How to Know When God is Finished with You

Try this simple test at home.

Grab a small mirror. Hold it up to your mouth and exhale slowly.

Now check the mirror. If the glass has fogged with moisture, that indicates that you are still breathing.

If you are still breathing, you are still living. And if you are still living, then God is not finished with you yet.

You may have trouble believing this. You may think that you have lived too wrong, for too long, for God to still be interested in you. You may think you are just past it, and God has washed his hands of you.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Before you were ever conceived, you were a gleam in God's eye. Your life was scheduled on God's calendar from the beginning of time.

The Bible says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God had a perfect plan when he created you.

But guess what ... you blew it, didn't you? You haven't served God faithfully. In fact, you have probably failed him miserably. Deep down in your heart, you know that the only thing God owes you is a good swift kick in the butt.

Welcome to the club, Bubba. It's called "being human."

We all have blown it. We all screw things up. We all have disrespected our Creator.

This fact causes many people to despair, which is exactly what the devil wants you to do.

But the amazing reality is that God never quits. He never gives up on us, even when we have given up on ourselves. God tracks us down like a hound on the hunt, and we can never get away from him.

Of course, if you are stubborn and foolish, you can continue to diss God. He created you with a free will, and you can choose to keep running away from him. But the longer you run away from him, the harder your stubborn heart will become.

Until one moment, when you take that last breath, and you descend into eternity separated from God ... then you will realize that it really is too late. Forever. That is when the real despair begins, and there is no remedy for it then.

But if you are reading this, there is still hope. You still have time to make things right. You still have time to make a U-turn.

Nothing brings God more joy than when one of us lost souls comes to our senses and comes to him for mercy! Jesus even declared that "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10, NIV)

God isn't finished with you yet. He still has great plans for your life.

You were not put on this earth just to suck up valuable oxygen. Aren't you tired of just fogging the mirror? Don't you want to know why God created you?

Only Jesus has those answers. Only he knows the beginning from the end.

And there is only one way for you to find your purpose. Come face to face with Jesus and ask him to save you.

A prayer like this will open the doors of heaven:

"Dear Jesus, I want to know you. I am sorry I have run away from you for so long. Please forgive me! Please help me to understand how much you love me. Thank you for dying for my sins. Thank you for never giving up on me. 

"Today I give my life to you, Lord, and I ask you to show me how you want me to live. I cannot do this in my own. I need your forgiveness and your guidance and your power in my life. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for helping me to find your mercy."

Don't We Have the Right to Protect Our Home?

America is our home. 

Since this is our home, we get to pick who comes in. We can open our doors to anyone we choose.

We should act in our own self-interest when choosing whom we invite inside. If we’re smart, we’ll invite people we get along with.

But, we are under no obligation to let anyone in. This is our home. We can do what we think is best.

America has a long history of welcoming immigrants. That is a beautiful thing. And we have benefited from immigration in past years for one important reason: We were picky about who we allowed in.

In years past, our immigration laws were strictly enforced. When immigrants arrived here, we knew who they were, where they came from, and why they wanted to immigrate. They had to follow a legal process.

They weren't put on welfare. They were given no special consideration. But they were granted the same gift that every native-born American gets: OPPORTUNITY.

If you are willing to work, you will make it here. Millions of immigrants have proven by their success that America truly is a land of opportunity.

And of course, since we are a generous people, we have also invited many refugees into our home over the years, and made special accommodations for them. Millions of people from all over the world have found a safe haven here.

So I think we can safely ignore the shrieking accusations of racism from the political Left. They claim that Conservatives are racist and paranoid because we want to reinstate an orderly process of immigration and assimilation.

But the only reason so many Americans are upset about immigration today is the fact that it is totally out of control.

Why is it considered unreasonable for the average working-class citizen to insist that his government enforce the immigration laws that are already on the books?

President Obama has consistently failed to enforce our immigration laws. As a result, the chaos on our southern border has gone from pitiful to pathetic to dangerous. If our government had simply done its job, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

For some years now, our government has known that Jihadist training camps are operating in Venezuela. Once trained, these terrorists travel north through Central America and enter the United States via our porous southern border. But no one in the White House seems concerned.

Narcoterrorism-Hezbollah-Venezuela  

Is There A Terror Network on America's Doorstep?

How many Al-Qaeda and ISIS sleeper cells are there in the United States at this moment? Nobody really knows. But we certainly make it easy for them to invade.

Former CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson posted a story on 11/18/2015 that Border Patrol agents had detained 8 Syrians, 5 Pakistanis and 1 Afghan in one day.

One day.

How many made it through that day without being caught?  How many make it past the border every week, every month? Again, nobody knows.  

But FBI and Border Patrol agents are concerned. Shouldn’t we be also?

Syrians Nabbed at Southern Border Stoke Terror Fears

 Afghani and Pakistanis Caught Entering US at Mexican Border

And in addition to terrorists, we are also threatened by well-armed criminal enterprises. 

There has been an ongoing infiltration of powerful and violent Mexican crime syndicates across our southern border for decades now. They grow stronger and penetrate further into our territory every year.

These brutal organizations systematically victimize thousands of innocent Mexicans crossing the border every year through kidnapping, extortion, sex-slavery and other cruel tactics.

The lives of American citizens living near the Mexican border are increasingly jeopardized by this crime wave surging from the south.

Millions of Americans are upset about this, and rightly so.

"We the people" have demanded that our government fix this problem, but up to now "they the elected" have ignored us.

The situation has become so distressing that frustrated voters are flocking to an untested political rookie like Donald Trump simply because he is the only candidate who makes border security a top priority.

There is a simple solution to this: We need (figuratively speaking) a tall fence and a wide gate. We need to invest whatever resources are necessary to secure our borders.

We need to strictly enforce our immigration laws so we can screen out the criminal element that is currently taking advantage of our lax security standards.

I don't think most Americans care if a reasonable number of LEGAL Mexican immigrants move up here to join us every year, but we do have the right to control who comes in, and in what numbers. We can only effectively assimilate so many people at a time.

Most of the Mexicans coming to the United States are simply people who want jobs and a better life for themselves and their families. They are just the kind of folks we need here.

But we also need to know who they are, where they come from, and how they plan to support themselves once they move in. Is that too much to ask of a guest requesting entry into our home?

We must stop this out-of-control invasion that makes it so easy for terrorists, drug-smugglers, human sex-traffickers and other sordid criminals to wander into our home at will.

The present chaotic situation at our border is like a humongous neon sign flashing to terrorists all over the world: ENTER HERE! THE INFIDELS ARE CLUELESS!

I believe we absolutely have the right to protect this nation that we call our home. It is a legacy passed down to us from our parents.

Our children and grandchildren live here, and they are depending on us.

We have a right, and a duty, to keep them safe.

Where, Oh Where, Have My Brain Cells Gone?

Back in my prime I could walk and chew gum at the same time. I was able to remember what I had for breakfast. I could even remember my phone number.

Sadly, those days of astonishing mental prowess are long gone.

When I turned 60 last year I took stock of my life (I only do this once a decade; that is about all the introspection I can stand) and I realized that something was missing -- the memory cells I used to have in my brain.

I decided to document the symptoms of my memory loss so I could discuss them with my family doctor.  But then I lost the list.  And forget the appointment.

I forget the simplest things, and at the worst times! Names? Oh, those fell out of my head years ago.

Appointments? All I can say is it is a good thing the doctors' offices do those robo-call reminders the day before. In fact, I may be the reason they started.

I try not to let this upset me. After all, how much does it really matter? I've got maybe 10 or 20 years left to stumble through this life, and how much do I need to remember anyway? And if I could remember it, who else would want to hear about it?

But I did become alarmed earlier this summer when I was in the hospital recuperating from an operation. On the third day after surgery I was still taking strong pain meds, but I thought I had totally recovered from the anesthesia. I thought I was back in my right mind.

Then my cell phone rang.

I could feel my brain cells tingling, as if they were trying to transmit a message. Finally it came through. I said to myself, "The phone is ringing. I should pick it up."

I finally picked it up and looked at the screen. A few more brain cells lit up. "Hmmm," I thought, "My son is calling me."

I stared at the phone some more. It was still ringing. What should I do? I felt some more brain cells firing and I told myself: "I should answer that phone."

And then came the moment when I realized the cheese had slipped off of my cracker. I was holding the phone, staring at the screen, seeing my son's name right next to the big green circle that said "ANSWER"... and I could not remember how to do it!

As if on cue, the phone stopped ringing. I sighed with relief. Maybe I could collect my thoughts now that that annoying noise had stopped.

I laid back on the bed. I thought real hard. I furrowed my brow. I clicked my heels together three times and repeated: "There's no place like home, there's no place like home..."

Finally, after several minutes of excruciating concentration, I remembered that I could go to the "call log" screen and look for his name. Then I could tap on it and my phone would automatically call him back.

I was so proud! I managed to return that phone call all by myself without any help from T-Mobile tech support.

I believe I am doing better now as my recovery has progressed, but it still seems like quite a few brain cells have gone AWOL. Maybe some of them will return, like the Prodigal Son, after they have exhausted themselves in carousing and wild living.

Or maybe they have run away to join the circus, and won't even bother to send a postcard.  Maybe I have recovered as much of my mind as I am going to get.

I must confess that this sneak preview of my looming debilitation has left me feeling vulnerable. Once again I am reminded how short and fragile this temporary earthly life really is.

All I ask for when the time comes is a nice corner room with a view at the Shady Acres Home for Weary Bloggers, preferably overlooking a tranquil pond. The rest will do me good.

And also, a name tag please,  just so I can remember who I am in case anyone asks.

America Faces a Time for Choosing

“Without God, there is no virtue, because there is no prompting of the conscience. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, we will be a nation gone under.” - President Ronald Reagan

Jonathan Cahn, in his amazing book The Harbinger, makes the case that America is now in the midst of a time of divine judgment, and that we are still ignoring the voice of God as he calls us to repentance. We have not learned from the experience of 9/11.

That awful national wake-up call had a few brief positive results. We found a new appreciation for the liberties and blessings that we had taken for granted. There was a refreshing spirit of patriotism and self-sacrifice sweeping across the country. For a few short months, there seemed to be a stirring of some national spiritual awakening.

There were thousands of special worship services across the country in the days following the attacks. For the first time since D-Day in 1944, a U.S. President declared a National Day of Prayer. On the Sunday after 9/11, churches across America were packed with people seeking consolation and guidance from God. 

Sadly, it did not take us long to put our thoughts of God back up on the shelf and once again turn our attention to self-gratification. We soon went right back to business as usual.

Learning to Trust When Life Goes Bust

Please allow me to share my tale of woe.

The past five years have been tough for the Smith family. Lots of unpleasant things have happened to us.

Forgive me if it sounds like I am looking for sympathy...that is not my intent.  But I do believe that this true account of our season of trials provides a great excuse to brag on the Lord a little.

March 2011 – I had my second heart attack (see Another Routine Day in the ER) which maxed out our health insurance out-of-pocket expenses for 2011. (Out-of-pocket maximums that have more than doubled since the implementation of Obamacare, but don’t even get me started on that!)

Summer of 2012 – a dear friend of mine, a very sweet woman whom I had worked with for 12 years, became gravely ill with cancer and had to undergo a year’s worth of chemo, radiation and surgery.

November 2012 – I had emergency gall bladder surgery right after Thanksgiving. I was one sick little puppy before and after that procedure! (See My Birthday Trip to the Emergency Room.)

December 2012 – I had another surgery right before Christmas to remove a small cancerous tumor from my bladder. This surgery was followed by check-ups every three months with an urologist who used a “not-slender-enough-to-suit-me” scope to inspect my bladder and search for any recurrence of the cancer. (I will leave the unpleasant details of these inspection procedures to your imagination.)

Needless to say, we again maxed out our out-of-pocket medical expenses for 2012!

January 2013 – My wife Peggy slipped on some ice and broke her right ankle. It was a compound fratcure that laid her up for over six months. It was a stressful time…loss of half her wages, hospital bed in the living room, multiple surgeries and follow-up visits (in the winter)…you get the picture. She was in a lot of pain during most of this time, and her ankle will never be the same. Arthritis has set in, and her cartilage is gone.

The x-ray of Peggy's right ankle upon arrival at the Emergency Room.

God Promises What We Cannot Imagine

Has any person in human history ever experienced greater joy, and yet endured more painful heartache, than Mary the mother of Jesus?

There is a scene near the end of The Passion of the Christ where the Roman soldiers are lowering Jesus' body from the cross. They place him into the arms of Mary as she kneels speechless before them.

The scene ends with a haunting image of Mary cradling the corpse of her mutilated, crucified son in her lap. She has no tears left to cry. The awful events of the day have wrung her dry. 

Numbed with grief, she stares off into space as her gown is soaked by the blood that is still seeping from the ghastly wounds in Jesus’ lifeless body.

How could this be?

The Real Spin on the Sin We're Living In ...or... Why the Only "Safe Sex" is Biblical Married Sex

How did we, as a society, ever get to the point where we have to debate the definition of marriage? We got here by walking away from God one step at a time, that's how. 

Anyone who truly believes that the Bible is the word of God is forced to acknowledge the reality of sin.

We are fallen sinful people living in a fallen sinful world.

"Sin" is not a popular word in politically correct post-Christian America.  But God speaks pretty plainly in Scripture about the reality of our human condition, and "sin" is the word he uses repeatedly to describe our moral shortcomings.

If you do not believe in sin, then you do not believe the Bible.  And it is OK if you do not believe the Bible.  We live in a free society and freedom of conscience is enshrined in our Constitution.  Your right to believe whatever you want to believe is guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Of course, the First Amendment cannot guarantee that whatever you want to believe is true.