the Spirit's building of the church through the teaching of the gospel, the simple question is are we living acts?  Here are a few challenges form John MacArthur Jr.'s commentary in regards to the gospel:
• Are we sharing the gospel whenever and wherever he have opportunity?
• Is our message clothed in humility and graciousness?
• Are we sharing truths that are biblically and doctrinally accurate?
• Are we sharing tirelessly and incessantly, bringing people to a decision?
• Are we selectively preaching, or are we sharing God's love with everyone?
• Is the core of what we are sharing Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, and Messiah.
Let us live what we've read and may God get all the glory!

Have we ever thought about what is most important in life.  What is we strive for?  What motivates us?  What is the thing that captivates our hearts?  Jesus put it simply, "When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”  Mark 8:34-38
The simplicity of losing our life in Him and striving to keep the only thing that He allows to truly be ours, our soul, focussed and pure is of the utmost priority.  One day, we will lose all of possessions, all of our abilities, even our own physical body will eventually be destroyed.  But, the only thing we that will remain is the purity and testimony of the soul that is sold out for Jesus.  My thoughts will end where the words of Viktor Frankl begin . . . "We who lived in the concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last pieces of bread.  They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of his freedoms is to choose his own attitude in any given set of circumstances -- to choose one's own way."

April and I just got home after being away for a little over three weeks . . . Part of it vacation and part of it business.  But, the overwhelming feeling for both of us yesterday as we were in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in our church is that we were "home again".
Being actively involved in our local church body, one that we belong to, and it belongs to us, is integral to the Christian life:
Hebrews 10:24-25   And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,   not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Are we "considering" on another?
Are we "stirring up" one another?
Are we "exhorting" one another?
Sure many of us "attend"church and therefore feel that we have fulfilled this passage.  But, if we are not in love with and involved with our church.  Then we are not truly "home again".  Being "at home" is much more than being in a specific residence.  It is belonging and being a participant with a family.
My encouragement would be that we not only "go to church", but serve as an integral part of our local church.  May the Lord bless His church as we serve Him and become more and more like-minded.

I was reminded this morning in my devotional on how we need to focus our efforts on getting things accomplished, rather than blaming someone else for not getting it done.
"Placing the blame on someone else is a futile exercise . . . yelling at the darkness certainly won't make it light."  Chuck Swindoll

Do we understand what it is to “worship” at Christmas?  I’m not talking about “worshipping Christmas” as so many do today, but just simply worshipping during Christmas.  
 So many allow the emphasis to remain in the wrong place during this time of the year.  We know that the wise men were overjoyed . . . but joy was not why they worshipped.  We know that they brought gifts . . . But they did not worship those gifts, nor did the presentation of gifts precede their worship.  In fact we can say that their gifts were an expression of their worship.  And Whom did they worship?  Jesus!  They did not worship “her” (Mary), nor any other person.  They worshipped Jesus!  And how do we know that?  Their focus was to come and be with HIM!
 Where are we this Christmas season?  Well, we can answer that by taking an honest look at where we want to be.  At the mall?  In the kitchen? At the office party?  With our family and friends?  If ANY of these precede JESUS, then we are worshipping something or someone else . . . And this is not what Christmas is about at all.
 Let’s place worship where it needs to be . . . At the forefront of our lives and at the feet of our Savior, Jesus Christ Who’s birth we celebrate in this year.