A Simple Message for Difficult Times

By Gobel Brockman

     Each week with this devotional I try to come up with words, stories, or illustrations to share my faith in Jesus in ways that I haven't used before. I try not to be repetitive or redundant. (Perhaps I shouldn't use the words "repetitive" and "redundant" in the same sentence then, eh?) But the thought occurred to me that sometimes I may make it more difficult than it needs to be. Sometimes I have to remind myself of what the Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 11:3:

     "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (Emphasis mine.)

     So, based on the thoughts of keeping things "simple," this week I want to make some simple statements of truth:

There is a God.
The Bible is the word of God.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life. He was crucified on a cross and laid down His life. Three days later, He was physically raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is now both Lord and Christ.
Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Him." (See John 14:6 - emphasis mine.)

     Here's the "simplicity" that I want to focus on this week:

     These are all true whether we believe them or not.

     Truth isn't based on whether or not it's believed, it's based on whether or not it's true. Jesus said He is truth, and that's true regardless of my acceptance or rejection of His proclamation. I do believe it, however, and as a result of that faith I have received forgiveness and salvation. I have hope that man cannot take away from me. He has also given me a determination to proclaim these truths. I have seen Proverbs 28:1 fulfilled in my life:

     "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion."

     The reason I'm talking about this is because I am firmly convinced that we are approaching a time when proclaiming our faith in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is going to cost us something, and we need to be convinced in our hearts that our faith is more than just a "casual assent" of Jesus. If our acceptance of the truth of Christ is real, it will be evident in our daily lives. Our nation is filled with people who say they "believe in God." They may even post Bible verses or Christian statements on social media. But it's easy to be brave when bravery isn't needed. I can't help but question a person's ability to stand for Christ in the face of opposition when they won't live for Him in the place of peace and freedom. We say we'll lay down our lives for Him, yet we can't seem to lay down our plans for Him (or our remotes, for that matter.) What I'm simply saying is that our shallow faith and our false bravado isn't going to suffice for much longer. But here's the good news: those who stand for Jesus won't have to stand in their own strength. God will stand with those who stand for truth. The Bible says in Hebrews 13 that God has promised "I will never leave you or forsake you" and we can be assured of that truth.

     Especially since He IS truth.

So the End of the World Didn't Happen Today....

By Gobel Brockman


     Another week has passed, and with it another failed prediction of the end of the world. I've had to come to the realization that people trying to predict "The Apocalypse" been happening for many, many years - and those predictions will continue. For hundreds of years people have been discussing, debating, and arguing about "the beginning of the end." Many have tried to predict its time, and some people have garnered 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. Every storm and every breaking news item 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 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. RIGHT NOW is my chance to give my praise and worship to Him. And if He gives me tomorrow, I get the opportunity to serve Him 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, but how we responded to the call to give our lives to Jesus will matter - and it will matter for all of eternity. 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.

Compromise Is Not an Option

By Gobel Brockman


Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines compromise as:

     *A way of reaching agreement in which each person gives up something that was wanted in order to end an argument or dispute; 
     *Something that combines the qualities of two different things;
     *A change that makes something worse and that is not done for a good reason

     In Daniel 3 we read the story of three Hebrew men who were being held in captivity in Babylon. The king recognized the wisdom that these men possessed and put them to work in his kingdom. These men were servants of the one true God, but they were commanded to dishonor their God and instead worship a worthless idol. Their refusal led to them being called into the king's presence. The king was furious at their refusal to bow to his "god." The king didn't want to lose their wisdom, however, so he told them that they would be given one more chance to comply with his command. If they refused they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. That was the king's idea of "compromise" - comply or die.

     There's a funny thing about compromise. I direct you back to the definition: "A way of reaching agreement in which each person gives up something that was wanted in order to end an argument or dispute." I've noticed over the years that when someone wants "compromise" what they really want is for the other party to make all of the concessions. Look again at the king's conditions: He placed all the demands on the Hebrew captives, and all he offered in exchange was that they wouldn't be executed. That's not compromise, that's a threat.

     As disciples of Jesus Christ, we face the temptation to compromise our beliefs and convictions. Another definition of compromise is to "combine the qualities of two different things." The problem with that is that when it comes to our relationship with Jesus Christ there is no "quality" on the other side. It's impossible to have "the best of both worlds" when one of those worlds is filled with only sin, pain, and death. Our enemy (the devil) is not interested in giving up anything in order to reach agreement with us, even though he's a master at presenting his temptations in exactly that way. He is only interested in stealing, killing, and destroying what God has given us.

     I've been saying for a while now that the time is coming when the name of Jesus will be a dividing line. In Luke 9:23 Jesus said this:

     "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me."

     Those who truly desire to forsake all and follow Jesus have always been opposed by those who want "the best of both worlds" - which I again maintain is impossible. My point is that the invitation to follow Jesus is not an invitation to live as you want and still keep one foot in the kingdom of God. As German pastor/theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." I say to you reading this that there is no other commitment to Jesus that will be acceptable. Regardless of any trial or temptation that we may face, following Jesus Christ is worth it. If I have Jesus, then I have everything. My prayer is that my life will honor Him in every way.

     I cannot settle for less, and I cannot compromise.

Finding Hope in the Chaos

By Gobel Brockman


     On the Day of Pentecost the 120 who were gathered in the Upper Room were filled with the Holy Spirit. The crowds outside wanted to know what was happening, and Peter preached what was the first sermon of the New Testament church. In Acts 2:34-36 we see that he ended his message with this:

     “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 

     The Bible goes on to say that about 3,000 people were added to the church that day. A short while later Peter was summoned to the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, where he preached what was the first message about Jesus to the Gentile world. He ended that message with this:

     "And God commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is Jesus who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10:42-43)

     The Bible says that all who were there were filled with the Holy Ghost and were baptized. The church was off to a blazing start!

     One of the things I find interesting in these stories is the simplicity of what took place. The apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost, they spoke the simple truth that salvation and hope are found in Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost then drew men and women to that salvation. No gimmicks, no trickery, no keyboards playing softly in the background. Just the Spirit of God doing in people's lives what ONLY the Spirit of God could do.

     He's still doing it today.

     I type these words as the United States prepares for its second hurricane in two weeks. Many lives have tragically already been lost in these storms. In other parts of our nation, raging wildfires have consumed much land and property. Both natural disasters and the pain caused by terrorism and the evil side of humanity are causing problems throughout the world. Regardless of what nation you're living in, and what specific situations your nation currently is facing, my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will enable me to clearly proclaim to you that there is no other hope than the hope found in Jesus Christ - for without Him THERE IS NO OTHER HOPE. While others are seeking what - or who - to blame for all that is taking place, I will instead encourage you to look to the source of all hope in the midst of them: Jesus. I do not offer you any solutions through politics, self-help, or positive thinking. I proclaim to you Jesus Christ and Him crucified, resurrected, and forever King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No matter where you're reading this, Jesus Christ is who you need.

     Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 

     We all live in one world, and it's a world filled with pain and turmoil. We all only have one hope, and it's only found in one name. Whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever you're going through, I direct you to faith in Jesus. There's hope in Him.

One Day, You'll No Longer Have a "Someday"

By Gobel Brockman


     Today (as I write this) I had two different conversations with two different people about a common thought: just how quickly time goes by. This afternoon I watched a group of young men playing soccer in our local park and remembered that it wasn't all that long ago that I was playing basketball with my friends in that same park. (I also thought about how much pain I'd probably be in if I tried to play now!) It doesn't seem all that long ago that my wife and I were the parents of small children, and here we are now with several grandchildren - with another one on the way. (Yes, we're excited!) But as I thought on this, I was reminded of what the Bible says in James 4:13-14:

     "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,” whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."

     "A vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." How often do we forget that? How often do we make plans for our future while forgetting that our futures can be changed in the blink of an eye? I don't mean to be overly dramatic, but the simple truth is that none of us wakes up in the morning assured of how our day is going to end. Countless people every day begin their day not realizing that they are beginning their last day on this earth. A startling but accurate observation that I believe we all need to give some thought to.

     I believe that the saddest part in all of this is all the people who have what I call "Somedayitis" - a condition where the person says, "I'll do it someday." 

I know I should spend more time with my children: I'll do it someday.
I know I need to get right with God: I'll do it someday.  
I know I should turn away from the things that are keeping me from getting closer to Jesus Christ: I'll do it someday.
I know God has a calling on my life that I need to fulfill: I'll do it someday.

     The problem is, we never know when our today is our last "someday."

     If you are reading this and you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, you may be one of those people who have said, "Yes, I believe what the Bible says about Jesus. I know I need to acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior. Someday soon." I say this with as much gentleness as I can, but please know that you are running out of "somedays." Paul said it this way in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2:

     "As workers together with God, we ask you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have listened to you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Look, now is the accepted time; look, now is the day of salvation."

     Your "someday" is NOW. TODAY is the day to give your life to Jesus Christ. If you have already done that, then TODAY is the day to begin walking in obedience and surrender to His will for your life. TODAY is the day to step into the calling that He has for you. None of us know what lies ahead in our tomorrow - or if we even HAVE a tomorrow. Allow the Lord to work in your life TODAY.

     Before one day becomes your last "Someday."