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The sunrise was glorious this morning.  I am so thankful I had an opportunity to see it.  The rich variety of color and texture that continued to change during those 15 minutes even as the chill in the air tickled my nose and fingers was amazing.  Pictures simply don’t do it justice… but I will continue to take them.

A theme that runs throughout the bible is that God is the omnipotent creator.   Genesis opens with a formless void and proceeds to describe God bringing into being all that was made.  Watching this sunrise I see God’s power, His artistic flair, and His supreme sense of beauty.  I guess there is one more thing – His perfect balance of timing.  While it only lasted for about 15 minutes, it was sufficient to lift my spirit and make a settled certainty for the day – “We are not alone – He is here!”

Psalm 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens and makes it circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Be blessed today my friend and be a blessing.

By the way, here are a few other sunrise or sunset pics I’ve taken over the past year.

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The last few years Lisa and I have been able to pick up a new hobby – international travel.  As you might expect the picture of the world based solely on what we see in the news is not exactly the whole picture.  To get closer to the truth I try to pull information from several different sources spanning the spectrum.  Fortunately we have now been able to add some personal experiences to the list of information sources.

Today’s blog is going to be different.  I have been stirred for the past couple of weeks because of a number of events occurring around the world that point to a significant “culmination of events”.  While I do not consider myself a biblical prophesy expert, I have read enough to know there are certain things that will be in place at the end times and it looks like the stage is pretty well set.

1) The rise of ISIS and the Vision of an Islamic Caliphate.  I was surprised to learn that the teachings of Islam have end times prophesy not unlike the bible.  The prophesy of the end times has battles in the region of Syria and Iraq taking place with a charismatic leader rising from this time to unite the nation of Islam and attack Israel and all unbelievers who will not convert.  Today, ISIS leaders believe it is their destiny to usher in the end times.  Unlike typical soldiers who willingly put their lives at risk, but strive to do so in a manner that allows them to fight another day, ISIS fighters are convinced paradise awaits them as soon as thy die if they can do taking a bunch of infidels with them.

It is important to note that Iran is very much tied into this part of the story too.  Iranian influence has grown greatly in the region.  The government overthrow in Yemen over the last month was orchestrated by rebels loyal to Iran.  Libya is mostly overrun by rebels loyal either to ISIS or Iran.

Saudi Arabia is very much at risk to Iranian influenced rebels / terrorists.  I read an article about the Islamic end times prophesies and it pointed to the death of the Saudi king being a trigger point for the end times.  Within the past month the Saudi king died.  Iran, ISIS, and to a degree a large part of the Muslim world believes the end times are near and it is incumbent upon them to help usher it in.

I saw a clip yesterday of Glenn Beck speaking to this topic and I believe he had some sound advice.  His words to our leaders are to understand what we are getting into if we seek to put boots on the ground to wipe out ISIS.  While we need to seriously consider whether we are ready to launch World War III, we need to be aware that to the Islamist, this is truly the war to end all wars.

2) Weapons of mass destruction.  One of the untold stories in the mainstream news was the validation of the Bush era concern of weapons of mass destruction.  While they were never found and trotted out for the world to see, it now appears that they did indeed exist.  Unfortunately they where successfully hidden when the United States helped overthrow Saddam Hussein, but ISIS may have found them. Admittedly this story is one that my trust-o-meter is only about 50 – 60% on, but my gut gives it credibility.

But Iraq was not the only source of weapons of Mass Destruction.  Two other nations that are not our friends either have, or will soon have the capability to have nuclear weapons.  Pakistan is already equipped with nuclear capability and out relationship with that nation is not very strong.

But far and away the biggest threat is Iran.  Have you ever wondered why a nation with tremendous oil reserves and such a strong push-back against their nuclear ambition would continue to strive so hard to achieve nuclear capability?  They would be so much better off if they ditched their nuclear program.  The world would rush to embrace them, relations with many nations would normalize, and prosperity would come to the nation.  But instead they doggedly push for nuclear capability they don’t need.  Why?  I believe it is for the bombs they intend to make.

3) Jesus reaching out to Muslims and others.  This is one of the most exciting things I have heard.  I have heard a number of reports of the Lord sovereignly reaching out to Muslim Imams, Hindu leaders, and others through dreams and supernatural “coincidences”.  The stories are like Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus.  And the results are amazing.  Within the “enemies’ camp” the Lord is raising a testimony to the one true God and Jesus Christ, the only way to be reconciled to the Father.

4) Financial warfare and the fragility of the worldwide economy.  I am reading the book, “The Death of Money” by James Rickards.  He knows financial systems and has helped our government strategize and develop protections against financial attack and cyber warfare.  While some in our government grasp the significance of the threat many do not.  Personally, I have been uneasy about the $18 trillion of government debt and what that is liable to do to future generations but I didn’t know enough to be really concerned about financial warfare.  Now I do and I realize that we live in a time when tremendous damage can be inflicted upon millions and millions of people without ever firing a shot.  A panic can be created within our financial systems that brings on a recession or worse around the world and it has already some close on a number of occasions.

A piece from network news that touches on the vulnerability is the hacking of Sony pictures databases by North Korea and the subsequent international blackmail that stopped the release of a movie that portrayed North Korea in a negative light.  I didn’t follow that story to the end to see if it was really North Korea alone or in collaboration with others, but the point is if a nation that is so seriously under-developed can make such a huge impact simply through a few keystrokes, then our financial systems are an open target.

To be balanced here the US is still probably the most sophisticated and advanced in the realm of cyber-warfare.  We can do the same or worse to others.  The problem is we are not equipped to anticipate and prevent a major well-executed attack without suffering major damage to our financial systems.  Wealth would be destroyed, businesses would go under, people would lose their jobs, and in the midst of this distraction a real war, say in the Middle East aimed at Israel, could begin.

5) The New Prime Minister of Greece – Alexis Tsipras.  I only mention this because of how much his rapid accent from relative obscurity so closely reminds me of Nicolae Carpathia in the Left Behind series of novels on the end times.  It concerns me greatly when unknown persons who proudly deny the existence of God, rise to rock star status and tremendous power in a matter of just a few months.  It appears that at this moment this gentleman has within his grasp the ability to make or break the European Union AND he is very close to Russia.

Oh, just a tidbit that could play into this is that some of the richest persons in the world are actively promoting and working toward a one world government to solve the world’s problems such as climate change.  Bill Gates and George Soros are two men who have dumped large amounts of money into making the world fit their vision of what it should be like.  I see a charismatic leader filling the political role and then deep pockets people like Gates and Soros being able to provide the platform to usher it in.

6) I didn’t even mention the war in Ukraine.  It is telling that this major event – Russia fostering war in a sovereign, western-leaning nation, is at the position of #6 on the list of events.  In more normal times this would be a headliner with a strong, consistent US response.  Right now it is barely on the radar for us… but not to the people suffering through the offensive by Russian supported separatists.

I mentioned at the start of this article that Lisa and I have been able to travel some in the past few years.  We went with a group from our church to Israel this past year.  In fact it was the trip right after my heart procedure.  One of the sites we visited was Mount Carmel.  It was really cool to stand on the brow of the Mountain and hear the story of Elijah in 1Kings 18:16-46.  Elijah stood alone as the single prophet of God before 450 prophets of Baal.  God showed up in a mighty way that day demonstrating His ultimate power, delivering Elijah and showing the people who the true God was.

After that story we then walked up to the top of the church to the balcony which got us above the trees for a view of the Jezreel Valley.  It was a beautiful view and I will attach a few pictures.  Our guide then explained how another name for this valley was the Valley of Armageddon where the final battle would take place.  In Ezekiel 38 and 39 it speaks of a major battle in Israel with the location most likely being in this location.  Revelation 16:16 is the only place where the specific term Armageddon is used.  In both descriptions God sovereignly intervenes for the nation of Israel with a mighty earthquake and fire from heaven.

I find it interesting that the very areas that the bible describes in Ezekiel – Gog, Magog, Cush, Put, Persia, Meshech, Tubal, Gomer correspond to the lands that are right now engaged in the conflicts mentioned above – Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Ethiopia, the Saudi Peninsula.  And for the record, the biblical prophesies in Ezekiel were written late in his life probably around 575 – 571 BC.  That’s over a thousand years before Islam’s great prophet was alive.

So what are we to do with this information.  I must admit as I read and digest this it tends to begin stirring a sense that I need to “do something” to get ready.  In reality we all need to do something, but it depends totally where you are in relation to the God of the Universe.  The reality is that all this is transient.  It always has been and one day, perhaps sooner than most people can conceive, it will all come to an end.  Eternity is real and, as the name implies it is forever.  God’s plan is, and always has been, to redeem those who would follow Him.  He did this through sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins.  He asks us to simply exchange our sin-wracked life for His perfect sinless life.

So if you do not know Jesus your first step is to get to know Him.  Ask God to reveal Himself to you.  Please reply to me if you are interested in learning more or if you want to go ahead and take your next step.  The church I attend is also very dynamic and has an excellent online service.  Check it out at NewSpring.com.

If you are a believer then the “do something” is to pray and tell people about the Lord.  More than ever people will be looking for answers since the world cannot give answers that truly fulfill the deepest questions.

The thing the Lord keeps reassuring me is to Trust Him.  He is in control.  I do not know if this is the end times or another difficult time in world history like the middle ages or WWII, but I do know that the Lord is sovereign and whatever happens He is working in it for the greater good.

I close with Paul’s exhortation to the believers in Rome who were facing some persecution, but soon to face so much more.  Romans 8:28-39

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.

What then shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  It is God who justifies.  Who is he that condemns?  Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:

     For your sake we face death all day long: We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. (from Psalm 44:22)

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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The Super Bowl has become as much about evaluating and comparing the commercials as it has the actual game, at least in those years that the game is a hum-drum affair.  This year the game was very exciting and many of the commercials were stellar as well.  There were a couple commercials that stood out to me – one for the sentimental tug-at-the-heart impact and the other for the see-for-the-first-time wallop it provided.

The Nissan commercial showing the professional race car driver that so frequently had to leave his family struck a chord with me.  The father had to leave for distant places for extended times.  It evoked the pang of loss that frequent, long partings elicit.  It brought home the importance of staying connected in the times we are together and being intentional about loving in a real and tangible way all the time.  Having been in a high travel role before I realize that the most important aspect of demonstrating love was the arrival home.  Fatigue, the next to do list, travel difficulties are all distractions that can cause us to miss the vitally important and impactful moment of arrival.  I really appreciated the way the commercial communicated the love between father and son at the end.  Unlike the Cat Stevens’ song that accompanied the commercial which emphasizes the separation and growing distance between father and son, the commercial ended with connection, love, and two lives bonded as they were meant to be.  Very cool!

The commercial that impacted me the most though was the “Throw Like A Girl” commercial.  I believe that one of the reasons the good Lord put me on this earth is to encourage others.  While I am an engineer and manager whose job often requires me to exercise critical thinking and make accurate judgment calls, I am energized when I can provide constructive feedback in a manner that builds and encourages.  I am a soccer coach too and I have seen first-hand the superiority of an encouraging word versus the “chewing out” form of feedback many coaches provide.  What I saw in the commercial was the potential power of a seemingly tame dig to a young girl’s self-image.  I was taken aback because I have teased with such statements without a second thought to whether the person on the receiving end might actually feel demeaned by it.  Wow!  Here I am believing I am an encourager and I may be tearing down in subtle ways without even realizing it.

I am thankful for the commercial because it made me aware of this shortcoming I possess.  With this awareness, I am resolved to do something about it.  I am turning away from blithely saying the familiar digs.  Additionally I am going to be more intentional about listening to and understanding others so I can recognize how to be an encourager to them.  There have been times in the past when I have been much more attentive, particularly toward those with esteem issues, and I have striven to be a positive influence for them.  The past year has been one of monumental stress for me and I have been too inward focused to see and respond to the needs of others like I should.  With the Lord’s help, I intend to change that starting now.

I guess I would have to call that a highly effective commercial – it has impacted me and brought about the type of change in behavior that I believe they wanted.  I hope that this is true for many others too.

Have a blessed day and be a blessing to someone today!

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I am soon to give my daughter away in marriage. Even as I write I feel a little of the turmoil Steve Martin portrayed in the movie “Father of the Bride”. I have no qualms whatsoever about the young man she is marrying.  Michael has proven himself to be fine young man… hard-working, polite, a good sense of humor, humble, honest, loving… all the things you hope and pray for your daughter.  He has treated Christin with the utmost respect and has already practiced the honoring and cherishing that all men are supposed to do toward their wives.

No, the thoughts that occupy my mind are not that Christin and Michael aren’t well suited for each other.  It is simply that one of the primary relationships in my life will undergo a major change… and change by definition contains huge elements of the unknown.  The moment I told Michael that he had my permission to marry Christin, I knew that things would never be the same in our family.

Now I am not in any way averse to change.  Change is an essential dynamic.  The only way to improve anything is to make changes.  I recognize that the quality of end results are greatly influenced by making the right changes at the right time in the right way.  Marriage is one of the most significant of life changes and, as I have seen in my family, it can be the greatest of experiences propelling us to a life of joy, faith, and love through any and all life circumstances.  For Michael and Christin I want to capture a few of the most important lessons I have learned over the years.  I pray these thoughts will be an encouragement for you as you begin your new life together.

Honesty in Love – Paul tells us that speaking the truth in love is one of the hallmarks of believers.  Honesty is a trust-building quality.  Love is a respect and relationship building quality.  Trust and respect are foundational to a healthy marriage.  The foundation is the first part of a building to be constructed.  It creates the stable footing that the building rests upon.  A poor foundation results in an unstable building.  Going back to correct a poor foundation is a difficult and painful task.  Get this right from the beginning.

Communication – Consistent, effective communication is another essential.  It is possible to be married and not communicate well, but you cannot have a great marriage and not communicate well.  If I continue the building analogy then communication is like the electrical systems within a building.  A building can be inhabited without electricity, but it is a lot darker and less suitable than one that has functioning lights, HVAC, appliances, etc.  To communicate well we begin by realizing that it is more than just the words we say, but how we say them.  We must become a student of our spouse and learn how to read them.  And we need to look at ourselves and understand how we communicate.  We must read the verbal’s and non-verbal’s accurately.  Is what I am saying truly coming through?  Given the many inputs my spouse is picking up, am I giving a clear and consistent message?  The foundation of honesty is never more important than when working through conflict and challenging situations.

Faith – A few years ago I would have said a shared faith is THE foundational element.  I’ve come to believe that this is God’s desire for a marriage, but He is able to bring this about when we work toward a great marriage.  This is one area where the foundation can be repaired by the Master Builder with amazing results.  Having said that, faith still is at the top of the list of essentials for a dynamic marriage.  There are a number of things that we do to build our faith – study the Holy Scriptures, Pray, attend worship services together, be joined with other believers in smaller, more intimate groups.  All of these are excellent and effective in growing our faith.  But on top of all these must be a consistent sharing of faith between husband and wife.  For faith in the marriage to blossom and grow it must be in the context of the husband and wife intentionally praying for and sharing what God is doing in their lives.  We must seek to become the husband or wife that God created us to be and then walk closely with our spouse in the process.  In some cases one spouse is in the trial more intensely than the other, but the burden is borne together.  At other times it is a fully shared trial.  This is the time to lean on the community of faith (and we all must have a community of faith to belong to).  But much of the time we will not be in a specific struggle.  These are the times to celebrate and accept the good life God has given us and look for ways we can help others.

Laughter – A sense of humor is another essential ingredient to a great marriage.  I am not referring to the ability to remember and tell good jokes.  A good sense of humor is simply the ability to see the world, and especially ourselves, in a light-hearted manner.  There are many challenges to be faced in life.  Marriage adds complexity to our life which brings many benefits, but also increases the number of challenges we will encounter.  We cannot focus solely upon the challenges and tasks before us without taking time to smile and laugh along the way.  Our health – emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual, is impacted by the tightness we grip our life situations.  When we give our lives to the Lord, we give up control.  If God is sovereign and Jesus is Lord then there is nothing that impacts your life that He has not allowed.  Obviously if we put ourselves into difficult situations, if we walk counter to the way we are called to live then we will have some work to do.  But even in this God is faithful to forgive us if we turn from our sin and return to Him.

And that brings up the final key for a Great Marriage – Forgiveness.  I would like to have magic words to say that would prevent you guys from ever having a bad day, saying something you shouldn’t, or just plain missing the mark.  But life doesn’t work that way.  God lives with us in the midst of life and in the midst of life we sometimes stumble.  God offers forgiveness so that we can get up when we stumble and continue to walk and grow in Him despite our failings.  This is essential between a husband and wife as well.  Forgiveness is a divine gift from God that is able to work like a big eraser.  Faithfully given, faithfully accepted forgiveness is able not only to release us from the grip of a besetting sin, but it is able to propel us into a more vibrant, joy-filled marriage and life.

Marriage is one of the primary examples of God’s relationship with us.  In a number of places the Church is called the bride of Christ.  Jesus gave His life for His bride.  This depth of love and commitment is beyond what is humanly possible.  Thankfully we don’t have to settle for humanly possible.  God has called you to life in Him which goes way beyond humanly possible.  He desires that His children walk in and reflect His love consistently… constantly… confidently.  In your marriage you are give an opportunity to do this in a most enjoyable and wonderful way.  Join yourselves in the Oneness that God has called husband and wife to and immerse yourselves fully in the God Who loves you more than you can ask or imagine.

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