I think the Good Lord must have sprinkled a few mean ones in amongst the good…maybe to keep us on our toes. I don’t know for sure. I do know I’m sick and tired of bullies. They’re the kind to shoot you in the back.”
–Rod Collins (Bitter’s Run)

“You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.”
–Matthew 12:34 (NLT)
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“I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for days… I was left alone, looking at this great vision. No strength was left in me; my face grew deathly pale, and I was powerless.”
–Daniel 8:27; 10:8 (HCSB)

“Go on your way, Daniel, for the words are secret and sealed until the time of the end.”
–Daniel 12:9 (HCSB)

Let me tell you, there is a day coming, and it has to be coming soon. There are so many signs pointing to the coming of the Lord and also to the man of lawlessness–the Antichrist. Man is being deluded thinking that there can be world peace. Man is confused thinking that tolerance is the antidote to man’s problems. We are seeing the thoughts of Rousseau, Nietzsche, and others in action. Live as you please; follow your inherent nature. Chaos will then ensue, followed by the rise of the superman.
The nation, indeed the world, is in the throes of confusion. Remember, God is not the author of confusion; it comes from the “father of lies.” If a man thinks he is a woman, well, he is very definitely confused, being deceived, and believing a lie. It goes right back to the first lie and deception at the beginning in the Garden of Eden. Man, instead of rising to the image of God is degrading himself lower and lower. Thinking himself to be wise he is becoming more and more a fool.
The world is being told that the only hope for man to survive is the come together in unity–globalism. That we need to overcome our differences and unite through shared values. Read the words of the Secretary-General of the United Notions (excuse me, Nations), Antonio Guterres given in a speech New Years’ Day 2018.

“On New Years’ Day 2018 I am not issuing an appeal, I am issuing an alert–a red alert for our world… I call for unity… We can settle conflicts, overcome hatred, and defend shared values. But we can only do it together. Unity is the path. Our future depends on it.”

Wow! Is he the Antichrist? No, I don’t think so, but he is definitely has antichrist beliefs. Who are the ones standing in the way of so-called “world peace”? Who are those that are called “bigots” and “intolerant”? The United States and Christians. Another sign of the times? A fore-runner of the Antichrist? Those words should make the believer start to look up, and it should make unbelievers tremble. But, the Scripture says that they will scoff and be caught unawares on that Day.
Daniel has in its conclusion the following: “Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly; none of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.” (12:10, HCSB)
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Have you been hearing that President Trump is not smart and not stable? Remember, those who are saying that are the same ones who say a man can be a woman and a woman can be a man. And take it further, that right is wrong and wrong is right. Ponder that and beware!

There is always trouble.  One learns to live with it.  A man grows through enduring.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Californios)

“And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
–Romans 5:4 (NLT)
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I trust that this first week of 2018 has been a good and profitable one for you.  That you have made good headway in positive resolutions and are not squandering the time that the Lord has given you.
I want to pass on this piece I found in the “Foreward” of a book by Zane Grey.  This is from, “To The Last Man.”

“In this materialistic age, this hard, practical, swift, greedy age of realism, it seems there is no place for writers of romance, no place for romance itself.  For many years all the events leading up to the great war [World War I] were realistic, and the war itself was horribly realistic, and the aftermath is likewise.  Romance is only another name for idealism; and I contend that life without ideals is not worth living.  Never in the history of the world were ideals needed so terribly as now.  Walter Scott wrote romance; so did Victor Hugo; and likewise Kipling, Hawthorne, Stevenson.  It was Stevenson, particularly, who wielded a bludgeon against the realists.  People live for the dream in their hearts.  And I have yet to know anyone who has not some secret dream, some hope, however dim, some storied wall to look at in the dusk, some painted window leading to the soul.  How strange indeed to find that the realists have ideals and dreams!  To read them one would think their lives held nothing significant.  But they love, they hope, they dream, they sacrifice, they struggle on with that dream in their hearts just the same as others.  We all are dreamers, if not in the heavy-lidded wasting of time, then in the meaning of life that makes us work on.
“It was Wordsworth who wrote, ‘The world is too much with us’; and if I could give the secret of my ambition as a novelist in a few words it would be contained in that quotation.  My inspiration to write has always come from nature.  Character and action are subordinated to setting.  In all that I have done I have tried to make people see how the world is too much with them.  Getting and spending they lay waste their powers, with never a breath of the free and wonderful life of the open!”

Now, friend, there is a lot said in those two paragraphs.  They need to be read with right perspective.  In the recent decades and more so with the postmodern trend now upon us we need to search our souls.  The humanist, whatever his form, says that man has no soul and will simply become a clod when he dies.  But there is more than that.  There is that blessed hope that we should all keep in mind.  It is a “dream” but one that has the promise of reality within it.
We are too connected with this world.  We are directed by the media for a large part.  Entertainers think they should be our conscience.  But as Christians we walk as pilgrims, not settlers.  I am currently trying my hand at writing.  I am not a philosopher with grand thoughts and words, but I want to write something that can just be enjoyed, yet hold simple, timeless truths.  I have been asked if I am a romantic or a realist.  In pondering that I would have to say that I am a romantic realist.  Life is real, that cannot be denied, but we dare not take the romance out of life.  That is not just the “love” aspect for romance is all the dreams, hopes, visions, emotions, and aspirations that man has.
Dreams, a wonderful or frightful word.  We have dreams and we have nightmares, but he wasn’t speaking about either of those.  Neither was he speaking of that wishful thought that comes to your mind while at work, what we call daydreams.  A true dream from God gets down deep in your soul.  It is something that you cannot shake, someone that compels you forward.  It is really more of a calling.  It is not flimsy, here today and gone tomorrow thought.  Also, a true “dream” can lead you into difficult struggles, look at Joseph, and Daniel’s vision made him sick.
And a word of caution since I mentioned romance and love.  Most of the so-called romantic novels of today are not about love.  Love is not erotic, but love is deep.  In fact, to truly love one must be a realist and add the dream to it.

P.S.  By the way, if you haven’t purchased my books, please give them a try.  This poor, ol’ retired man needs a few pennies to put beans on the table.

Men who live always in cities rarely notice the sky.”
–Louis L’Amour (Catlow)

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.”
–Psalm 19:1 (NLT)
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Two days in a row, yep, that’s right, I’m going to look at another hymn. My aunt, Bern, made it a habit, especially in the later years of her life to use the hymns for her devotions. Sometimes it was a hymn for a day, and she would sing it all through the day. Sometimes it would be a hymn for the week. I have often wakened up in the night with the words of one of the hymns in my mind; that’s the way I want to sleep.
I wrote on this hymn back in 2016, but to start the year of 2018 I want to make it more of a goal and habit. This is not the time to become shallow in the Word of the Lord nor relaxed in our walk with Him. The days are in front of us that we better make sure of our foundation. I recall the words of Jesus to John on the Isle of Patmos when He warned the church at Ephesus.

“But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”
–Revelation 2:4-5 (HCSB)

Let this song become our prayer as we enter 2018.

“Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.”
–C.P Jones

Notice this is a daily request. We are exhorted to “study to show ourselves approved.” Could there be a better way than to be schooled by the Master Himself? Growing in grace is an everyday occurrence and part of the work is done by us with the Holy Spirit’s help and direction.

“Deeper, deeper! blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.”

Now, I believe that this is where many Christians fall short today. There is not that deep seeking of the Lord. Oh, for sure, there is the remonstrances on a Sunday morning, but to become a true disciple is more than a service in church. The problem is the other phrase. We want to be a Christian and for sure make it to heaven, but to have our will wholly lost in His will, well that’s a different story. Let me be a Christian, but let me remain autonomous; folks it doesn’t work that way.
Remember the words of the hymns yesterday? We need to be holding on to the hand of Jesus. Are you really sold out in trust for the Lord? Are you ready to face the day, the year?

“Deeper, deeper! tho’ it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.”

Notice the exclamation marks! The author this song, C.P. Jones, was insistent. He wanted to know the Lord; know Him in His fullness. No matter the cost, he wanted to know Him. Let me also note that in the days ahead it might be that to survive, spiritually, we will need to be fully rooted in Him.

“Deeper, higher, ev’ry day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev’ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy word.”

One day the struggle will be over, but until then we must bear the image of Christ. I have heard the postmodern Christians say that they are no longer “Christians.” Part of the purpose of postmodernists is to deconstruct language, but here they completely miss the truth. In this instance they do not want sound doctrine for to be a Christian meand to be “Christ-like,” stamped in His own image.