Welcome to the Café Logos thought bakery where I assemble the ingredients of my daily experiences to share with our diners.
November 3, 2020 Prepping Many people are currently focused on “prepping.” This means that they are concerned about what they are seeing transpire upon the world’s stage and in response to these events they are gathering supplies, food, weapons, medicine and so forth, in preparation for what may lie ahead. While being practical in these matters is helpful and perhaps necessary, we also need to understand that to be spiritually prepped to face the future is far more important. When we look at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we recognize that is what these teachings are all about; prepping for our future with God. And as we do that, we realize we will be prepared to face whatever befalls us on a daily basis. We can look at the natural disasters that are occurring all over the world at this hour, and relate them to the picture Jesus paints for of us of the man who did not heed Jesus’ prepping instructions and watched as the house he had built on sand crumbled into ruins (Matthew 7:26,27). His house may have been stacked to the rafters with all the provisions he thought would be necessary to guarantee his survival. Those material things he put his trust in were wiped out in a moment. But if he had stored his treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:21) then he would have lost nothing. God promises that if we seek His kingdom first, He will provide whatever we need to survive (Matthew 6:33). This world is not our home. Prepping to face the Lord at our final judgment is symbolically the house that is built on the solid rock foundation of His cross and His word that will never fail us, no matter how hard the storm winds of this life come against our souls.
October 19,2020
September 23, 2020 Experiencing Luke 6:30 I live in an apartment complex. When my new neighbor moved in, I gave her a plant that had outgrown the space I had for it in my home. She was delighted to receive it and she said that she was going to put it in a bigger pot. I asked her to give the old one back to me. I had just bought it and wanted to use it to display some flowers on my stoop the following summer. She told me later that she did replant it and gave it to her brother. After about a year she decided to move. She never returned my pot as I had requested and I didn’t feel that the Lord wanted me to ask for it back. He brought the scripture to my mind that if anyone takes your goods don’t ask for them again (Luke 6:30). So I didn’t. In the meantime I had put an old twin mattress I had on the floor in my basement exercise area to rest on after my senior minimal effort workouts. The mattress needed a box spring. On my neighbor’s moving day, her relatives arrived with a rented moving van. They worked all day and after they finished loading in all her things, they all had to leave for the night. I noticed that they had left a twin sized box spring leaning on the side of the van. I was about to enter my apartment when my other neighbor suddenly came over to me and asked if I could use a box spring. I immediately answered with an enthusiastic, “Yes!” He told me that they didn’t have room to fit it in the van and she wanted to give it away. We brought it into my apartment just as it started to rain. The timing for the whole event was perfect. I kept thinking of the verse the Lord had given me, which caused me to curb my desire to regain my possession. There is a reason why the Lord tells us these things. If I had been covetous and not obeyed His word, and pressured my neighbor to return my five dollar plastic flower pot, I might not have been blessed by an almost brand new box spring that I needed and was worth so much more. When I moved from my camper lot to the apartment, I wanted to take with me a certain plant from the garden there. At the last minute I decided not to dig it up and decided to leave it for the new owners who had not yet seen the property. After I had moved into my apartment, one of my neighbors suddenly gave me the same type of plant for my new garden there. She didn’t know that I wanted one like that. The plant she gave me was much bigger and nicer than the one I had decided leave behind. When we let go of holding onto things, cap our covetousness and are willing to give, God rewards that obedience to His word. It’s just another lesson learned in one of life’s parables that God orchestrates to teach His children and affirm the truth of His word. I am reminded of that fact every time I collapse on the mattress after my exercising and admire the beautiful plant that has added so much to my garden.
September 10, 2020 Clearing off the Debris Many years ago I lived in a little house in the woods. There were some beautiful, large pink granite boulders in front of the house that were buried by woodland debris. I wanted to expose their beauty, so I began cleaning away the dirt and roots that had been hiding them from view for so long. When I was finished, the rocks shown forth in their granite splendor adorning the entrance to my woodland home. I kept thinking about this and began relating it to the Gospel. Man-inspired interpretations, opinions and philosophy have covered the lovely simplicity of the gospel like the woodland debris that marred the beauty of my granite boulders. Many of the so called church “fathers” can be cited for adding to the clutter that detracts from the apostle’s first century Christianity. For example, Augustine actually tried to combine the pagan doctrines of Plato with the Christian faith. Augustine greatly influenced Calvin and caused many of God’s people to figuratively “marry” foreign doctrine so to speak. This was the sin of the church at Pergamos (Rev. 2:12-16). They are chastened by the Lord for embracing the doctrine of Balaam who caused God’s people to intermingle with the Moabite women. They also accepted the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, the Gnostics, who preached a distorted version of Christianity that negated the cross. Pergamos is figurative of a church that does not hold fast to sound doctrine as it was delivered by the Lord and His apostles. As the centuries passed, the debris continued to pile upon the pure Rock of our salvation. I remember when they were restoring the paintings in the Sistine chapel. After the years of grime had been removed, it was hard for some people to accept that the original colors were so bright. The paint that had first flowed from the artist’s brush had been hidden for so long under the greying influences of time, that many had begun to prefer the dull tones that the dirt had altered from the colors that were chosen by the artist. Man-inspired traditions have covered God’s word, building up new layers as each generation passes, marring the brilliance and the simplicity that God had originally intended to convey to His people. Many who have not saturated themselves in God’s word, end up preferring the distorted doctrines that have been layered upon the purity of the Holy Scriptures. It’s time to clear off the debris, children. We can do that by reading God’s word for ourselves and let the scriptures guide us. Let’s follow the example of those first century Christians who “…continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).
September 1, 2020 Why I Don’t Want To Visit Israel I have absolutely no desire to visit Israel. I’m sure this would surprise many Christians who eagerly book tickets on cruise ships, etcetera to visit the land of Jesus’ physical birth. “Don’t you want to see the place where Jesus actually walked?” No. Some might even think that there could be something wrong with a believer’s faith if they are not panting to return to the place from which Jesus emerged. This lack of desire in me, I believe, is something that has been placed there by the Lord. I am an evangelist, and so far, I have not been called to physically minister in that area. If called there, I would go in order to reach the people there for the Messiah Jesus. I am not a tourist. Aside from any ministry concerns, my lack of interest in experiencing Israel in relation to my faith is based on several issues. Number 1 – I would be disappointed. Israel looks nothing like the Israel in Jesus’ day. The land He knew and what it is today are not the same. There were no souvenir shops lining the Via Dolorosa. I’m not interested in witnessing the holy land that birthed my Savior turned into a tourist trap. And I will not contribute to Israel’s economy in that way, when they have rejected the Messiah and are capitalizing on this One they have rejected. I find that reprehensible. Secondly, Israel is currently violating God’s commandments in regards as to how they are to treat the strangers, or Gentiles in their land (Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:34, Ezekiel 47:22,23,). In other words, I can’t support their ongoing brutality against the Palestinians. Therefore I cannot contribute to Israel’s economy through tourism. The Lord has described modern Israel as “Sodom and Egypt” (Revelation 11:8). Why would I pay money to visit Sodom? And thirdly, - because the Lord lives in me and is present with me on a daily basis through the Holy Spirit as He promised, wherever I walk, Jesus is walking with me. I don’t have to go and see where He was when He is ever present with me here and now. I don’t have to return to the past or any physical location to find Him. He came to me. I don’t need to visit the site of His empty tomb when He has risen in me. Someday as His word proclaims, all of those holy sites are going to be annihilated when the prophecies concerning the destruction of this planet are fulfilled (II Peter 3:10) So much for the souvenirs. For me, at this moment, Israel is a polluted vine awaiting her upcoming prophesied captivity before Jesus returns (Zechariah 14). There is an urgent need for evangelism in that country as only three percent of the entire population has received the true Messiah Jesus as their savior. As I mentioned previously, I would go there if the Lord calls me to minister in that area, currently I am reaching many all over the world online. But if you are among those who are eagerly anticipating a trip to Israel, please don’t go as a tourist. Go as an evangelist and reach a soul for Jesus. Get your money’s worth out of the adventure. You need to see that land as Jesus sees her; a land that is in desperate need of repentance and the soul saving gospel of the Messiah Jesus. Get a free copy of our eBook “Why Jesus has to be the Messiah – Understanding the New Covenant and the Hebrew Roots of Christianity,” and share it with as many people as you can. It is a valuable resource that can lift the veil that has been placed on the minds of so many Jews who have been deceived into believing that Jesus is not the messiah, when only He has fulfilled the many foreshadows, typologies and prophecies that prove the truth of who He is, the Son of God, the Redeemer of mankind.
August 19, 2020 Troubling Statistics I recently came across some troubling statistics. At least these statistics would be troubling to sincere Christians. According to the research that was done by Arizona Christian University, only 35% of people in the United States believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Additionally, 48% believe that salvation can be earned by being a good person. As any true believer knows, this is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Me” - John 14:6. There is a very good reason why Jesus could say this. He is the prophesied Messiah, the only Redeemer of mankind that God has ordained to save humanity. Jesus is the fulfillment of a miraculous plan of redemption that God instigated in Eden and illustrated throughout the Old Testament to its fulfillment in the Messiah Jesus. I believe that the only reason so many people are ignorant of this plan in the United States, is because the church has neglected to focus on teaching who Jesus is in the Old Testament as the Lord has directed (Luke 24:27). The fault lies at the foot of the American pulpit. When I mentioned the need to teach who Jesus is from the Old Testament, the pastor I was talking to responded, “Oh, that’s just for the Jews.” He was parroting a blatantly ignorant response that I have heard from others like him. If you are interested in knowing the truth, or if you are a Christian that wants to help share it, please get our free eBook version of the book, “Why Jesus has to be the Messiah – Understanding the New Covenant and the Hebrew Roots of Christianity”. Please share it with as many people as you can and help to change those troubling statistics.
August 18, 2020
August 5, 2020
May 26,2020 The Bride and the Beast We are living in some very strange times now aren’t we? As Christians we know from Bible prophecies, that some of these events are stepping stones that will eventually lead us into the formation of a one world government. The Apostle John is a similitude of the Bride of Christ, and we can stand with him on the shores of Patmos Island in Revelation’s pages and watch with him as the prophesied beast last world empire arises from the sea. While not all of us will be around to see it come into its fullness, the bride, symbolized by John, will be here long enough to begin to see its emergence upon the world’s stage. As the evil it brings is already spewing its venom across the planet, we need to keep focused on the fact that this vile world empire is only temporary. Its defeat is prophesied and we need to dwell on Revelation’s chapter 19 that depicts Jesus’ return and the corresponding chapter 14 in Zechariah’s prophecy of the same event. While our circumstances can get us down; Jesus said we will have tribulation in this life (John 16:33), our future is always secure in Him. This emerging evil, must be allowed to arise before God will destroy it. God had shown Abraham the land that He would give his seed. It was inhabited by brutal tribes that God wanted His people to eradicate. However, Abraham was told that their entrance to that Promised Land would be delayed until the evil comes to its fullness (Genesis 15:16). Likewise today, the empire will be allowed to form until it reaches the pinnacle of its wickedness and then it will be destroyed by the Lord’s fiery return. It’s all part of His plan and purposes and we can trust that the outcome will ultimately be in the best interests of His people, because all things do work together for good, to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose, Romans 8:28. “So, My lovely bride,” says the Lord, “Keep looking up. Keep your eyes on Me and your future with Me, and you will be able to smile in the face of your enemies.”
May 7, 2020 The Power on our Side I had a dream a little while before the corona virus lockdown. In the dream I was in a room with some people. When we tried to leave and went out into the hall, we found that the hall had been walled in and there was no exit. I thought in the dream that this was done by evil people. Then I noticed a crack in the wall and we were able to break through by the power of the Lord’s blood. This is what I think the dream means. The room I was in with the other people represents the church. The church has been walled in by witchcraft and complacency which has kept her from breaking out in the full power of the Lord. I also believe that this dream could have been a prophecy of the lockdown during the pandemic that forced the churches to keep from operating. I believe that before the Lord returns He wants His people to operate in the power and anointing of the first century believers. However, only a remnant within the church will recognize this and be obedient to the Lord’s direction in this area. The church’s focus will be evangelism, discipling and serving others, which were the three pillars of the first century church. This remnant will recognize and utilize the tremendous power that God has given to us through Jesus. One of my friends had a dream in which she saw a woman who represents the bride of Christ, looking at an enormous heavenly army. She had the power to command this army, but she was just standing there looking at it. She wasn’t doing anything. This dream reminds me of the vision of Elisha’s servant (II Kings 6: 15-17). Elijah had to show his fearful servant the power on their side. “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (verse 16). We need to recognize that vision is for us today and command the Lord’s army in Jesus’ name to operate on our behalf to thwart the devices of the wicked. The only thing that really matters to the Lord is souls and the spiritual welfare of His church, His people. Our prayers have great power and we need to wake up and recognize that the Lord has given us this power and authority to stop the enemy from hindering us in our efforts to reach out beyond the walls of the church and reach the lost. This church will not be afraid to expose herself publicly in areas where the gospel is not popular. Some will experience martyrdom. These seeds that fall will rise again, and their sacrifices will and are, laying the foundation for revival. Evil will continue to rise against the church, and while we may experience being overcome momentarily by the beast empire prophesied in Revelation’s pages, any defeat is only temporary, just like Jesus’ crucifixion. We will rise again like Him, and return with Him in victory, because His power is the real power and it has always been on the side of His people who love Him.
April 4, 2020 Bullied by a Theologian Have you ever been bullied by a professed theologian? I was recently. I was attempting to explain my position on a specific doctrine and he refused to let me finish my explanation, interrupting me at every point, all the while claiming I was interrupting him. He apparently enjoyed throwing long theological words at me that to me sounded like some of those names they attribute to certain species of dinosaurs. I didn’t know what they meant, and I comforted myself in the fact that the apostles wouldn’t have known what they meant either, as they were not in existence in their day. I am in good company. This particular individual I was talking to has a radio show and professes to be an authority in his field. Upon further scrutiny, as I was investigating his website, I learned that he gets his answers from a book he read that explains Christian doctrine. He merely repeats what he has read from that book. I repeat what I have learned from a Book, too. That’s the Bible. He remained speechless when I told him that I only read my Bible and my theology does not extend much beyond the first century. I follow Jesus and the apostles, that’s it. I don’t know of any better instructors. He mentioned to me that he has been in ministry for forty years. So have I, but I didn’t feel a need to let him know that I was in ministry for the same length of time, as it had no real bearing on our conversation. I didn’t feel a need to explain to him that because of my experiences with the many religious leaders I had met along the way, I had learned that the majority of them just parrot the doctrines of the people who had instructed them. So if someone comes along, who believes the same basic doctrines of the Christian faith, but offers a particular insight that has not as yet been recorded somewhere in their vast libraries of religious knowledge, they recoil as if they were being confronted by a child who should be sent to his room. When this arrogant man I was talking to, could no longer tolerate this child’s perceptions, even though he never really remained silent long enough to actually comprehend them, he quickly and rudely terminated the conversation. In all honesty, I did not sense a spirit of Christ in this man at all, just a cold, religious spirit. And he’s on the radio all the time, promoting himself as one who is quite able to answer all your questions. He probably can, as long as those answers he’s learned don’t go beyond the book he loves to parrot. You can be an authority, too. Just follow the authors who heard directly from God and wrote His words down in a volume known as the holy Bible. Then you probably won’t need any professed religious authority to answer your questions. God will answer them for you.
March 4, 2020 A Rumor of Guillotines A friend of mine has a business in Maine. She also has relatives who work in high levels in the government. She told me one of them processed an order for the purchase of guillotines by the United States government under the Obama administration. There were articles and videos produced about guillotines being bought by the United States, yet I think most people thought they were based on rumors and did not take them seriously. Well, my friend is a Christian of outstanding character and her testimony is an accurate one. We know that the Bible tells us that before the Lord returns the earth will be controlled by a totalitarian one world government. I am sure that when this prophecy reaches its fulfillment there will be mass extinctions of humans, especially those who refuse to cooperate with this system. Christians, of course, will be among those who refuse to bow their knees to the false messiah who will be ruling this organization. The bible shows us a picture of the many who will be decapitated in the last days. – And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years (Revelation 20:4). There is an abandoned military base in the state where my friend lives. One day a man came into her store and told her about the job he was working on. He had been installing shower like stalls in an underground facility beneath the abandoned military base. He said these stalls had pipes running into them, not like regular water showers – more like gas chambers? Recently I was sharing this information with a pastor I know in Cape Cod. I told him about these mysterious “shower stalls.” I was surprised when he responded, “Oh we have those on a base here. They told us they were to control the moths. We have a moth problem here.” Oh. But they don’t have a moth problem in Maine. Apparently those stalls are designed to exterminate something. Guess. This same pastor has a son who once worked for the Department of Transportation. When he went to visit him, he was allowed in one of the buildings that is not open to the public. While he was waiting for his son, he noticed that there was the number “666” embedded in the logo in the floor. Those who are familiar with Bible prophecy know what that number represents. Those who do not, well, I suggest you get an education and do some study in God’s word for your own protection. The word of God shows us that those who have put their trust in the Messiah Jesus don’t have to be afraid of anything. Death is just a transition into eternal life in the paradise of God’s loving presence. We also know that the evil reign of this “beast empire” as it is described in the book of Revelation and Daniel’s prophecies, is only temporary. It will be destroyed along with all the evil people who support it, when Jesus returns in victory. That’s not a rumor - that’s a fact. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He does judge and make war And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron” and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God (Rev. 19:11,15).
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December 25, 2020
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