We see his face in movie after movie now – dynamic, animated, full of life – but he’s not really there. He lies in a morgue somewhere – but he’s not really there either. But he is in one of two places within eternity! Sobering!!

Eben Alexander is a neurosurgeon at Harvard. He thought everything had scientific explanations including ‘out of body’ experiences until 2008 when he slipped into a seven day coma after contracting bacterial meningitis. During that time he had an out- of body-experience of his own – a trip to heaven. He details an almost indescribable place of beauty with nothing to fear. For sure a ‘game-changer’ of an event for him.

So—-is heaven real? Is hell real? Recent polls show that nearly 80% of all Americans believe in heaven & hell. There are many accounts today of people who have had near-death experiences and visited these places. Even the Bible has accounts of people who told of an afterlife.

John Lennon sang, “Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky. Imagine all the people living for today…” Although there’s little in his song that agrees with what the Bible teaches, Lennon got it right on one point: it’s easier to imagine that heaven & hell don’t exist than it is to imagine they do. As his song invites – simply live for today!

But with the Bible using the word heaven 532 times and hell 54 times, there’s little doubt that this is a topic we should give serious thought about.The reality is that heaven is a place more wonderful than we can ever begin to imagine. But no one goes there by accident. Heaven is God’s prepared place for a prepared people.

A pastor once visited President Ronald Reagan at the White house and asked him: “Suppose you were to die and found yourself standing at the door of heaven. If God were to say, ‘Why should I let you in?’ what would you say?” The President paused, thought for a moment and then replied “Well, I guess I’d have to answer with John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” He nailed it.

So, assuming that most of us want to end up in heaven vs.‘that other place’ – here is a traveler’s guide to heaven:

• Accommodations: Arrangements for accommodations must be made in advance of departure.
• Passports: Persons seeking entry will not be permitted past the gates without having proper credentials and having their names already registered with the ruling authority.
• Tickets: Your ticket is a written pledge that guarantees your journey. It should be claimed and its promises kept firmly in hand.
•  Departure Time: The exact time of departure has not been announced. Travelers are advised to be prepared to leave on short notice.
•  Luggage: No luggage can be taken.
•  Vaccinations: Vaccinations are not needed as diseases are unknown at the destination.
• Clothing: Will be provided.
• Reservations: Apply at once!!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post The Trip of a Lifetime! appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   The first ticket left him $150 lighter in the pocket. The second police officer gave the poor guy a break and only left him $75 poorer and on it went. By the time he arrived in Dallas he only had enough money for some groceries and payment for summer school. There had been signs all along warning him that something bad was going to happen if he didn’t change. But he wouldn’t heed any of them.

   God does the same with us. Along our life’s journey, we have signs and warnings through people, events, and, of course, the Bible. The prophet Ezekiel was called to warn God’s people that judgment was coming if they didn’t repent -“He who takes warning will save his life.” This can be serious stuff so it’s vitally important that we listen… and get our priorities right.

   Whether you are young or old, healthy or wealthy, puny or poor, you can make the rest of your life better. How? Follow the advice of Jesus in Matthew 6: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” There are so many things in life that we seek out, but God tells us to first seek Him – this is a warning – don’t seek money first, or status first, or power first – seek God first.

   Everything hinges on our priorities. If our priorities are not in order, our life will not be in order! And when, as Christ-followers, our lives are in order – or not – the world takes notice. And often we are the only “Jesus” others will see. 

   There’s a story told of Nietzsche, the German philosopher who was the first man in history to come to the occlusion – “God is dead.” Interestingly, he came to that decision by looking at Christianity. He commented, “If you want me to believe in your Redeemer, you are going to have to look a little more redeemed.” Point taken!

   The book of Jude is a fabulous read for the “how to’s’ of life. Jude gives us four warnings that we would be crazy to ignore. The first has to do with false teachers. False teachers take people in wrong directions – think David Koresh or Jim Jones. The second warning has to do with saying you can believe in Jesus Christ but go on living as you have been. Basically that you can keep & love that old sin nature. Not!

   The third warning is to be careful with who you associate with and the fourth is to be intentional in your growth. Few good things in life happen by accident, especially spiritual growth. These four warnings in Jude are a fabulous blueprint for anyone’s life! Warnings are there for our safety & protection – all we have to do is look & listen and then take appropriate action. 

   Some of you may remember back to 1986 when the Challenger exploded in space killing all 7 astronauts. But in the lead-up to that fateful launch, an engineer – Roger Boisjoly – tried desperately to prevent it from happening. He foresaw the disaster and warned that cold temperatures could cause the O-ring seals to fail. The result could 

be a catastrophe of the highest order – loss of human life.

   His warnings were dismissed even as the weather forecast indicated it could be as cold as 30 degrees. Boisjoly later said NASA officials were “appalled” by his recommendation to delay the launch. As they got one minute into the launch, a friend turned to Boisjoly and said, “Oh God. We made it. We made it!” Then, just a few seconds later, the shuttle blew up. They all knew exactly what had happened. 

   Not heeding warnings can result in serious consequences. Someone once rightly remarked that, “The most ignored warnings are those from God!” The Bible tells us to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved.”  Believe not on the Lord Jesus Christ and __________ – well, you can fill in the blanks!  

Bob and Susan Becket pastor the Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post The Warning     appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   A notable Catholic bishop referred to the event as a “gross flippant mockery” of a Christian event – the Last Supper. All the while, the director of this insulting spectacle defended his work by saying the resemblance to the Last Supper was unintentional and his only aim was to create a “great pagan festival.” Well – that sure makes me feel better. 

   Let’s face it – if you are a person of faith – that faith is being openly and ‘in-your-face’ challenged. Everything from Hollywood, the Oscars, and sporting events can be seen ‘deconstructing’ faith. Our Christian beliefs are shamelessly mocked and when called out, they simply backpedal and say, “Oh gosh, we’re so sorry – we didn’t mean to offend anyone.” But it’s very intentional and meant to bully and re-shape our morals & perspectives. 

   However, Satan has to be extremely subtle in today’s world. One thing he doesn’t want to do is upset the status quo too much – the public wanted Christians eaten by lions in the past – but now the public simply wants Christian morals & principals silently scrapped without any gore or bloodshed on their conscience. It’s very stealth.

   But I believe we have a responsibility to expose darkness. The Apostle Paul spoke for many in Acts 26 with this: I have been called “to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” Powerful words! And as Christ-followers, we have the exact same calling, especially in these times where the line is now clearly drawn. Darkness has been slowly boiling the frog but now our poor frog is about done – right under our very noses!

   Years ago, there was an interesting story put out by the Associated Press. On June 4, 1961, a Soviet nuclear sub was conducting a training exercise when a pipe carrying coolant to the nuclear reactor burst. In the reactor room, the temperature quickly soared to 140 degrees, and the radiation levels mounted. The reactor had to be cooled or it would burst, poisoning the sea with radiation. 

   The ships captain called for volunteers to go into the reactor room and weld a new cooling system. The men would work in shifts for five to ten minutes, wearing only raincoats & gas masks for protection.

   The first volunteer stumbled out of the reactor room after only a few minutes. He tore off his mask and vomited. Volunteers continued to go into the reactor and eventually succeeded in fixing the cooling pipe.

   But the radiation had done its damage. Skin reddened and swelled. Dots of blood appeared on foreheads & scalps. Within two hours the sailors couldn’t be recognized. Within days, eight had died. Within two years, fourteen more eventually died of radiation poisoning. 

   And, just like that radiation leak, evil is deadly…to our children, our economy, our society, and most of all – it eats away at our souls! Someone once rightly remarked, “God didn’t give Adam and Eve the right to decide what was good or evil. He gave them the right to choose between good and evil.” 

   One of my all-time favorite quotes is still the one by Albert Einstein (1879-1955) who once made this powerful statement: “The world is a dangerous place to live: not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” It’s always, always, always our choice – but if we choose rightly – we win or Satan loses!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post We Win or Satan Loses appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   Out of order – let me count the ways. They are often a daily occurrence in our lives – stop lights, appliances, cars, copy machines, toilets, vehicles, article titles… even our government can be out of order. 

   God is a God of order and the whole universe is a precision-made work of His doing. Disorder & discord are signs of sin & death. And, believe it or not, it’s fairly easy to mess things up and get them out of order. But Matthew 6 tells us to first seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness and then the other things will fall into place. God has a ‘best order’ for our lives!

   But we read, in 1 John 5 that “the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.” Not all that hard to see is it?! Our world is out of order! It doesn’t function like it was designed to by our Creator. Simply put – it’s being swayed by people who are being swayed by darkness!

   Our elites fly the world over preaching at us about gas all the while lecturing our farmers about using too much gas to produce the food we need. During WW2 we had young men lying about their age so they could help defend our world against Germany’s aggression. Today we have grown men lying about their gender so they can compete against girls in sports. We are out of order. And just a quick side-bar here – this year there were 692 women’s titles, scholarships & records taken way from females and given to men. Totally – – out of order!

   We are told in the Bible that we are in the world but not of it. Much like a fish who, though he lives in a salty sea, doesn’t taste salty. Great news!  But we are living in a culture that has exchanged the truth of God for lies and thus we are — out of order.

   This is why our public education will allow a man dressed up like a woman to sit and read books to kindergarten & library classes but if a coach prays on the field, he’s violating civil rights. Why? We’re out or order. This is why a beached whale on the seashore is called a tragedy but the abortion of a healthy, unborn child is called a medical procedure.  We’re out of order!!  

   People ask me if I’m pro-choice? Yes! Absolutely!! I choose life over death. I choose truth over lies. I choose faith over doubt. I choose hope over fear. I choose light over darkness. I choose Jesus over everything else!

   There’s an amusing story about a 37 year-old New York man who was a small time crook – the type who would mug little old ladies. But one morning in 1996 – this crook messed with the wrong little old lady. Our mugger bumped into a 94 year-old woman in Greenwich Village and snatched her purse. The NYPD later arrested him and as they drove him to the police station, the lieutenant told him flat out – “You just robbed the mother of the biggest mob chieftain in New York.”

   The 94 year-old lady was Yolanda Gigante, and her son was Vincent Gigante, described by authorities as head of the Genovese mob, the nation’s most powerful Mafia family. The police lieutenant later said, “When the perp heard that, he just slumped down into the back seat of the police car. He had sort of a stunned, resigned look on his face, like – ‘How could I be so stupid?’”

   Great question for all of us! How can we allow sin to abound so profusely and openly in our society? I honestly pray & believe this will be a time in our history that Christ-followers will stand up and proclaim God’s truths in our darkened cities. As Kami Garcia has so astutely penned – “We don’t get to choose what is true. We only get to choose what we do about it.”

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post Order of Out  appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   He asked her how business was doing- she replied that it was slow. Not surprising with our current economy. He then asked her if they had a lot of shoplifting. Her reply was stunning. “Yes – and thanks to our government we’re not allowed to confront people stealing from our store – people come in now and just walk out with armloads of merchandise.” 

   Apparently, folks can steal up to $950 worth of goods and it’s no longer a felony but only a misdemeanor. Shoplifting – along with grand theft, receiving stolen property, forgery, & fraud, not exceeding $950, are all just a slap on the wrist. 

   Unfortunately, lawlessness abounds these days and people are acting without regard to the law. We’re advised by Paul in Romans 13 to “obey the government” — obey the laws of the land. What exactly does he mean? Well – under ‘normal’ circumstances, governments serve God’s purposes by enforcing good & fair laws – they are to hinder and/or punish bad behavior. 

   In the early church it was actually quite easy for a Christian to find themselves at odds with the laws. In many towns, in order to do business in public markets – where one purchased food & textiles – a sacrifice to a particular pagan deity had to be made. This was usually a small pinch of incense at the public altar. For Christians, such an act was unthinkable – so working through the laws was tricky for them. 

   While we’re not living back in Roman times, we do live in a period where our Christian morals & ethics are severely challenged! What do we do when we’re forced to decide between the laws of men and the laws of God? And what do we do when we feel justice is no longer on the table? Proverbs 28:4 rightly notes: ”Those who forsake the law praise the wicked.” We are seeing this in spades these days!

   Isaiah 10 (written 700 B.C.), gives this warning: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who mandate wickedness and legalize oppression and who withhold justice from the oppressed.” Ouch! I would sure hate to be on the “woe” side of God!!  

   But the force of evil is very real, and because it’s a reality, we are now seeing evil becoming bold & proud. Proverbs 29:2 reminds us: “When the godly are in authority the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.” Personally, I believe the wicked are so deluded & corrupt, they are ignorant of what justice is — truth, decency, & integrity, etc. 

   There’s a great story out concerning Al Capone. During the 1920’s, many people viewed Capone as a respected citizen – a sort of Robin Hood. Believe it or not, Capone made the list of “outstanding personages of the world” along with George Bernard Shaw, Mahatma Gandhi, and Albert Einstein.

   Capone was often saluted by fans while attending football games, but come 1931, he as booed out of the stands and left in humiliation. After six years as mob boss in Chicago, Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and ended up in Alcatraz. Eight years later he was released from prison, suffering from the advanced stages of syphilis. He lived as a recluse dying in 1947. 

   Interestingly, during his time at Alcatraz, Capone worked in the prison shoe shop. Al told his cellmate one evening, “I’m supposed to be a big shot and I’ve wound up in the shoe shop – what kind of a screwed-up, lousy world is this?” Capone was clueless! Why? Back to Proverbs 28 – “Evil people don’t understand justice…” Another translation reads: “Justice makes no sense to the evil-minded.” 

   Bingo! That was Capone and that’s a segment of our society today! So we take a stand. As Desmond Tutu noted: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor! If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” 

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPcitychurch.org

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   I arrived home to find him waiting for me with my ‘gift.’ I was greeted with, “Happy Anniversary” as he rolled up his shirt sleeve to reveal a tattoo on his upper arm which read: Bob & Susan – August 4th 1973. (Our anniversary date.) My first thought was, funny guy, now go wash it off. But looking more closely – it was real – he was now the proud & permanent owner of a genuine tattoo! And he was right – it was mine but I could never have it. Happy Anniversary honey!

   For many people, any mention of people with tattoos conjures up images of rowdy sailors or a Hell’s Angel gang member. As the saying goes, “The world is divided into two kinds of people. Those who have tattoos and those who are afraid of people with tattoo’s.”

   But, our latest generation has pulled the art of tattoo into the mainstream culture. People from all walks of life are becoming a ‘walking canvas’; moms, business people, sports figures, and regular folks – are all jumping into the ‘art world’ of tattoo – only these days it’s called ‘body art.’

   But hello Houston, we have a problem! Leviticus 19:28 seems to prohibit tattooing: “Don’t gash your bodies on behalf of the dead. Don’t tattoo yourselves. I am God.” But I believe another translation gives us a much better look at the true meaning. “You shall not cut yourselves nor put tattoo marks upon yourselves in connection with funeral rites; I am the Lord.” 

   It seems that some pagan cultures had the practice of marking their bodies to remember dead people or to worship their pagan gods. So the tattoo ban came along with other commands as God separated His people from the heathen cultures around them. As one Biblical scholar stated: “It’s asinine to cherry pick one verse out of the law and claim we need to follow it and ignore the rest.” 

   Yet another verse in the Bible seems to reveal a positive reference to tattoos. Isaiah 44:5 tells us that people were writing the name of the Lord on their hands. Essentially they were proclaiming they belonged to God. The popular evangelist Joyce Meyer recently told her audience that she now has two tattoo’s. One – a small cross and another on her ankle – ‘love’ – its purpose is to remind her to always walk in love. Definitely not ‘dead people’ tattoo’s!!

   There is one more verse I want to share that will blow your mind. There was a time when Israel was in great trouble – God was judging them for their rebellion. The Babylonians had come in and destroyed their country and taken many captives. We find God giving them a pep talk in Isaiah 49. He had not forgotten them – things would get better. Here’s how verse 16 reads: “See, I have tattooed your name upon My palm.” God had not forsaken them, He loved them and had put their names on His hands so He could see them often. 

   So – does getting a tattoo send a person to Hell? Far from it. You don’t go to Hell for having a tattoo. You go to Hell for not repenting of your sins and not putting your trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. 

   So – please allow me to offer some advice. If you’re going for a tattoo, check twice for typos & spelling errors. Don’t let any of these real ink-mistakes happen to you: Chinese symbols which translated, ‘turkey sandwich.’ Or another ink goof which read – “Thudder only happens when it’s raisin.” Or this bungle – “Nolege is power.” Please use the brain God gave you if you’re going permanent. Just sayin’…

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at dpcitychuch.org

The post Tattoo’s – To Hell With Them? appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   Meanwhile, I was always intrigued by the “treasures” people had dumped off – lamps, broken toys, furniture, patio chairs, old bicycles, etc. It always stuck me that “back when,” these items had been new and cherished but now discarded and worthless! Treasures buried. 

   The definition of a treasure is basically “something of great worth or value.” We’ve all heard the saying: “You can’t take it with you” but people over the ages have certainly tried to do just that. Sandra West was buried sitting in the drivers seat of her 1964 Ferrari. John Jacobs was buried with his cell phone. His wife pays the bill monthly and the number is even etched on his gravestone.

   Thousands of years ago people were buried with what are called ‘grave goods.’ Their graves were looted for these pricy items – gold & silver, precious stones, ornate beds, chests, chairs & clothing., and beer. Lots and lots of beer! They too thought they could take treasures with them.

   Too easily we fall into the trap the world sets and the trap the devil wants you to accept as truth – that we as humans measure success in one of three different ways. We either measure it by power, by pleasure or by possessions – our treasures! Think about it. People buy pricy cars, magnificent homes, expensive jewelry & clothing. Through commercials or magazines, “stuff” is constantly thrown at us, leading many to believe these are the measure of our personal success.  

   There’s certainly nothing inherently wrong with any of these things – it’s where we place them in our hearts that makes all the difference! Loosing perspective about their real or imagined value is what the Bible warns us about. Matthew asks that pointed question of the ages: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” 

   So why are we here if it isn’t to have fun or possess power or gain lots & lots of stuff? If your job or career makes you money to live on, that’s great – but you are not here to be a hair dresser or a mechanic or a computer tech etc. You are here to fulfill a Divine purpose. It may be to help others. It may be to serve others, but I can guarantee you, it’s also to honor the God that made you! 

   The dictionary’s definition of materialism is pretty interesting. Check this out: Materialism is “devotion to material wealth and possessions at the expense of spiritual or intellectual values.” Whoa!  Stay a million miles away from that baby!! I believe darkness uses the trap of materialism to catch many unsuspecting people. If you get caught in this trap you will sacrifice your family and your faith as you pursue the goal of getting more and more…stuff.

   The thing we need to understand is that when it’s all said and done, we really can’t take it with us. I heard that at the funeral of Aristotle Onassis, there was one question that was being asked by those who had been invited to the ceremony. Again and again, people were heard to ask: “How much did he leave?” The answer, of course, was “He left everything!”

   So one last great Biblical take-a-away for you from Jesus Himself: “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or – worse – stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, there your heart will be also!” Selah!

Bob and Susana beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA.  For more information you may contact them at DPciychurch.org

The post Buried Treasures      appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   This reminds me of a conversation I recently had with Cameron, a member of our congregation who used to serve in San Bernardino County as a deputy. With an area of 20,105 square miles, San Bernardino County is one of the largest in the U.S., covering many of our desert communities.

   One miserably cold morning in Joshua Tree, Cameron spotted a suspect at 3 am – a time when most people aren’t roaming about. Cameron and his partner got out of their parol car to question this man when he suddenly took off running into the dark night and straight into a field of cholia cactus.

   In case you’ve never heard of cholia cactus – also called jumping cactus – it’s one of the most dangerous plants in the desert. This particular cactus has spines that are covered with fish-hook-like needles which can cause serious harm. The thorns have dangerous spikes on the top which easily detach and remain embedded in a persons skin. They’re extremely painful to remove.

   As the Joshua Tree suspect ran through the cholia field, Cameron and his partner left the area and continued with night rounds. Only a crazy officer would have pursued through the wicked cholia. 

   Several hours later they received a call from the hospital. They had admitted a patient who was being combative to the point where police were needed. And – you guessed it – the officers finally found their suspect, now covered with thousands of cholia stickers. The painful needles were all over his face, in his eyes & ears, they covered his arms & legs, and had even pierced through his clothing. He could barely walk and couldn’t sit down.

   You gotta feel for the poor guy at this point, but – believe it or not – he refused to allow doctors to remove the stickers. Without treatment, the hospital refused to give him the morphine he wanted, so he was discharged. Two weeks later Cameron was notified that the suspect had checked himself back into the hospital but it was too late. He died from all the infection caused by the cholia cactus left in his body.

   One day each of us will face certain death and where we eventually end up is our decision! There’s a curious saying that perfectly describes our options: “Born once – die twice. Born twice – die once.” By “born once” I mean the physical birth. By “born twice” is the physical birth plus a spiritual birth by which we’re born-again by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Thus – born twice!

   Just as there are two births, there are two deaths – one is physical and the other is spiritual. Jesus constantly warned that we’re to fear the second death (Hell) more than the first. But that second death is only experienced by those who don’t put their faith in Jesus and thus will experience eternal separation from their Creator. We’re reminded in Ephesians 2 that “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Dead! That’s why we need to be born again! Jesus Himself reminded us that “Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.” You must be born again!!

   God only knows where our cholia cactus man ended up. Hopefully, he was born twice, but whatever his lot, his fate is sealed for eternity. It’s something every human should give pause to. 

   The noted C.S. Lewis – Christian scholar and author – penned the following: “Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live forever, and this must be either true or false. Now there are a good many things which wouldn’t be worth bothering about if I were going to live only seventy years, but which I had better bother about very seriously if I am going to live forever!” Selah!

Bob and Susan Becket pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA.  For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post Death By Cactus        appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   Some of my favorite words are oxymorons. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory items or terms are combined. Some timeless classics include: clean dirt, dry lake, icy hot, small crowd, found missing…and my all-time favorite –  sensitive guy! Yeah right!!!

   Just for fun, I sat down and decided to see how many oxymorons I could use in a single sentence. Here’s what I came up with: “The jumbo shrimp tasted awfully good, even though it brought up bittersweet memories from our working vacation with our adult children when our pretty ugly dog was found missing following the crash landing which was our only choice.”

   To most of us that paragraph made perfect sense. We can read right through the contradictions without a problem and understand it clearly. By the way, there are nine oxymorons in that one sentence!

   The other day I was thinking about the uniqueness of God, and it came to me that God may be the ultimate oxymoron. On one hand, He is totally predictable. In fact, Malachi 3:6, He says: “For I am the Lord, I change not.” Truer words have never been spoken. His faithfulness ensures forever. His mercies are new every morning. His love is from everlasting to everlasting, and forgiveness is ours for the asking. That is the character of God – totally unchanging and always predictable.

   But, while the character of God is predictable, the acts of God are amazingly unpredictable. As a mater of fact, He can be so unpredictable it bogles the brain. Just think about all the unpredictable ways God fed people throughout the Bible. You would think that once He did something a certain way – and it worked – that would be His forever blueprint. But no – not God!
   Wandering in the desert for 40 years, manna fell from the sky every morning for the Israelites to eat. But God decided to feed Elijah via airmail each day by sending ravens with food. And let’s not forget about the five loaves & two fishes Jesus took and multiplied which fed 5,000 men plus women & children.

   The Book of Revelation tells us that God is the “Alpha & Omega, the beginning & the end, the first & the last.” Oxymorons don’t get much clearer than that. Being mortals, we are made in the image of God in many ways. We too, are both predictable & unpredictable. Predicable for me, means I strive to be a faithful, honest, and a forgiving person Those are character issues.

   On the other hand, I am made in His image to also be unpredictable and creative. Personally, I believe we should be innovative souls, not content with business as usual. When someone says, “But we’ve never done it that way before,” my response should be, “Yes..and isn’t it wonderful?” I mean, how did the chocolate get into the milk? And who is the brain-wave who thought of pockets? What a terrific idea! Man has been gifted with the smarts to invent airplanes, sticky notes, submarines, roller- 

skates, cars, balloons, copiers, zippers, and the snooze button!  A favorite for millions worldwide!

   Now…back to our oxymorons. The ultimate oxymoron is Jesus – our “living sacrifice.” He was born to die and freely gave His life that we might have eternal life – think Easter. As the song asserts…“He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay!” Go figure!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post Born to Die appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   Your entire day flashes before your eyes – how could you have missed this oversight? And how many people saw that big yellow tag and said nothing? Isn’t that frustrating? just when you think everything is okay – only to find out it’s not.

   If this, or anything like it has ever happened to you then you have a lot in common with the church at Laodicea mentioned in the book of Revelations. They thought they were fine. They had “the look” – they claimed to know God but lived as though He didn’t exist in many areas of their lives.

   But before long they hear from God and trust me, He was not happy with them. Here’s what He wrote: “I know your deeds, that you are neither hot or cold. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of My mouth.” And just a side note here: in the Greek, the word ‘spit’ is actually ‘vomit. As I mentioned – God was not to happy with these lukewarm folks!

   Leodicea it seems had a huge water problem: they didn’t have enough. They piped in water through aqueducts from two other cities; one had incredibly hot water and the other was known for its soothing cold waters But by the time the waters made it to Laodicea, the water had turned ugly – it was dirty, tepid, and you guessed it – lukewarm. It tasted so bad that it made people sick. So, Jesus wrote to them about their spiritual apathy in the context the people could understand. Yucky lukewarm people getting yucky lukewarm water. Those are the facts!

   What to do about all of it? First, get their attention. God accomplished that with His letter to them. And embedded in this remarkable letter, God begins to tell them just how much He loves them, “The people I love, I call to account – prod and correct and guide so that they will live at their best. Up on your feet then! About face! Run after God.” (Rev 3:19)

   God wants each of us living the best life possible, and that’s not living lukewarm. Way too often, we settle for lukewarm instead of going for God’s highest & best in our lives. I once knew a gal who admitted that she had settled on a marriage partner, thinking this guy was the only one who would ever propose to her. So how is their marriage? Lukewarm!

   And finally, Jesus moves in with this well-known verse: “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” The interesting thing about this verse is that it’s written to Christ-followers, not unbelievers! Most of you will remember the famous picture of Jesus standing at a door knocking – that famous picture is from this very verse. 

   How sad! The Laodicean Christians had shut God out of their lives, leaving them to live a lukewarm spiritual life at best. They had slammed the door on the best God had for them and now here is Jesus, knocking, asking to be a part of their lives once again.

   Easter Sunday is upon us. What a great time to rekindle your relationship with God! The One who loves us all so much He freely gave His only begotten Son to live and die in our place – for our eternal salvation. Please give thought to coming home to church this Easter Sunday. Open your hearts door to eternity!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA.  For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

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