Chai - My Version

Google "chai recipe" and you will get many versions with ingredients all over the place.  Some of them I have to wonder if they have ever actually tasted Indian chai.  Many years ago my boss went down to a new Starbucks in our building and picked up her afternoon coffee.  She said down for a meeting, took a tiny sip and choked, "This is tea!".  Needless to say she did not get her fix, but I got the "tea".  Turned out to be chai.  After years of trying to work out how they made it, and finally getting a friend's wife from India to give up her recipe, this is my American taste version.  As it turns out, there is much more ingredients in chai than I was aware of!  If you are from the Middle East, I know your version is much different, but that I have never been able to try that.  

Doc's Chai

For a single serving, heat water to a soft boil (approximately 2 cups) and add the following:

• 2 black tea bags of your choice or use loose tea in a loose tea ball.  Straight black tea works best like China Black or Keemun, maybe Oolong depending upon your tastes
• 2-4 green cardamom pods, to taste (suck on them to soften them, break them open and separate and crush the little black seeds with the flat of a large knife for a stronger flavor)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 11 fennel seeds (do not use more)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ginger (powdered will work, but fresh works best)

Add milk to tea once done, approximately 2 cups or double your water volume.  This will cool the tea down if the milk is cold, so you may need to keep it on a low burner to heat it back up to your desired temperature.  

The spices above should be put into a cloth bag, like a tea bag or a large metal tea strainer.  Bring water just to a boil, turn off, and let simmer for several minutes.

When done add sweetener to taste.  Sugar, honey, and honey crystals all have been tried effectively with each changing the flavor a bit.  I believe honey is the preferred sweetener, but you can find honey crystals with honey and a little sugar.  

A note about ginger - for some areas of India this is only added to chai when a family member is not feeling well. On the other hand, I had an Indian doctor tell me this is necessary for increasing the blood flow in the morning and to set your digestive system in order.  As I enjoy the taste, I figure it is good all the time when I make chai.

Please note, the measurements are meant to vary to the user’s taste.  You can leave out the cloves and fennel seeds and it will taste much like Tazo Chai, for example. You will also find the amount of cardamom is very much to your taste.  As you get used to the cardamom, the amount you use will increase.  Once you get used to it, try smashing the seeds and see how much that changes the flavor again.  

Let the recipe grow with you.  While there are many variants, I have found this basic recipe works for me without adding vanilla or any of the other flavorings.  

Enjoy and have fun exploring the flavors!

New Recipe - Chocolate Indian Brownies

It has been some time since I posted a recipe due to the fact I was posting them on Facebook, but alas and alack I am no longer on Facebook.  So, I will post some here again.  I met a nice lady named Maria today who was in desperate need of chocolate brownies, so I let her know this may cover what she needed.  Here we go!

Ingredients:

• 1 C sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup butter
• 1 Cup flour
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa (you can use less if you do not really like chocolate)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Melt cocoa and butter in saucepan.

Add in pan (beat by hand) in the following order:

    Sugar

    Eggs

    Flour

    Vanilla

Pour batter in pan and bake.

Use 8 inch pan, or 9x13 if doubling the recipe

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes (what is called a slow oven)

If you need icing on it, and just cannot live with simple powdered sugar on top, here you go:

• 1 Cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg
• 4 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Mix in a pan on stove and under low heat cook for 5 - 10 minutes.  Mix egg into the other ingredients but do not cook so hot it cooks the egg.  If it is still too thick, thin with water or a little more cream.  

Enjoy, and unless you are a sugar fiend, just try the brownies without the icing first.  You should be quite happy that way.  Feedback welcomed, but please have fun making, and more fun eating!

Thoughts on a Christian's Armor

You can read about the armour of God in Ephesians chapter 6. While I have read this many times and heard sermons on it, but keeping in mind we read a living, breathing word of God, we should expect for the Holy Spirit to show us new things each time we read passages. I enjoy finding new nuggets, but I noticed something this time I had missed, so wanted to walk you through the verses and see if you see what I did. I hope this helps someone who needs it. 

We find Paul going through another one of his fun doctrinal treatises. I have to say I really enjoy Paul due to his great knowledge. He does not try to talk down, he expects us to read up and challenges us to understand what he is teaching. Yes, this can get very deep with Paul. Let us walk through the verses. 

Ephesians 6:10, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." His opening premise is that we need to be strong in the Lord, but he expects us to understand how to live the Christian life with His power. 

Ephesians 6:11, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Here we learn a few new things. First off, "wiles.". We all can think of Wiley Coyote as our inspiration growing up, but he was a poor example of the true nature, just the humor side. The word 'wiles' here can also be 'strategy'. The angel of light, satan, runs around trying to harm Christians. Paul, who knows all about this and explains more next verse, is passing on his experience and wisdom. 

Ephesians 6;12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Paul is letting us peak behind the curtain at one of the scariest images we could see. Looking at it without faith would cripple us. In Hebrews 12:22 Paul references "an innumerable company of angels." These are the created beings from whom Lucifer ripped a 1/3 of them away for his purposes. This is the 'rulers of darkness referenced above. Very dangerous group unless we are dressed correctly to meet them. 

Ephesians 6:13, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." James 4:7 tells us "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Remember, resisting the devil while armoured up means satan actually runs away. Yes, the minions, also. 

Ephesians 6:14, "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" Truth. This word to a non-Christian cannot mean anything. They have no reference for it. They have to come to the truth with the help of the Holy Spirit, so do not push them, just pray for their conviction. For us, though, our truth is the Bible. If we do not stay in it daily we lose our daily truth from God. We get what we need, but only if we read the Bible daily. Doing so helps us to do right. Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. had an old chapel saying that we loved, "“Do right ‘till the stars fall! Do right!" He did not say it calmly, so it left a memory. We are to wear the breastplate of righteousness. Once we have bad thoughts or do things we should not, immediate repentance is necessary. Just a reminder to repent means to turn 180 degrees away, not do it again and again. Apologizing for that behavior over and over is not repentance nor will it get you forgiveness. So, do right! 

Ephesians 6:15, "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" Romans 10:15 says, "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Have you noticed how no one smiles much anymore, and the Golden Rule seems to have expired. Peace, true peace, can only come through Christ. Being kind to everyone is being a good witness, and the gospel is peace. Peace from sin, peace from the world, so do not be afraid to spread peace. 

Ephesians 6:16, "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." So, what is faith, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." from Hebrews 11:1. The roman shields were built to stop the darts, and could be piled together in a puzzle way to cover them from arrows, even overhead. They were known for this and it was so effective their foes did not stand a chance. Consider this, God made your shield, so it is even better. 

Ephesians 6:17, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" Salvation, the key component of the 7 pieces of armour. Without salvation, neither component can exist. Once we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit moves in. We learn in Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." that points out how the word of God is sharper than a sword. Using God's word fight the powers is what God intends. We must stay in the word, and memorizing really helps. You would be suprised how many years after learning something you can recall it when needed thanks to the Holy Spirit's help. 

Ephesians 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" I will admint prayer isn't something that I remember all the time, but when I do I find a quiet I often need. Pray before reading the Bible. Pray after. Pray for your friends and family, and any unsaved. Pray for your job, and your concerns. "Praying always", well, means to pray always. 

Ephesians 6:19, "And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel," Ah, here is the summary I had missed before. While each piece of armor is built to help protect us daily, Paul had a goal. He wanted to have help opening his mouth boldly with the mystery of the gospel. I had never noticed this was all about witnessing. With all this information, it suddenly made sense. Paul was driven to preach and spread the gospel, which of course he did successfully in many countries and cities. So, in closing, if you are having trouble witnessing, just remember to get dressed correctly before! This should very much be a morning thing, but I have also found reading the Bible before bed means I sleep better. Find what works best for you, but do it daily and do not miss it!

The Great Commission and the End Times

Any student of the Bible who has accepted Christ can clearly see that we are in the end times.  After some thought and Bible reading opening some doors, several things have occured to me.  As these are not common thoughts, I have to give our Father all the credit.

The Command

Mat 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Christ's great command was to go into all nations, teaching and baptizing.  All following Christ's teachings.  Many have felt the call to be missionaries, pastors, pastor's wives, teachers, or workers in dangerous areas of the world.  Others stayed home, supporting the missionaries and pastors, and were witnesses where they were.  All callings are different, yet all are blessed by God as each did what God wanted them to do.

The end was they were to do.  Sitting at home not being a witness to our nation nor any other is not what he commanded us to be doing.  Supporting them in prayer and financially is good, but each individual is accountable for being a witness to their families and friends.  Years ago I heard an evangelist throw out an idea.  It has held my memory since then.  While believers have their own judgement, the non-believers will also have their own.  He suggested we will be at theirs.  Christians will see their friends and family judged for their sins.  The haunting description was that of a friend judged, who looks you in the eye and yells, "why didn't you tell me!" as they are hauled off to hell.

I believe we see the result of this in the end of the Revelations 21:4, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

On order to have God wipe away our tears, we have to be crying.  I always figured the Judgement Seat of Christ for believers, his church, would be the reason we are crying as we see our lives in the light of his holiness.  However, there is no way to rule out our sadness as we see all the work we could have done and the souls we were too afraid or lazy to witness to. 

The Witness

Acts 1:8 sets up the action of the great commission.  "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

When Jesus left, he left us his secret weapon in reaching the world for Christ.  We can know every verse in the Bible, know ever argument in science and religion to compel a non-believer, but it does no good.  No one comes to Christ through logic, but the Holy Spirit.  Logic many open a door, but the conviction, softening of the heart takes far more power than we have - that is the Holy Ghost's job.  We must go about our witnessing daily with prayer.  You cannot memorize your way to be a help, you need to be in the power of Christ.  Those who have had verses pop into their head when witnessing know what I am talking about.

Today as hearts quail in fear and of the unknown with their lives flashing in front of them, we are the witnesses.  We are the rocks of stability they need, an example to help ground them on God's word. There have never been whiter fields. 

End Times

Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

My old pastor proposed an idea to me.  It has taken years for me to come around to fully grasp it.  He suggested the Great Commission was a multipart prophecy.  Acts 1:8 was fulfilled same day as all known languages were present, but there was the addition of it being an ongoing prophecy.  All languages were fulfilled in Acts, all nations today. 

However, the end time portion of this has to do with the movement of the Holy Spirit around the world.  Consider how the Apostles lit up the world and quickly spread God's world into neighboring countries.  We see how it spread, how the light moved around the world while Satan tried to put out the light.  England lit up like a flame and spread the gospel throughout the world with a memorable revival.  When the Pilgrims moved to America, another bright light was it.  America had revival break out in the Great Awakening, and Billy Sunday was the last evangelist to have the Holy Ghost awaken whole cities. 

If you do research now on where the revivals are, you will find them in the Middle East.  Whole towns are coming to know Christ as revivals break out.  This power of the Holy Spirit moving in the most hateful atmosphere in the world shows just how powerful God is.  These are souls coming to Christ knowing they will be killed soon.  Yes, that is faith. 

However, consider the movement of the Holy Ghost.  It started in Jerusalem, and has moved around the world.  As we see it moving around and back to Jerusalem, we may be looking at God's timer on his return.  As it is really close to Israel, our time here is short, in my humble belief. 

So, with no new TV shows, no new movies, and no sports combined with fear fed by a media trying to mess with the minds of the world, what are we to do?

Be a witness unto the uttermost parts of the earth.  Pray for grace and power, read God's word, and remember to pray constantly.  Walk in the light and let God guide you to who needs His word.

May God richly bless your ministries. 

Heaven - Popular Questions

"In my Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also."  - John 14:2,3

What will heaven be like?

• No Death.  I Corinthians 15:26, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
• No Night.  Revelation 21:25, "And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there,"  Have you ever been at home at night, alone, in the dark, and you heard a noise?  Scare you?  That will not happen in heaven as there will never be no light.  
• No Pain.  No more skinned knees or broken arms, burst appendix or heart attacks.  Cancer, gone.  
• No Sin.  All of our sin nature will be gone.  
• New Bodies.  I  Corinthians 15:49, "The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed."  What event is this passage referring to?  Ugly as we perceive it will be made perfectly beautiful. Ravaging diseases and physical defects will be made perfect.  The blind will see, the deaf will hear.  The first thing a deaf man will hear is Jesus''s sweet voice.  The first thing a blind man will see is Jesus' nail-scarred hands.  
• New Minds.  I Corinthians 13:12, "Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face:  now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I am known."  We will understand why things have happened, why friends and relatives have died, why accidents have happened.  Some people question why someone dies.  If a person who has accepted Christ into their heart and asked for forgiveness dies, and an unsaved friend or relative goes to the funeral and hears the gospel, this may be their only opportunity to hear a message about Christ and what he died for.  Had this person not died, the friend or relative may not have heard a clear message about Jesus.  We sometimes later, maybe years, see the why of a terrible event, but we may not fully understand until we arrive in heaven.

There will be no cemeteries, no hospitals, no jails, and no repair shops.  Denominations will also be gone.

Will we know people?

Luke 16:23-24, And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The rich man in hell saw someone he knew in Paradise, Lazarus.  He also knew Abraham, although he had died hundreds of years before.  If someone in hell knows others, then there is no doubt we will know others in heaven.

In my mind I can see those who I know who have gone before me, friends and relatives.  We will also meet those from previous generations, and those whose lives we read about in the Bible:  Moses, Noah, Adam and Eve, and David.  Wow, what a day that will be!  Make sure you read your Bible, or else something embarrassing could happen.  How will you feel when Habakkuk comes up and asks you how you liked his book?

Of course we will have a lot of questions, or will we?  When our bodies are changed, it is possible that we will just know it all.  Deep thoughts, but things we only have to look forward to.

Where is heaven?  Per Isaiah we find out what Lucifer's aspirations were, and he described Lucifer wanting to ascend higher than the highest star in the north.  As our modern astronomers have found stars many light years away from us, this indicates heaven is indeed far away.

What will the city Jesus mentions where the mansions go be like?  Revelations give us many specific details.  It is 1200 miles by 1200 miles.  Huge.  The streets will be pure gold, and the city will have twelve gates.  Each gate is a pearl.  A river will run through the city, coming out from the throne of God.  On each side of the river will be the trees of lie.  The twelve trees give twelve kinds of fruit.  The water will be crystal clear and clean.

Will we have bodies?  Yes!  Remember the rich man seeing Lazarus and Abraham?

Can those in heaven see what is going on here on Earth?  We believe so based upon the witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1,2, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."

In our daily lives we have bad days.  Occasionally we have just had it, and it is the worst day of our lives, knowing no one ever had as bad of a day in all history before.  You just know tomorrow will be worse!  When this happens, remember Daniel.  He was third highest ruler in a country and the next thing you know he was sleeping with some very hungry lions.  Think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  They had their names forcibly changed from Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  They were doing fine until the king said all had to bow to him and say he was god.  They did not, and he tried to burn them alive.

There is always someone who has had a worse day than you, and those who have gone before are there for an example for us.  Note their reaction in heaven when a soul is saved.  Luke 15:18, "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."  It says there is joy in the presence of the angels, and that joy may well be the saints in heaven.

Jesus told us he went ahead of us to build us our mansions.  This is the same thing a man told his fiancé in Bible times.  The bride had to wait eagerly for his return when their home(which was a room added on this his parent's house) was built, so they could marry and move into the new home.  This is the image of the virgins waiting in the New Testament in Matthew 25:1-12.  The husband would blow his trumpet when he came back to announce his arrival, and all fiancés would rush to see who's man came back.  Remember the church catholic (that means the worldwide church, not the catholic church) is the bride of Christ.  At the rapture we hear his trumpet as our groom comes for us.  In Matthew we see some of the virgins waiting were not waiting properly, these are false believers who miss the rapture as they follow a different Jesus, not the one clearly taught in the Bible.  In verse 12 we see the awful truth, "But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not."  I cannot imagine hearing that from my fiancé as I tried to go home with him. 

I Thessalonians 4:16-18, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Comfort one another with these words.  I often look up to the sky and imagine what that day will be like.  Never stop looking for him, for when we stop it shows us how much the world has sucked us in with their concerns, or how far away from Christ we have slidden.

It took Jesus only six days to create the heavens and the earth.  Now, imagine what he can do in over two-thousand years!  No, we cannot truly imagine.  Our minds are not capable of understanding eternity, much less heaven.

Imagine a sparrow can carry a grain of sand, and with only one grain at a time carries all the sand on the East coast of America to the West coast of America.  In the thousands of years this would take, our time with Jesus will have only just begun.  See, hard to imagine.  There will be no time in heaven, not like we have here for sleeping, working, sun rotation, etc.  We will be outside of time, and that is something even harder to imagine!

The most important question of all is this;  how can we know we will be going to heaven?

Follow this conversation.  If we go to an airport and you say to me, "Is that an airplane?"

I respond, "Yes."

"Do you believe the airplane will fly?"

I say, "Yes," again.

"Do you believe the airplane will take you to California?"

For the third time, I reply, "Yes."

But, even after declaring what I believe, I never get on the airplane and make the desired trip.  At some point I must trust the pilot and get on board the airplane or I will never make it to California.

The path to heaven is quite similar.  Seeing your soul in the light of eternity and seeing all the sin we have committed, you admit being a sinner and see you can never pay for all the sins you have done.  You accept that Jesus's death on the cross and resurrection paid the full price for your sins for all eternity.  This is the first step.  The second is asking for forgiveness, and trusting Jesus for salvation.  This is called faith.

If anyone wants to talk about knowing Christ, you can contact me via this blog.  While this is not even close to what we know about the new city of God and the size of our mansions, it pales in the light of making sure we see those gold streets and see Jesus, his Father, and the Holy Spirit.

An Old Miller Road Baptist Church Sermon (Audio)

I get asked now and then about preaching.  As some who ask me wish to hear a sermon of mine, I thought I would post one.  This was recorded on April 2, 2004 at Miller Road Baptist Church in Garland, TX.  The pastor, Larry Parks, was out of town and asked me to cover for him.  I did this a few times over the years.  A friend opens in prayer and introduces me.  The intro music and songs have been cut out.

Sadly this church does not exist anymore, but many who have gone there will remember the preaching it was known for.  I have many old tapes to convert, but never seem to find the time. Not all of mine were recorded, but I have many of Pastor Park's messages.

It is just shy of 47 minutes and is called "Farsighted".  This posting is an experiment, and I think you all can listen to it via streaming.  Here you go!

https://soundcloud.com/user-979975633/farsighted/s-3rlzr

Witnessing - Ray Comfort's Parachute Illustration

And the tragedy of modern evangelism is because around the turn of the century when it forsook the law in its capacity to convert the soul, to drive sinners to Christ, modern evangelism had to, therefore, find another reason for sinners to respond to the gospel. And the issue that modern evangelism chose to attract sinners was the issue of “life enhancement”. The gospel degenerated into “Jesus Christ will give you peace, joy, love, fulfillment, and lasting happiness.” Now to illustrate the unscriptural nature of this very popular teaching, I’d like you to listen very carefully to this following anecdote, because the essence of what I’m saying pivots on this particular illustration; so please listen carefully.
Two men are seated in a plane. The first is given a parachute and told to put is on as it would improve his flight. He’s a little skeptical at first because he can’t see how wearing a parachute in a plane could possibly improve the flight. After a time he decides to experiment and see if the claim is true. As he puts it on he notices the weight of it upon his shoulders and he finds that he has difficulty in sitting upright. However, he consoles himself with the fact that he was told the parachute would improve the flight. So, he decides to give the thing a little time. As he waits he notices that some of the other passengers are laughing at him, because he’s wearing a parachute in a plane. He begins to feel somewhat humiliated. As they begin to point and laugh at him and he can stand it no longer, he slinks in his seat, unstraps the parachute, and throws it to the floor. Disillusionment and bitterness fill his heart, because, as far as he was concerned, he was told an outright lie.

The second man is given a parachute, but listen to what he’s told. He’s told to put it on because at any moment he’d be jumping 25,000 feet out of the plane. He gratefully puts the parachute on; he doesn’t notice the weight of it upon his shoulders, nor that he can’t sit upright. His mind is consumed with the thought of what would happen to him if he jumped without that parachute.

Let’s analyze the motive and the result of each passenger’s experience. The first man’s motive for putting the parachute on was solely to improve his flight. The result of his experience was that he was humiliated by the passengers; he was disillusioned and somewhat embittered against those who gave him the parachute. As far as he’s concerned it’ll be a long time before anyone gets one of those things on his back again. The second man put the parachute on solely to escape the jump to come, and because of his knowledge of what would happen to him without it, he has a deep-rooted joy and peace in his heart knowing that he’s saved from sure death. This knowledge gives him the ability to withstand the mockery of the other passengers. His attitude towards those who gave him the parachute is one of heart-felt gratitude.

Now listen to what the modern gospel says. It says, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. He’ll give you love, joy, peace, fulfillment, and lasting happiness.” In other words, “Jesus will improve your flight.” So the sinner responds, and in an experimental fashion, puts on the Savior to see if the claims are true. And what does he get? The promised temptation, tribulation, and persecution. The other passengers mock him. So what does he do? He takes off the Lord Jesus Christ, he’s offended for the word’s sake (Mark 4:17), he’s disillusioned and somewhat embittered, and quite rightly so. He was promised peace, joy, love, fulfillment, and lasting happiness, and all he got were trials and humiliation. His bitterness is directed toward those who gave him the so-called “good news”. His latter end becomes worse than the first: another inoculated and bitter backslider.

Saints, instead of preaching that Jesus improves the flight, we should be warning the passengers they’re going have to jump out of the plane. That it’s “appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). And when a sinner understands the horrific consequences of breaking God’s law, then he will flee to the Savior solely to escape the wrath that’s to come. And if we’re true and faithful witnesses, that’s what we’ll be preaching. That there is wrath to come; that God “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Why? “Because He has appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness” (vs. 31). You see, the issue isn’t one of happiness, but one of righteousness. It doesn’t matter how happy a sinner is, how much he’s enjoying “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25). Without the righteousness of Christ, he’ll perish on the day of wrath. “Riches profit not on the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death” (Proverbs 11:4). Peace and joy are legitimate fruits of salvation, but it’s not legitimate to use these fruits as a draw card for salvation. If we continue to do so, sinners will respond with an impure motive lacking repentance.

Now, can you remember why the second passenger had joy and peace in his heart? It was because he knew that parachute was going to save him from sure death. And as a believer, I have, as Paul says, “joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13), because I know that the righteousness of Christ is going to deliver me from the wrath that’s to come.

Now with that thought in mind, let’s take a close look at an incident on board the plane. We have a brand new stewardess. She’s carrying a tray of boiling hot coffee. It’s her first day; she wants to leave an impression on the passengers, and she certainly does. Because as she’s walking down the aisle, she trips over someone’s foot and slops that boiling hot coffee all over the lap of our second passenger. Now what’s his reaction as that boiling liquid hits his tender flesh? Does he go, “Ssssfffff! Man that hurt”? Mmm-hhh. He feels the pain. But then does he rip the parachute from his shoulders, throw it to the floor and say, “The stupid parachute!”? No. Why should he? He didn’t put the parachute on for a better flight. He put it on to save him from the jump to come. If anything, the hot coffee incident causes him to cling tighter to the parachute and even look forward to the jump.

Now if you and I have put on the Lord Jesus Christ for the right motive, to flee from the wrath that’s to come, when tribulation strikes, when the flight gets bumpy, we won’t get angry at God; we won’t lose our joy and peace. Why should we? We didn’t come to Jesus for a happy lifestyle: we came to flee from the wrath that’s to come. And if anything, tribulation drives the true believer closer to the Savior. And sadly we have literally multitudes of professing Christians who lose their joy and peace when the flight gets bumpy. Why? They’re the product of a man-centered gospel. They came lacking repentance, without which you can’t be saved.

You can see the video of the whole sermon here:  

http://spiritlessons.com/Documents/Hells_Best_Kept_Secret/Hells_Best_Kept_Secret.htm