By Gobel Brockman
"The Last Days."
For hundreds of years it's been the subject of discussion, debate, and argument. Many have tried to predict its time, sometimes garnering many followers in the process. It's been the topic of countless books and movies, and the theme of more sermons than any of us could ever know. Many watch the news with bated breath as each story can seemingly be tied to "the return of the Lord." Before I proceed with my main point, let me establish a few thoughts:
*Do I believe in "the rapture of the church?" Absolutely.
*Do I believe it can happen at any time? Yes.
*Can I say with certainty that we are living in "the last days" right now? I have no idea.
But there is one thing that I am sure of, and it's what I want to talk about this week:
You ARE living in YOUR last days.
I have no idea when "the rapture" is going to happen, but I do know that if it doesn't happen in my lifetime, and if I live a normal lifespan, it's already about two-thirds of the way over. Any time I'm asked about my view of prophecy, I always begin the discussion by quoting Proverbs 27:1 - "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring." I also usually quote James 4:14, which says that "our lives are like a vapor." I do not know when Jesus will return to this earth, but I do know that every day I wake up, I'm one day closer to the LAST day I'll wake up.
As I said, I do believe in the return of Christ, and I believe that we need to be prepared for it. I don't want my message this week to take away from what the Bible calls "the blessed hope." (Titus 2:13) I'm simply saying that all over this world today, thousands of people will pass into eternity before the sun sets in their part of the world, and I don't have the promise that I won't be one of them - and neither do you. So rather than engage in protracted debates about "What will 'the mark of the beast' really be?" or things of that nature, I want to live as though RIGHT NOW is my opportunity to do something for Jesus that's going to have lasting value. RIGHT NOW is my chance to give glory to Christ with my life and my praise and worship to Him. And if He gives me tomorrow, I get to repeat it all over again. When you think about it, that's pretty awesome in itself - we have the opportunity to worship and work for our Creator and Savior - RIGHT NOW. As Paul said in II Corinthians 6, "Today is the day of salvation..."
Am I trying to scare you with the thought of death? No - I'm simply reminding us all that if the Lord does indeed delay His return, every one of us are going to face it. When that time comes, prophecy debates will no longer matter; how we responded to the call of Jesus will.
Still, with all of that being said, I want to end this week's devotional the same way the Bible ends its message with its next-to-last verse (Revelation 22:20):
"Even so, come Lord Jesus."
RIGHT NOW would be just fine. That's a blessed hope indeed.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Some Trips Have Rough Starts
By Gobel Brockman
I have an unusual first name. I've spent my entire life having it misspelled and mispronounced. Any time someone asks me my name for the first time and I tell them "Gobel," I can almost guarantee you what their next question is going to be: "What's your first name?" That's just one part of the story of my first few days on this earth. I will try to be brief:
*I was told that the doctor who delivered me had just came off of a five-year ban of his obstetrics privileges, and I was the first baby he had delivered after his time was served. The story went that he came in to deliver a baby one night drunk and slapped the mother for "screaming too much."
*The name "Gobel" came from my dad – it was his first name as well. He never liked it, and always said that none of his sons would ever have that name. The story I was told was that both of my parents were expecting a girl (this was before the days of ultrasounds) and they were not prepared with a boy's name. The discussion over this subject lead to an argument, which ended with my dad storming out of the hospital room saying, "Name him whatever you want!" So my mother took his advice, and I've been "Gobel" ever since.
*I came home from the hospital on my third day. Within a few hours someone (I won't mention my brother's name) accidentally overturned the bassinet I was laying in, breaking my collarbone.
What is my point in all of this? Things got off to a bit of a rough start for me. Delivered by a doctor with the proven tendency to drink and inflict the occasional "Drive-by slapping." Causing an argument between my parents mere moments after being born, and getting an unusual name in the process. Coming home from the hospital just long enough to get a broken bone.
Rough starts. We've all had them. Perhaps at a new job, or the beginning of a new relationship. Starting something new can be a stressful time, because you never really know what to expect. The journey of faith in Jesus Christ is no different. The experience is described in John three is being "born again" and that is a perfect description. Everything is new, everything is fresh. But everything is also different. The Bible says in II Corinthians 5:17 that if anyone is in Christ they are a new creature, old things pass away and all things become new. It's an incredible time, but it can also be a scary time.
Those of you reading this who have been Christians for years can attest to what I am saying. To any of you who are new in your "faith journey," let me tell you that there can will some interesting times ahead of you. Times of uncertainty, times of worry and doubt, and times where you're going to want to walk away entirely. When those times come notice I didn't say it I just know that the rough patches are temporary. There is nothing you will encounter on this journey that is worth doing a U-turn and going back to your old life. Don't do it.
One last thing – the name "Gobel" is a German name. One variation of it means, "Boldness from God." I haven't disliked my name since the day I learned that. As a believer, you have a new name as well – "Christian." It means "Christlike."
Embrace your new name - no matter how many times you have to explain it.
I have an unusual first name. I've spent my entire life having it misspelled and mispronounced. Any time someone asks me my name for the first time and I tell them "Gobel," I can almost guarantee you what their next question is going to be: "What's your first name?" That's just one part of the story of my first few days on this earth. I will try to be brief:
*I was told that the doctor who delivered me had just came off of a five-year ban of his obstetrics privileges, and I was the first baby he had delivered after his time was served. The story went that he came in to deliver a baby one night drunk and slapped the mother for "screaming too much."
*The name "Gobel" came from my dad – it was his first name as well. He never liked it, and always said that none of his sons would ever have that name. The story I was told was that both of my parents were expecting a girl (this was before the days of ultrasounds) and they were not prepared with a boy's name. The discussion over this subject lead to an argument, which ended with my dad storming out of the hospital room saying, "Name him whatever you want!" So my mother took his advice, and I've been "Gobel" ever since.
*I came home from the hospital on my third day. Within a few hours someone (I won't mention my brother's name) accidentally overturned the bassinet I was laying in, breaking my collarbone.
What is my point in all of this? Things got off to a bit of a rough start for me. Delivered by a doctor with the proven tendency to drink and inflict the occasional "Drive-by slapping." Causing an argument between my parents mere moments after being born, and getting an unusual name in the process. Coming home from the hospital just long enough to get a broken bone.
Rough starts. We've all had them. Perhaps at a new job, or the beginning of a new relationship. Starting something new can be a stressful time, because you never really know what to expect. The journey of faith in Jesus Christ is no different. The experience is described in John three is being "born again" and that is a perfect description. Everything is new, everything is fresh. But everything is also different. The Bible says in II Corinthians 5:17 that if anyone is in Christ they are a new creature, old things pass away and all things become new. It's an incredible time, but it can also be a scary time.
Those of you reading this who have been Christians for years can attest to what I am saying. To any of you who are new in your "faith journey," let me tell you that there can will some interesting times ahead of you. Times of uncertainty, times of worry and doubt, and times where you're going to want to walk away entirely. When those times come notice I didn't say it I just know that the rough patches are temporary. There is nothing you will encounter on this journey that is worth doing a U-turn and going back to your old life. Don't do it.
One last thing – the name "Gobel" is a German name. One variation of it means, "Boldness from God." I haven't disliked my name since the day I learned that. As a believer, you have a new name as well – "Christian." It means "Christlike."
Embrace your new name - no matter how many times you have to explain it.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
People Can Change Like Indiana Weather
By Gobel Brockman
We are currently experiencing a change here in central Indiana. February was a rough month for people who hate winter. (For people like me it was just fine!) The temperature stayed around 20 degrees colder than normal, and there was plenty of snow to go with it. Now here we are in March and things are changing. The snow is gone, temperatures are up, and so are most people's countenances. Amazing what a little sunlight will do.
People are no different. Just because someone IS a certain way doesn't necessarily mean they have to STAY that way. The apostle Paul is a prime example. Here was a man so opposed to the message of Jesus Christ that he consented to the death of Stephen, the first man to lose his life for his faith in Christ. Paul then proceeded to have Christians arrested in a crusade that bordered on rage. While on his way to Damascus, he had a life-altering encounter with Jesus. Long story short, he began preaching the very Jesus he was trying to silence. However, he ran headlong into a huge problem: many people couldn't believe that he had actually changed. Acts 9:26-28 tells it this way:
"And when (Paul) had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord."
This leads me to my point: one of the biggest obstacles you will probably encounter as you seek to allow God to change your life is all the people who'll think, "You'll never change. This is just a phase; you'll be back to your old way of life soon." I encountered that when I first gave my life to Jesus in 1981. A few days afterwards I overheard two of my "friends" talking about me and my "religion" and I vividly remember one of them saying, "Yeah, he had to go and get religious on us. I say it'll last a week."
That was 34 years ago. Amazing what a little "Sonlight" will do.
What I'm telling you is that people can change. YOU can change. I'm not the same person I was then, and I'll be honest - I don't believe that I'm even the same person I was a year ago. God has been dealing strongly with my heart to "go deeper" in my faith, and His Spirit is helping me to do that very thing. Wherever you are in life right now, you don't have to stay there. The Spirit and the power of God can change you if you'll seek Him with everything you've got. Whatever your bondages are right now, through Christ they can indeed be part of your "past" history. I want to be like Barnabas and encourage you that in Jesus Christ, your past doesn't have to dictate your future. II Corinthians 5:17 says that "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things are new." That can be YOUR story in Jesus today. You can be free.
But when it comes to weather, you'll be seeing cold & snow again in a matter of months. I can't be your Barnabas there.
We are currently experiencing a change here in central Indiana. February was a rough month for people who hate winter. (For people like me it was just fine!) The temperature stayed around 20 degrees colder than normal, and there was plenty of snow to go with it. Now here we are in March and things are changing. The snow is gone, temperatures are up, and so are most people's countenances. Amazing what a little sunlight will do.
People are no different. Just because someone IS a certain way doesn't necessarily mean they have to STAY that way. The apostle Paul is a prime example. Here was a man so opposed to the message of Jesus Christ that he consented to the death of Stephen, the first man to lose his life for his faith in Christ. Paul then proceeded to have Christians arrested in a crusade that bordered on rage. While on his way to Damascus, he had a life-altering encounter with Jesus. Long story short, he began preaching the very Jesus he was trying to silence. However, he ran headlong into a huge problem: many people couldn't believe that he had actually changed. Acts 9:26-28 tells it this way:
"And when (Paul) had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord."
This leads me to my point: one of the biggest obstacles you will probably encounter as you seek to allow God to change your life is all the people who'll think, "You'll never change. This is just a phase; you'll be back to your old way of life soon." I encountered that when I first gave my life to Jesus in 1981. A few days afterwards I overheard two of my "friends" talking about me and my "religion" and I vividly remember one of them saying, "Yeah, he had to go and get religious on us. I say it'll last a week."
That was 34 years ago. Amazing what a little "Sonlight" will do.
What I'm telling you is that people can change. YOU can change. I'm not the same person I was then, and I'll be honest - I don't believe that I'm even the same person I was a year ago. God has been dealing strongly with my heart to "go deeper" in my faith, and His Spirit is helping me to do that very thing. Wherever you are in life right now, you don't have to stay there. The Spirit and the power of God can change you if you'll seek Him with everything you've got. Whatever your bondages are right now, through Christ they can indeed be part of your "past" history. I want to be like Barnabas and encourage you that in Jesus Christ, your past doesn't have to dictate your future. II Corinthians 5:17 says that "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things are new." That can be YOUR story in Jesus today. You can be free.
But when it comes to weather, you'll be seeing cold & snow again in a matter of months. I can't be your Barnabas there.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Avoiding the Grammar Police on the Highway of Faith
By Gobel Brockman
"I hope your not to busy to read this. I asked my friend too, but he said he don't have time."
(I'm sure many of you jumped right to this paragraph, but I'm taking a moment to picture all of the eye twitching that's going on as a result of that first sentence.)
"Grammar Police." They're everywhere, and they mean business. Mistype something on Facebook or Twitter and they will flash their badge and lay down the law. Yes, occasionally a very small minority may overstep their boundaries a bit, but I will admit that I'm not totally unsympathetic to their cause. Knowing when to use "to" and when to use "too" is indeed good knowledge to possess. The only problem I ever have when it comes to things like this is when an attempt to correct becomes an attempt to silence. Fortunately I've never seen any sworn deputy of the "Grammar Police" go to that extreme.
But this got me to thinking about something that happened in the fourth chapter of Acts. Peter and John had just performed a miracle of healing a lame man. The religious leaders of the day, the very ones responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, called them in for questioning. Even though they could not deny the miracle of the lame man being healed (especially since the proof was standing right in front of them), they did attempt to keep it from going any further. The told the disciples in essence, "You are not to say anymore about this "Jesus." You will be silent, or you will be silenced."
I love the disciple's response. They returned to their fellow believers and told them of the threat. They then prayed together and said,
"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:29-31)
Today we as Christians need to pray that same prayer. Our country is in trouble, and those who are looking for political renewal to fix our problems are going to be greatly disappointed. We need a God-sent REVIVAL that will shake us to the core. For that to happen we need the Holy Spirit to fill us to overflowing. We then need to speak His word with boldness and clarity, giving no space to those who will wish to silence us. And trust me, there will be many. The "police" in the disciple's day sought their demise, and we are no better than they. Jesus said in John 15:18, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you." But I want to encourage us all with this thought: God answered their prayer for boldness, and He will answer ours as well. And when He does, only He knows what's going to happen. So let us join together in prayer and seek God's face for a brand-new move of the Holy Spirit.
(And try to remember that "your" and "you're" have two different meanings. Give the "Grammar Police" a break.)
"I hope your not to busy to read this. I asked my friend too, but he said he don't have time."
(I'm sure many of you jumped right to this paragraph, but I'm taking a moment to picture all of the eye twitching that's going on as a result of that first sentence.)
"Grammar Police." They're everywhere, and they mean business. Mistype something on Facebook or Twitter and they will flash their badge and lay down the law. Yes, occasionally a very small minority may overstep their boundaries a bit, but I will admit that I'm not totally unsympathetic to their cause. Knowing when to use "to" and when to use "too" is indeed good knowledge to possess. The only problem I ever have when it comes to things like this is when an attempt to correct becomes an attempt to silence. Fortunately I've never seen any sworn deputy of the "Grammar Police" go to that extreme.
But this got me to thinking about something that happened in the fourth chapter of Acts. Peter and John had just performed a miracle of healing a lame man. The religious leaders of the day, the very ones responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, called them in for questioning. Even though they could not deny the miracle of the lame man being healed (especially since the proof was standing right in front of them), they did attempt to keep it from going any further. The told the disciples in essence, "You are not to say anymore about this "Jesus." You will be silent, or you will be silenced."
I love the disciple's response. They returned to their fellow believers and told them of the threat. They then prayed together and said,
"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:29-31)
Today we as Christians need to pray that same prayer. Our country is in trouble, and those who are looking for political renewal to fix our problems are going to be greatly disappointed. We need a God-sent REVIVAL that will shake us to the core. For that to happen we need the Holy Spirit to fill us to overflowing. We then need to speak His word with boldness and clarity, giving no space to those who will wish to silence us. And trust me, there will be many. The "police" in the disciple's day sought their demise, and we are no better than they. Jesus said in John 15:18, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you." But I want to encourage us all with this thought: God answered their prayer for boldness, and He will answer ours as well. And when He does, only He knows what's going to happen. So let us join together in prayer and seek God's face for a brand-new move of the Holy Spirit.
(And try to remember that "your" and "you're" have two different meanings. Give the "Grammar Police" a break.)
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