​What do you do when life throws you a curve ball? My first inclination is to ask God why. The problem is that I rarely get an answer to my "why question." In return for my question, I hear, "Do you trust me?" Then, I review some of my trust Scriptures:
 
Psalm 9:10 - "Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You."
Psalm 13:5 - "But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation."
Psalm 84:12 - "Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You."
Psalm 125:1 - "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken, but endures forever."
 
Proverbs 3:5, 6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
 
Isaiah 12:2 - "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation."
 
Nahum 1:7 - "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him."
 
My why question has been directed by the unexpected death of my husband's dear daughter. She was taken from her family too early in life. Her quiet, gentle personality will be sorely missed. So, we declare our trust Scriptures, and we take comfort in who God is and in the way our Church family has poured their love on us. My other "go to" is a book written by Elisabeth Elliott titled On Asking God Why. The author knows what it is to suffer loss and has compiled her thoughts on how to deal with different kinds of loss. Here are some of them:
 
Page 11 - "A true faith must rest solidly on His character and His Word, not our particular conceptions of what He ought to do."
Page 140 - "I wanted God to explain Himself to me when my expectations were turned upside down. God knew what I really needed was not explanations but sanctification and purifying. My notions about myself, my work, and my God needed to be put through the fire. My heart needed deep and painful scouring. 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'"
Page 147 - Elisabeth quotes Evelyn Underhill: "If God were small enough to be understood He would not be big enough to be worshipped."
Page 149 - "Whatever dark tunnel we may be called upon to travel through, God has been there...Things are a mess, yet to turn our eyes back to the Cross of Calvary is to see the irrefutable proof that has stood the test of the ages: 'It is by this that we know what love is: that Christ laid down HIs life for us.'" (John 3:16 - NEB)
 
The conclusion I came to before and come to again and again remains the same. God's love for us is unfathomable. He demonstrated His love through the death of Jesus on the Cross. In this unimaginable act He took our sins upon Himself so that we can spend eternity with Him in heaven when we acknowledge what He has done. His mercies are new every morning. He has walked every road we must walk and is prepared to lead us into a place of peace and love. Great is His faithfulness! Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California, says it all: "When I don't understand, I trust."

​At the end of our lives, we all want to hear the same thing from the Lord: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:21) It is clear that we are all born with different gifts and abilities. It is our responsibility to make the best of our own. We may not be able to achieve the same things as others, but we can make an equal or greater effort. All of us will be asked the same question at the end of our lives: "What have you done with what I have given to you?"
 
This past week, the Lord would have asked Charlie Kirk that question. I am sure that he was able to answer that he used all his gifts fully, to the glory of God. There are times when it is particularly difficult to understand why someone is taken from this earth early in life. There are many asking God that question about Charlie. At the age of thirty-one, Charlie was taken from us through an assassin's bullet as he engaged with students at Utah Valley University. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, it became obvious to those around him that Charlie was wise beyond his years. He grew up to be a principled man who stood up for his beliefs. He was a kid with a dream who worked to make it happen.
 
At a young age, he discovered that he could inspire others, especially young people. He loved to debate. Though students at college campuses became his main target, Charlie dropped out of Harper College, near Chicago, to pursue his dreams. In 2012 he founded an organization called "Turning Point USA" whose main focus is defending religious freedom, democracy, and justice. Through podcasts on social media, he reached 100,000,000 young people every month. Turning Point now has over 850 college chapters.
 
Yearly, Charlie scheduled multiple meetings to college campuses throughout the United States for what he called his "Prove Me Wrong Tour." He encouraged debate in the public square and always demonstrated his wealth of knowledge. As he was well-spoken and well researched, he was effective in helping young people think for themselves and inspired them to participate in the life of our country. Charlie's faith was central to everything he did so he defended Biblical values and spoke the truth boldly. He was a patriot who loved our country and thought we could be so much better than we are. His message was one of revival and reformation. President Trump said that Charlie went about "championing ideas with courage, logic, humor, and grace."
 
A Scripture I have always grappled with comes from Psalm 116:15. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."  Footnotes in my Bible help me understand. The word precious in Hebrew means valuable and costly. Another suggestion is that God rejoices when we arrive in heaven. Either way, I know that He feels our pain and grieves with us over this monumental loss.
 
John 12:24 says, "...unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." Charlie is a casualty of the internal war in our country. His message to "welcome without judgment, love without conditions, forgive without limit" must spread. The seed of Charlie has been planted, and we must pray that all the young people who were inspired by him choose to rise up like him in loving God and loving others. Pray for the soul of our nation and that the flames of revival would burn brightly as others pick up the torch that Charlie left for us.

On August 21, at the age of eighty-nine, evangelical leader James Dobson passed away. He was the son, grandson, and great grandson of ministers but decided to break from tradition to become a psychologist. Renown for promoting Biblical values and helping countless families through his organization, "Focus on the Family," he was advisor to five United States presidents. For me, the most impactful story of his life comes from his relationship with his father and his two children.
 
James Dobson shared an account about his growing up years. As a pastor and leader of revival meetings, Dobson's father traveled long distances from home. His wife was mostly responsible for raising James. When he turned sixteen, he began to develop a fresh attitude toward her. One night, after having a hard conversation with James, and in his presence, she called her husband and said, "I need you." He canceled four years of revival meetings and came home to be with his wife and son. Here is what James said about his life after his dad came home: "And my dad, by making that sacrifice, invested in me. We hunted, we fished, he was with me. It pulled me back from the edge. I was an only child, so that time with my mother and dad was idyllic."
 
After attending the University of Southern California, James Dobson became a leading child psychologist. In 1977 he began his radio program, "Focus on the Family." With thirty-four Christian stations to oversee, his own family began to suffer. His dad saw this and wrote him a letter warning him that if he did not invest time in his two children, he would lose them. As a result of this advice from his dad, James cut back on the travel so that he could do for his children what his dad had done for him.
 
When asked by CBN Founder Pat Roberson about his passion to champion traditional families, James told him, "...Everything that we have believed about the family for thousands of years, literally, is being questioned now and being undermined. And there is a real danger that the family will disintegrate." He went on to say, "...The family is the ground floor. That's the foundation for the entire culture. Everything sits on that—our institutions, our government, our way of life, our values, our children—everything sits on that foundation."
 
More than anything else, Dobson made it clear that a family's first priority needs to be teaching their children to love the Lord. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 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." (Deuteronomy 6:5-7) We would be wise to follow the advice of this extraordinary evangelical leader. If we desire to see our country prosper, we must put our focus on raising and honoring our families so that we place them in the heart of American life. 

​Treasures hidden below the sea are revealed when the tide goes out. The coastline of Maine is known for its boulder-strewn edges. When low tide occurs, you have the opportunity to climb up on some huge boulders and look out on the expansive ocean below. The boulders in Maine fascinate me as I look at their variety of layers laid down over thousands of years. The ocean has managed to place some grooves in the rocks, but the larger ones are immovable because they are deeply anchored into the ground.
 
At low tide one may hear the sound of the life that lives on the ocean floor. Habitats formed below are revealed and life comes alive in a new way. Rocks and sand are covered with varieties of seaweed that provide shelter and food for crabs, oysters, and snails. Sea birds peck at the seaweed to find gourmet morsels to digest.
 
Tidal pools become visible as the ocean pulls away from the shoreline. Waves that crash ashore leave deposits of crustaceans, fish, and plant life in hollowed out areas surrounded by large rocks, and small habitats or microcosms of the ocean beyond develop. New life appears in these small places, and a community grows. It is the large rocks and boulders that protect each community from being destroyed. Standing at the edge of a tidal pool, I remember how the Lord is our Rock. Psalm 62:2 says, "Truly He is my rock, my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken." 
 
Our lives, like the life that appears in tidal pools, also have moments of ebbs and flows where we feel exposed and vulnerable. It is during these times that we need to remember our Creator, the One who gives us life and encourages us to grow where we are deposited. During challenging times, He is the Rock who lifts us up and gives us new vision for life.
 
2 Samuel 22:2 and 3 says it this way: "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies." When we feel like we are being deposited in new areas of life, we must evaluate what is happening to see if it is time to start some new relationships and begin to explore possibilities that we never thought about before. God has a plan and purpose for us, and we must move with His flow. May He introduce us to some new and exciting possibilities.

​I had no sooner finished sending out our email about Tammuz 17 and the significant events that occurred for the people of Israel on that date, when fire sirens began to blow. We were about to have our own Tammuz 17 encounter. The sirens got louder and louder until I realized fire engines were coming to the building we live in along with seven other families. A total of four fire trucks, including an aerial ladder truck, pulled into our parking lot. Along with them came an ambulance, three police vehicles, and two PECO trucks. One could smell the smoke from the fire that was coming from our next-door neighbor's condominium.
 
We learned later that the fire started when a charging cell phone exploded. The firemen put on their suits and then they went to work. First, they broke the bedroom window where the fire burned. Thick black smoke poured out of the window. The hose was attached to the fire hydrant and ran to the front door and up the stairs of the second-story condo so water could be poured on the fire. The lone teenager was out of the unit, but his cat was trapped upstairs. Four firemen went inside looking for her and were able to rescue her.
 
As I stood on my deck watching all the activity at our neighbor's condo, I began to wonder if we needed to evacuate and, if so, what I should grab and bring to safety. I could feel the panic begin to set in. Now, I know that Scripture tells us that our treasures are in heaven, but I confess that I have earthly treasures that I have collected over the years. I have multiple Bibles with personal notes in them, books that I have read and kept, and photographs showing treasured moments with family and friends. In addition, I have collected shells, rocks, and souvenirs from various sites I have visited. Then, there is my "Wesley" clock that God arranged for me to purchase after I fell in love with it at the store. I could go on!
 
I was put at ease when one of the firefighters yelled to me that he would like to come upstairs and check our bedroom to be sure there were no hot spots. He explained to me that there is a firewall between our units. It was doing its job of protecting us, which meant we did not have to evacuate. Praise God! Just after the fireman left, peace started to invade my soul as I remembered Scriptures. The first one that came to mind was Isaiah 43:1-3. "But now, this is what the Lord says—He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not for I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..."  
 
The Lord is our firewall! This word, I learned, can apply to construction or computer network traffic. In construction it is a fire-resistant wall that compartmentalizes a building. In computer transmissions, it is a barrier between a trusted network and an untrusted one. My attention has now been shifted to all the people in our nation who are dealing with great loss of loved ones, homes, and possessions from floods, hurricanes, fires, and volcanoes. The losses are staggering! In these times, it seems that tragedy slips by “our firewall.” This is a mystery, locked in the heart of God. Yet, we must not negate the Word of God because of tragic circumstances. Faith assures us that He will be with us during heartache. Psalm 144:2 still applies. "He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer my shield in whom I take refuge..." He walks with us in all seasons of life and lifts us up to help us travel through what may look like impossible situations. This week, may I ask you to join me in prayer for all those who have been traumatized by great loss. May the God of Israel and our Lord and Savior bless them with peace, guide them with wisdom, assure them of His love, and redeem all that has been lost.

Tammuz, the fourth month on the Hebrew calendar, is significant for the events that took place and the lessons we can learn. Today I want to highlight the seventeenth of Tammuz that starts a three-week period that ends on the ninth of Av. (Av 9 is another significant day that goes down in history as a day of infamy.) The three-week time period between Tammuz 17 and Av 9 that we are now entering has become known as "The Dire Straits." Observant Jews will set the three weeks aside to repent and ask for forgiveness from God for the sins of their fathers. Five catastrophes occurred in Biblical history on Tammuz 17.
 
Here is how the prophet Jeremiah describes the three weeks called "The Dire Straits." "Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: She dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: All her persecutors overtook her between the straits. (Lamentations 1:3 - KJV) The first of the five catastrophes occurred when the children of Israel came to Mount Sinai. Moses was with God receiving Torah. The Israelites became impatient and decided to make their own god. They collected and squandered the wealth God had arranged for them to take from Egypt to make an idol—the golden calf. God's desire was to see His people prosper, but because they did not know their true identity, they worshiped a false god.
 
During "The Dire Straits," the daily offerings brought to the first Temple were suspended in 586 BC. This is because Nebuchadnezzar's army began their siege of Jerusalem. It was in 70 AD that the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Roman Empire during the second Temple period. Prior to the Bar Kokhba Revolt, a Roman military leader named Apostamos burned a Torah scroll. This burning set a precedent for the burning of Jewish books and Torah scrolls throughout the world. Finally, the sanctuary of the Temple was desecrated when an idolatrous image was placed there. There is controversy over who did this. Some say the Babylonians, while others say it was Apostamos.
 
How can remembering these events help us to move out of seasons of difficulty that seem to repeat themselves during similar periods of time each year? As I said before, we must recognize our true identity in Christ Jesus. Because we are God's children, we have favor with Him and the ability to break out of destructive patterns in life. Our enemies are defeated foes because of our position in Christ. "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6) In addition, we are told in Romans 8:37 that "...We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." 
 
Since we are grafted into the family of God, the enemy of our souls may try to disrupt our lives with conflict and disasters during this same time period. He wants us to agree with the decrees of his kingdom rather than the decrees from the Kingdom of Heaven. We must be vigilant not to allow the schemes of the enemy to take hold of us. The power of the risen Christ is available to everyone who believes and confesses that He is Lord. Our confession must be, "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)

​Some of the old hymns written about the blood of Jesus declare it to be our victory. Likewise, Scriptures proclaim this, such as Ephesians 1:7. "In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." The Church needs to remember that the purchase price for our redemption was the blood of Jesus. "We were bought with a price,” 1 Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23 tell us. The blood of Jesus is the only recognized currency in heaven. It is through faith that we appropriate the blood of Jesus.
 
If we look at the history of the blood covering, we must start with Adam and Eve in the Garden. When they sinned against God their attempt to cover their nakedness with fig leaves was insufficient. It took the slaughtering of animals and shedding of their blood to cover their sin. The blood sacrifice became the atonement or covering of the sin of Adam and Eve. The sacrificing of animals during the time of the Old Covenant was a foreshadow of what would ultimately be fulfilled in Christ at the Cross as He offered us a New Covenant.
 
The Lord spoke to Moses about the blood as he was leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. "For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourself on the altar..." (Leviticus 17:11) We must understand that it is the blood that carries the gift of life from God. Up until the birth of Jesus, there was no perfect sacrifice for sin. That is why so many animals had to die regularly for the covering of sin. When Jesus went to the Cross, the blood He shed was pure and uncontaminated. 1 Peter 1:19 calls it "precious blood." For this reason, the sacrifice of the shed blood of Jesus only needed to be done once. (Hebrews 9:12) t took away our sins from the past, present, and future.
 
Romans 3:25 and 26 in The Passion Translation explains the sacrifice of God through His Son beautifully: "Jesus' God-given destiny was to be the sacrifice to take away sins and now He is our mercy seat because of His death on the Cross. We come to Him for mercy, for God has made a provision for us to be forgiven by faith in the sacred blood of Jesus. This is the perfect demonstration of God's justice, because until now, He had been so patient—holding back His justice out of tolerance for us. So, He covered over the sins of those who lived prior to Jesus' sacrifice. And when the season of tolerance came to an end, there was only one possible way for God to give away His righteousness and still be true to both His justice and His mercy—to offer up His own Son. So now, because we stand on the faithfulness of Jesus, God declares us righteous in His eyes!"
 
The enemy of our souls does his best to discourage the Church from teaching about the power of the blood, taking communion, and pleading its power. He is helpless against it. The value of the blood as we plead it includes mercy, forgiveness, pardon, healing, protection, deliverance, and peace. The song, "O The Blood" by Gateway Worship and Kari Jobe, has a chorus that explains the power of the blood. "Oh, the blood of Jesus washes me. Oh, the blood of Jesus shed for me. What a sacrifice that saved my life; Yes, the blood, it is my victory." We would do well to keep this in mind.

​ 
There were forty days between the time that Jesus was resurrected until He ascended to heaven. (Acts 1:3) This number, forty, is significant throughout the Bible, and represents the number of spiritual preparation during trials. The number is also linked to purification. A forty-day testing period ends in either victory or defeat. Because the disciples abandoned Jesus at the Cross, they had much to regret. Jesus made it a priority to reengaged with His followers during the forty days after His resurrection to restore and encourage and set the course for their future.
 
When Jesus engaged with two of His followers who were walking to Emmaus, they did not recognize Him until He broke bread with them. They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32) In their desire to share what had happened, they went to Jerusalem to join the disciples and confirmed that Jesus had risen. While they were there, Jesus came into the room and said, "Peace be with you." (Luke 24:36) He then reminded them of what He had said before His crucifixion. Eight days later, all eleven of the disciples gathered together with the door locked because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus suddenly stood before them and repeated what He had said before: "Peace be with you." (John 20:27) Thomas, who had not been with the disciples at their last meeting, had an opportunity to place his hands into the wounds of Jesus. His unbelief disappeared, and he declared, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28)
 
Another encounter with Jesus came for seven disciples who decided to go fishing at the Sea of Galilee. They forsook their call to fish for men, hoping to find some satisfaction in their old occupation. Jesus stood on the shore and watched their frustration as they caught nothing. He called to them and instructed them to throw their net to the right side of the boat. "When they did, they were unable to haul the net because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.'" (John 21:6, 7) When they came to shore, they found Jesus who had prepared a fire of burning coals with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus took this opportunity to restore Peter. Taking into consideration Peter's three-fold denial of Him, Jesus asked him three times if he truly loved Him. Jesus made it clear that Peter was being restored and that he was to care for His sheep.

The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15 that Jesus appeared to many before HIs ascension. "He appeared to Peter, and then the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also..." (Verses 5-8) Luke describes the ascension of Jesus in the first chapter of the book of Acts. First, Jesus told His disciples, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:4, 5, 8) The disciples needed to have the power of the Holy Spirit come upon them to accomplish the mission that was being set before them.

Ten days after the ascension of Jesus—fifty days from His resurrection—the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began speaking in other tongues, saw tongues of fire resting on everyone, and heard a mighty wind in their gathering place. Peter boldly spoke a message of repentance and watched as about 3,000 people were added to their number on that day. This was the beginning of a new life for the apostles. Acts 2:43 reports, "Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles." Here we have the beginning of the formation of The Church. The call on our lives has not changed since this day of Pentecost. Fifty is the number of liberty, freedom, and jubilee. God calls us to walk with Him through the Holy Spirit in the power that He has given to us. We are commissioned to reach those in our lives with the truth of the Gospel. We cannot allow anything to distract us from our pursuit of the fullness of all that God has for us and those whose lives we touch.

​Did you ever ask yourself, "What was the purpose of the Cross?" Father God sent His son, Jesus, to redeem mankind so that we could be in right relationship with Him. Father covets fellowship with us, but there was a price that had to be paid for redemption. The price to buy us back from the enemy was the blood of Jesus, the sinless, spotless Son of God. His sacrifice demonstrated His love for us as He became our Passover Lamb. Mathew 27:45, Mark 15:33, and Luke 23:45 all describe how the sky darkened at noontime until three o'clock while Jesus was being crucified. At the very same time, the high priest Caiaphas was slaughtering the pure, spotless Passover lambs that were brought to the Temple. It was the blood that covered sin in the Old Covenant, but under the New Covenant with Jesus, our sins are forever taken away.
 
When the darkness ended Jesus cried out from the cross: "It is finished!" (John 19:30) He accomplished His assignment on earth. The power of what Jesus, our Messiah, did was reflected in what happened next. First, it is recorded in Matthew 27:51 that at the moment Jesus took His last breath "the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from top to bottom." (TPT) Rick Renner, in his book Paid in Full, gives us some staggering information: "The massive, fortified veil that stood before the Holy of Holies was suddenly split in half from top all the way to the bottom!" Rich's research into Jewish writings found that the veil was "60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and an entire handbreadth in thickness." (page 215) In addition, Matthew 27:51 and 52 records: "The earth shook violently, rocks were split apart, and graves were opened. Then many of the holy ones who had died were brought back to life and came out of their graves.” (TPT)
 
Three days later these amazing events were to pale in comparison to what God did. The body of Jesus was placed in a tomb. At the request of the Pharisees and chief priests Pilate agreed to seal the tomb and send soldiers to guard it. The day after the Sabbath, "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to take a look at the tomb. Suddenly, the earth shook violently beneath their feet as the angel of the Lord Jehovah descended from heaven. Lightening flashed around him and his robe was dazzling white! The guards were stunned and terrified--lying motionless like dead men. Then the angel walked up to the tomb, rolled away the stone, and sat on it!" (Matthew 28:1-4 - TPT) It was impossible for death to hold Jesus in the grave!
 
The angel told the women, "Run and tell His disciples, even Peter, that He is risen. He has gone ahead of you into Galilee, and you will see Him there, just like He told you." (Mark 16:7 - TPT) We can only imagine the excitement of these women as they tried to tell the disciples what had happened. Disciples John and Peter decided to go to the tomb to see for themselves and found things as the women had explained. There are many eyewitness accounts of Jesus appearing to His followers. Mary Magdalene, two disciples walking to Emmaus, and the eleven disciples, to name a few, had the privilege of talking with Him. Before leaving the earth Jesus gathered His disciples together to commission them. He said, "I have given you all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 - NLT)
 
One day Jesus will return as the victorious King of kings and Lord of lords. In the meantime, as the Body of Christ, we have the responsibility to spread the Good News. At the right hand of God the Father, Jesus sits as our Great High Priest and intercedes for us. He is standing by to give us "help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) The resurrection of Jesus is the very hope and foundation of our faith. Let us remember His everlasting sacrifice and love and join our fellow Christians in living a life that reproduces His example.

​What is the central issue of our warfare with the demonic realm? This question can be answered with another question: "Whom will you worship?" Will we be faithful to worship the one true God or will we allow Satan's distractions, diversions, and attacks to pull us toward him and his way of life? Let us be reminded that we were created to have fellowship with the Lord, so we were made in His image. (Genesis 1:27) All of us were designed to have intimacy with God and as His image bearers we were given specific characteristics. A footnote to Genesis 1:26 and 27 in The Passion Translation defines God's image in us like this: "It includes personality, the capacity for worship, the ability to make moral decisions, and the ability to reflect God.”
 
We are three weeks away from Passover. If we looked back in history, we would find Moses and Aaron trying to convince Pharaoh to release the children of Israel. God instructed Moses to say to Pharaoh, "The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: 'Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert...’" (Exodus 7:16) Why would God want to take His people into the wilderness for this purpose? Perhaps God's desire was to teach His children what true worship looks like. It is true worship that protects us from the enemy of our souls. The Israelites would have a long journey to the Promised Land, one fraught with difficulties and enemy attacks. The soul that is not protected by true worship of the Lord is prime territory for the enemy. True worship of God, not based on circumstances, sets up a barrier against the demonic and gives us victory in warfare.
 
As we draw closer to end times, we can count on increasing warfare. What or who will we worship during these times? Worship is a part of the culture of heaven, and it is God's desire, as expressed in the prayer taught to the disciples, that His "will would be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) Revelation 7:11,12 describes what takes place in heaven. "All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God saying: 'Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!'" But there is a worship that blesses God more than what comes from thousands of angelic hosts. It comes from earth through those who are faithful to worship the Lord amid trials, tribulations, and suffering. When our spirits worship God during our battles, we give God pleasure, and He is drawn toward us.
 
The purity of our worship will dictate its fragrance. I have long desired to have a deeper understanding of the verse in John 4:23. "Yet a time is coming and has now come when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." May I suggest that when we give God glory in the middle of pain and suffering, our love comes forth as true worship. We must look at every difficulty as an opportunity to become the kind of worshipers God desires.