How Much More?

Matthew 24:36-39,42 - But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 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 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. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

As the scripture above says, those were the days in which Noah lived. God had had enough. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:6-8)

So what more can I say? Jesus is clearly saying He will return at a time only His Father knows. Things in this world will have to be pretty ugly for that to happen. Signs were given for us to know those times and season. If God destroyed the earth once and He says He will return once again to bring final judgment, why wouldn’t we be wanting to heed His words, like Noah did?

One of the names of Jesus is the Door. There is but one way to God the Father. We either heed His words today or we don’t. The door to the ark was the only way Noah, his family and anyone (yet no one) could enter to safety. We either go into that Door today and be saved or we perish like those people in Noah’s day. 

There will always be scoffers. I grieve over those who don’t believe He will return, that our days will get better, that we will make America great again, that peace and security is what the world wants and if that’s so, it should happen. We cannot trust man but we can trust God.

True peace and security can only be found in Jesus Christ. We are to heed His warnings. Yes, we continue with life, but we always have God and His Word in our hearts. The things of the world, as the song states, will grow strangely dim in the light and the glory of His grace. I was noticing this morning how things that seemed so important to me just are not anymore. I believe that is the Lord changing me to do as He says, not cling to the things of this world because our world is not on earth but in heaven. 

I know many of my church friends and I look up with excitement and anticipation for the day He will return. We are also to endure to the end of our life if He should take us before His return with the same anticipation of being with Him in that perfect world to come. It's harder for me to live in this world; I endure knowing that the glorious end will be near.

This is not a gloomy subject unless one's church does not talk about it. It's not gloomy if one has that relationship, that knowing, that one is born again. Many churches don't preach born again. Look up what that means; find scriptures that explain what it is and how it is achieved (and the words of one simple prayer will not save; but a heart willing to change and receive Christ will).

2Timothy 3:1-4 - But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God...

The Letter

John 14:1-4 - Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.

Though we should not follow any man, there is a One we should. No man should be put on a pedestal (not even the man who wrote this letter) but One (who is who is seated at the right hand of God). His truths are revealed to as many as those who want them.

This is quite the departure from my typical blog, and yet it’s not! If you read this letter to the end you’ll see this man describes what I attempt to.

Aug. 7, 1982

Dear Loyal,

I hope you’ll forgive me for this, but I’ve been wanting to write you ever since we talked on the phone. I am aware of the strain you are under and believe with all my heart there is help for that.

First I want to tell you of a personal experience I’ve kept to myself for a long time. During my first year as Governor you’ll recall the situation I found in Calif. was almost as bad as the one in Wash. today. It seemed as if the problems were endless and insolvable.

Then I found myself with an ulcer. In all those years at Warner Bros., no one had been able to give me an ulcer and I felt ashamed as if it were a sign of weakness on my part. John Sharpe had me on Malox and I lived with a constant pain that ranged from discomfort to extremely sharp attacks.

This went on for months. I had a bottle of Maalox in my desk, my briefcase and of course at home. Then one morning I got up, went into the bathroom, reached for the bottle as always and some thing happened. I knew I didn’t need it. I had gone to bed with the usual pain the night before but I knew that morning I was healed. The Malox went back on the shelf.

That morning when I arrived at the office Helene brought me my mail. The first letter I opened was from a lady — a stranger — in the Southern part of the state. She had written to tell me she was one of a group who met every day to pray for me. Believe it or not, the second letter was from a man, again a stranger, in the other end of the state telling me he was part of a group that met weekly to pray for me.

Within the hour a young fellow from the legal staff came into my office on some routine matter. On the way out he paused in the door and said: “Gov. I think maybe you’d like to know — some of us on the staff come in early every morning and get together to pray for you.”

Coincidence? I don’t think so. A couple of weeks later Nancy and I went down to L.A. and had our annual checkup. John Sharpe, a little puzzled, told me I no longer had an ulcer but added there was no indication I’d ever had one. Word of honor — I never told him about that particular day in Sacramento.

There is a line in the bible — “Where ever two or more are gathered in my name there will I be also.”

Loyal I know of your feeling — your doubt but could I just impose on you a little longer? Some seven hundred years before the birth of Christ the ancient Jewish prophets predicted the coming of a Messiah. They said he would be born in a lowly place, would proclaim himself the Son of God and would be put to death for saying that.

All in all there were a total of one hundred and twenty three specific prophesys about his life all of which came true. Crucifixion was unknown in those times, yet it was foretold that he would be nailed to a cross of wood. And one of the predictions was that he would be born of a Virgin.

Now I know that is probably the hardest for you as a Dr. to accept. The only answer that can be given is — a miracle. But Loyal I don’t find that as great a miracle as the actual history of his life. Either he was who he said he was or he was the greatest faker & charlatan who ever lived. But would a liar & faker suffer the death he did when all he had to do to save himself was admit he’d been lying?

The miracle is that a young man of 30 yrs. without credentials as a scholar or priest began preaching on street corners. He owned nothing but the clothes on his back & he didn’t travel beyond a circle less than one hundred miles across. He did this for only 3 years and then was executed as a common criminal.

But for two thousand years he has ... had more impact on the world than all the teachers, scientists, emperors, generals and admirals who ever lived, all put together.

The apostle John said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that who so ever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life.”

We have been promised that all we have to do is ask God in Jesus name to help when we have done all we can — when we’ve come to the end of our strength and abilities and we’ll have that help. We only have to trust and have faith in his infinite goodness and mercy.

Loyal, you and Edith have known a great love — more than many have been permitted to know. That love will not end with the end of this life. We’ve been promised this is only a part of life and that a greater life, a greater glory awaits us. It awaits you together one day and all that is required is that you believe and tell God you put yourself in his hands.

Love, Ronnie

Original letter

Jesus can help change situations. He knows. Sometimes it’s not exactly as we would expect it. Sometimes he changes how we view something. It’s because He knows best what we need. First, of course, is our need for Him. It all begins and ends with Jesus. He wants our hearts, our souls, our minds. He wants devotion to Him. He wants to save us from this world of sin, troubles, illness, anger, hatred, lies. The greatest miracle is the miracle of a new life in Christ. It’s a hard word from a loving Savior. Our thinking we are good, moral and that our good works will please God without first coming to Christ is one of the greatest lies the enemy throws at us. Praise God for His saving grace! Praise Him He gives us the faith to endure if we seek Him.

John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Positivity!

Hebrews 1:10-12 - ...You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.

It’s been awhile. I have cut back on news because it is getting harder to watch. Then a friend posted this scripture on Facebook: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8)  She is wanting to maintain about 30 days of positivity! 

So I am trusting God every day. Trusting Him for what He has planned for this world and for people and myself. It’s all in His hands. His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)  Within this Word are both promises and admonitions, just like the Lord is both good and just. Opposites. There are always opposites! Fast/slow, up/down, obey/disobey, life/death...good/just.

Believers in Christ Jesus will understand this...while stuff goes on in this world we do not like or cannot understand, we can stand on the promises of God and look to Him for answers, which are all spelled out in His Word. Praise God for that!

Our God, our Lord and Savior, has always been, is today and will always be. As the verse above states, He laid the foundation of the earth. He created each of us. His creation has always been for His glory and for us to see and worship Him, not that we worship the creation but He who created. And...He will return someday to bring judgment upon this earth. This is shown to us in His Book. He shows us what the state of the world will be like...and it seems to be getting closer to what has been described. (Matthew 24) (2Timothy 3)

As is also stated (because of the sinfulness of man), this world will perish. In His perfect timing He will return for the final judgment upon all of us. For those who have put their trust in Jesus, judgment will determine our eternal rewards based on our works. For those who have not trusted in Jesus, who have rejected His free gift of salvation, they will be judged on works also; however, as Galatians 2:16 explains, man is not justified by their works, but by faith in Jesus Christ; by works no person will be justified. It is all based first on having faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible also tells us that not one of us on our own is good. Our good works and goodness as seen by God are based on our receiving Him first; they will not cause us to be saved.

So some day the world will end and although we’ve heard this for thousands of years, and sadly some wrongfully predicted His return, the days we are living in are very well described in the New Testament. Many believe it’s closer than we realize. The way the world is headed, I’m ready.

While this all sounds gloomy, it doesn’t have to be. These are exciting times. To see the prophecies in the Bible being played out is amazing, even if I don’t fully understand every detail. It’s exciting if one’s faith and trust is in Jesus Christ. 

We should not put off till tomorrow what we can do today...we are not promised tomorrow. He’s been suggesting to us for thousands of years: Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6) His heart has never changed toward us. He doesn’t want our works, He wants our hearts.

Despite the hard words of God there is a wonderful promise. If we want that promise to be ours, we have our stuff and our life to relinquish. In our hearts and minds, He must be prominent. God gave His own Son for us. For a period of time that had to be a very hard decision for His Father. And Jesus had the decision to obey His Father and relinquish His life and suffer the worst pain and humiliation so that some (those who choose Christ) would receive the life He offers. Decisions, decisions. We each have this decision to make.  I have. It’s a decision you have to make too.

We don’t know what tomorrow holds. We don’t know when Christ will return. I’m ready. I’m looking forward to His return and the return to a perfect future, one without sorrow or pain, and a new heaven and new earth. Jesus is the good news. He brings the good news of eternal life. It's all about Him, not us. In this world we will go through difficult times, but when we know that no matter what we go through we can be assured that Jesus is by our side and that the final outcome is eternal life. I would say that's positive news.

2Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.