Author: Valerie Cullers

A Glimpse

Valerie Cullers 28 Comments

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Have you ever been given a glimpse of something? Perhaps you were at a party and saw someone who had been drinking too much. He started saying things he would not normally say, and you had a glimpse of what might be hidden deep in his heart. What about a glimpse of something on a larger scale? Have you ever been given a glimpse of something like that?

Those of us who study prophecy and end-time events have been given several glimpses in the last few decades of what future events might look like. To name a few, there was the tsunami that occurred in the Pacific and Indian Oceans several years ago. We had a glimpse of how hundreds of thousands of people could be wiped out in less than a day. It was staggering to see the incredible loss of life and economic damage that occurred. After that, we saw a person running for national office and watched tens of thousands of people worldwide turn out to listen to him. We had a glimpse of how people could be totally enamored by a charismatic figure they believed could rescue the world from its own destructive tendencies.

Now, God in His infinite mercy has given us another glimpse. With the current worldwide pandemic, we have seen how a disease can spread around the globe in a relatively short amount of time. We’ve watched how it can affect healthcare systems and how economies can be on the brink of collapse within a matter of weeks.  I even heard a commentator speak of how this epidemic could crash the world economy. Surely, if our hope is in our money, stocks, securities, or 401 Ks, we must realize they will become worthless in the face of a total economic collapse.

Those of us who believe in end-time events, the Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ see these glimpses as precursors of what is to come in perhaps the not-too-distant future. If you are a materialist and believe that none of these events has any spiritual significance, I would implore you to take a second look at what is happening. Perhaps there is more to all of the turbulence in the world than simple naturalistic cause and effect. 

At some point, the current crisis will pass, and the world will return to business as usual. As the inconvenience of our current situation fades, will we forget about what we have seen and what we have experienced? Again, God in His infinite mercy has given us a glimpse of what is to come. He wants us to turn to Him, seek Him, and look to His Son, Jesus Christ, for our ultimate Salvation. In the end, other than Him, there will be nothing left to protect us from what might be approaching on the horizon. 

Image by Lisa Runnels. Courtesy of Pixabay.

Fear: The Ultimate Contagion

Valerie Cullers 38 Comments

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Over the past few weeks, I have thought about what to write. The media has inculcated the public with an irrational fear of the COVID-19 Virus. I have been in different situations and heard people speak of the fear they are experiencing. I have also spoken to people from the medical community who are not living in fear because they face worse germs every day in their workplace.

This particular Coronavirus is real, of course. It does have about a 1% mortality rate, and those who are elderly or have underlying health conditions are the most vulnerable.  These facts are nothing to sneeze at (pardon the pun). It is highly communicable, and it did not start in this country, so there is an element of the unknown about it. Each person does need to practice good hygiene procedures and make individual decisions about where they will travel and how they will limit their own risk of exposure to the disease.

That being said, the next condition to deal with is the underlying fear that is present in our culture today. We need to ask ourselves if we are going to give in to that fear. That answer will be different for each one of us based on our age, our health, and ultimately the spiritual center we use to guide our lives.  Those who have no belief in God and are completely dependent on their own resources will have little reassurance. Those of us who do believe in God are in a much better position to defeat this particular enemy.

No matter what situation we are facing, the Lord does not want us to live in fear. He has promised us in His word that He will take care of us. “Fear Not” is woven throughout the Scriptures. For this particular circumstance, we have Psalm 91 to read and take comfort in. He tells us that if we are His and we abide under His shadow: “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. YOU SHALL NOT BE AFRAID of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.” These are just a few of the verses from this Psalm that we can read and rely on. We can trust God to take care of us no matter what is going on around us.

I am not saying that we will not suffer or that bad things will not happen to us. I am saying that we can trust HIM to take care of us no matter where we find ourselves. For those of us who believe in HIM, let’s take a few deep breaths and remain calm. Let’s trust HIM with our lives because HE ultimately holds them in His hands. And let’s ask ourselves, “Who else would we rather have taking care of us?” He knows our every breath and knows the number of hairs on our heads. He just wants us to trust HIM. 

The truth is that we only have today; it is the only day we have been given. Let’s not live it in fear.  Let’s pray, practice good hygiene, and spend time with the Lord in His word. There, we will find everything we need to live in peace and to defeat this ultimate contagion. 

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On the Fence

Valerie Cullers 39 Comments

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Have you ever been on the fence about something? Maybe you couldn’t decide which way to go. Maybe you wanted to make a decision but were afraid. We’ve all been there. Perhaps, you are there right now. Some decisions are easy to make; others, not so much, especially when the decisions are life-changing.

Life-changing decisions take a lot of thought. Who am I going to marry? Which job should I take? Where should I live? Should I follow Jesus or not? All of these decisions need to be well thought out before we make them. No one can ultimately make them for us because we are the ones who will have to live with the consequences. 

I remember when I was in a period of my life when I was looking for the Lord. I think I had found the truth about Him, but I was afraid to commit to the decision. Why? Because I knew it would have profound consequences for my life. I knew some of my friends and family would reject me if I became a Jesus follower. I knew I would have to change my lifestyle if I did. I didn’t know what my new life would look like, and I was hesitant to make the decision, i.e., fully commit to Him.

It took me a few years to finally make that decision. It did have its consequences. Some of my friends did reject me. Some in my family were very disappointed that I didn’t go to the church they did. I did have to change my lifestyle, but I am not sorry that I did. Looking back, it turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

Perhaps, you are sitting on the fence at the moment and are trying to decide whether to become a Jesus follower or not. There is nothing wrong with being deliberate about the decision. Jesus himself tells us that we must think about the cost of following Him in Luke 14: 25-32. He uses the examples of a builder and of a king going off to war. Each one must count the cost before he begins his particular undertaking. Likewise, each of us must weigh the cost before committing to follow Him. 

Being a Jesus follower does not always come easy, but it is always worth it. I haven’t met one person yet who is sorry they made the decision to follow Him. Anyone will tell you that the benefits far outweigh the price we must pay. Even those living in countries where they pay the ultimate price for following Jesus are willing to do it for the joy He gives them. And that is not even mentioning the eternal benefits waiting for those who follow Him.

Are you on the fence at the moment? Fine, consider the cost, but don’t take forever to make your decision. The world is changing quickly, and the longer you take, the harder it will be to follow Him. I urge you to come to Him while there is still time; it will be well worth it in the end.

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Waiting for the Truth

Valerie Cullers 16 Comments
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How many of us have been waiting for our governments to tell us the truth about a particular subject? I expect the people of Wuhan are waiting for it also. The poor pangolin has been blamed for being the missing link between bats and humans in spreading the coronavirus, but could it have escaped from the Level 4 Biolab in Wuhan? No one in China has mentioned it, but one wonders if perhaps while scientists were working on a vaccine, the virus somehow migrated out of the lab?

Most of us have learned not to look to our governments for the truth about much of anything. Facts and statistics can be skewed depending on the political bent of the incumbent administration. We should remember that when listening to our favorite politicians talk about any subject. We should take what we are hearing with a grain of salt and then do our own research. If we want to have a grasp on the truth, we must check out several sources and not just the ones that uphold our particular political views.

Governments, from time immemorial, have been giving their citizens their own versions of whatever story they are espousing. Look at the hieroglyphics on the pyramids. They give the reader a dynastic history, the way a particular pharaoh wants to be remembered. Remember the great fire of Rome? The Roman emperor Nero sent out a story that Christians had set fire to Rome, while most historians believe that he was responsible. He needed room for his next building project, and certain neighborhoods in the city needed to be razed. Ah, the ancients had The Spin down to a science.

I don’t know about you, but I am still waiting for the truth about the Kennedy assassination. We were promised that papers would be released fifty years after his death, but then whoops – not possible. We were again told the information was still politically sensitive. Maybe, but it is hard to swallow when it has been fifty years since the death of John F. Kennedy and few, if any, of the citizens believe “The Official Version of the Story.”

Sometimes, we are lucky, no thanks to the powers that be. Remember Benghazi and that official story? Because there were eyewitnesses and lots of people involved, the truth eventually came out during the congressional hearings. Even after that, though, the government still did not amend its original story. It would have been too embarrassing to actually admit to the truth.

There are many historical occurrences about which we will never know the true story. We can wait forever, but it will not come. We should keep that in mind when we are being told stories that have been fabricated by whichever ruling political party to protect its own position of power. Whatever the story, whatever the subject, let’s do our own research. Otherwise, we will be waiting forever to find the truth. 

What particular truth are you waiting for?

A Wuhan Moment

Valerie Cullers 16 Comments

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For the past few weeks in Wuhan, it has been hard to get surgical masks. It didn’t matter how much money a person had; they were not to be found. The stores were empty of them, and supplies were not getting in. It was a difficult situation to say the least. Somehow, a Christian missionary organization got hold of some and began passing them out on the streets for free. They were also sharing the gospel and the love of Christ while they were giving them away.

It seems to me that these people had it right. I know it took courage for them to be out in public rather than cowering in fear at home like everybody else. Lest you think they were foolhardy, they did suit up and protect themselves while they were on the streets in the midst of the outbreak. We could learn a lot from them if we look at how they responded to the emergency.

First, they thought of others and how they could help their community. They didn’t get the masks, and keep them for themselves. They willingly went out and made a difference. Second, they didn’t let fear stop them from what they needed to do.  It would have been easy to stay at home in a cocoon of self-protection, but they didn’t.

We may all have to face “A Wuhan Moment” in the future. As more and more disasters strike and more diseases are unleashed on society, we may have to make a decision as to how we will react. Will we react in fear and self-protection, or will we trust in the Lord and reach out to those in need?

It’s not an idle question. Many are already preparing for doomsday scenarios and are stocking up on food, water and medical supplies. When disaster strikes, are we going to trust in ourselves and only take care of our own, or are we going to trust in the Lord and try to help those around us? 

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“You are gods,”

Valerie Cullers 44 Comments
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“I said, You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High, but you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.” Psalm 82:6-7

A few weeks ago, a noted sports celebrity died in a helicopter crash. It was Sunday morning, and I turned on the computer to look at the news. I read the article and was in shock. I then told my husband, and he felt the same way. Afterwards, I began to analyze my feelings about his death. Why was I so shocked by it?

The more I thought about it, this verse came to mind, and I realized why I felt the way I did. Those among us, the best and the brightest, those who receive the most notoriety, we place them in a different category than ourselves. Unconsciously, we give them Superhuman status, a god-like status. We start to believe they are different from the the rest of us, that somehow they are immune to the same laws of physics that we are.

When a John Denver dies because his plane crashes without fuel or when a John Lennon dies because he is shot, we are in shock. We wonder, how can this happen to them? Surely, they are better than we are, and they will not have to suffer the same fate as we do. When a famous athlete dies in his prime, we cannot believe it at first. Surely, his pilot could have navigated in thick fog without ground mapping radar. But alas, it is not true.

As I said before, we do not do these things consciously. The more media attention a person gets, the better they are in their field, the more gold medals they win; we begin to elevate them to a god-like status. We would do better if we could hold a more realistic view of them.  The Scripture says, “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

In the end, they are after all, human just like the rest of us. 

Success

Valerie Cullers 27 Comments

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When we think of the word “success,” we usually think of it in a materialistic sense. Success from the world’s point of view is money, houses, cars, investments, jewelry; all things that add up to our net worth. However, when we think of the word from a spiritual point of view, it means something entirely different.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Gal. 5:3  This is a completely different interpretation of success. If we are the Lord’s, our lives are supposed to produce a kind of spiritual fruit that can be seen and experienced by those we come in contact with. Our fruit should affect the world around us in a positive way; it will be a natural outgrowth of the way we live our lives.

As fruit inspectors of our own lives, we see areas where we have grown and areas that are in need of some work. In order to grow spiritually, we must cultivate those things that will help us develop in the right direction. Spending time with other believers in church and listening to sermons is helpful, but there are a few other things that will definitely help us grow strong and mature in a healthy way. 

When we let our roots grow deep into God’s Word and spend time in His Presence, we can soak up the nourishment we need to produce an abundant harvest. Unfortunately, the things we need most are the hardest to come by. Finding quiet time in such a noisy world is difficult, to say the least. Difficult, yes, but not impossible to do if we are creative and intentional.

When we shuffle off this mortal coil, and we all will one day, we want to have been a success. We want our family and friends to have partaken of the fruit of our lives and to savor its flavor when we are gone. We also want The Ultimate Fruit Inspector to see that we took advantage of the things He made available for us to grow and produce an abundant harvest during our sojourn here. 

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Lipstick on a Pig

Valerie Cullers 40 Comments

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Have you ever seen a photo (a real one) of a pig with lipstick on? If you have, you know that it just looks bizarre. We all can agree on one thing: you just don’t want to put lipstick on a pig.

You know, though, it is something we do all the time. There are things, habits, in each of our lives that need to be dealt with. We need to change them, stop them, do something different, but instead of doing what we need to, we just accept them, put a little lipstick on them, and keep on going.

For instance, do we harbor some ill will towards someone? Instead of forgiving them and moving on, we just secretly hold on to it and make excuses for it. Do we take pleasure in gossip about someone we are jealous of? If so, we are enjoying our pet pig and putting lipstick on it to make it more palatable to our conscience. 

What about those bad habits we imbibe that are destroying our bodies? Perhaps we have one too many drinks when we come home from work. Or maybe we continue to smoke when we know it is killing us. We might be sneaking candy when we know it is making our blood sugar skyrocket. You get it, these are pet pigs we are harboring, and we just put a little more lipstick on them each time we continue to imbibe in them.

How do we confront those pigs in our lives and do something about them? The first thing we must do is to take a good, hard look at them and acknowledge them for what they are. They are pigs…and we need to get rid of them. Let’s stop putting lipstick on them and pretending that they are acceptable. They’re not, and let’s face it. Lipstick never looks good on a pig!

Six Degrees of Separation

Valerie Cullers 21 Comments

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Years ago, the theory of Six Degrees of Separation was floated; a movie was even made about it. It purports that we are all six introductions away from meeting everyone else in the world. Over the years, I have thought about this theory a lot. For decades, I lived in a small town in a rural part of our state. There was not a lot of ethnic diversity in our town, and so I wondered how this theory could be true. So, I decided to put it to the test.

I have a friend whose brother is married to the sister of a well-known actor. Okay, that makes me four degrees out from meeting him. I have another friend whose husband was a politician. They traveled back to Washington, D.C., and met several well-known politicians. So that would make me three degrees out from meeting some of those people. But what about people living in Inner Mongolia? How many people would I have to meet in order to meet some of them? Or what about people living in the interior of China? How many people would I have to meet to get to know some of them? 

As I said, I have thought about this theory a lot and I don’t believe it is true. What is true, however, is that even if we haven’t met those living on the other side of the world, we are still connected to them in many ways. We are not six degrees away from being connected to them. We are connected to them in a primary first-degree way because we are all human beings.

For example, we all have the same basic physical needs. We have the desire for our families to be well and thrive. We have the same emotional need to be loved and well taken care of. We all desire to live in safety and be protected from harm. We are all similar in many ways despite our cultural differences. 

When we think of those on the other side of the world, we need to see ourselves as having a connection to them. We should care about them regardless of the country they live in or the government that is ruling over them. We should not dismiss them because they have a different skin color, ethnicity or religion. We are all just people, and we are more alike than we are different from each other. When we see that they are in need, it shouldn’t take six introductions for us to reach out and help them; it should only take one.

The Check Out Line

Valerie Cullers 48 Comments

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Early last week, my step-brother passed away; he checked out. He was younger than I am, and by rights, he shouldn’t have been the first one to die, but he was. I hadn’t seen him for years, so I don’t really know where he stood spiritually.  He did, however, let me pray for him a few weeks before he passed. The doctors told him he had a limited amount of time, and so he had the opportunity to prepare spiritually for his turn in line. They gave him six months to live, but it was only two weeks before his name was called at The Check Out Line. 

You see, we are all waiting our turn at The Check Out Line. The Check Out Line is not linear and it seems random at times. You would think the first people in would be the first to check out, but The Check Out Line doesn’t work that way. Sometimes those who have been in a relatively short amount of time are the first to go. Since none of us knows exactly when our name will be called, we must ask ourselves the obvious question, “Am I ready to check out?”

Lots of people think they are ready to check out, but they aren’t. Those who don’t believe in God or life after death think they are ready. Those who believe that “if they are a good person,” think they’re ready. Those who believe we have lots of chances at The Check Out Line think they are ready also…but they are not. The Bible says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. ” Hebrews 9:27-28. 

We all need to make sure we are ready for The Check Out Line. There IS life after death, and we must all face Jesus, the righteous Judge of the universe, when we check out. He will, of course, look at what we have done with the lives he gave us, but the most important question will be, “What did you do with the free gift of salvation I offered you?” He DID die on the cross for our sins, and He offers us eternal life with Him in heaven. If we want to spend eternity with Him, we must choose Him before it is our time to check out.