Are We There Yet

-Bill Petite

Some of us adults may have had our children ask this question as we traveled to a certain destination. Maybe, when we were kids, we asked this same question while traveling with our parents. At times. It just seemed like such a long ride and we, as well as our kids, were getting a little tired of the ride. Maybe it’s the same for some Christians as we live through the decades of life. Jesus did promise He would return for us and He would prepare a place for us before His return. Some Christians yearn for His return and just can’t seem to wait any longer. They have had a difficult time in this life and know they are destined to go to heaven either at death or when Jesus returns.

Who can blame them for being impatient and wanting to go home and be with the Lord. Maybe they live in a country that is always persecuting Christians, burning church buildings and brutalizing pastors and Christian leaders. Or, maybe they are suffering with illness and pain; can we blame those in these situations for wanting to depart this world and be in the comfort of the Lord in heaven? As a Christian, we should all look forward to eternal life with Jesus in the new heavens and earth. I believe heaven is just a staging area where we will be until God creates the new heaven and earth where we will reside with Jesus for eternity. To me, that sounds more exciting than just heaven. But we don’t even know what heaven is really like although we will be with Jesus and that can never be disappointing.

Jesus told His disciples that no one knows when His return will happen except the Father. Again, it’s just my opinion but, I believe Jesus does know now. He and the Father are one and what the Father knows, Jesus also knows. In Matthew 24, He gives signs to look for which will signal His return is near. He tells His disciples there will be wars and rumors of wars, many will come in His name saying they are Him but are not and there will be famines and earthquakes. There will be many false prophets and nations will rise in opposition to each other with the threat of war. All of these signs are visible today and we can point to many of these occurrences and declare that Jesus’ coming is right around the corner. But we don’t know that for sure and we might be selling short His description of these signs. Things can get worse; ask an elderly Christian what signs they thought were the sure thing fifty or sixty years ago and even farther back. I remember as a young boy when John Kennedy was shot and killed and people were saying he was the antichrist. They were trying to use the passage from Revelation 13:3 where the beast was healed of a fatal head wound and rumors that Kennedy was still alive and in hiding began to circulate.

Kennedy was dead and he was not miraculously healed. There are always those who will go out of their way to try to fit Bible passages or prophecy into something that has happened and known to the world. Ever since sin entered the world, people were born with a sin nature and sin has been running wild in this world. But, God’s Holy Spirit has it somewhat restrained and if He didn’t, we would think what we see today is heaven compared with what it could be. And, the worst is yet to come.

Okay, I don’t want to get into an end time senecio; but we are getting closer to the return of Christ and the signs are there. No, I’m not going to make a prediction on when. I think that is absolutely ridiculous and how can anyone other than God know when that time is.

His word tells us that so, anytime I hear of someone giving a date when the rapture is going to happen or the return of Christ, I just cringe and pray that Christians won’t fall for that lie. There have been many people left with nothing after being told to sell off everything because Jesus is coming on this day. And then they give a date; how many have been left spiritually devoid and with questions unanswered and left without any hope at all? The answer is simply too many.

But we can take comfort in knowing that every day is one day closer to His return. And we can look around and see events which can be signs which he warned us about in Matthew 24. There are wars happening around this world and some we don’t even know about. Just look at our own nation and the unrest which happens every day. And it doesn’t take much of an event to get people in the streets protesting over something. Regardless if it’s what they believe is an illegal offense by law enforcement or a court ruling which they disagree with. Christianity is the butt of jokes by TV celebrities and comedians and others in a public eye. Social media is an open platform for those who oppose the Christian faith and hate Christianity. They call Jesus/God just a fairy tale or illusion for Christians. He can’t be seen so He can’t be real and Christians are fools for believing in an invisible God who is not even real. But the Bible tells us the exact opposite. Only a fool says there is no God or something very close to that in Ps 14:1. The word fool in the Greek means empty headed. So, if you are one of those who say there is no God, remember the meaning of the word fool is empty headed. Is that you? Are you empty headed? In Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, the word fool caries meanings such as, to be insane or to be silly or stupid. So, take your pick; do you want to be insane or just silly and stupid when you say you believe there is no God?

Jesus is real and was a real person who walked this earth for 30+ years before being hung on a cross to die for our sin. He’s alive and seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The tomb is empty because He rose from that grave and defeated death which means there is no eternal death for those who trust Him as their Lord and savior. But for those who insist He’s a fake and a fraud, well there is eternal death waiting for them. An eternity of suffering with no relief and a memory of all the times they heard the gospel and rejected it.

So Christian, look around at the chaos we see today and know that Jesus foretold all of this when He spoke to His disciples. God knew all this before He created the universe and everything in it. And know the time for His return gets closer every day regardless of what is happening around you. Dan 12:4 gives us another sign and if we take the time to stop and look around, we will see it is true.

But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”

We live in a time when people do rush here and there. Look at an airport during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Look at a video of any major city in this country; if you’re not paying attention, you could get ran over by someone in a hurry to get somewhere. Knowledge has definitely increased in this day and age. For someone in my age bracket, we can remember no cable TV, rotary telephones on a landline, a party line, no social media or computer or smart phone. In the past 60 years, technology has increased at lightening speed. I remember when color TV was new and we thought that was amazing. You can laugh now.

Yes, we are living in a time which Daniel was told about. And, if you can tolerate it, just watch a nightly newscast or a cable news channel and see that all of this is what the Bible points to in end times. And, as a reminder, the end times started when Jesus ascended back to heaven. Now, I don’t watch any cable news channels and only watch about 15 minutes of local news. Depending on your worldview, you have to pick the news channel which satisfies your ideology, morals and values.

So, to answer that question, no, we are not there yet but we are awfully close. Now, don’t stick you head in the sand and just wait. Go to a good Bible teaching church, read and study your Bible and pray. Stay in prayer every day. Paul tells the Thessalonians in 1Thess 5:17 to never stop praying. Stay in fellowship with other believers and regardless of what you hear concerning God’s word, you check it out in the Bible and be sure it is there. Jesus is coming and we as Christians, need to be ready. I know there are going to be many Christians surprised and caught off guard, as the saying goes. They will be surprised because they were not watching as Paul tells us in 1 Thess 5:4-6.

But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.

Be alert and on guard but don’t spend all of your time dwelling on this one topic. Be an active Christian busy in your church, in your family and at work and anywhere else. Live the Christian life and stay in prayer and all the while keep alert and be ready when the time comes; if it comes in your life time.

Losing My Wife to Heaven

It was on a Thursday morning when I discovered that my wife had left this world and went to be with Jesus in heaven. I know, people say that all the time when a loved one dies. Things like, “Oh well, she’s/he’s in a better place now.” Or maybe, “We’re sending our thoughts and prayers to you and your family.” What thoughts? And just what does a thought do to make you feel better about losing someone you have spent the majority of your life with? Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not bitter; I’m over joyed that my wife is in heaven with Jesus. Her presence there is better than at any time in her physical life. How could I be bitter about that? I simply wanted to say how silly those responses sound on the receiving end. What about the person who wasn’t saved and didn’t know Jesus? Are they really in a better place now? I can say with certainty they are not.

This is why it is so important to me that people know Jesus as their Lord and savior. Listen to the person who is telling you about Jesus. He, Jesus, is the hope of this world; He is the savior for us and paid the price on the cross for our sin. Everyone born into this life is born with original sin. It’s not some scare tactic fairytale. God’s not in the business of scaring people into heaven or into a relationship with Him. His love for us is so great that He sent His only Son to die on a cross in a most humiliating manner. His death on that cross paid the debt owed to God the Father for the sin we were born with. His rising from the grave three days latter defeated death and gave us eternal life with Him when we accept Him as Lord and savior of our life. And, I’m sure most nonbelievers have heard or believe themselves that this is all a bunch of bogus nonsense. But I myself and millions of others around this world are walking and talking proof that it is not. You can be sure death is final and there are no second chances. There is no salvation after your physical death. And, following death is judgement as Hebrews 9:27-28 tells us,

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people.

My wife, Jeanne, knew this; she had been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ and His paid debt on that cross and His resurrection from the grave. She is with Jesus right now and would have absolutely no desire to return to this life if it was offered. Jeanne always put others ahead of her when it came to anything. She always made sure others were taken care of before she was. She was always there when I needed her and she always took good care of me when I was ill or not feeling well. She was my in home nurse and there to help me recover. She stayed home and raised three children with me while I worked long hours and pinched pennies to make the ends meet. Of course, things weren’t always peaches and cream and we certainly had our differences. But, with Jesus at the center of our marriage, we always made things right.

The first twelve years of our marriage were really bad. I was struggling with PTSD following my time in Vietnam with the Marines and didn’t realize it or wouldn’t come to grips with it. I drank alcohol all the time and those early years were terrible for her but she stayed with me. She never considered leaving when her and my family encouraged her to leave me. We had three young children and they also suffered along with her and she did everything she could to make life bearable for her and the children.

It was the mid-1970s and the recession in the country was crazy deep. There were no jobs to be found and my unemployment compensation was running out. The State enrolled me in a mechanical/architecture drawing class that lasted about seven months and it was supposed to provide jobs for us but that never happened. I decided to rejoin the military and Jeanne said if that’s what we had to do to survive, then she was with me. Well, that was a good financial decision but a bad one for my drinking problem. That atmosphere just added to my desire to drink. Those four years were horror for her and I was oblivious to her pain. By the time I left we had three children and she did more than most wives and mothers had to do to keep things together.

Four years later on a Sunday morning following an all day drunk, I heard Jesus ask me if I was ready to allow Him to deal with my alcohol problem and I said yes, Lord. It was done; I never had a desire to drink any form of alcohol again. In her own words, I had put her through twelve years of hell. But she never caved and thought about walking away. Her only issue with my salvation was she always wanted to be the one to change me. I never knew that until she mentioned it in a group Bible study one evening. But she understood that isn’t how it works and God had His own plan.

Her final few months were hard as she began to develop dementia and wasn’t really herself. We had to place her in a nursing home so she would receive the care she needed. I spent as much time with her as possible and many times she would be sleeping but I would sit next to her bed and watch the TV and thought I would be there if she woke up. Sometimes she did and other times she didn’t. My children spent as much time with her as they could as well as the grandchildren. We knew the end was coming and we were just trying to put it off as long as possible but Jesus knows the exact time of our death and there’s nothing we can do to change that or extend our time here. But again, if we knew here what lies ahead for us, why would we ever want to stay here.

I simply told her on those final days that Jesus was waiting for her with arms wide open. She knew that and I’m sure deep inside her she was ready. She finally slipped away early on Thursday morning August 7^th, 2025. The hardest thing I had to do following that was make the phone calls to my three children. It was my son’s birthday and he took it extra hard because of that. But, with the grace of God and all His goodness, He is walking us through this each and every day. I thank God that my wife has been rescued from this sometime cruel life and is now at home with Him in heaven. I’ve been a Christian for over forty years and I am sure and without any doubt that a Christian at death is ushered right into the presence of Jesus in heaven. But, when you lose someone this close to you, it brings about a whole new concept of heaven and its reality. We had 53 years together and I don’t regret any of them. Even those early years because of how she managed those terrible years. She died two days after our 53^rd anniversary.

I could not have asked for a better partner for this life. Trust me, God knows exactly what he is doing. Jeanne is missed tremendously by all of us but the peace we all have is knowing that we simply lost her to heaven and Jesus.

 -Bill Petite

  

Fifty Years Later

-Bill Petite 

So, it only took 50 years for this country to begin to seriously recognize the Vietnam Vet. That war (conflict) ended in 1975 but for me it didn’t end until December 1984. That’s when Jesus saved me, pulled me out of that miry pit and gave me a new life. Up until that time, it was like a monkey on my back which I couldn’t shake. When I came home in June of 1970, I just wanted to forget everything about it. I wanted to start my life over and get on with the rest of my life. But after about a month of being home and putting it behind me, I got a letter from a friend still there telling me a close friend had been killed. Then it hit me, that war had followed me home and I hated it. If someone asked me questions about my time there, I answered. It seemed better for me to talk about it then to keep it bottled up inside. So, I would talk about it but then I was told not to talk about by those who were asking the questions. When asked about my thoughts on the My Lai massacre, I was told by one man that I had read too many comic books. (I was not part of that or even in the Army) I was enraged and ready to attack but my brother-in-law was close by and calmed me down.

My mother and father had both died before I was 18 and I was living with my oldest sister and her husband but I couldn’t stay there long since they couldn’t afford the extra mouth to feed so I enlisted in the Marines. My other choice was to live with my brother and work for the railroad. But that would leave me as draft bait soon after my 18^th birthday. Young men were getting drafted before the ink on their draft registration was dry. I had no desire to be in the Army so I made up my mind to enlist in the Marines by my choice. It was the right decision as far as I’m concerned. It was a time when this nation was dominated by protests against the war which eventually turned against those returning home. The treatment by those who threw rocks, spit at and name called was discouraging to the Vietnam Vet. We were called baby killers, women killers and many other colorful names by people who knew absolutely nothing about what was really happening over there. And it wasn’t just spoiled college students; I was asked by adults more than once to leave an establishment as soon as I walked in. This was when I recently returned home with my Marine regulation haircut. It was obvious that I was former military and it didn’t matter whether I was in Vietnam or not. The general public hated the military.

All those guys who were coming home who were treated like criminals and cast offs, couldn’t get a job since no one wanted a Viet Vet working for them. The VA was a lost cause who didn’t help at all. When I got home, they gave me $75 for my time there and that was it. (I think it was $75) My home state of PA at least gave me $300 and wished me well and good luck. Well, that was nice but $375 wouldn’t ease the emotional trauma some of us would endure over the next many years. I suffered from PTSD until I was saved and never even realized it until years later. The VA refused to acknowledge it even was a thing. The general public wouldn’t acknowledge it and simply considered all of us as mentally ill and dangerous. Even Hollywood got into the act. Every bad guy on a TV drama was a Vietnam Vet. I heard another Viet Vet say that the only people you can talk to about it is another Viet Vet because they are the only ones who understand what we went through while we were there. 

How do you describe or explain the experience of having motors falling  around you? Or RPG rockets landing close by? How can someone who wasn’t there understand what being shot at with AK-47s or 12.7 machine guns is like? They can never understand what it’s like when a chi-com grenade goes off and hits you with the shrapnel. Vets from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars might be the only ones who can relate to a booby trap exploding and taking off the man’s legs in front of you in the column as you patrol. The people back home thought we were killing women and kids while they were every bit as dangerous as an NVA soldier. Women who were VC sympathizers would frag you when you turned your back and even send a child in your direction with a grenade on him. And we were the ones being called murderers! The general public, even Vets from previous wars, rejected us. It was very hard to adjust to a civil society when we returned home only to be treated like the bad guy and mentally corrupted. And while many continue to suffer today from their experiences and can’t get them out of their head, the only answer I have for them is Jesus. He took all of that hatred and emotional agony away. Yes, 55 years later I still have a dream here and there but it is only a dream and I know that. When I first came back I had them all the time and I hated it. I was right back there in the middle of that mess. But now, it’s just a dream.

One last thing I want to say about that war, or conflict, is American young men should have never been there. It was an over reaction on the part of McNamara and Johnson and others I’m sure. Eisenhour had advisors there in the early 1950s and into the 60s under Kennedy but that is all that should have ever been there. They feared the spread of communism would run wild and overtake South Vietnam and throughout Southeast Asia. But all the North wanted was the South and a united Vietnam. I used to wonder what they wanted with the South. North of Saigon, the country was a mess and what I saw was a hundred years behind the time. But I must say the North has made much progress in the South and brought it back into the current time. (But many did suffer in reeducation camps)

I have never viewed my time there as fighting to keep this country free of communism. That would have never happened. Every man I served with there had one goal; get home safe and in one piece. The goal wasn’t to save the U.S. from communism but to get home. I simply considered myself as a U.S. government mercenary. I was trained by the USMC and sent off to fight a war which was no threat to this country. The Vietnamese people didn’t really want our support and only wanted what they could get from the U.S. They didn’t like the fact that American soldiers and Marines were covering their countryside with bombs, grenades and artillery. They never wanted us patrolling through their villages and rice paddies. They just didn’t want us there. So, why were we there? Politics is the answer and those political decisions got over 58,000 military killed. Marines I knew and were friends with were killed over those political decisions.

Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m proud of my service and my time in The Marines and Vietnam. I was decorated by the Marines for my service and accomplishments while there. But I just have to be truthful and serious about what really happened and also give my opinion of that whole mess. In remembering those Marines I knew who were good men and not just numbers, I have cried over their deaths. When you see a good man, a Marine, die, it’s too hard to process at the time and then when it sinks in and hits you, it can be devastating and extremely emotional. When I received that later about the death of my close friend, my eyes were watering with tears and I was all choked up and on the verge of crying my eyes out. It had an extreme emotional effect on me.

And now, 55 years later for me, the people of this country want to thank us and pat us on the back. I’m not bitter about this; but it’s a different generation and many weren’t even born yet when I returned. And for those who were protesting and spitting at us and calling us names, how many still feel the same way? Or have they softened in time and are among those who are now welcoming us home? It’s just a curious question and I’m not concerned with an answer. I was there and I was just one of many who endured for at least one year of their life while serving there. Many of those I served with there are now gone. For those who have never had to endure time in combat, they will never know the closeness of a friend in combat. That is a closeness which knows your friend has your back all of the time and he knows you have his. It’s a life or death closeness and there is no other closeness like it. And we should never forget the over 58,000 lives lost due to bad political decisions.

I’m sure I can get differing opinions about my thoughts recorded here. There would probably be an argument or strong debate concerning what I have written and that’s OK. But just remember, if you weren’t there, you personally, you have no position to argue from. I am also sure that many will scoff at my testimony concerning Jesus saving me from all of this nagging experience and nightmares. That’s also Ok and it's

their right but I know what He has done for me and if you’re one who scoffs and is still struggling with you experience from that time, why not call out to Jesus and get the monkey off of your back.

It's Not a Fairytale, It's Real

-Bill Petite

 

We are into the holiest of weeks on the Christian Calendar. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and goes right up to Resurrection Sunday, or, Easter as the world knows it. I remember my first Holy week as a Christian. One of the TV networks was showing a miniseries called, A.D. I was glued to the TV every evening throughout that week. For me, a new Christian, I was excited reading the Bible and then watching that miniseries; even though it didn’t exactly follow the Bible to the letter. But it was close enough for me and covered the most important points. That was over forty years ago and things have really changed. Christianity has been degraded and even labeled as a hate movement because of the way some have intertwined it with politics and other reasons.

With everything which has happened and come to the surface within this culture and society in which we live, unsaved people and atheists consider Christians as people who worship a nonexistent god. But the truth is that the God of Christianity does exist and He is all powerful and rules from His throne in heaven with His Son Jesus at His right hand. If you’re unfamiliar with the way this world speaks of the Christian God, just read the comments which follow a post about Christianity on a secular web site. Christians are referred to as fools for worshipping an invisible nothing god who doesn’t really exist. Others refer to Him as a fantasy god or hypocritical god who claims to love everyone but hates Gays and sends people to hell. If you read these comments, don’t get angry; we should have compassion for these people. If they are not saved and continue to believe this nonsense right up to the day they die, they are going to hell. But it is not God who is sending them there, it is they themselves because they refused to accept Jesus and be saved.

If we talk to an unsaved person who believes this way, we don’t argue the point, we explain the truth of the gospel in hope that the Holy Spirit will stir and warm their heart and they will be saved. We can’t argue anyone into heaven. Only Jesus can save them. Our job is to tell them and then it’s up to them to allow Jesus in or not. Now, it is important to know that some will never be saved. It doesn’t matter how many times they hear the gospel. Actually, the more they reject Jesus the harder their heart gets. God knows who will be saved and who won’t be saved. Allow me to provide scripture reference for this.

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.  For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.    JN 6:37-39

When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.   Acts 13:48

 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.    Eph  1:4-5

Now, many Christians refuse to accept this truth but the Bible is clear on this and none of these verses are taken out of context. Many will say that the reference from Acts 13:48 is a single scripture out of context but read the passage and see that it is not. God knows who will be saved because He chose them before He did one little thing concerning creation. God did not look down through time and see who would be saved. The Bible doesn’t teach that anywhere. Do the research for yourself and don’t just take someone’s opinion or teaching as truth. God does not exist in time or on a timeline. His existence is now; it is never past, present or future.

In our world and culture today, those who refuse to accept Jesus can be strongly opposed to the gospel and Christianity. Some of them have very strong and nasty opinions concerning Jesus and Christianity. They have not been enlightened and just don’t know the truth. This is due to one reason or another and we don’t know who God has called to salvation or not. We are not able to justly judge the hearts of those who oppose us and those who are saved. So, we should never attempt to do that. For the unsaved person, we tell them about Jesus and pray for them. Then we leave it in the hands of God.

But for those who believe Christianity is just another cult or a fairytale story and an invisible sugar daddy in the sky who doesn’t really exist, there will be a day of dread for them in the future. For those who have been or will be saved, our names are already written in the book of life. For those who will continue to reject Jesus or those who have died without Jesus, it is an eternity of suffering and torment. Hell was created for Satan and the fallen angels who have decided to follow him. God did not create hell for people and has never sent anyone there. But He cannot have sin stand in His presence and that was every one of us at birth. We are all born with a sin nature which desires nothing but sin and a life of sin. But when Jesus went to the cross and died on that cross for us, He paid the debt required by the Father to cover that sin. When we are saved, that sin is washed away and never again remembered by God.  When God sees us, He sees Jesus and not us. Without Jesus as our savior, He would see nothing but sin.

But because Jesus put Himself on that cross and died in our place, we can have an eternity with Him in heaven. And because He rose from the grave and defeated death, we can have that eternal life with Him. That’s the Easter story; that’s what Resurrection Sunday is all about. We were all born with the sin nature and we all deserved hell because sin cannot stand in the presence of God. But because Jesus paid the debt we couldn’t pay, we have redemption and salvation from sin and the coming wrath of God. And that is what we celebrate on Resurrection Sunday. We should be thanking Jesus every day of our Christian lives for what He has done for us.

And for those who continue to scoff and mock God, He simply laughs at them. They have no power over Him. They cannot make Him go away.

When they claim He doesn’t exist, He doesn’t go hide and fret because they don’t believe in Him. They are enemies of God and have no idea who He really is or the almighty power He has. And, as they mock Him and degrade Him, His response will be as it was when Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, attempted to conquer Judah.

“The virgin daughter of Zion
    despises you and laughs at you.
The daughter of Jerusalem
    shakes her head in derision as you flee.

 “Whom have you been defying and ridiculing?
    Against whom did you raise your voice?
At whom did you look with such haughty eyes?
    It was the Holy One of Israel!

2 Kgs 19:21-22

 

And again, in Psalms 2, God responds to those who think they are greater than Him.

 

Why are the nations so angry?
    Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
    the rulers plot together
against the Lord
    and against his anointed one.
“Let us break their chains,” they cry,
    “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”

 But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
    The Lord scoffs at them.
 Then in anger he rebukes them,
    terrifying them with his fierce fury.

Ps 2:1-5

 

God had a plan to provide a source and means of salvation for His creation. He would send His one and only Son to die on a cross and then rise from the dead to provide salvation from sin and also eternal life for those who will ask Jesus to forgive them and know Him as their Lord and savior. Jesus must be the Lord of your life and not just the savior. He paid the price for your sin debt and to be able to have eternal life with Him in heaven. If you haven’t done this yet, do it now. Allow Jesus to wipe you clean from your sin and give you eternal life in heaven. It’s not a fairytale; it is real and true.

 

 

 

The Times Have Changed

This morning, I read through the transcript of the first debate between Richard Nixon and John Kennedy in 1960. I'm not into the extreme following of the political agendas of candidates but I do enjoy researching history. The comparison from just over 60 years ago and today is crazy. The calmness and polite approach by each candidate and the respect shown for each other is astounding in comparison to today. Nixon and Kennedy agreed on some points and confessed that they did. But they would point out why they disagreed with other points and did it without name calling, mudslinging and raising their voices.

They showed respect for each other. The two candidates today are a 180 degree turn from that. It's plain to see how far this nation has fallen and to what it has become. None of Nixon's or Kennedy's points or policies included killing babies in the womb, rights of same sex couples, immigration or anything which is of importance today. Of course, people will say times have changed and that’s exactly my point. Oh, how they have changed.

Romans 1 paints a distinct picture of this fallen world. This culture has turned its back on God and as explained in Romans 1, He has given them over to their evil desires.
If you have ever read and studied Israel's path in the Old Testament, they were rescued by God and brought out of slavery from Egypt. They were given a land which they did nothing to earn. They were led into that land by God Himself. But it only took one generation to pass before they began to defy Him and live only for their own agendas. The Bible records their downward spiral right up to their exile.
Now, this nation hasn’t experienced the same thing as what Israel did but they did flee from England for the purpose of their freedom. And through the decades and centuries, God blessed this country and prospered it. But this nation, like Israel, has turned its back on God. This is not a Christian nation and I won't say it ever was, but in just the last 60+ years, we can see how far it has fallen.

Again, I'm not a rah, rah, political person. I won't wrap my Christian around a political candidate or party. But I will point out how far this nation has moved away from God. And, I will say that politics will never save this nation, nor will any political candidate or politician.
The only hope for any part of this nation and its evil culture is prayer. Only God can save this nation and I don't know that's in His plan. I can't imagine how much farther this country will move away from God and I'm glad to be in the latter stages of my life and possibly won't be around to see how much worse it can get.
You can search all through the Bible but will never find this nation mentioned. This is not God's chosen nation, that is Israel. As a Christian, don't get sucked into believing that lie.
I'm not anti-American; I'm a Christian who is a citizen of this country; I fought under the flag of this country and was proud to do so, even though I was spit at and called names when I returned. But I'm a Christian first and my first allegiance is to God, not a politician or this nation. I’m not in rebellion against this nation. The Bible tells us to obey His appointed leaders (Rom 13) and to pray for those leaders (1Tim 2). But it doesn’t tell us to worship those people or to give them more attention than to God. Israel is still God’s chosen nation; it’s the only nation he recognizes as His own. And it will be the last nation standing when He returns for His Church. Zechariah 14 records and tells us all of this. Now, if you’re not a Christian, I wouldn’t expect you to believe any of this. For you, it’s simply progress. We’ve come out of a dark age of dullness and bigotry and into the 21^st century of love for everyone and freedom to do as one pleases. That reminds me of a line from the book of Judges.  In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Judges 21:25

We don’t have a king because we don’t have that type of government but the leadership in this country has been lacking for years. There is no obedience to God and the people have done whatever they wanted and seemed right to them. Remember, the answer is prayer, not people.

-Bill Petite

Domestic Missions

 

In my early years as a Christian, when the topic of missions came up, it was always international missions. It was about the need for the nations in Africa, South America, Asia and others. I would have opted for a nice South Pacific Island where the temps are in the 70s and 80s year-round. But that’s the selfish me trying to find a cushy comfortable spot. But the Lord never called me to international missions, nor did I ever have a true desire to be involved in that type of ministry. My calling was always for domestic ministry or ministry here at home. I knew the Lord had called me to church ministry here in my homeland and so I followed His lead and gave my time and effort to those needs. He moved me around this country from west to east and back and finally to retirement in East Texas.

But in between, I had the opportunity to see those who were in need of not just the Lord but in some cases, the basics to survive. On a trip to Eastern KY, I witnessed some extremely needy people. Some who knew Jesus and some who didn’t. The ones who knew Jesus were thankful for what they had and never complained and the ones who didn’t know Jesus gave us the opportunity to tell them and encourage them. A lot of these people in areas such as this have been forgotten. Big corporations come in and employ people for a few years and after the big corporation has made their money, they pull out leaving those people high and dry and in need. The needs I saw just for descent living conditions were awful and heartbreaking.

But the Lord had and has sent His people there on a permanent basis to help physically and spiritually as they can. Volunteers from churches in that part of the country come to help with repairs and ministry. They purchase the needed materials and make the repairs. Most stay for a week and accomplish a great deal of work both physically and spiritually in that time. I witnessed homes without water hook ups, electric or gas was not available, homes in need of much repair. I was only there for two days; my mission was to set things up for the team which would follow for a week-long stay. They would accomplish needed home repairs and ministry needs and the people there were more than receptive. They were happy to know someone cared about them and their needs.

But when you go into many churches, you will rarely hear about the needs of the people in that part of the country. You will always hear about the needs in African nations, Arab nations, the Dominican Republic and Haiti and other places around the world. I’m not saying those places don’t need to hear the gospel because they do. But there are places and areas in this country, the U.S., that also need to hear it. It’s just my opinion, but I think too many Christians and churches in this country believe that this is an established Christian nation and there is no need for domestic mission ministry. But here’s a cold hard item; other countries are sending missionaries to this country. Many refuse to belief that but they are here. Many Christians, not missionaries, have come here to be free of the oppression in their home countries. But when they attend churches here, they discover they are no where close to what they had at home. Then they return to their oppressed home just so they can worship in a church which is committed and serious about Jesus.

And then there are the local churches who do send people on domestic missions. They go to the reservations of Native Americans and repair buildings and dig ditches and never mention Jesus. That’s not a Christian missions, that free labor. These are vacations for youth groups with adult supervision. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells us to take His message to all the nations, but it starts first at home.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

It starts at home. That can mean in your own home, and it should, and also in the home area where you live. He told them to tell the people in Jerusalem, their home area, then Judea or maybe the state where you live. Then to Samaria, or the region or country and then to the world or foreign missions. But too many churches and Christians think they need to be sending missionaries to a foreign nation. Maybe it seems fashionable or just the thing to do because the church down the street does it and they can’t allow that church to make them look bad or lazy. I don’t know what the real reasons are and maybe I shouldn’t speculate. I do know that there is serious Christian work being done by American missionaries around the world. That’s not the issue. When a person gets saved and knows that he/she has been called to that ministry, then they should answer that call. But when churches drum up business, so to speak, by convincing in house Christians to make a mission trip because it is the thing to do, that’s wrong.

I have friends who served for fifteen years in foreign missions. The organization they were with provided needed medical services and the gospel. It’s how Jesus served people. Provide for their need and tell them about Jesus. There will always be a need for foreign missions and missionaries but not at the expense of the homeland needs. Evangelism is a dying ministry. I’m not referring to the guy who travels around from church to church preaching the gospel. I’m referring to the individual Christian telling his friends, family and co-workers about Jesus. I’m referring to outreach ministries in churches. They have service maybe one to three times a week but never take the gospel outside of the church to the community. These are domestic missions also.

The Church in this nation has become a mixture of entertainment, feel good lectures, health and wealth centers and non-Biblical sermonettes. Some are nothing more than a gathering to hear about the secular social problems in this country and how to fix them. The gospel is never heard and that’s the only real fix for those issues. Evangelism is taking its dying breathes and is in need of real gospel life support. And yes, there is a huge need for more domestic mission work and evangelism in the country. Stop the political talk and the bickering back and forth about it. Stop placing faith in the politician instead of Jesus. There is a serious need for a purging in the Church and it needs to start yesterday.

There are so many places in this nation which need to hear the gospel from the inner cities to the hollers in the Appalachians. Don’t forget about your own backyard while planning a mission to an international site. Listen to the calling the Lord has given you and don’t try to convince yourself it’s foreign missions when He wants you to stay home and do that work. There is a dire need for domestic missionaries.

-Bill Petite

Fear of the Dark?

 In this world we live in, there is a dark side and there is a side of light. Most Christians understand this and know what to expect from the dark side of this world. It consists of hate, antisemitism, evil activity, false faith movements such as cults, demented thinking, abortion and so many other evils. A Christian doesn’t have to look very far to see or even experience the dark side of this world. As a matter of fact, before we were saved, we were all living on the dark side in our sin. At that time, we didn’t even realize there was a dark side or that we were living in the dark.

But as John 1:4-5 tells us, Jesus brought light into the world and a light which the dark cannot overcome.

The Word gave life to everything that was created
    and his life brought light to everyone.

 The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Jesus is that light and He came to allow that light to shine into our lives. He came to bring salvation to us and has given us a way to escape the dark. For those of us who are saved, we look back, or should look back on occasion, and see the dark we lived in and thank Jesus for saving us out of that darkness. The light in the life of a Christian can never be put out. I know there is a teaching which says it can but when a Christian is truly saved, that salvation is eternal. Don’t be fooled into believing that lie. Jesus tells us in John 6:37-40,

 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

These are the words of Jesus and Jesus doesn’t lie. He is not in the business of repossessing salvation and a sinner who is truly saved cannot give it back nor would he/she ever want to. Jesus doesn’t bring anyone into the light and then change His mind and then send them back into the dark.

Sometimes the dark comes knocking at your door; I literally mean physically knocking at your door. This happens in the form of Jehovah’s Witness, Mormons or maybe some other cult. They live in a works-based salvation darkness. Simply put, the more doors they knock on and spread their lies, the more points they score on their way to heaven (their idea of heaven which is another lie). Now, that’s not exactly how it works but that’s in the ballpark of the works-based salvation system for them. So, how do you react when you are face to face with one of these cult members? It will almost always be at a time when you least expect it or are prepared for it. So, are you afraid to talk with them? Are you afraid you don’t know enough about them to talk to them? Maybe you’re afraid you don’t know the Bible well enough to counter their lies. Do you clam up and say nothing or maybe you sic the dog on them. This is the dark and are you afraid of the dark?

Maybe you’re at work and your co-workers are not saved and they are always talking trash or telling dirty stories and jokes or maybe they simply enjoy picking on the Christian. How do you respond? You have to realize you are right in the middle of the dark but how do you respond to the dark? Do you panic? Do you allow them to continue to mock you and Jesus? Are you afraid of the dark? You are right among the enemy and they are on the attack. They are shooting round after round at you or around you. How prepared are you to seek the help of the Holy Spirit in this battle? Or, are you not prepared at all? Of course, the first thing you do is pray and ask for help. If you are aware enough to simply do that, you already have an advantage. John 4:4 tells us this:

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 

It's like a person who is a bully. He/she thrives on controlling other’s emotions and fear. But when he is smacked in the mouth (metaphorically of course), he’s not in control any longer and the bully backs off and knows he/she has lost that control. It’s the same for the Christian who has a fear of the darkness of this world and those who are enslaved by the dark. If the Christian doesn’t pray and seek the Lord’s help, he or she will continue to be under the control of the dark until they ask for that help. Remember, the darkness cannot extinguish the light. Jesus is the light and He cannot be overcome by the darkness of this world. For the Christian, it should be automatic to seek the Lord immediately and get His help. I’m not talking about the big brother beating up the bully. I’m talking about the big brother teaching you how to fight those battles.

When I was in Vietnam, I saw some guys do some things without thinking when it came to responding to an attack or ambush. I witnessed a fellow Marine give his own life to take out a machine gun to save the rest of us. He didn’t stop to think for a second; he simply went on the offensive. I often wondered how he could have done that. Then I had one of those experiences one night. We were expecting to be hit, or attacked, and we were on 50% watch, two men on watch at all times, and sure enough, we got hit. There were three other Marines about fifteen yards behind us sleeping in a small makeshift tent of sorts and when those bullets started flying, I was out of the hole and running back to get these guys up and to the fighting position. I never stopped to realize what I was doing, I just did it.

It was later when everything was calmed down that I had time to think how I had put myself in danger to save those guys. I’m not telling this story for likes or pats on the back. It’s a good personal example of how we should react when the darkness of this world goes on the attack. We, as Christians, shouldn’t slip down into the foxhole and hope the enemy just goes away. We have God’s word as a weapon and the Holy Spirit leading us. What more do we need? Is the darkness of this world greater than the Holy Spirit? No, it is not.

 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.   John 14:1

I have only given a few verses in this writing from the Bible which should encourage those who might fear the dark. There are many more encouraging verses and passages that are also encouraging and should build your faith in God’s almighty power over the darkness of this world. And one day that darkness will be defeated for good. Jesus has already won the war at the cross. Satan’s biggest tool when it comes to fear is death. But Jesus defeated that when He rose from the tomb. Christians should never fear death. When a Christian dies physically and is removed from this life, he/she is immediately ushered into the presence of God. So, what is there to fear concerning death? The answer is nothing. We have everything to hope for at physical death and nothing to fear. Those who are still living in darkness have everything to fear concerning physical death. They are then facing eternal death and condemnation while severely suffering in hell. And yes, hell does exist. Jesus has much to say about hell in His word, the Bible.

So, as a Christian, are you afraid of the dark? You have no need to be since the Holy Spirit lives inside of you and He is more powerful than anything the dark can manifest or bring into your life. I realize that newer Christians might not have matured to this point yet but keep reading the word and keep praying. God will continue to grow you closer to Him and teach you how to lean on Him in the battles with the dark.

Will those who do evil never learn?
    They eat up my people like bread
    and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
Terror will grip them,
    for God is with those who obey him.

 The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
    but the Lord will protect his people.

Psalm 14:4-6

 

Bill Petite