Why I Believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture

1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


The church is not destined for wrath, we are to encourage one another, not live in fear. Fear is not a virtue of God. 2 Timothy 1:3 Paul writes to Timothy: “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


Romans 5:9 “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


John 14:3 ““And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


Jesus is preparing a place for us.


1 Thessalonians 13 ““But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[d] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


Revelation 19:6 “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,”


““Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.””
9 And the angel said[a] to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, ““These are the true words of God.”” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ““You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.”” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


Why would God make His bride go through the tribulation period and then welcome us into his kingdom for the marriage supper of the Lamb? God is not a wife beater.


2 Thessalonians 2:7 “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


You think we live in an evil time now, wait until the church is gone, that is when there will be lawlessness.


Daniel 12:5 “Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream,[b] ““How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?”” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, ““O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?”” 9 He said, ““Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


2 Timothy 3:1 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


The Lesson of the Fig Tree: Luke 21:29 And he told them a parable: ““Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So
also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.””


There is a generation that will now pass away, that will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord.


34 “” But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.””


We must pray that we have the strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, the tribulation period.
Mathew 24:36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[b] but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Bible Gateway 2026)


Just like in the days of Noah they were going about their usual business, and they didn’t know that there was going to be a flood or judgement, just like now, in the last days, the unbelievers are not aware that Jesus is coming and separating the light from the darkness. The Bible says two will be out in the field, or two will be griding, and one will be taken. However, we don’t know when Jesus will come back, therefore we must stay ready and keep our lamps full.
Revelation 6:6 ““And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart[a] of wheat for a denarius,[b] and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


“In this verse John writes that he heard what seemed to be a voice coming from the midst of the four living creatures (Revelation 4:6–8). The voice announced that a quart of wheat was selling for a denarius and three quarts of barley cost a denarius. Symbolically, this passage seems to indicate a common experience in real-world crises: war and famine give way to inflation due to supply and demand.

A denarius in the first century was usually equal to a day’s wages, and the amount of grain given here is just enough to keep a person alive. These are also the commodities of the common person: basic staples for living. The implication seems to be that most people in this part of the tribulation are struggling just to meet their basic survival needs. This is the kind of poverty which threatens a person’s life, not merely their lifestyle.

However, the voice from the midst of the four living creatures also commanded, “Do not harm the oil and wine!” Oil and wine, in this context, are less crucial supplies, making them a form of minor luxury. The implication that these are not harmed might suggest that wealthy people would not be hurt by the economic or inflationary catastrophe. According to Revelation 13:16–17, the false prophet in Jerusalem will control commerce during the tribulation, making it extremely difficult for tribulation believers to purchase even basic commodities.” (Bible Ref 2026)
Revelation 24:22 “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


“The biblical account of Noah begins in Genesis 6. Approximately 1,600 years had passed since the creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26–27). As the earth’s population exploded in number, it also exploded with evil. Long forgotten was the righteous sacrifice of Abel (Genesis 4:4) as “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Verses 11 and 12 say, “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” However, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (verse 8).

When Jesus described the events that will surround His second coming, He said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26–27). Jesus was pointing out that, although the people of Noah’s day were totally depraved, they were not the least bit concerned about it. They were carrying on the events of their lives without a single thought of the judgment of God. Noah is described as a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), meaning he had spent years warning his friends and neighbors what the Holy God was about to do. No one listened.

The depravity and ungodly lifestyles of the entire world at that time were enough to cause the Lord to “regret that He had made man” (Genesis 6:6). Many scholars believe that part of the need to destroy every human being except Noah and his family was the sin mentioned in Genesis 6:1–4, when “the Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.” As evil reproduced and overtook the world, the most merciful act God could perform was to start over.

It is interesting that God allowed Noah nearly one hundred years to complete the building of the ark. Through all that time, God patiently waited (1 Peter 3:20). Scripture seems to imply that Noah preached to the people of that time about what was coming (Hebrews 11:7). They did not believe Noah and were content with their wickedness and idolatry. Their hearts were hard and their ears dull. No one repented, and no one cared to seek God.

Jesus said that the world will be much the same before He returns to set up His earthly kingdom (Matthew 25:31–33). He warned us to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Second Timothy 3:1–4 gives us a clear picture of the state of the world before Jesus comes and most likely also describes the world in the days of Noah. That verse says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” It is becoming increasingly obvious that, to understand what the world was like in the days of Noah, we only need to watch the evening news.” (Got Questions 2026)


Travel to and Fro throughout the world and an increase in knowledge


Daniel 12:1““At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above;[a] and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.””


These are a few scriptures why I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture and an article from Got Questions.
What if the first words in the Bible proved that the church won’t endure God’s wrath? Genesis 1:4 “And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)
It says God separated the light from the darkness, what if God is going to separate the believers or the light from the darkness, the unbelievers?


It’s not the first time that we have seen someone separated or taken. Enoch was taken to heaven by God. Genesis 5:24 “Enoch walked with God, and he was not,[c] for God took him.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


And Elijah was taken to heaven. 2 Kings 2:11“And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)
Noah was separated from the flood, “These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,[c] for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. “(Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


Abraham and Lot were separated from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 19:27 “And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.


So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


God separated Isreal from the plagues Exodus 11:4 “So Moses said, ““Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.”” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9 Then the LORD said to Moses, ““Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)


And God will separate the light from the darkness and save us from the great tribulation period.

I Wonder…

Our church recently upgraded from old-timey bench style pews to more comfortable chairs with cushions and gave the old pews away. 

My wife and I were fortune enough to get one of the pews and we placed it on our back deck.  We occasionally sit in it and marvel at God’s beautiful creation. 

I sometimes wonder how many people gave their life to Jesus sitting in that very same pew that we use to gaze upon God’s creation, with a command of His voice, that I am in awe of.  I wonder how many people sat there and cried during a sermon that pricked their hearts.  I wonder how many couples, male and female, sat there holding hands being preached to about God’s design in marriage covenant between man and wife.  Or how many young men and women sat in the very same pew and marveled at how God, Himself, took on flesh and died on the Cross for our sins, defeating sin and death through His descension into hell and resurrection and ascension into heaven for you and me.  

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:6 “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”[a] 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?[b] 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

I wonder how many sermons have been preached in that church with that old church pew.  And how many people sat on that old-fashioned church pew. And now my wife and I and children get to sit on the same pew that saw people give their lives to Jesus, the most important decision you will ever make, to spend eternity with Jesus. 

But there is still something about sitting in an old uncomfortable traditional pew that can’t be replaced.  I wouldn’t trade that memory for anything.   

Sit at the Table

It doesn’t matter where you sit as long as you get a seat at the table and I am not talking about the dinner table. I’m talking about the marriage of the Lamb supper table.

You see, I am worried about where I park at work, if someone parks in my spot and it’s petty.  I shouldn’t worry about where I park, but I should be thankful I have a place to park because I have a job to park at.

I was driving to Chiquita’s in town, and I was waiting to turn left and a car turned right and got in front of me and got right in line and didn’t have to wait at the drive through. But what’s more important is that I got to get my bean burrito and chicken fajita. It doesn’t matter if I had to wait a few minutes. I still got my food.

The disciples were feeling the same way, they were asking who was most important out of them, and which one could sit on Jesus’ right and left, Mark 10:37.

We should put ourselves last in everything, not first, first is last and last is first, Matthew 20:16.

What we should be concerned about is if we are invited to sit at the table of the marriage supper of the Lamb, Revelation 19:6 “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said[a] to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026).

How Good is God? Devotional

Do we know just how good God is? Do we have any idea how good God is?

We should be dead in our trespasses. But God! But God is good, and He made a way, through the blood of Jesus Christ!

Saturday, I’m at home, my back is out, and I get on my knees, and I pray. I’m praying about how good God is in my life and I start weeping and I feel the Holy Spirit comes over me and I just be still, basking in it, praying about how good He is and that I have no idea how good He is.

Even when we don’t understand or when it hurts, God is still good. Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we[c] rejoice[d] in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)

James 1:2 “Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)

Where is Jesus right now? On the right hand of the Father (Col. 3:1). What is Jesus doing? He is interceding on our behalf. John 17:24, all good answers. Jesus is preparing a place for us in Heaven. John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”  (Bible Gateway ESV 2025) Jesus is preparing a place for us, in Heaven, isn’t that good!

I was texting Junior today about what we need to bring, is it going to be inside, do we need skewers for hotdogs and do we need to bring chairs and he wrote me back and said Amy offered to make pork loin, and pumpkin pie and tea and I was like, yes and thank you and I was about to start weeping again and I was thinking why am I about to cry over this and I realized just how good God is. We don’t have to look far to see God’s goodness, just look around you. We needed rain and it rained. We’ve got food and fellowship. There are so many reasons to be thankful. 

Let’s just be still and bask in God’s goodness in our lives. Let’s be quite for a minute or two and take in the beauty of God’s creation and His goodness.

It was put on my heart for this brotherhood; we could share some of our testimonies. Brother Zack said he feels like he doesn’t have a very exciting testimony. He didn’t hit rock bottom; he didn’t go to jail. He didn’t lose everything, you see God reveals himself differently to each person. He has revealed Himself differently to each one of us. Aaron’s testimony is going to differ from Zack’s, and we can reach different people with our own different testimony.

God revealed Himself through general revelation to some of us and God has revealed Himself through special revelation to others, through creation, or God’s Word, or through something extraordinary.

What If Brotherhood Devotion

Men, what’s going on?  And I don’t mean how’s it going.  What’s going on in the world right now?  The world is literally on fire, right now.  Between Isreal and the US bombing Iran and the storms that we have been having, tornadoes, floods, hurricane in North Carolina.  I still don’t think they have recovered from that one last year, riots in LA, No kings’ demonstrations.  They don’t want anything to do with a king and we worship our King Jesus.

And don’t think because we live in a small town, we are exempt from the darkness.  There was a murder in Mt. Ida not too long ago. 

Manuela got back from visiting some friends in Oklahoma on Wednesday and five minutes later there was a bad wreck right by the house in front of Crider’s.  And Saturday there was a wreck in front of Walmart.

What if …you didn’t know Jesus?  Think about that for a second.

What if…you never prayed to God?  Dwell on that for a second.

 What if…the only thing I had to look forward to was pleasing myself and my selfish desires in this life on earth?  How shallow would that be?  What kind of existence would that be?  How selfish would that be?

What if…you spent eternity separated from God in darkness?  The thought of that should make you have chills.   

I pray…that I have the wrong audience here.

Luke 16:19“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.[f] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)

He says you had your chance while you were alive to listen and believe and repent.  Now it’s too late! 

Why do you think the rich man is referred to as the rich man, why doesn’t he have a name?  Because you won’t find “Rich Man” in the Book of Life.  Lazarus has a name, and his name can be found in the Book of Life.  Lazarus is being comforted by Abraham.

Think about your name not being in the Book of Life.

Or Jesus saying, “I never knew you; depart from me you worker of iniquity.” Matthew 7:23 (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)

We want Jesus to say “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Mathew 25:23 (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)   

There is going to come a time when there are no more do overs, or no more mulligans.  (That’s a golf reference.)  We are either going to die, or Jesus is coming back. whichever happens first and then it’s, Game Over!

And we are running out of time.  We need to have an urgency to ourselves.  I’m saying spend time with your loved ones, your kids, your grandkids, and tell people about Jesus every chance you get, live on Mission like Zack says.  We are on mission, and we are on a battlefield right here in Mena, Arkansas and people are dying right in front of us, without knowing Jesus.    

I Traded Beer for Bass and Jesus

I always felt like I believed in Jesus from an early age.  I remember going to church with my mom and dad as a kid.  I remember getting baptized in the river.  I can’t say I have a date that I remember getting saved like some people have it marked on their calendar.

But I know I fell away from Jesus.  I joined the Air Force and got married at a young age.  I remember talking to my wife about Jesus while I was at Technical School and thought we were on the same page, but we weren’t.  We didn’t find a church and I wasn’t reading my Bible.

Anyway, that marriage didn’t work.  I am a firm believer that you must put God first in everything you do (now).   We ended up getting a divorce and I got remarried…blah blah blah, get the to good stuff. 

Basically, I drank a bunch of beer while stationed in Germany and did things I shouldn’t do. 

I got married again and moved from Germany to my hometown, a small town in Arkansas.  My wife started working at a Homestead cooking, she loves cooking.  The owner invited her to church, and she came home with a pamphlet from their church, saying we should go.  I was like, “I don’t know if I am ready for church” (that’s a commitment.)  Thank God, we started going to the church.  Then my wife started reading the Bible at night, while I was watching TV.  It didn’t take long, and we both were reading the Bible together.  A marriage is so much stronger with three cords twined together, as opposed to just two.  A man and woman united with God can withstand challenges and endure difficulties together. 

And after a while, The Lord told be to quit drinking beer and I listened and I am so glad, I did! 

We got into camping, bought a camper and now I am addicted to fishing.  I traded beer for bass and Jesus. 

 We got plugged into church and I truly believe I (we) have a fruitful relationship with God.  I am the president of the Men’s Brotherhood.  I take care of the message on the sign every week.  I believe the Holy Spirit gives me messages to go on the sign and it’s my prayer that they touch people’s lives. 

Our daughter was baptized on her own free will.  We just try to shine our light and live for Christ, sharing the gospel any chance we get.

I started a Non-profit organization called Love Pray Fish EIN# 99-1525820.  We give fresh fileted fish to needy families.  I am looking for veterans to fish with, to support my fishing addiction and to get them out in the outdoors to improve their mental health and well-being. 

I also applied to volunteer to take hospice patients fishing. I set up a table at a military appreciation day, trying to get vets signed up for fishing and I was approached by two hospice organizations asking if I would consider taking their patients fishing.  They told me that some of their last wishes are to go fishing. 

Anyway, God is good, and I am so blessed that God first loved me and that He chased me down.  I was the prodigal child and now I am back home where I belong.  I traded sin and shame for Jesus and forgiveness.  You too can come back home, stop running and give your life to Jesus.  He will set you free.  Now, I am addicted to Jesus and fishing, instead of beer and sin. 

Update: I may have a boring testimony, and I am ok with that.  Our pastor spoke last night at Kid’s Camp, and he said that he had a boring testimony. (It’s awesome how the Holy Spirit works, I was working on this article, and Zack spoke about some of the same things) He said nothing really bad happened to him, God spared him.  He didn’t fall into drugs, or sexual immorality, before making Jesus the King of his life.  He said that his parents took him to church three times a week and he was baptized at an early age, but he wasn’t really saved.  He wasn’t living for Christ; he was just trying to please his mom and dad.  He was baptized again at 17 and this time it was for all the right reasons.

 I’ll take a boring testimony over all the bad things that could have happened.  Zack went on to say that 94% of Christians say they were saved at an early age.  And his prayer was that during Kids’ Camp, that children would be saved from the wrath of God at an early age, right here at Kids’ Camp, that God would spare them also from all the bad things they could fall into, that they too could have a somewhat boring testimony and say that so many years ago I was saved at Kids’ Camp. That’s a great prayer.  I hope Zack’s right and there are a lot of kids saved right here at Kids’ camp.   

Does Someone Have to Die For Others to Live?

Does someone have to die for someone else to live?  Think of it this way; if you are an organ donor, then someone on the donor list can live from your death.  At first, I was afraid to be an organ donor.  The young and immature me thought, what if I am not really dead and they take my organs, but I realized that we all die, unless Jesus comes back first.  And the insecure me was afraid of dying, but the mature, older and more secure me is not afraid of dying.  We should look forward to being with Jesus in Heaven.  The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2025) And Ecclesiastes says 12:7 “and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)

Therefore, I would say yes, many times someone does have to die for others to live.  Think about Jesus, He willingly gave his own blood on the cross for us to live, and we will live forever in Heaven with Him, if we believe in Jesus and repent of our sins.  And when I say believe, I mean have a relationship with Him, even Satan knows of Jesus.  I’m talking about making Jesus the Lord of our lives and submitting to Him.

What if you are an organ donor and your life-saving organ saved someone’s life that didn’t know Jesus Christ yet?  What if the time that your organ extended someone’s life was enough time for them to make Jesus Christ their Lord and they accepted Him into their life and got saved from God’s wrath.  I’ll add Jesus doesn’t reject us; we are the ones that reject Him.  And maybe, just maybe your generosity of giving someone a second chance and extending their life was enough time for them to except Jesus into their lives and instead of dying, living in Heaven for eternity. WOW, what a thought!

So, give blood when you can, people that possibly don’t know God, could get another chance of finding God, or be an organ donor, maybe that buys them more time to find God.  What a thought, not only could you extend someone’s life, but you could possibly help someone get more time to find Jesus!        

It’s Ok to Not be OK Devotion

Have someone pray and eat.

You guys probably greeted each other when you came in.  You know when someone asks you how are you?  What do we normally say?  We’re doing good, or doing fine, or we are great.  But are we always doing great?  We are broken people, living in a fallen world.  It’s ok, to not be ok all the time.  You probably shouldn’t wallow in your pity, but we are not always ok and that’s ok.  

Maybe you watched the news, that will depress you, or maybe someone recently died in your family, or you’re just not feeling good, or you’re sick of being sick.  Or you’re having a bad day at work, or your home life just isn’t that great.

Men, lean on your brothers when you are having a hard time, we are here for each other.  Simon Sinek is a motivational speaker.  Simon says “Do you have 8 minutes to spend with a friend?  In his video Simon says that his friend stated, you didn’t respond to my message when I needed you and Simon says, well your message didn’t indicate you needed me, or needed help, it started out like every other message.  If you need help, let someone know, hey I really need you today.  I’m having a hard day, or a tough time.   

He goes on to say it just takes 8 minutes to make someone feel better, listen to their problems, pray with them and pray for them. 

Ask Eddy to say Ecclesiastes

Turn to Ecc. 3:1 (Take turns reading)

1: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2: a time to be born, and a time to die;
 a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace. (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)

There is a time for everything, sometimes we are on the mountain, and sometimes we are in the valley. 

But what is our hope in?  Jesus Christ.  Our hope is in Jesus Christ.  If you believe in the good news, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul lays it out for us, 15:1 “Now I would remind you, brothers,[a] of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)

If you believe in that, if Jesus is your Lord and Savior, we are going to spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord.

How long is eternity?  When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sign God’s praise than when we first begun.  

It’s ok, to not be ok, down here on this earth, but Jesus is coming back! And we are going to spend eternity with Him.   

Steven share with the group how you get someone to open up and share what’s troubling them. So, let’s practice saying that we are not doing that good.  Break into groups and ask each other how you are doing, and I want you to say I’m not doing that good today. 

Now, I want you to ask how I can pray for you, and I want you to take turns praying for each other.

Does anyone have anything else on your heart?

Next month’s meeting, outside at a campfire?  Watch a movie: The Forge?  And if you want to give the next month’s devotion, let me know.

Brotherhood Covenant

Who knows what a Covenant is?

A covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. They’re often accompanied by oaths, signs, and ceremonies. Covenants define obligations and commitments, but they are different from a contract because they are relational and personal. Think of a marriage—a husband and wife choose to enter into a formal relationship, binding themselves to one another in lifelong faithfulness and devotion. They then work as partners to reach a common goal, like building a life or raising children together.

There are some men in this room that have been married a long time.  Who has been married the longest?  Who has been married the least amount of time?  Maybe we can learn from each other the importance of a marriage covenant.  And maybe I just needed to hear this and research this.  Maybe this is for me?

A few weeks ago, I was away for a class for three nights.  I wasn’t gone long, but it reminded me how important a covenant is with God, and I was able to be still and reflect how important the covenant is between me and my Manuela.  And how important it is to not break that covenant.    

Jason Soroski writes “For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish… We have heard these words repeated in many wedding ceremonies, and if you are married you have likely said them yourself! What does it mean to be in a covenant marriage, and how does it enrich our lives and fulfill God’s purpose?

At the heart of biblical marriage is a covenant before God to cherish one another and continue to grow as one. At the heart of a covenant marriage is a desire to not just ‘get through’ life together but to thrive together. It means to love, encourage, and cherish one another while constantly seeking Christ in our relationship.

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Covenant Marriage as presented in Scripture is not something to be taken lightly, but makes up the foundation for the family, the community, and the bedrock of a strong and healthy society.

The Bible declares marriage as the most important relationship one can enter into aside from their relationship with God, and Ephesians 5 gives us perhaps the most detailed explanation of how this plays out.

There is a full, beautiful meaning in the full context of these verses that reveals the beauty of what covenant marriage truly is: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior”.

”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” In this passage, it is reiterated that in a covenant marriage the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her.

This is a picture of two people in mutual submission to Christ, and a wife submitting to a godly man who leads the home spiritually and who loves his wife more than he loves himself. As Christ was crucified for the sake of his ‘bride’ the Church, the covenant husband is willing to endure the same for his wife he has given himself to in marriage. This is the most beautiful of love stories. A story of mutual love and submission, of two individuals ever-growing more and more into one, entwined within the love of Christ and for one another.

Marriage continues to be the most beautiful ceremony we engage in. This is because within marriage we find deep and wonderful meaning. We see the beginning of a new life and an adventure of two people joining their lives together, entwining their hearts as one in the presence of God, friends, and family. It is the highest of vows. Near the end of a traditional marriage ceremony, we often hear the phrase, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” This phrase, drawn from the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:6, reminds us that marriage is a covenant initiated by God, which we agree to join into. When we commit to a covenant marriage, we are joining our hearts together in a supernatural way that only God can orchestrate.” (Jason Soroski 2021)

I came home to a couple that we know where the husband broke that covenant with his wife and with God.  He cheated on his wife, and I got to hear about that and how it tears a family apart and how sad it is.  They’ve got three kids together.  I got to reflect on that when I got home. 

I said all of this to remind us how important our covenant is not only between our wives, but how important it is to God.  And to remind us men, that our wives are special and our marriages are special and that we should cherish our wives.  We should strive to love our wives like Jesus loves us.  Do we take that covenant serious enough?   

We just had Valentines Day, so I got a good deal on these cards, grab a card and write your wife a special note, telling how much she means to you and your family.  Or maybe you want to write your sister, or Mom or that certain special woman in your life a card.  

So go home, give your wife a hug and a kiss and tell her you love her.        

Do You Follow Jesus This Close?

I got behind a vehicle the other day and I wasn’t tailgating them, but I did want to get close enough to read the sticker on their back glass.  It said, “Do You Follow Jesus This Close?”  I love that.

It’s true we are in such a hurry that you can’t even drive the speed limit without getting ran over.  The sticker not only gets everyone’s attention and asks if they have a relationship with Jesus, but also says stop following so close to me.  It’s true though are you as close as you and your vehicle are to me as you are with Jesus?    

The other day we had a snowstorm in Arkansas.  I say snowstorm.  We got 13 inches of snow in my little town, and we are not used to that kind of snow.  And it reminded me of Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”  (Bible Gateway ESV 2025) The snow really slowed us down for a few days.  It would melt and then freeze again, leaving ice on the road.  I think God was saying slow down and read my Word, meditate on it, spend time with family, and know that I am God.  I think God was saying draw closer to Me, get to know Me better.