Flutterbies

I purposely planted some guara in front of my house because they are supposed to attract butterflies.  And maybe they DO, but the butterflies seem to be more interested in the lantana!  This hardy, heat-tolerant plant is clearly Susan-proof, although I DO water them regularly.  Since they're right in front of my house, it's the least I can do...

Anyway, these are untouched shots taken by a total photo newbie with a really nice Nikon camera.  I'm probably not smart enough to even HOLD it, much less take photos with it!!

But here they are, along with some of the Lord Jesus' thoughts as recorded in Matthew 6...

Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
 and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? 

See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor 

was dressed like one of these.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, 

which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, 

will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

So do not worry, saying, 

'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 

'What shall we wear?'

For the pagans run after all these things, 

and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 

and all these things will be given to you as well.

Ok. off to seek His kingdom... 

The Great Tribulation

These are notes from my pastor's sermon series entitled "Last Days." While I am a copious note-taker (and don't want them to go to waste!), I do NOT intend that they replace Pastor Bryan's preaching! Hopefully they will serve as a helpful outline as you listen to the actual sermon, which is available for viewing here:
http://www.firstroanoke.com/HTML/Resources/0410-LastDays/060610/Viewer.shtml

THE GREAT TRIBULATION
"For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved ; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect." ~Matt 24:21-24 (NASB)

Why study prophecy?  Because God will bless us, teach us, encourage us, draw us closer, and inspire us to be more like Jesus.

The Truth of the Great Tribulation

How can we be sure it will actually take place?
1. Jesus was sure (Matt 24)
2. Bible says it (God said it, that settles it, we believe it!)
3. Signs of the times

What is it? Period of God's wrath upon the earth in a series of judgments spoken in Rev but mentioned in the old and new testaments.  The judgments increase and intensify and the suffering gets worse and worse.

During the first half of the Great Tribulation the earth will experience -
7 Seal judgments (Rev 6): that brings Antichrist, war, famine, death, martyred souls, persecutions, changes on earth, then a period of silence
7 Trumpet judgments (Rev 8-11):  1/3 of earth set afire; 1/3 trees burned; grass will burn; meteor fall in the sea and destroy all the ships and fish; 1/3 sea turn to blood; falling stars will poison 1/3 of the earth's water; 1/3 of the sun, moon and stars will be darkened; 5 months of torture by scorpions; a 200 million man army will kill 1/3 of mankind; major earthquake in which 7,000 will die in Jerusalem alone.


Then the second half of the Great Tribulation, worse than the first 3 and 1/2 years:
7 Bowl judgments (Rev 16): boils; everything in the seas will die; rivers and springs will be turned to blood; sun is intensified with scorching heat; earth is plunged into darkness, Euphrates River dries up; armies attack Israel; great storms with hailstones weighing 100 lbs. Armageddon will follow the judgments at the end of this period.

After all the judgments and the battle at Armageddon, Jesus will return and set up His kingdom and will rule for 1000 years from the city of Jerusalem (Millennial Reign).

The Great Tribulation will be a time -

of judgment. When a holy and just God pours out His wrath upon the earth.

for the Lord to prepare and redefine Israel, getting ready for Christ's return.  Many if the nation of Israel will accept Jesus as Messiah during this time (Deut 4:30-31, Rev 7:1-8 )

God will be faithful to the promises He's made to the nation of Israel, and the promises He's made to the Church.

Daniel 12 tells of times of terror, but also times of God's faithfulness to Israel and the remnant of believers.  (Michael the archangel is the personal guardian over the nation of Israel.)

The Terror in the Great Tribulation
Dr J. Dwight Pentecost gives ten descriptive biblical words that describe this time: wrath, judgment, indignation, trial, trouble, destruction, darkness, desolation, overturning and punishment. He concludes his thoughts with this statement, "No passage can be found to alleviate to any degree whatsoever the severity of this time that shall come upon the earth."

War against Israel (Ezekiel 38-39)
This will likely be one of the first crises after the rapture of the Church. An Islamic-Israeli war could set the stage for the Antichrist's rise to power and subsequent peace treaty (Dan 9:20-27).  Israel will entrust her future to the very man who is determined to wipe them out. Jerusalem will become the political center of the world.

Halfway through the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will turn on Israel and marshal the world against them to wipe them out once and for all.  But that's not the end... Jesus will return, defeat the Antichrist and bind Satan for 1000 years.

Scary stuff, huh??  But those who have placed their trust in Jesus as Lord can rest easy and KNOW that things are happening according to God's will and plan, and that their eternity is secure and they can live with NO FEAR! Click HERE to learn how YOU can know Jesus as Lord!

A Biblical Timeline for the Last Days

These are notes from my pastor's sermon series entitled "Last Days."  While I am a copious note-taker (and don't want them to go to waste!), I do NOT intend that they replace Pastor Bryan's preaching! Hopefully they will serve as a helpful outline as you listen to the actual sermon, which is available for viewing here:
http://www.firstroanoke.com/HTML/Resources/0410-LastDays/053010/Viewer.shtml

A BIBLICAL TIME LINE FOR THE LAST DAYS
May 30, 2010 ~ Dr Bryan Smith, First Baptist Church Roanoke VA

“’Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. ‘" Daniel 9:24-27


Daniel received this vision as an old man, and is considered to be one of the greatest prophecies he ever received. It gives us a reliable time line that is built around Israel, the Jewish people, Israel and the temple.

1. The Message of the Prayerful Servant

- Prayer is crucial in the life of the believer and we approach Him with humble hearts. We see God for Who He is, and then realized how sinful we are. Confession of sin is important so we can remember and understand the price that Jesus paid for us, and then repent and go a new direction.

- Daniel was extremely weary as he prayed, but the Bible teaches us to pray without ceasing.  “Pray it through” refers to continually praying for a situation until it’s resolved. Daniel was one of the king’s advisors, wise and well-respected, but he knew the importance of seeking God. The Lord Jesus set an example as He persevered in prayer.

- The Lord God answered Daniel’s persistent prayers by sending angelic messengers. Remember that much of what we face is spiritual in nature (Eph 6:12).  In Daniel chapter 10, the angel tells Daniel that soon as Daniel humbled himself and began to pray, the Lord heard his prayer and dispatched the messenger. But during those three weeks that Daniel prayed, the messenger had been detained by the “prince of the Persian kingdom.”  This was likely a fallen angel (demon) who resisted him for 21 days until Michael (one of the chief princes of heaven) came to help! It isn’t a stretch to believe that even today demons have been assigned (for a limited season of time) to afflict nations, governments, and even groups of people.  So it’s crucial that we PRAY.

- 70 weeks decreed – means that it is SURE, it WILL happen according to God’s time table, and was given to and is based on the nation of Israel.  Three of those things have been accomplished in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ: finish THE transgression, which was the rejection of the Jesus.  There is only one sin that will keep you from going to Heaven - the sin of disbelief, not believing on Jesus Christ as Savior (John 3:36).

2.  The Meaning of the Seventy Weeks

To understand this prophecy we must use the lunar year (360 day year), which most Bible scholars believe is seventy weeks of YEARS.  The time line began in the Jewish month of Nisan in 445 BC.  This is when the decree was given by the Persian king Artaxerxes I to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2).

- The first 69 weeks of years ended on Palm Sunday in AD 32 when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  At that point in time, the Anointed One (Jesus) was cut off (crucified).

- We are now living in God’s “prophetic pause” as we wait for the 70th week.  This will be the 7-year period of the Great Tribulation, and it will begin when the Antichrist makes a peace treaty between Israel and her Arab neighbors and is allowed to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.  (There are currently people in Israel who are collecting materials and working on elements for the temple).

- Pastor Bryan and many of us believe that the church will be raptured prior to this 7th week.  People will still come to know Jesus and there will be 144,000 Jews who will testify and be protected (Revelation 7:4).

3. The Majesty of the Returning Lord

- At the end of the 70th week, Jesus will return with His church and will defeat the Antichrist and his armies in the battle at Armageddon.  Satan will be bound for 1000 years and the Lord will set up his earthly kingdom and reign from Jerusalem.

We are currently living in the “Age of Grace” or the “Church Age.”  As Paul taught in Romans 11, there is a “partial hardening of Israel” because of their rejection of Jesus as Messiah.  But understand, Jesus WILL return and He WILL be recognized for Who He is.

What about you?  Do YOU know Jesus?  Scripture teaches us that one day EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Confess Him NOW and click HERE to learn how.

Let's Roll!

I love studying the Corinthian church.  The city of Corinth was like Las Vegas on speed with the worst kind of immorality and debauchery you can imagine.  It was a major trade city whose most visible landmark was a temple to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.  There were also a thousand prostitutes who worked the temple during the day and the streets at night. And yet, there was a growing church with congregants who were "not lacking in any spiritual gift." (1 Cor 1:7) What a contrast!

As you could imagine, there was a good deal of cleaning-up and reprogramming that to be done with the Corinthians.  These folks were coming out of all sorts of immoral lifestyles and had all kinds of habits that needed to be broken.  Their faith was sincere, but their attitudes and actions needed some adjusting so Paul got right down to business after a brief nine verse greeting.

Underlying many of their issues was their immaturity. They had "played favorites" among the apostles and had divided into the "Paul" clique and the "Apollos" clique and the "Cephas" clique.  They were also impressed with the limited knowledge the Lord had revealed to them, and had even let some of their members go hungry when they came together to observe the Lord's Supper!  So Paul set them straight IN A HURRY.

As I studied this first letter, I tried to imagine what this group of believers would have been like.  Interestingly enough, the mental image I got of them was one of middle schoolers!  I remember my early teen years, and it hasn't been long since my OWN kids were that age.  Remember those years... everybody wants to impress everybody else...  everybody wants to be popular...  they KNOW everything... and everybody wants to have the coolest stuff.

Funny side story: my kids' assistant principal once told me that watching middle schoolers interact was like watching horses come out of the gate at a race.  They are all clamoring and jockeying for position, everybody trying to establish rank.

This seems to describe the Corinthians!!  They were impressed by who baptized them, they wanted to follow a popular disciple, thought they were smart, and when we get to chapters 12-14 they seemed to have a preoccupation with the stuff of spiritual gifts, and in particular speaking in tongues.

Paul set them straight AGAIN and corrected their thinking by explaining that EVERYBODY has gifts, God decides who gets what gifts, and that it's the Holy Spirit Who is working the will of the Father IN THEM.  He used the analogy of the body to make his point - everybody can't be an eye or an ear, every part is necessary, and the parts that are often in the background are often some of the most important.

The application of this passage is simple: Discover your gifts, Develop them, and DO THEM!  But at the end of chapter 12, he essentially told them, "hold that thought - I want to tell you something that's even better than gifts -- LOVE." He picked back up in chapter 14 and continued his instruction explaining that EVERY GIFT should have one goal -- edifying the church.

When I define "edify" I use words like, build up, strengthen, encourage.  But I love the Strong's definition for edify: "the act of one who promotes another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness."  BUT you can't promote the growth of ANOTHER if your focus is on promoting YOURSELF.

Unfortunately this problem wasn't limited to the church in Corinth.  We see this way too often in churches today as people strive to be in areas of public service.  Unfortunately those in public ministries are often recognized over those who quietly serve in the background.  How this must grieve the Holy Spirit and disappoint our Lord.

He died because EVERY ONE of us is important to Him, and He designed and gifted us because EVERY ONE of us has a job to do in the Kingdom, and EVERY ONE of those jobs is important!!  It doesn't matter if we are singing solos on the platform or changing diapers in the nursery -- if it's what He's called and gifted us to do, it's important to Him AND to us!

And we shouldn't consider any job to be beneath us.  If there is anything we can do to "promote another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness" then let's get busy with it!!  If there is a need in OR out of the church, we should be willing to roll up our sleeves and get to work. After all, it wasn't beneath Jesus to grab a towel and wash His disciples sweaty, dusty feet.  (A prayerful read of John 13:1-17 will cure any haughty notions we may have about getting our hands dirty.)

There is work to be done in the kingdom.  The fields are ripe for harvest (John 4:35), the workers are few (Luke 10:2)... these are scary times but we've been equipped to do God's work (2 Tim 3).  LET'S ROLL!

Sunrise, Sunset

I have an obsession with the sun rising and falling every day.  I'm not sure what it is, but if I catch a glimpse of a colorful streak in the sky, I stand transfixed staring up into it.  My kids will tell you that I've made them pull over or drive to a high point so I can take a picture.  Vacations at the beach are not a time to sleep in for me -- I've got to watch the fiery ball come up over the water.

Here are some of my shots, most taken with my Blackberry camera:

Roanoke Sunset (July 2010)

N. Myrtle Beach Sunrise (April 2010)

Roanoke Sunrise (January 2010)

Roanoke Sunrise (Nov 2009)

Roanoke Sunset (June 2010)

Just a reminder to occasionally look UP.  You never know what you might see!!