Yesterday, my daughter showed me a text that she received with a YouTube video link predicting Jesus’ return on Saturday, September 19.

You didn't know that Jesus was coming back next weekend? Neither did I...

Predictions about the end of the world aren't anything new.

Just for a quick review, here’s what Jesus taught about events predicted into the future:

 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! -Mark 12:32-37

That phrase “Only the Father knows” should be self-explanatory. Unfortunately, our constant pursuit of the answers that only God knows reveals one very sad fact about us: We don't trust Him.

Our Fear and Pride Fuels False Teachers

Some of us fear what we don’t understand and so end-time events top our list of fears. Other Christians think that knowledge of supposedly secret details proves that they are more spiritual than the average saved-by-grace sinner. That's pride.

Enter false teachers.

We fail to recognize false teachers because either fear corrupts our discernment filters or our pride blinds us. Either way, we're vulnerable to be led astray. False teachers are like the ancient trojan horse. We invite them in because they seem like they are an answer to our prayers, but once we've opened our heart or mind to them, they fuel our fears or feed our spiritual egos. The kicker is that they string Christians along, keeping them co-dependent on their particular drug of revelation.

How can you identify a false teacher?  

1. Be wary of anyone who says that they’ve figured out what only God knows. (Isaiah 44:25, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

2. Be wary of complex explanations or phrases like "special prophetic revelation." Believers are warned to remember that human knowledge about God that sounds fancy is probably foolish. (1 Corinthians 3:18-23)

3. Be wary of anyone who tells you to share their message, not the gospel with others. They're appealing to your pride and your desire to save yourself from whatever will happen. Only Jesus saves. (John 14:6)

Why Doesn't God Give Us Specific Details About End Times Events?

As humans, we have a pretty solid track record in doing the opposite of what God tells us to do. For our sakes, God operates with us on a need to know basis and follows the "KISS" rule with His creation.

God keeps it simple with us because that's all we've proven that we can handle. Besides, He's aleady taken care of everything that we will need.

God wisely decided that He would only give us responsibility for the knowledge that He gives to us. “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

We don’t want to be responsible for everything that God knows. What if God has only given us only what we can handle? If so, then where does that leave us, especially in a world that seems to have fallen full-on into the looking glass?

Might I suggest a modified version of the KISS rule: "Keep In Savior & Scripture." We must keep our eyes on Jesus and know what the Bible says so that we won't be fooled by fear or our pride.

"KISS" Away Your Pride or Fear of the Future

The opposite of fear is peace. Peace isn’t knowing answers, it’s knowing Jesus. He is our peace.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT)

Jesus is your only peace. He overcame what we fear most, death. His sacrifice for us made a way for us to become a part of God's forever family. There's calm and peace in knowing that no matter what happens, God's got us.

To be clear, Jesus isn’t asking us to deny that life is hard and that we’re exhausted by the sin and wickedness in our world. Afterall, he died because of the sin and wickedness that our world loves. The question is whether or not you believe that Jesus’ peace is enough for you or do you believe that someone's special prophetic revelation can give you peace?

 Here’s a few practical ways that I "Keep In Savior & Scripture":

1. I’m careful who I read or watch. Curiosity didn’t just kill the cat, it can also confuse. When you go looking for answers about God outside of God, that's never going to lead you back to Him - and the whole jourey will lead to more fear for you.
2. I choose to be comfortable with uncertainty. I trust that if God knows the answers, then I don’t have to be anxious about what I don’t know. God will protect and provide for me, even if I don't know the answers.
3. I memorize God’s promises to fill my heart with peace and it's also how the Holy Spirit protects me against false teachers, fear and helps me identify lies. Here's a video where I teach my God-Morning Technique and other scripture-based fear-fighting techniques.
4. Finally, I live with purpose. Here’s what a pastor named Paul taught about how to beleivers should use our time while waiting for Jesus to return:

Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.   -1 Thessalonians 5:10-11

Paul’s teaching in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 and encourage each other. Stop searching the sky or spending hours on the internet looking for clues Spend your time loving and serving others. In Jesus’ final message before he went to the cross, he taught that our love will be a testimony to the world that we are his disciples.

When we fill our days with living for God and encouraging others, we won’t have time to waste looking for the answers that only God knows. And we’ll sleep better at night, too.

COMMENT: How do you feel about what’s happening in our world these days? What are the questions that you’re wrestling with?

This post was written for Christians, but in case you’re still trying to figure out your spiritual journey, one of the common questions that people about life after death or how to get right with God. If that’s you, click here and check out on of my favorite pastors – and he teaches all about the gospel.

In these uncertain times that we're living in, we don't have to succumb to fear, doubt and worry. We can still have hope!

On this episode of Better Together Facebook Live, host Barb Roose talks with Melissa Spoelstra, about how praying the names of God can truly bring hope and comfort in the midst of uncertainty!

Names Of God Mentioned In This Episode:

1. El Roi: The God Who Sees

Even when it may feel like God is slow to fulfill His promises to us, Melissa reminds us that God sees, knows and cares about what we are going through. You can read more about this name of God in the story of Hagar from Genesis 16.

2. God our Comforter

During these uncertain times, many of us are in need of some comfort. The Bible reminds us that God is our comforter and will be with us, even in the hardest of times.

3. El Shaddai: All Sufficient One

Just like a nursing child is dependent on their mother for nourishment, Melissa reminds us that God is the one who satisfies us. She has found Him to be present in the dark nights of her soul and He will be in yours as well.

4. Yahweh Sabaoth: The Lord of Heaven's Armies

This name of God is first used in the story of Hannah when her sister, Penninah, was mocking her for not being able to have children. The name Yahweh Sabaoth reminds us that God fights for and protects us.

Practical Next Steps:

When life gets overwhelming, take some time to remember who God is by rehearsing His names. Go through the alphabet, calling out a name of God to coorespond with each letter. If you struggle when you get to "z", Melissa says to just go for "zebra maker"!

About Our Guest Melissa Spoelstra...Melissa Spoelstra is first and foremost a Christ-follower who is madly in love with Jesus and addicted to the study of His Word. She is passionate about knowing Christ and inspiring other women to seek Him, and has written 7 women's Bible studies including her most recent, Names of God. Melissa's desire is to follow God through every door He opens and prays that all glory in her endeavors is His alone.

Links from today's episode:

Check out Melissa online:

http://melissaspoelstra.com/

Names of God Bible Study

https://www.cokesbury.com/The-Names-of-God-Women%27s-Bible-Study-Participant-Workbook

Better Together host Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author with a passion to help women live beautifully strong and courageous in Jesus' name. She's the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Visit Barb's online home at barbroose.com.

Alright friends, it's time to laugh!

On this episode of Better Together Facebook Live, host Barb Roose talks with Rhonda Corey, about why we need to find the funny in unfunny times.

Big Ideas from Today's Show

1. Shift your thinking

2020 has thrown us all for a loop, but that doesn't mean we have to stay stuck! Rhonda reminds us of the importance of shifting our thinking from what we cannot do to what we CAN do now!

2. Remember to laugh 

God created humor! Whether it's looking at memes that make you smile or calling a dear friend, don't forget to take the time to slow down and enjoy some laughter.

3. Spend time in God's creation

In this time where we are all staying inside, Rhonda encourages us to switch things up and spend time marveling in God's creation. It's a great way to  connect with God during this stay-at-home season.

About Our Guest Rhonda Corey...Rhonda Corey is an award winning comedian who has performed on stages from Rhode Island to California. She is the creator of "Out of The Blue Comedy", a 100% clean comedy show, co-founder of Take Two Ministries and producer and host of the new live stream sensation, "Talk is Cheap". In 2018 she won the "Clean Comedy Challenge" a national competition that was held in Chicago. She can be seen at conferences, clubs, churches, corporate events and the sales rack at Macy's.

Links from today's episode:

Rhonda Corey Comedy: http://www.rhondacoreycomedy.com/

Watch Rhonda's show "Talk is Cheap": 

https://www.facebook.com/rhondacoreycomedy

Better Together host Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author with a passion to help women live beautifully strong and courageous in Jesus' name. She's the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Visit Barb's online home at barbroose.com.

I created this post so that I could have a place to come back to to read and listen to Dr. King's message for myself - and I pray that his words create a meaningful moment for you and your family today.

In our world of short-attention span and sound bits, I'd venture to guess that most people have never read or heard his entire speech. I wonder how many schools cover this as one of most historic speeches in U.S. history? Generally, people recognize the later, more lively part of Dr. King's speech, particularly, "FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST, THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, WE'RE FREE AT LAST!"

Those words thrill our hearts and give us hope. What we forget is that Dr. King's empassioned end was a dream, not a reality. Those final words hinge on the previous, profound - and I don't use the following word lightly - prophectic observations that Dr. King made about our country.

A menagerie of messy emotions ping-ponged around as I read the transcript of his entire speech. My heart hurt, my eyes watered and my soul ached. Other than the use of the word "negro," Dr. King's speech would ring true today.

As a black woman living in America, I share Dr. King's dream. I haven't lost hope, but my heart is hurting. Tonight, Dr. King's speech reminded me that blood, sweat and tears are required when we're fighting for something worthwhile.

If you'd like to read King's entire speech, I recreated it in these slides. A few things before you start:

1. Dr. King addresses both black people AND white people in this talk. Don't undermine what you can learn by focusing on what the other side should be doing.

2. The slides are in order, begin with the slide that has "barbroose.com/graceproject" on the bottom right corner. That's Slide #1. Advance the slides by clicking the arrow to right.

3. Would you rather watch? I've inserted a video below that you can listen to. Perhaps, you can watch with your family and discuss it.

4. Share this post. Allow Dr. King's words to be a voice for hope for black people, other people of color and everyone fighting for justice with them. If that's you, thank you.

SHARE YOUR COMMENT: What part of Dr. King's speech inspires you the most?

I remember the day when I knew that I had to stop paying the mortgage.

During our family’s decade long addiction crisis, my goal was to keep my family together at all costs, keep up appearances and protect everything we loved -  even our credit rating. Doggone it, that mortgage was paid on time every single month for 18 years and I didn’t want to mess that up!

Addictions are uncontrollable, but that didn't stop me from waking up each day with a plan to keep it from controlling our family's future. I worked multiple jobs, played the financial shell game and spent hours stressfully trying to save someone who didn't want to save himself.

The result: I was falling apart more than I thought that I was keeping everything together. But I held onto the belief that it was up to me to keep it all together.

Speaking of I’s…most of my thoughts began with a self-righteous I.

I was the responsible one.

I was making all of the sacrifices.

I was the one working two jobs to keep things going.

I wasn’t the one with the addiction.

Lurking behind the door of my self-righteousness facade lived a lot of fear.

I feared falling apart - and then everyone would know that I couldn't keep my family together. I feared disappointing God - maybe I wasn't praying hard enough (which is wrong-thinking!)

The weight of an uncontrollable addiction's impact on my life pressed on my soul. I staggered through each day believing that it I could carry the weight, then one day everything would change.

Sure, I prayed. But, I thought that if God hadn't changed anything, then maybe He was okay with me carrying the weight.

Now, I look back and I can see that God was waiting for me to realize that problem weighed far too too much for me to carry...

Here’s what I wrote my Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus Study:

“…we often spend a lot of mental energy trying to stay in whatever fight is most important to us – the fight for financial security, our marriage, our child’s survival, our jobs or our faith. However, fighting in a situation that you can’t change, control, or conquer will wear you down and eventually wear you out. At a certain point, we’ll choose one of two responses. Here are the first two:

1. Giving up is losing hope.
2. Giving in is caving to anther’s agenda.

However, there is a third option: Letting go.

Letting Go isn’t trying to fix or force a solution but living by faith that God will do what is best.”

Recently, I saw a social media post from a well-known Christian author who wrote that letting go is an awful Christian cliché that we really need to stop saying. Her rationale was that saying “Let go and let go” was simplistic when we’re suffering. She argued that the cliché phrase doesn't capture the heart of Christ.

I disagree. There’s nothing simplistic about letting go, or surrender. In my recovery group, one of the slogans is "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." It IS painful to feel the consequences of what we can't control. Yet, suffering is worse. Suffering, however, is the mental anguish that we put ourselves through. Letting go and giving our people and problems over to God frees us from our suffering. 

We suffer because we say things to ourselves like "If we hold on long enough or work hard enough, we can fix this" or "I pray long enough, then God will answer my prayer like I hoped."  While we wait, we wake up weighted down each day by our expectations. Just because you hold on doesn’t mean that you can fix that person that you live or that problem that you’re afraid will wreck your life.

Letting go recognizes that we can’t, but God can – and we choose trust whatever He does – or doesn’t do. That’s hard! Like my friend said, “I pray and want to trust God, but in the back of my mind I wonder if He might end up giving me a whammy instead of a blessing.”

Letting go isn’t easy. But, it’s so worth it. Especially when the weight is too much.

This is why I had to stop paying the mortgage. I had to stop filling in all of the spaces and gaps of trying to fix a bigger problem in our family. It wasn't about the mortgage. The mortage was just one of the ways that I convinced myself that all of my efforts were getting things under control. Unfortunately, all of my worst fears came true.

BUT…

While there was a lot of pain, God’s promises and mercy settled like a thick blanket of peace. God saved me from my suffering.

When I stopped trying to fix people and force solutions, I had more time to focus on God. Guess what? When I stopped trying to fix and do all of the things, I could see where God was working.

As Tim Keller said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”

When I surrendered, God showed me how He solves problems. God is a much better people and problem solver more than me.

Now, what about you?

Do you need to let go of a problem or person – even if you don’t want to? Here’s three questions to consider:

• Are you tired of trying to fix problems that aren’t in your control?
• Are you tired of trying to help people who don’t want to do what’s healthy or helpful for themselves?
• Are you tired of playing God?

Dear God, there are situations in my life that I cannot handle – like this pandemic. I am grateful that you can. I’m giving the following situations to you _________________________ . Thank you for taking care of me and what I cannot control. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: What are you holding onto that you need to let go of? What's hard about letting go for you?

FREE GIFT: Click here to download my free Letting Go Loop worksheet.

COMING THIS SEPTEMBER!

My new Surrendered: 40 Days to Help You Let Go and Live Like Jesus releases! This uplifting devotional book covers your hardest "letting go" topics with personal stories, biblical principles, practical next steps and prayer. You can pre-order NOW for $9.99 through my publisher - that's exciting!