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Yes! "Our Blessed Hope" Matters - By Jonathan Brentner -
https://www.raptureready.com/2020/09/22/yes-our-blessed-hope-matters-by-jonathan-brentner/ A ten-year-old boy stood quietly peering into a coffin. The unthinkable had happened; the dad he loved and adored so very much had suddenly died of a heart attack. Although it would take many weeks for him to grasp the reality of his loss, the Lord was already at work consoling him in what might seem at first to be a rather unusual way. The Lord had earlier brought a message of hope to him through missionary friends of his parents who had talked to him about Jesus' return to earth as well as the rapture. I know because the boy of whom I write was me, fifty-seven years ago. After the funeral, I took a rose petal from my dad's coffin and placed it in my Bible at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. I cannot fully explain how the Lord brought so much consolation to the small boy of my past through the rapture, but I do recall thinking that this would be the time I would once again see my dad. Perhaps this in part explains my passion to defend the pretribulation rapture of which I have spent many thousands of hours studying, which began with my time at Talbot Theological Seminary. Perhaps this also accounts for the way I respond when I hear attacks on my beliefs regarding the future restoration of Israel as a kingdom during the one-thousand-year reign of Jesus. These things form the heart of the ministry for which God has prepared me through many ups and downs in my life and to which He has called me. My purpose in writing this article is not so much to defend my ministry as it is to reaffirm the comfort that comes our way knowing that Jesus is coming for us before the horrendous period of God's wrath upon the earth. This blessed assurance gives much needed strength to many saints enduring affliction and ongoing pain, both physical and emotional. The Rapture is "Our Blessed Hope" The pretribulation rapture matters supremely to many of us in Christ because it represents what the apostle Paul designates as "our blessed hope." Here are the words Paul wrote to Titus about the Gospel and our departure from this world in Titus 2:11-13: "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." If ever we needed to grasp the centrality of "our blessed hope," it's now. We live in the "perilous times" about which the apostle described in 2 Timothy 3:1-9, and the world continues to grow more threatening and darker with each passing week. Just as the rapture infused hope into the boy of my past, it also does so today for many believers all across the world amid the lawlessness and rampant violence on our streets. One has to purposely block out the many prophetic signs of the coming tribulation in order to deny that we live in the last days of human history. It's not sensible to dismiss the words of the book of Revelation as history or allegory at a time when we see its prophecies coming to life before our eyes. Jesus' appearing constitutes the very substance of our hope in 2020. Life will not return to the way it was in 2019; the demonic forces at work in America and throughout the world will not relent until they have fulfilled their purpose to establish a New World Order over which the antichrist will someday rule. This day is rapidly approaching. However, the horrors of the tribulation do not lie ahead for all those in Christ; our destiny is the "blessed hope" of Titus 2:13. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 assures us that we will already be with Jesus in heaven before the antichrist steps out of the shadows and begins his reign of terror. The Rapture Brings Encouragement to Weary Hearts I sense that many people regard the rapture simply as a matter of lifeless doctrine. They debate it as though they were discussing whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating John F. Kennedy. This subject matter may be important to many, but the outcome of the debate does not give anyone peace deep in their soul as does the assurance of Jesus' soon appearing. For us who recognize the signs of the times, the prospect of the Lord's imminent return enables us to approach each day with courage. It signifies that our survival does not depend on the shifting sands of this troubled world or the outcome of elections, but rather on Jesus and "the grace that will be brought" to us at His appearing (1 Pet. 1:13). That's why Peter told his readers to set their "hope fully" on this grace we will receive at Jesus' appearing. This is our hope regardless of the turmoil in our lives or nation. After reassuring the Thessalonians with words concerning the participation of all believers in the rapture, Paul wrote, "Therefore encourage one another with these words" (1 Thess. 4:18). The catching up of believers "in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (v. 17) is not a dry stuffy doctrine. No, it represents words of living hope whereby we can encourage one another. Paul intended for his readers to use his words regarding the rapture to encourage each other as they faced the fierce opposition of Jews who lived in Thessalonica. The words of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 still bring genuine comfort to weary hearts and troubled minds. Our coming departure from this world reassures us as we climb out of bed in the morning; it signifies the appearing of our glorious Savior to take us to the place He's prepared for us (John 14:1-3). It's when we will see Jesus face to face and receive our resurrected glorified bodies! The Rapture Substantiates our Labor for the Lord As someone who writes in support in of the pretribulation rapture, I hear many disparaging comments. These come mostly through Facebook where people repeatedly attack what I believe, especially about the timing of the rapture. Please know that I do not lightly dismiss criticism made in a kind and loving way but always take such comments to the Lord to see what changes He would have me make. A verse that often assures me in this regard is 1 Corinthians 15:58, words that Paul wrote immediately after discussing the details of the rapture, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." It was as if the Lord was telling me to remain on course; my labor to bring attention to the comforting message of "our blessed hope" was not "in vain." Is this not the encouragement that emanates from our hope to all believers? The rapture is the time when our adoption into God's family becomes our experience and we receive our glorified bodies (Rom. 8: 23). It's when Jesus rewards us for our faithful service on His behalf. It's when our faith becomes sight and we are at home with Jesus in the place He has prepared for us. I find it instructive that Paul connects the usefulness of our labor for the Lord directly to his teaching concerning the rapture. The prospect of Jesus' imminent return substantiates our efforts to fulfill His unique calling for each one of us, regardless of its nature. For me, it provides considerable encouragement to "remain steadfast" and continue in the writing ministry I believe the Lord has called me to do. So yes, "our blessed hope" supremely matters for all New Testament saints. It's the lifeblood of our hope, the time when we will see Jesus face to face. It's not just some future event with little significance for our current lives; it's when we will meet our glorious Savior in the air. Wow!! Jesus' imminent appearing provides immeasurable encouragement for us in a world ravaged by wickedness, murder, senseless violence, and widespread lawlessness. It also assures us that our current suffering or affliction will not last indefinitely. We will soon be with Jesus; He is why the rapture matters. Christ is the substance of "our blessed hope," which assures us of His coming for us before the devastating seven years of the coming tribulation begin. So no, I make no apology for my emphasis on the pretribulation rapture in my writing. The Lord has used this hope again and again to encourage and strengthen my heart since I was ten to this very day! It's this same comfort that I seek to pass on to others through my blog and through all the other writing that I do. Our hope matters today more than ever because we live in the season of His return. More than anything else, the prospect of seeing Jesus in the very near future brings peace to our hearts in midst of chaos and sanity to our minds in a world marked by continual deception and much delusion where fake news dominates the airwaves. Because the rapture represents Jesus' return for us, it constitutes the lifeblood of our hope. It matters supremely for us today. It's when we will see Christ, our Savior. It's "our blessed hope." This is what comforts us when we read of lawlessness in our streets, feel the scorn of others, and suffer affliction. Jesus is coming soon to take us home. Maranatha!! Jonathan Brentner Website: Our Journey Home Please consider signing up for my newsletter on my website. Thanks! E-mail: [email protected] The Inevitable Consequences Of False History - Jonathan Tobin - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=4305 The results of a new survey of knowledge and awareness about the Holocaust in the United States were sobering. It turns out that despite a massive effort put into educating Americans about the mass murder of European Jewry by the German Nazis and their collaborators, a sizable percentage of millennials (defined as those aged 18 to 39) know little or nothing about it or actually believe anti-Semitic canards about this atrocity being the fault of the Jews. Many Jews are understandably expressing dismay about those numbers and calling for greater efforts to be made to increase and improve Holocaust education. But it's likely that many of them are the same people who are dismissing President Donald Trump's concerns about the way the teaching of American history is being distorted or trashed by those peddling false narratives about the country being irredeemably racist. Trump's concerns, stated in a Constitution Day speech given last week in which he vowed to create a commission to combat this trend, were widely dismissed as either electioneering or racist. Anything a president says while running for re-election can be regarded as political. Yet his attempt to call attention to the importance of the ongoing fight over American history didn't seem to resonate among those who are the first to decry the implications of the lack of historical knowledge about the Holocaust. The fact that 15 percent of millennials think that Jews caused the Holocaust, 41 percent agreed with the claim that people talk about it "too much," and 12 percent think that it was either a myth or exaggerated is shocking. It's all the more troubling since those polled grew up in an era when Holocaust education has proliferated and is mandatory in many states. Indeed, the study, which was sponsored by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, showed that there was no correlation between living in states where Holocaust education is mandatory and having a firm grasp of the history. The problem isn't just a function of requiring schools to teach about this crime, but that what is being taught isn't necessarily helping to correct the situation, let alone dealing with a rising tide of anti-Semitism. As scholar Ruth Wisse writes in National Affairs, instead of merely doubling down on curricula that may be hurting as much as they are helping, we need to rethink Holocaust-education programs that were flawed from the start. Citing the work of the great historian Lucy Dawidowicz, Wisse astutely points out that programs that attempt to enlist the Holocaust in a generic liberal fight against hate misidentify the causes of the Shoah and "conceals rather than confronts anti-Jewish aggression." The lesson here is not just the importance of teaching history, but the danger from the spread of poorly conceived or misleading efforts to teach about it. And that is exactly why Trump's call to arms to defend American history against radical revisionists should be supported regardless of what you think about him. The real scandal about Trump's desire to found a "1776 Commission" to combat the growing influence of curricula based on The New York Times' fraudulent "1619 Project" isn't his alleged politicization of the subject. It's that so many otherwise responsible sources continue to treat the Pulitzer Prize-winning collection published by the Times as credible rather than a shameless exercise in propaganda. Critiques of the "1619 Project" by even liberal anti-Trump historians have pointed out that its basic thesis about racism being the primary characteristic of all of American history is based in falsehoods and distortions. The notion that the purpose of the American Revolution was solely to defend slavery is as big a lie as is the collection's attempts to deny that the arc of the nation's history is a long march towards the expansion of freedom and its defense of liberty around the globe. That was bad enough, though recently it came out that the Times has attempted to erase some of these fraudulent claims while still not acknowledging its egregious errors. This is all the more scandalous because the paper is peddling its mendacious account of history to school districts around the country, which are eagerly snapping it up so as to show their support for critical race theory and the Black Lives Matter movement. For many people, Trump is such a flawed messenger that he discredits any cause he takes up. Still, that is no excuse for the widespread willingness to ignore or scoff at his effort to push back against the growing influence of the "1619 Project." It is, as its principal author Hannah Nikole-Jones has proudly boasted in a since-deleted tweet, the inspiration for the "mostly peaceful" BLM demonstrations that have nonetheless led to hundreds of violent riots and acts of intimidation and violence in hundreds of American cities. Like the BLM movement, which is both an anodyne expression of opposition to racism, and also a Marxist and intersectional attack on liberal democracy, the falsification of history put forth by the "1619 Project" is a dangerous revisionist effort. It undermines education not only about America's past, but about the liberal values of free speech that leftist "cancel culture" inextricably tied to the BLM movement is determined to extinguish. Instead of an effort to create an authoritarian "state history" curriculum, Trump's championing of a patriotic response is a necessary antidote to an illiberal trend being fostered by both BLM and the associated "anti-racism" training programs that are actually rooted in the same assumptions that promote racism. Jews know all too well the cost of the ignorance of history and the promulgation of false historical narratives that undermine the liberal values essential to our security. That's why the Jewish community should support efforts to oppose the "1619 Project." The failure to do so is as much of a scandal as the lies being told by the revisionists. 3 Events That Have Greatly Shaken America During The Month Of September - by Michael Snyder - http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/3-events-that-have-greatly-shaken-america-during-the-month-of-september We were warned to "brace ourselves" as we entered the month of September, and this month has definitely turned out to be a critical turning point. As I write this article, some of the biggest wildfires in history continue to rage on the west coast, political activists are preparing for weeks of chaos in Washington D.C. as they attempt to derail Republican attempts to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's vacant seat on the Supreme Court, and protesters all over the country are pouring into the streets filled with fury because of the decision that was just announced in the Breonna Taylor case. This entire year has been a nightmare, and it certainly appears that events are only going to escalate even more during the months ahead. Let's start by talking about the unprecedented wildfires on the west coast. Right now, vast stretches of California, Oregon and Washington look like something out of a post-apocalyptic horror novel. Entire communities have been completely wiped off the map and millions of acres have been burned. Yes, there are wildfires every year, but we have never seen anything like this. In fact, over the past two months we have seen five of the six biggest wildfires in the recorded history of the state of California... The staggering statistics keep piling up for California's wildfire season: August and September account for five of the six biggest fires in nearly 90 years of recorded history for the state. The destructive Creek Fire that continues to burn in Fresno County grew about 3,000 acres between Monday and Tuesday for a new total of 283,724 acres, leapfrogging the 2017 Thomas Fire for the No. 6 spot, according to Cal Fire records. It is 30% contained. It had been hoped that cooler weather would mean that the worst was behind us, but instead authorities are warning that another "heat dome" will soon cover much of the west coast until early October... Thousands of firefighters struggling to contain dozens of blazes from California to Washington need a break in the weather to help them get the upper hand. But while temperatures have returned to near average after a blistering heat wave in mid-August and another record-shattering heat episode this month, the weather is poised to tip decidedly in the fires' favor. A large area of high pressure, or a heat dome, is projected to build across the West at the same time as a large dip, or trough, in the jet stream delivers cold air to the Midwest and East beginning this weekend and continuing into early October. So what this means is that the worst wildfire season in California history could soon get even worse. Meanwhile, a fire of a different sort has erupted on the east coast. The sudden passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has set the stage for a battle for the ages in Washington. No member of the Supreme Court has ever been more popular with the left than Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and liberal activists are absolutely mortified that President Trump has an opportunity to fill her seat. It is expected that Trump will announce his nominee on Saturday, and he has said that it will be a woman. At this point, it looks like it will come down to a choice between Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa. Mitch McConnell and other Republican leaders are telling Trump that picking Barrett would be the right choice for the nation, but many on his campaign team are telling Trump that picking Lagoa would be the smartest choice politically. In the end, it will be very interesting to watch what Trump decides to do. And in either case, we should expect Democrats to pull out all the stops in order to try to keep the seat from being filled before the election. In the middle of the country, a stunning legal decision threatens to plunge major cities all over the nation into another round of civil unrest. BLM activists were desperately hoping that the three police officers involved in the shootout that resulted in the death of Breonna Taylor would all be charged with murder. Instead, only one officer was charged, and the only thing he was charged with doing wrong was "shooting a gun into a neighboring apartment"... On Wednesday, a Kentucky grand jury indicted one of three police officers involved in the incident on charges of wanton endangerment for shooting a gun into a neighboring apartment. Former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison is facing three felony charges. Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, two other officers involved, were not charged. This decision surprised a lot of people, but in the end it came down to a fairly straightforward application of the law. It was decided that the police officers were justified in shooting into Taylor's apartment because they had been fired upon first... But it likely hinged on what Attorney General Daniel Cameron told reporters Wednesday: Kentucky's "vigorous laws on self-defense." Cameron said there were no homicide charges again Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Officer Myles Cosgrove - who together fired 18 shots, six of which hit Taylor - "because they were justified in firing after being fired upon." And that just makes sense. If I was serving as a police officer and someone shot at me, I would definitely be shooting back. But at this point no explanation of the legal issues is going to mitigate the pain and fury that we are seeing all over the nation. Immediately after the decision was announced, protesters began to pour into the streets, and things soon became violent. Two police officers have already been shot, and video footage of gunshots being fired that has been posted online is absolutely chilling. What we are witnessing should greatly sadden all of us, because our society is literally being torn apart right in front of our eyes, and it should break our hearts to see Americans fighting Americans. And it turns out that somebody anticipated that things would get crazy and had parked a U-Haul full of supplies right where the protesters could find it... A parked U-Haul was waiting for the crowd up the street. It contains supplies such as signs, shields, water etc. I'm not sure how people knew what it contained. What a wild month this has already been, and I expect it to get even wilder. The fight to stop Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court will kick into high gear this weekend, and bitter disappointment over the Breonna Taylor decision is likely to spark protests in cities all over the nation for quite some time. I believe that we have entered an era of permanent civil unrest in this country, and that is going to be true no matter who wins the election in November. But of course if the fight over the result of the upcoming presidential election drags out for weeks or even months after November 3rd, that will just make things a whole lot worse. I have such a bad feeling about what is coming, and so many others that I am hearing from feel the exact same way. So we should continue to "brace ourselves", because what we have been through already is just the tip of the iceberg. The Godman - By Jerry McDermott - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/09/20/the-godman-by-jerry-mcdermott/ Some Christians question how they are supposed to imitate Jesus. Besides, I'm sure this commentary is typical of so many that don't want to dig a little deeper, as it is a good opportunity to be irreligious. The words cop-out come to mind. I'd like to make two comments: one religious and the other personal. The first is a cry from God who said, "My people perish for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). In other words, they haven't read the scriptures which are God's guidelines for a happy life with Him, starting in this life. The second comment is a corollary to the scripture above and was given by Paul Hellyer, former Canadian Defense Minister as "I didn't know how much I didn't know because I didn't know how much there was to know!" The point is that God's love for us is so complete that we can know what are future happenings. The bottom line is that the Bible-reading Christians never have to ask, "What's going on?" A recent example is so indicative as Matthew 24:6 states that in the last days there will be a pestilence. He also lists the happenings of the last days; and if you watch the news, you can see we are already there. Last Days - Covid 19 - a pestilence predicted 2,000 years ago. Or is the virus a biological weapon? Let's return to the comment that you can't imitate Jesus because He is God. The answer is not in uninformed public opinions or comments. The solution is in the book of Philippians 3 that states while Jesus is God, He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Therefore, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave and the appearance of a man. Isaiah described Jesus as, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him" (Isaiah 53:2). In other words, Jesus looked like an everyday Jewish man as Jesus put aside His divine holiness. Next, we will examine how Jesus worked miracles, having put aside His Godhead, and how we can imitate Him. While John the Baptist is considered the last prophet before Jesus, he was instrumental in equipping Jesus for His introduction of the kingdom. Therefore, we will examine Jesus's power as the Trinity was involved. As Jesus was baptized by John, the Holy Spirit came upon Him, and the Heavenly Father said, "This is my Son whom I love; with Him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17, NIV). John was told that when he saw the Spirit descend and rest on someone, it was the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit" (John 1:33). This is the scriptural proof that we can imitate Jesus if we are baptized by Jesus as He was baptized. When He was baptized, Jesus received the nine Gifts of the Spirit and began His public ministry. The nine gifts were wisdom; knowledge; faith; healing; miracles; prophecy; discernment; tongues; and interpretation (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).). After choosing His apostles and disciples, He then authorized the twelve disciples to visit only Jewish settlements and to heal the sick and perform other ministry gifts. Jesus also told them, "The gift you have received, give as a gift" (Matthew 10:8). This is good advice for any Born-Again Christian. The apostles were not yet baptized by the Holy Spirit, so this mission was for training in usage of the gifts. After His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples in a locked room. In a sense, He ordained them, saying, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21-23). He then said, "Receive the Holy Spirit" and authorized them to forgive or bind sins. Another time, He told them, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you (Acts 1:8). With this baptism of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the followers of Jesus were equipped with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is how the apostles and disciples imitated Jesus. This is how we are all called to follow the example of Jesus Christ. The traditional teaching is that we receive the Holy Spirit, including His gifts upon salvation. When we receive the Baptism of the Spirit, the gifts are released for ministry. These are the gifts, the virtues, and the Fruit of the Spirit, the latter two for personal growth while the gifts are for ministry and are reflective of the miracles that Jesus worked. While we are in awe when we think about the miracles and healings Jesus performed, perhaps we miss the overall character of our Lord. The command to Love God and your neighbor pertains to the human aspect of Jesus. His love, then, was a dominating feature. I think of His protective apostles refusing to let the children come to Jesus. He rebuked them and the children came to Him. Can you see the children climbing on Jesus as he has this great smile and the children sense His goodness? Scripture does say He took them up in His arms, laid hands on them and blessed them. It is important that we do not forget the lesson of the children that Jesus used to teach His followers and, of course, believers today. He said that we need to become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven. What are the characteristics of children that we need to practice? The first is trust. When Jesus said we are to pick up our cross and follow Him, this meant to trust Him in everything. Next is plain acceptance. The early followers clearly had this when Jesus said "follow me," and they did, sensing His character. The next is difficult for some, but it is accepting God's love. When you read that God IS love (1 John 4:8), what else do you think it means? Paul tied this together with, "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:18). Jesus Himself explained His personhood when He said, "Before Abraham, I AM" (John 8:58). Other scriptures can also increase our understanding of Jesus. Paul explains that the Father was pleased that all the fullness dwelled in His Son (Colossians 1:19). Note that John didn't say that Jesus had love, but that Jesus IS love. Therefore, as Jesus dwells in us by His Holy Spirit, hopefully a personal relationship with our Lord ensues, and all the endowments of the Holy Spirit will be used for ministry as well as personal spiritual growth. Another questionable area for young Christians is confusion about salvation, achieving heaven, and the Rapture. God, who knows our uncertainties, has provided answers in the sacred scriptures. Here are several results: Salvation: "God has not destined us for wrath, but for acquiring salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9; John 3:16). Heaven: "I have written this to you to make you realize that you possess eternal life -you who believe in the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13). Rapture: The Rapture signifies the end of the Church Age as living and dead Christians immediately acquire an eternal body and meet Jesus in the clouds and then are brought to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). During His lifetime, Jesus considered His forthcoming persecution, beatings, and crucifixion as the fulfilment of His Father's plan to forgive mankind. He sadly commented that the narrow gate leads to heaven while the wide gate is necessary for the great throngs of people going to perdition (Matthew 7:13-14). He expanded this to ask, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8). The modern culture of sin, anti-God, and paganism clearly answers that poignant question. It is now realistic to ask Jesus to accept your sinful nature and forgive you as you await the Rapture and avoid seven years of terror in the Tribulation period. Afterward, Jesus will return to earth with the Born- Again flock, judge the nations, and set up His earthly kingdom for one thousand years. "Be on your guard; the Son of Man will come when you least expect Him" (Luke 12:40) [email protected] Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: Convertible - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com Somebody pulled up in the driveway. I didn't go out and see who it was right away. Had some chores in the barn, probably cleaning stalls. I came out into the barnyard and through the glow of the afternoon sun, there was an image I never thought possible to be sitting in our driveway. I couldn't believe my eyes. There she sat. In the driveway. A brand new red 1962 Ford Thunderbird convertible. Top down. White tuck and roll leather bucket seats with a classic rounded back seat. The dashboard looked like the cockpit on my Jimmy Jet and it had a sleek middle console. The car reminded me of something that would have come out of the space-aged cartoon The Jetsons. Couldn't believe my dad bought it. Well, he didn't. After I looked that T-Bird over and ran my hands along its sleek outer lines, examined the "thruster-like" taillights, and the rounded aerodynamic grill, I meandered into the house imagining riding down the country roads with my hair blowing in the wind. There in the kitchen was Dad, Mom, and the car salesman sitting around the kitchen table. Pretty serious discussion. Back then, car dealers jacked prices up. It was up to the buyers whether they would pay full price or haggle for a better price. My Dad was a horse trader, so that car salesman, who drove that wonderful T-Bird all the way from Kent 20 miles away to make a sale, was in for some dealing. Dad told me to go outside and look at the car. Having permission, I opened the driver's side door and sat in the contoured bucket seat in front of the steering wheel. You can imagine all the adventures that were rolling through my mind on that mild, late summer afternoon, as I pretended to drive that sports car. I ended up in the back seat, trying it out for leg room. I was amazed at the tuck and roll craftmanship and how the backseat sort of curved on the edges. I fell in love with that car. About two hours later, the salesman came out. Dad said to come out of the car. The salesman said something like, "You are passing up a great deal." Dad said something like $4,700 is my price. That car was going for about $5,500. So it was no deal. I was so disappointed. Dad said they wanted too much for the car. Mom said there wasn't enough room in it. A little later, though, they bought a 1962 Buick Invicta convertible, light metallic blue with matching interior. It didn't have the bucket seats, bench seats in the front. Huge back seat. And the trunk was as big as a ballroom. Dad got his convertible. Mom got her room. And I believe they paid less than $4,000 at Gifford Buick in Kent, Ohio. It was unusual to see a farmer in bibbed overalls and a cowboy hat riding in a sporty car with the top down. But that was Dad, and Mom might be found in the back seat being chauffeured in her Jackie Kennedy sunglasses and scarf. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." It's true with cars as well. Convertibles stuck with me as I have had one for many years. Daily Devotion: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. -2 Timothy 4:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/keep-your-eyes-on-the-prize-3/ - Listen In the Greek games, a judge would stand at the finish line holding laurel leaves in plain sight. This was the reward given to the victor. As the runner came around that last stretch, feeling exhausted and unable to go another inch, he would catch a glimpse of the prize in the judge's hands. And then a new burst of energy would kick in. That is the picture we find in Hebrews 12:1-2. "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (NKJV). Looking unto Jesus. . . . This keeps us going. We can get discouraged in the spiritual race. People let us down. They disappoint us. They don't appreciate our hard work. They don't see our efforts. They don't see our real motives. They criticize us. But we say, "I'm not running for you. I'm running for the Lord, and I'll keep going." We have to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ. Our prize is the crown of righteousness that He will give to us. That is why we live the Christian life. That is why we try to reach people for Him. It is not for applause. It isn't for notoriety. It is so we can hear Jesus say to us on that final day, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" If this were your last day on Earth, would you be able to say with the apostle Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV)? Would you have any regrets? ![]() FROM THE HEART
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