Further Out

Valerie Cullers 20 Comments

My husband and I were watching a movie the other night. A man had taken a woman on a date and asked her if she wanted to go for a ride in his boat. He then picked up his cell and tried to make a call. No coverage. He then told her they needed to go “further out” to get more cell coverage. She had no problem with that. What she didn’t know was that the man was trying to get her away from shore so that he could kill her. The audience knew it, but she did not. We all wanted to say, “Don’t go further out. Stay near shore where there are other people and it is safe!”

The audience knew the man did not mean “further out,” he meant “further away.” Further away from safety. People who don’t have our best interests at heart want to do that. They try to isolate us from the people that love us, i.e., our friends and family, so that we have no one to turn to if we need help.

In life though, it is just not people that want to do that. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have an enemy that wants to isolate us from other believers. For a Christian, it is a dangerous place because we need other believers to pray for us and support us. During the pandemic, there was a time when everyone stayed home from church because the churches were closed. However, when they opened back up, everyone did not return.

According to George P. Wood in his article, “Six Reasons People Aren’t Coming Back to Church,” there are several reasons people are not returning. Top of the list is Covid Hesitancy. Many are afraid to return and be exposed to large groups of people. That is understandable. Others, though, are not returning because of Inertia. They have gotten used to staying home, and it is hard to get them moving again to get up and attend church. The third reason is Weak Attachment. The people did not have a strong attachment to Christ or their church, and the cares of the last year have strangled the little faith they had.

Anyone looking at those that are getting “further away” from their church know they are in a dangerous place. The seas of life are rough and we need other believers to help us through the difficult times. We need good solid teaching from the Bible to ground us during the uncertain times we live in. The Scripture speaks to us in 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 in the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching.”

Are you in the boat? Is someone taking you further out, further away from other believers? Turn back while you still can! Better yet, get out of the boat and stay close to shore, close to others, where there is safety in numbers. We don’t want to end up being a statistic. A statistic such as Lifeway Research found: After the Pandemic, 6 percent of churchgoers said they would attend less often, 2 percent said they would now attend rarely,and 1 percent said they would never go back to church.

Further out? Further Away? Not on your life!

Six Reasons People Aren’t Coming Back to Church. George P. Wood. July 23, 2021. Influencemagazine.com

Image by jplenio. Courtesy of Pixabay.

The Hellevator

Valerie Cullers 10 Comments

Marco looked across the bay. He loved watching the ocean from his office window. Today, there was no fog, and he felt like he could see forever. The blue of the Pacific Ocean was stunning as it glistened in the full sun. It was late Friday afternoon, and he was calling it quits for the week. He turned around and looked at his office. He smiled as he saw all of the awards he had received throughout his career as a real estate broker. It had been quite a ride, and he was still enjoying the thrill as each sale closed and his company received its commission.

Tomorrow was his 50th birthday, and he and his family were going to spend the weekend at his parents’ winery in Napa. He loved his parents but had chosen not to stay in Napa and work with his dad and brothers. Growing grapes and making wine did not compare to the thrill of making thousands of dollars from just one real estate transaction.

Marco walked out the door of his office and headed for the elevator. As he started to reach for the button, everything went black and he collapsed on the floor. He woke up as his spirit left his body and traveled upwards. In a few moments, he was in a room filled with light and millions of books. He looked around and saw what he believed were two angels. They looked at him and then turned and opened a gigantic door. A being filled with light entered, and when his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see the most beautiful being he had ever seen. Not only was this person filled with light, but he could also feel love emanating from his every pore. He could see the scars on his hands and feet, and he knew instantly who he was. This was Jesus, the Son of God, whom his parents had taught him about when he was little.

Marco could do nothing else but fall on his face and worship Him. Jesus came forward and lifted him up. As He touched Marco, love filled Marco’s being. He knew he was loved completely at that moment. A flash of fear coursed through Marco’s mind. What was he doing here? Had he died? What about his life? As those thoughts went through his mind, Marco began to see his life pass before him.

He saw the things he had done as a child and as a teenager. He saw his rejection of God in his college years and his obsession with money and his career in his twenties, thirties and forties. His life looked oh so shallow and self-centered. Had he done any good? He saw how he loved his wife and kids and how his company contributed every year to the homeless shelter near his office. He wondered, was that enough to get him into heaven?

No words were spoken as Jesus looked into the Book of Life that one of the angels held in his hand. He searched for Marco’s name but could not find it. “I’m sorry Marco. I created you to spend eternity with me, but you rejected every advance I made to offer you my love.” Marco then saw the hundreds of times that Jesus had protected him and spoken to him in a still small voice. He watched himself ignore those moments as he hurried on about his life, anxious to cut another deal and make another great commission.

Jesus turned and left the room. One of the angels pointed to the Hellevator and Marco knew that he was going to have to take it and live in a Christless eternity. He began weeping as he was escorted to the Hellevator. The door opened, and he saw a demon waiting to take him to Hell. He tried to back up, but a force just kept drawing him forward into the Hellevator. He started screaming, “No, No, I am so sorry.” He heard his voice echo off the walls in the Hellevator, and he saw the demon smile a wicked smile. Just as the door began to close, everything went dark again.

“One, Two, Clear.” A bolt of electricity shocked his heart. His heart began to beat and he heard, “He’s back. Let’s get him down the elevator and to SF General.” He could feel them lift him onto the gurney and he heard the elevator door open as they rushed him inside. In just a few moments, he was on the street and they were loading him into the ambulance. Someone was talking to him, “We’ve got ya buddy, just hang on. You’re going to be okay.”

Marco felt the weight of his body and knew he was back in it. His chest hurt and he felt weak, so weak he could hardly talk. He looked up at the paramedic and whispered, “Thank you.” He then looked up through the roof of the ambulance into heaven, “Thank you Jesus, for a second chance. I won’t let you down.”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17.

Image by Gerd Altman. Courtesy of Pixabay

Irrevocable

Valerie Cullers 10 Comments

A few weeks ago, I was flipping through the channels and saw a pastor playing the organ at his son’s church. I was a bit shocked as this pastor had a spectacular and highly publicized fall from grace in the late 1980s. I had pretty much assumed that he was out of the ministry or at least the public eye. You know, kind of the “one and done” philosophy…one mistake and you are done.

I thought about him for a while and I realized that although that might be how the world looks at people, it is not necessarily how the Lord operates. If a person repents, gets counseling, does their time (if there is any to do), and is accountable to the church leadership and has proved over a period of time that he has truly changed course, there is the possibility that he or she may be restored to some type of ministry.

Why would anyone take the time to restore a person who had made a large mistake? This would be about love and grace, which are subjects for a different day. Besides the love and grace aspect, one would think that the Lord would just wipe his hands of someone who had blown it in a big way, but that is not true. The Scripture says that, “For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29

So, what exactly does that mean? Well, let’s look at what irrevocable means: “not able to be changed, reversed or recovered. Final.” Oxford Languages. In other words, when the Lord gives us certain gifts and calls us to do certain things, He doesn’t take them back.

What does that mean for us? Is there someone sitting out there reading this who feels like they have blown it too badly to ever be used by God again? Have you failed Him or quit on Him in a big way? Can He or will He forgive you? Do you think He has given up on you…you know, one and done?

Unbelievably, when we read the verse above, we know that God is not in the business of taking back what He has given us. Not the gifts that allow us to serve Him, nor the calling to do it. They are ours to do with what we can. Have you turned your back on God or do you think He has turned His back on you?

You are the one who needs to turn around and look into the face of God. You will find His grace and love waiting to restore you. If you are willing, He is certainly willing. Is that kind of grace hard to believe in? Do you need an example from the Bible? In Acts 15:36-41, we find two disciples arguing over John who was called Mark. He had deserted them in Pamphylia, and Paul, the apostle, was not willing to take him with them again. You know…one and done; but Barnabas wanted him to go, and he eventually took John Mark with him to minister to the fledgling church in Asia Minor.

So here’s the takeaway if that’s you. Turn around and take heart. God is not done with you yet. It is still not too late to be used by Him.

Image by Harry Strauss. Courtesy of Pixabay

Father Knows Best

Valerie Cullers 18 Comments

When I was growing up, there was a weekly television series called “Father Knows Best.” Every week, the mother and kids would deal with a problem. They would wrestle with a solution, and then the father would come home from work. He would listen to the problem and then, in his wisdom, would give them a solution. Whether they liked it or understood the answer, the family would follow the father’s advice, and things would work out. Lately, the title of this sitcom has been on my mind.

I’ve been thinking about all the prayers I prayed as a teenager. They consisted of a lot of desires; the boys I thought I wanted to marry, where I thought I wanted to go to school, where I wanted to live, etc.; typical teenage girl hopes and dreams. Looking back, I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father did not answer those prayers with a “yes.” I certainly didn’t know what I was really asking for, but He did. You see, my Heavenly Father really did know best all those years ago.

As I think through the decades of unanswered prayers, I wonder why there were so many “no” answers. I thought that what I was praying for was a good thing for my life or for the lives of others, but so many of my requests were not answered the way I wanted them to. People divorced, died and lost their homes. Businesses were lost, and loved ones went through a lot of suffering. I can’t even comprehend why my prayers were not answered, and yet by faith I must trust that my Heavenly Father knew best.

My desire would always be to be spared suffering, for myself and those I pray for. In my quest of faith, I must admit that I don’t understand my Father’s allowance of suffering in this world. Why doesn’t he just wave a magic wand and make everything better? I have no answers for any of these questions. I do know a few things, though.

I know I serve a good and loving God. I know that I live in a fallen world where there is suffering as a result of man’s sin. I know that this earth and this life are temporary and that there is an eternal life to come. I freely admit my lack of understanding, but I do trust Him because, after all, I believe that my Heavenly Father knows best.

Image courtesy of Pixabay.

A Foretaste

Valerie Cullers 7 Comments

Have you ever been at an expensive restaurant and asked about a dessert they are serving? Many times they will bring you a sliver of cake so you can taste it. This sample is a foretaste of what you will get if you order it. You may like it, and sometimes it just doesn’t sit well on your palate, so you decline to order it.

“Foretaste – a sample or suggestion of what lies ahead.” Oxford Languages

For those who have heard the predictions in the Bible about what is coming to our global society and pooh-pooh it, may I say we are getting a foretaste of what is coming now. “Surely,” some may say to themselves, “l live in a democracy and my rights will never be taken away.” Those who believe that are going to be in for a surprise!

Think about what is happening in our country right now:

Domestic Terrorists – School Board Moms are being given this label if they show up at a school board meeting and disagree with the current orthodoxy and are threatening.

Vaccine Mandates – People are being forced to get a vaccine they do not want in order to work, go to school, and travel. Mind you, this is a vaccine that does not provide lifetime immunity and one can still get the illness in question. Note: I am not against the vaccine, just forcing people to get it who do not want to take it.

Cancel Culture – If a person takes a stand that is counter to the current opinion floated in the culture, they may get piled on by hundreds if not thousands of people and get canceled. They may be fired and lose their job because of it.

Group Think – The mainstream media continually bombards us with their opinions of how things are and how they should be. The unbiased truth is not given by the media. The truth is ignored in order to promote a particular agenda. The media hopes that people will fall in line and conform to whatever is being promulgated at the moment.

Double Standard – There is one standard for the elite and one for the rest of the people.

Tech control – Big tech is doing its best to control the messaging in society. If you don’t agree with them, you might find yourself in Facebook jail or shadow-banned for your opinions on Twitter.

Let’s face it. We are all being given a foretaste of what is coming. At some point, there will be a totalitarian Orwellian global society where those who disagree with the autocrats and the technocrats will be the enemies of the state. This will be especially true for Christians who refuse to bow down to the Ruler who is coming, who will demand that everyone worship him and take his mark in order to buy and sell.

How do you like this foretaste? You will be served this particular dish whether you like it or not in the future. “What can I do?” you may ask. For now, take your stand where you need to but don’t die on any unnecessary hills. The time will come when we all need to stand for our convictions and pay the price, however heavy it may be.

Photo by Oleksandr Pyrohov. Courtesy of Pixabay.

“Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy”

Valerie Cullers 14 Comments

Yesterday, when I was doing some sewing for my husband, I thought, “Gee, I would love to call the woman who taught me this skill.” Later on in the evening, I Googled her name and saw her phone number. I knew it was a God occurrence because I had tried to find her many times over the past several years and was unable to do so.

So I called her and we talked for about a half an hour. She shared her life with me and it impacted me greatly. She had followed her profession and then had gotten sick. She returned home until she recovered. At some point after that, her father became ill and her mother couldn’t care for him by herself. She chose to help her mother care for her father and then later when her mother couldn’t take care of herself, she chose to help her until she passed. Throughout the years, she had some difficult health issues to deal with also.

What struck me about her was her attitude. She had the same sweet innocence about her that she had when I knew her decades ago. She is a strong believer in Jesus and has relied upon Him to take care of her all of these years. After we hung up, I thought about her for several hours. When I got into bed, I continued thinking about her. She is certainly one of those people that doesn’t fit in any kind of a mold. I was praying about her and the phrase came into my mind, “Of whom the world is not worthy.”

This phrase is from the Hebrews 11:38 in Scripture where the writer is describing those who followed God and how the world mistreated them; i.e. “the world was not worthy of them.” They are people who followed their faith to the end and suffered persecution and deprivation because of their beliefs.

In a world of selfishness, greed and self-centeredness, those who lay down their lives to help others stand out. Those who manage to maintain their innocence in the midst of the evil in this world stand out even more. I have only known one other person like this in my life. To describe it in a different way, these people are truly pure in heart.

What is the takeaway for us? Romans 16:19 tells us to “be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.” If we want to be pure in heart, we must turn our eyes, minds and hearts away from what is evil in this world. It is everywhere but we must set our hearts to not participate in it. I don’t know about you, but I would love to be “wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.” At the end of our lives, our character will be a reflection of the choices we have made. Lord, help us to choose the good and not the evil!

Image by Prigarci. Courtesy of Pixabay.

What if Our Conception is Wrong? — Mitch Teemley

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My Featured Blogger this week is Gordon Couch, aka „Rocky,“ of The Fractured Rock. Rocky is a retired businessman, world traveler, and longtime teacher at his church. He and his wife of 50 years have the foothills of Tennessee’s spectacular Smoky Mountains for a „backyard.“ The story below, by an anonymous writer, has apparently been […]

What if Our Conception is Wrong? — Mitch Teemley

The Days of Noah

Valerie Cullers 14 Comments

The other evening, my husband and I were clicking through the channels on the television, looking for something to watch. We happened to scroll by the local news, and it had a special report on. Locally, the hospitals are full, and they were asking people to wear masks and be careful to social distance. We kept it on for a few minutes and listened as one of the hospital administrators was describing what it was like in the hospital. He talked about expanding the morgue because they needed the space for more bodies. It was a pretty bleak picture.

The next day we went to the store. We expected that there would be lots of people wearing masks and following the directions given on the news. Surprise, surprise, it was not so. Hardly anyone was wearing a mask, and at one store, even the checkers were not wearing masks.

So we get in the car and I say to my husband, “What gives? Am I living in an alternate reality? Is what the man said on television true or not?” He didn’t have an answer but as we drove home and I looked around, I thought, “These are like the days of Noah.”

You see, when Noah was building his ark, he was preaching to the people about the coming flood. He was warning them but they were not listening. It was as if he wasn’t speaking at all. Jesus described it this way, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24: 37-39

Most people have heard about the Lord’s return. They have been warned that they should get ready, but they are not paying attention; they are not listening. They have heard about it so much that they have grown dull of hearing. They are going about their business as usual, either unaware or unconcerned that, in fact, there will come a day of reckoning with the Lord.

Are you like that? Am I? Do we think that just because it hasn’t happened yet, it will not happen at all? Have we even become so hardened to the message that we have become scoffers? The apostle Peter talked about a time when men would become like that: “knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4

It’s easy to hear a warning and ignore it. It’s easy to ignore something we have heard over and over again and think, “Not going to happen to me. Probably not going to happen at all.” Let’s not be like those during the days of Noah. Let’s be ready for the Lord’s return.

Image by Hany Alashkur. Courtesy of Pixabay

Groaning

Valerie Cullers 18 Comments

Have you ever been in the delivery room and heard someone groaning in the next room? You know when that happens, the person is in pain. They are suffering and laboring to deliver a baby.

Likewise, we look around the Earth and we see earthquakes, volcanoes, fires, floods, hurricanes, typhoons. So many of these occurrences are setting records for frequency and intensity. Let’s face it, the Earth is groaning.

When God created the Earth, it was perfect. The Scripture says, “Then God saw everything He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Genesis 1: 31 The Lord placed man in a garden, and it was a beautiful, wonderful place to live. The Earth was in balance, and man was in balance with nature. There was no sin, death or decay in the world.

Eventually, man sinned and everything changed. Sin brought death into the world. The beautiful creation suddenly lost its perfection. God said to Adam, “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.” Genesis 3:17-18

Man became more wicked and sinful, and eventually the Lord decided to destroy the Earth with a flood. He sent rain upon the Earth for forty days, and all life was destroyed on the Earth. One family (eight persons) was saved in an ark. When the water receded and they came out of the ark, God again spoke to a man, Noah, about the earth. “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and all the fish in the sea. They are given into your hand.” Genesis 9:2

Fast forward several thousand years. Again, like I said, the Earth is groaning. We see signs of it everywhere. Is this caused by Climate Change or Global Warming? Is this just a matter of too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? Hardly. The Scripture explains to us what is happening. “for the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. FOR WE KNOW THAT THE WHOLE CREATION GROANS AND LABORS WITH BIRTH PANGS TOGETHER UNTIL NOW.” Romans 8:19-22

That’s right. The Earth is groaning, awaiting the time that it will be renewed and restored as it was in the beginning when God created it. It will be beautiful, balanced and all creation will be in line with the perfect will of God. The Lord will return to the Earth and set things right. Let’s look at what it will be like at that time:

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like an ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11: 6-9

So the next time you take a good look at the Earth and start reading the stats about the frequency and intensity of earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, floods, and fires; don’t start wringing your hands and wondering what we can do. The Earth is speaking to us. It is in labor and we are past the first stage. We may be in transition or moving towards the final stage of labor, delivery. It’s groaning alright. Can you hear it?

Image by Wikilmages. Courtesy of Pixabay

The Last Call

Valerie Cullers 19 Comments

Have you ever taken a train trip before? When you are in the station, you wait for your train to be called so that you can board. After it has been announced a few times, you hear, “Last call for Train #35 going to Torino.” That last call means that if you are in the station, you have a very short time to get on board before the train leaves. There will be no other notice that the train is leaving. You will hear the air brakes release, and then the wheels begin to roll. If you are not on board, it leaves without you.

I look around at our world today, and I believe we are hearing “The Last Call.” Everywhere I look, there is violence, war, pestilence, plagues (including Covid), and the disintegration of societies. I do not see our world moving in a positive direction. I cannot imagine that man, after all he has done to mess up this world, is going to make it a better place. Those who believe that man is capable of creating “an ideal society” are sorely disillusioned. Believe me, if man could have done it, it would have happened a long time ago.

Jesus talked about a time like this on the earth. He said, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.” Luke 21: 10-11.

Surely, anyone who is listening and looking around can hear the announcement: “We are nearing the end of the age as we know it. It is time to answer the call. Jesus is coming soon for his people. Turn to Him before it is too late.”

Have you heard the call? Are you just waiting for another and then another announcement, unaware that soon there will be no more, and it will be too late to get on board? I hope not, because surely what comes next is not going to be pleasant, and no one wants to be around for the final act.

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say ‘peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 2-3

Please, I beg you, answer the call before it is too late!