His Voice--Evil Times

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Luke 3:1-2

It is certain that we are living in an evil time.  Signs of impending danger due to the wickedness of the heart of man are seen continually.  When this wretchedness becomes an excuse, however, to stop being a vibrant witness for the Lord we need to reevaluate and reconsider human history while observing God’s intervention.  One such window into the heart of God and history is seen in the call of John the Baptist—God’s voice sent to prepare for the coming of the Lord.  Is that any different than what we are called to do today?

Luke, the physician who was also an outstanding historian, details precisely the timing of the call of John.  This was God’s call.  It was the Lord who broke in at this specific time to bring everlasting change.  He called John when society was at its worst.  Was this not a time so godless that the Son of God, Himself, was brutally beaten and nailed to an old rugged cross?  Before we consider our day, let’s consider John’s.

God called John when Tiberius Caesar was nearing the end of his reign.  This was a leader who Pliny the Elder called, “the gloomiest man of all.”  An outstanding military leader, he had divorced a wife he dearly loved only to marry a woman he hated at the request of Augustus for political gain (she also had divorced and remarried twice for political gain).  Did I mention that she, Julia, was the step sister of Tiberius?  She was such an adulterous woman that her list of lovers had to be exiled often to counter the scandals she created.  Yet, she was not to be out done by her perverse step-brother/husband.  He was a blatant pedophile who raped babies and young boys.  “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar… the word of God came unto John…”

Tiberius Caesar

John received his assignment when Pilate reigned.  Need I say more?  “…Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea…the word of God came unto John…”

What about God’s word coming when Herod Antipas was Tetrarch?  Like Tiberius, he too divorced and remarried for political gain.  His new wife, Herodias, was also a relative.  She was married to his brother Phillip, but divorced him to marry Herod.  Herod was known for his wild and perverse parties.  The Bible tells us about one where the daughter of Herodias and Herod II danced to the applause of all and the affection of Herod.  Prompted by her mother for calling her out, John’s head on a platter would be Salome's pay.  Did I mention that Salome became the wife of Phillip also mentioned in Luke’s list?  Phillip married the daughter of his ex-wife who was now married to his brother!  “…and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis… the word of God came unto John…”

This was a time when evil men even ruled the “church”.  It was Annas and Caiaphas who hatched the plot to kill Jesus.  Need I say more?  Should I discuss the persecutions they oversaw which are spoken of in Acts?  “Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”

Truly this is an evil day, but what has changed?  Men have always been evil.  To combat this God sends His servants to be His voice crying out with a message of Hope in Christ.  Is He calling you to speak for Him?  Listen carefully!  You may hear that small still voice calling you to proclaim Christ; consequently, being a part of the solution and not the problem. He wants you to prepare the way of the LORD by warning those who may be in His path—calling them to reconciliation.  Speak quickly since Jesus Christ is Soon2Come! 

More on this another day…

Wide is the Gate

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

No excuses!!! It has been too long since I wrote.  I want to thank those who kept on me to write more.  Thank You!!

Have you ever wondered what gate Jesus was speaking about in the passage above? Of course we know He is symbolically speaking of Himself in that He calls Himself the door (or gate) in other passages such as John 10.  Yet, it still seems that He had a specific gate in mind.  It is quite possible that he actually did, and it was a gate that was a type of Himself given early in the history of Israel.  Let me explain.

First, consider the setting.  Jesus has gathered a large crowd and was in the closing portions of His famed Sermon on the Mount.  The people were absolutely in awe of the Lord's teaching.  They even said He taught as one having authority and  not like the other teachers of their day.  However, was Jesus just another itinerant rabbi sharing His insight about the Word of God?  No!  This is the Lord's only Savior--the Word made Flesh--the Lord our Righteousness.  He is the Aleph and the Tav (Alpha and Omega), an allusion to the sum total of all knowledge.  Many looked at Jesus that day, God's only savior, and saw Him as just a good preacher never realizing that He alone is the only way to the presence of the Father.  They were looking deep into the things of GOD's salvation only to turn away and exit towards the broad path of destruction.

Second, look at the immediate context.  Just prior Jesus discussed asking of God for His blessings.  What is the greatest blessing a soul can receive anyways?  Is it not salvation?  After the verses dealing with entering the straight gate we are warned to beware of false teachers.  What do these false teachers do?  Do they not lead men away from Christ and the truths of His salvation?  In essence, this entire passage is very related even to the place that after the warning Jesus says, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven..."  Do you not enter a door?  Let's consider what door He may be speaking of--the wide gate that leads to a broad, open way as opposed to one that leads to a narrower walk.

Maybe we need to put "third" here.  As a man, wasn't Jesus very much Jewish--a descendant of Judah and an heir to King David?  Of course He was.  That means that as a man He would think on and teach from familiarity.  Having read the law many times as all other men His age had, He was very familiar with the instructions for the tabernacle.  There were three distinct entrances in the tabernacle.  The first was the only access to the sanctuary, the outer gate.  Of the three, it was the widest at 20 cubits.  It's colors; crimson, blue, and purple all pointed to the threefold ministry of Christ as prophet, priest, and king.  If you turned around at this point you were exiting back into that wide world with its many idols, traps, and snares.  Jesus was the gate!  Next came the veil which was directly behind the brass laver, and it was less than 10 cubits wide being held up on 5 pillars.  Finally, there was the veil of the Holy of Holies which was also less that 10 cubits wide and it had four pillars holding it.  Did you notice that the further one went in to access the presence of God the narrower the doorways were?

The Savior of all humanity was there teaching that day--God the Creator was in their midst. How many looked at the Door to Life and walked back out into the broad open expanse of the world that day? It is apparent that much of Jesus' message was on accessing the Kingdom of God, but many chose to turn from the hope they saw in Him and walk away to their own destruction.  It was as if they entered the tabernacle, looked around dissatisfied,  and then turned to leave through the widest of the gates never to return.  Truly, that is the path to ultimate destruction. To see Jesus and then to walk away is a tragedy!

If you happen to see Jesus for who He is today--seek to pass on to the altar God set up in the cross and leave your sin there.  Press onward and never seek to leave.  Jesus is GOD's only acceptable tabernacle!  Remember, He is soon 2 come!

The Intolerant

And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This onefellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Genesis 19:9-11

Tolerance is a two way street that most seem to travel only one way on.  The problem with most who cry the loudest for tolerance is that they are, themselves, usually militantly intolerant.  This is found to be true to a great degree here in the story of the destruction of Sodom.  This is a chapter that needs to be read and understood well in order to avoid similar judgement on across the land and to see how compromise can destroy others.  Has God called us to be tolerant of behaviors that cause a soul to be lost forever? Should a Christian accept opinions as valid and equal when they are  are opposed to the revealed will of God? Will compromise on what is right and wrong not hurt the one who is in error?

The Bible is very clear in its position on homosexuality and what defines marriage the way God intended in both Testaments.  The real issue, then, is not whether this lifestyle is wrong, but why is the enemy of men's souls pushing the fight to make evil seem good and good seem evil?  As said here before, the real issue comes down to the problem of trying to hide the cross.  The Bible is clear when it says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)."  By redefining what is sin, the god of this world, satan, has effectively hidden the Gospel.  One will not repent nor turn to Christ if he/she is under the delusion that their actions are not wrong.

Genesis 19 could well be a commentary on attitudes found today across America.  Two angels enter the city of Sodom to investigate the depth of darkness and, if needs be, to deliver Lot and his family.  Lot, who already knows and is tolerant of the evil, begs them to come to his house; however, it is already too late.  The men of Sodom have seen the angels who appear as men to them.  Do you think for a minute that they didn't understand Lot's opinion of their lifestyle?  By banging the door nearly off the hinges, they were showing their intolerance of his opinions.  It was as if they were saying, "accept our way of life, but we  will not tolerate your ideas."  This took place just today in Ohio when a federal judge, ruling by fiat, beat against the door of the voter approved gay marriage recognition ban and said that the law was "unconstitutional and unenforceable."  http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2014/April/Ohio-Must-Recognize-Out-of-State-Gay-Marriage/

Lot's reaction is one of the saddest commentaries on compromise in all of the Word of God. Rather than solidly affirm what the purpose of God really was, he tried to appease the unappeasable. He brings his virgin daughters to the door and makes a twisted offer.  The men at the door saw right through this.  They knew it was a half measure.  It was as if Lot were saying, "While I don't agree with your choices, I'll meet you half way with a sin more along my liking." No wonder his own daughters came up with such a warped solution to the problem of carrying on the family name.  With an example like that...  Sin is sin and all sin must be seem for what it is.  Furthermore, there is but one cure for sin and that is the blood of Jesus Christ.  

Tell the truth!  Don't compromise what God has said with the opinions of men.  How will folks ever see the depth of their need for forgiveness if they don't see their condition from God's vantage point?  Church, stand strong and boldly proclaim the truth--for it is by truth that men are set free.  In an age similar to Lot's, a sure sign that angels may soon escort us out of here, stand firm by the power of the Holy Spirit and loudly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Soon2Come!

A Personal Psalm 83 War

That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Psalm 83:18

Most who study prophecy would agree that the next major event on the horizon might well be the Psalm 83 War.  Israel will be involved in a battle with their immediate neighbors who have covenanted to wipe the Jewish race from the face of the earth.  Not only will Israel win this battle, but also in the process the nation will triple is size.  This will also lead to the ability to rebuild the temple that is to be one day desecrated by the infamous antichrist.  However, this Psalm could well be seen as much more than a descriptor of a future event.  It could also speak to each individual believer about their personal walk with Christ.

John Hyde was a missionary to India during the late 1800s and early 1900s, he became known worldwide as a mighty man of prayer.  Taking Christ as His word, Praying Hyde, as he was affectionately nicknamed, trusted God to give him a burden for the lost.  He prayed at a missionary convention day and night for God to allow him to win a soul a day throughout 1908.  He did!  This prayer was multiplied in 1909 as he prayed for two souls a day, and then believed for four a day in 1910.  His prayers were again answered.  However, there were days that it seemed that the request would not be honored. Rather that blame God, he asked the Holy Spirit to reveal what was in his own heart that was blocking the request from being answered. On this point he once remarked, "Self must not only be dead, but buried out of sight, for the stench of an unburied self-life will frighten souls away from Jesus."  What a challenging insight. Reading such an account from a man who seemingly lived at the very foot of the cross was heart rending to say the least.  It felt as if being with Isaiah before the throne and crying, "I am undone!"

Many, if not all of the nations mentioned as invading Israel in this upcoming battle are also mighty examples of biblical symbolism.  Esau is the father of the Edomites.  This is the same Esau, brother of Jacob (Israel), who sold his birthright for a bean dinner.  It is well known that this man is a shadow of those who follow the flesh. Another antagonist in the list of combatants in Psalm 83 is Amalek, Esau's grandson.  It was Amalek who attacked Israel on their wilderness journey and to who God said, "Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation (Exodus 17:16)."  How could God fight this long annihilated tribe of people perpetually from generation to generation?  Because God is ever engaged in fighting fleshliness in each of us!  While the devil and the world are formidable foes, we usually are our own worst enemies.  

You see, God wants to win us!  Jesus shared many paradoxical statements that prove this without a doubt.  In order to live, you must die--even bearing a cross.  If you seek to save your life you will lose it, but whoever loses his life shall find it.  In order to be great in the Kingdom, you must humble self and be the least being even a servant to all.  It is here we all need to place our lives on the altar before the Almighty and become as stubble before the wind of His holy presence (Psalm 83:13).  We need to be burnt at the altar even as Psalm 83:14 suggests that fire destroys the enemies of God.  To be a victorious overcomer in Christ, we must be overcome.  We need a victory in our personal Psalm 83 War.  

John Hyde knew the secret of an ongoing life of victory in Jesus.  He knew how to assure that all men would see that the LORD was the most high over all of the earth.  The secret is dying to self and being wholly buried in Christ so that all may see Christ in us, the hope of glory.  My prayer for you and me is that the LORD will overcome us all so that all may know that the LORD is God and many, as a result, will willingly submit to the grace of the cross as they see lives thoroughly devoted to Jesus.  May the LORD expand our borders in Him and make us all to be His visible temple among men.  May all see by our submission to the LORD of Glory and that He is Soon2Come!

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

1 Corinthians 6:19

The Last Shall Be First

But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

Mark 10:31

It is certain that Jesus upset the apple cart when it came to how he responded to those pushed aside by society.  He did say that the first (those highly valued by other men) shall be last and that the last (those who tended to be despised and rejected) would be first.  A brief look at three examples reveals the truth on this matter, and it should speak to our own hearts about the value that God has placed on all men.  Whether it was lowly shepherds, condemned criminals, or women made to feel they were second rate by societal norms, Jesus sanctified that value of all humans in His gracious treatment of those pushed aside and overlooked.

Most know that the Egyptians considered shepherds with much disdain prior to the Exodus; however, most seem to think that shepherding was a noble profession in the land of Judea at the time of the the birth of Jesus.  Actually, the very opposite was true.  Shepherds were on the bottom rung of the social ladder.  A close study will find that they were often deprived of their rights, they were considered unworthy to be a witness in any legal proceeding, and the term "incompetent" was often associated with the profession.  One Mishnah went as far as to say that a person was under no obligation to rescue a shepherd that had fallen into a pit. Talk about the bottom of the barrel!  This was also a profession that some believed should not be taught to children.  You just about could not get any lower.  Now, who did the Almighty value so much that He made them the first witnesses to the birth of the Savior of mankind.  "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.(Luke 2:8-9)."  As Jesus might say, Truly I tell you that the last shall be first and the first shall be last.

Nobody likes a thief even today.  It was no different in the Lord's day.  If a shepherd was low, a criminal was even lower.  They lost all rights and most often were penalized with very harsh sentences as we see with the condemning of the two thieves hung on either side of Jesus.  In their story, suspended between the heavens and the earth there with the Son of God, is the essence of the whole gospel message.  All are guilty and worthy of death.  It seems at first both thieves railed accusations at Jesus.  Why would the Son of Man allow himself to be associated with such vile people, even to be numbered among them?  Because God is not so high and mighty that His grace cannot reach the lowest of the low. There was something about Jesus that eventually caught the eye of one of those robbers.  Was it His suffering?  Maybe it was His kind words to His followers? Could it have been His forgiving the very Roman squad that nailed Him to the tree?  Finally, the thief cried out for forgiveness.  The lowest of the low, a convicted felon, pleads out and pleads for mercy.  Many might look down on him for his crime, but not Jesus.  He allowed this man to be the first to enter His kingdom truly making the last first.  Won't you join Jesus in His Kingdom?  Plead out now and live.  Don't be like the other thief who rejected Jesus that Day and lost his soul.  Jesus still makes the first last and the last first.

Women, sadly, were considered the very bottom of society in that day, and we know that there are cultures where they still hold that terrible position (some even teaching that the majority of people in hell are women).  They had no rights, could not testify in court, could own no property, could work no job or own a business in Judea at that time.  The only schooling a little girl would be given was training in household duties.  While boys could go to school and learn, girls were deprived of an education.  But Jesus makes the last first.  This teacher allowed women to follow Him and learn even as we see Mary at His feet with the apostles learning of the promises of God.  It is a well known fact that the testimony of women was ignored since they held such a low place in that culture.  Why then did Jesus allow the lowest of the low, women, to be the first witnesses to His resurrection?  This must have been an embarrassing fact to the folks in Jesus day--oversensitive women saw a risen dead man first.  No!  It was no accident at all that a woman, even one with a colorful past, was the first at the tomb because Jesus loves those who are least esteemed by others.  Ladies, when the men ran like babies, the teenager, John, and the women bravely stayed at His side to the very end, and their faithfulness was returned when they visited that empty tomb. Jesus still makes the first last and the last first.

You see, Jesus was not like any other man, because when we see Jesus we see the face of God; we see His mercy, His grace, and His compassion.  Men, (and even some "Christians") may push others aside as meaningless, but not Jesus.  Jesus doesn't see skin color or sex and recoil with dislike as He knows all men and women are sons and daughters of fallen Adam.  He doesn't look at a persons intelligence to see if they are worthy learning of Him. He doesn't count the number of dreaded sins a person has committed and conclude that one is beyond his help.  He doesn't check bank records or personal property values and then rank a person.  No!  Jesus builds His flock with the spotted lambs just like you and me.  All one needs to do is be humble in the sight of the LORD and He will lift them up.  Call on Jesus and ask for Him to plead your cause through the power of His cross that associated with all of our lowliness and He will lift you up. Do it quickly as Jesus Christ is Soon2Come!  

The Man Christ Jesus

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

1 Timothy 2:5-6

There is absolutely no one like Jesus.  He is very God.  He is very man.  He is both at the same time, so He is the only one qualified as God's prophetic voice to speak to and for humanity, to serve as the high priest bringing men to God through salvation by His redeeming blood and to rule as a King bringing God to men in submission to the Divine plan of salvation.  In short, He alone is Lord and Savior.  No!  There is no one like Jesus.  Yet, there will be false Christ's proclaiming themselves to be something they are not.  Figuring out who they are is easy when we understand the uniqueness of the LORD.

It seems the world is rife with those proclaiming another Jesus.  In their version He is a spirit guide who ultimately leads us to a knowledge of our own divinity.  "He is god but we are all god", they exclaim.  All one needs to do is evolve to that higher knowledge and suddenly all will be alright, somehow.  This is the very deception of Eden--"you shall be as gods."  It is the fallacy that we will explore here for a moment as this lie is associated with the spirit of Antichrist.  Will not the liar proclaim, he is god?  "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:4)."

John the Apostle warned us to be wary of any teaching the denies the humanity of Jesus.  He gives us the test of the spirits in 1 John 4:2, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God..."  Satan knew Jesus was fully God.  Had he not led angelic worship services before the Throne of Glory?  Yet, he also knew Jesus was fully man--the New Adam--the one who would crush his kingdom and take back the dominion that was given to the first Adam.  For Jesus to succeed where Adam failed He would need to win that dominion as a man and not rely on the powers of Deity.  This fact seems to come out clearly when considering the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.  Jesus would need to conquer the very lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life as a man indwelt by the presence of the Holy Spirit, and not through any power of His own.

Take another quick look at the temptation of Jesus as it is very insightful.  Imagine the hunger Jesus faced after a 40 day fast.  Here the devil says, "command this stone that it be made bread."  What man can speak to rocks and make them bread?  It was as if the adversary was saying, "don't wait on the Father, make your own with your own creative power."  In immediate response, Jesus pointed out that as a man he would live off of every Word of God.  Next, the enemy tested Jesus by tempting Him to jump from the pinnacle of the temple. As God, Jesus could have commanded angelic protection.  This point also comes out at the cross with the statement of having the ability to call legions of angels to assist if needs be.  Finally, he hits him as a man--to take a short cut--the easy route.  Two of the tests directly involved Jesus' divinity as the devil wanted him to be more than a man so he could disqualify this New Adam.  Jesus passed the test, and the Son of Man submitted Himself even to death as any other man--even the death of the cross.  The Lamb had won and the New Adam crushed the devil's power permanently.  Revelation 4-5 records the change of deed ceremony that will soon take place.

That same devil is now busily painting a picture of another Jesus.  Jesus is god, but aren't we all? He pleads with the lost to look within themselves to find that spark of god deep inside.  He has a host of lying fallen beings claiming to be co-equal with Christ and it is certain that all false religion has the original lie of Eden hidden somewhere deep within its twisted theology--you will be as gods.  Scripture is clear--we are not little gods and we will never be anything but redeemed humans glorified in Christ Jesus.  We are men and women so loved that the Son came to a dirty manger and died on a rugged cross to make a way where there was no way. Soon, one proclaiming that he is on a higher evolutionary plane that all can attain will show up with false signs that will deceive many.  Don't be mislead by his mesmerizing deception, this strong delusion.  There is only one Savior who has come in the flesh and is Soon2Come.  Only one reigns and will reign as the ultimate and only Mediator between  God and men.  He is the Man Christ Jesus!

I AM Here...

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness wasupon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Genesis 1:1-3

There are a few things from these precious first three verses of the Bible that seem to apply to our lives if we look carefully through the eyes of the Spirit.  It is certain that there are times when life sometimes just does not seem to make sense at all and it is this point which we will take a few minutes to consider.  In order for us to trust God in those chaotic places on the pathway called life and for there to be some clarity we need to first appreciate God and the way He often works knowing that all He does is for our blessing.

"In the beginning God..."  Such a profound statement.  Can you ever think of a time in existence when He wasn't there working behind the scene?  Now, who invented camouflage (Think tigers, deer, walking sticks, etc...)?  In essence, He is always there but at the time of crisis He seems to be hiding somewhere out of sight, but rest assured God is there.  Where can you go that God is not present?  David plainly answered this for us in Psalm 139:7-12--enough said.  What are you facing that He doesn't know about already?  Nothing!  You see, He was, is, and will be there, and He understood the end from the beginning long before your dilemma manifested itself!

Without form, and void; and darkness...   Such words!  These almost seems like a contradiction following the revelation of God.  If God is there how could there be chaos, emptiness, and darkness?  Let's consider another verse which gives some interesting insight--Matthew 4:1, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."  The Holy Spirit led Jesus to a place that must have seemed like a low point in His life.  While dark times don't seem to be congruent with a God of love, it is His love that brings us to dark times.  He sees the pain and confusion, but He has a lesson for you.  When my wife and I were once flying to Hawaii, the plane came to a storm that was too large to divert around.  Rather than fly into it, the pilot flew above it.  It was amazing!  It was a beautiful sunny day above that storm.  Maybe God is trying to pilot you to a higher place where you can see His glory above the storm?

And the Spirit of God moved...   So the LORD has led you to a valley, one so bad that you think King David named it in Psalm 23.  Elijah had one of those days.  After the great victory against the vain idol, Baal, and his priests, Elijah ran like a baby at a mere threat from Queen Jezebel.  Funny, her name means "Baal exalts" but all she did was bring the prophet to the lowest point of His life.  In a cave miles from the threat he sulked.  It was then that God began to move to get his attention.  Finally the still small voice of the Spirit spoke and prepared Elijah for greater things.  The lie, Baal, just wood and stone, could not exalt like God did!  Elijah was soon caught up by the Spirit into the very presence of GOD. Now that is being exalted! Stop looking at the darkness around you and listen.  That sound you hear is the ever presence of the Holy Spirit moving on your behalf.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  It is certain that when the Spirit moves God is speaking.  The question then is are you listening?  Things sometimes get so tough that we focus on the confusion and not on God.  At those times, the problem seems to preoccupy us that we can think of nothing else.  I once was in such a dark place as this when an Army Chaplain took me to the side and said, "You need to quit worshiping the problem and begin to worship the Problem Solver."  It brought light to that dark place!  At a personal level, Jesus Christ is not Soon2come.  No!  He is already here.