After a couple of nights in Da Nang, our host and his high-school friend drove us north 5 hours to their hometown of Dong Hoi. Our first stop was Hué, a former capital of Vietnam and a residence of the last imperial emperors. We had a nice walking tour of the palace and grounds before heading north again to the 17th parallel which became the dividing line between north and south Vietnam after the French were expelled in 1954.
We stopped there to look at the site, the war memorial, and the walking bridge across the river that was the border—the DMZ, established by the Geneva Accords. It divided the country for two decades. It was somber to think about the devastation and loss of life caused by the war. Estimates are 2-3 million Vietnamese lives lost and 60 thousand American lives lost. It seemed very surreal to stand on the spot fifty years later with normalized relations between the two countries, and ponder what the feelings might be in different parts of both countries and different generations.
From there we continued an hour north to our friend’s parents home, a hundred yards from the beach of the South China Sea. Dong Hoi is very modern. It looked surprisingly like the building going on in Northwest Arkansas. Apparently the government and private investors are promoting it as a tourist destination, and also a nice location for the urban population of Hanoi to get away to the beach for rest and relaxing a reasonable distance away. It boasts white sand beaches and fresh seafood aplenty.
Dr. Le showed us the city and some of his favorite spots. The following day, his dad drove us an hour away to a beautiful, green river with high limestone mountains all around. It was the world-famous UNESCO caves of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. There were boat tours to a large cave that can be explored and experienced by boat, and also by walking. It was a peaceful, refreshing adventure, as well as, extraordinarily beautiful. In the afternoon we climbed 1000 steps to an amazing view of the river and mountains around Dong Hoi as they encompassed a large lake and bordered the sea shore—breath taking.
Day three we said good bye to Dr. Le’s parents who had extended the most gracious hospitality, and drove to the airport directly behind their home for our flight to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City. There we were to meet our medical mission team from the USA the next day.
It was a beautiful, smooth two-hour flight south. We collected our baggage, called a Grab (Asian Uber), and arrived at our hotel in time to take a walk in the neighborhood before dinner. After a relaxing, delicious dinner, we summoned another Grab, and rode downtown to one of the first sky scrappers in Vietnam. The Saigon Skydeck is a 360º observation deck on the 48th floor, and we thought it would be something beautiful to do, to get to know the city better, before turning in for the night. It exceeded our expectations.
I was recently invited by a young Vietnamese dentist to visit Vietnam, where he was born and grew up, along with an American dentist who is a friend of mine. My friend mentored the young Vietnamese dentist, and ended up selling him his practice. Both are believers and were to be a part of a medical and dental mission team to the Central Highlands of Vietnam. So this particular opportunity for travel and adventure had two parts. First, the opportunity to visit a unique and fascinating country, and see it through the eyes of a local who speaks the language. Secondly, to be a part of a team of faith-motivated people who want to serve local churches, pastors, and their flocks by providing some much-needed medical and dental attention.
This two-week trip may merit several blogs. I’m still processing what I experienced there. But I’ll begin with the tourist part of the trip by describing some of the things we saw and did and came to know about Vietnam.
I love history, the study of kingdoms, leaders, and the political science of different types of governments as described in the Bible and history. But I’ll confess that since I’m not too much into current events these days, and I purposely stay away from mainstream media for the peace it affords, I was in the dark about what has happened in Vietnam during the last few decades. In my mind, it was still a war-torn nation recovering from the Vietnam war that ended in 1975, 50 years ago. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In preparation for the trip, I went to the local library and checked out a Lonely Planet tourist guide for Vietnam, and discovered the following facts:
[1] Vietnam is open to tourism and hosted 22 million visitors in 2025. [2] Vietnam has a population of a 102 million people. [3] It’s a long, skinny country, 1000 miles north to south, with a long, beautiful south-Pacific coast line. [4] Vietnam is composed of 54 different ethnic groups. [5] Vietnam is the world’s leading exporter of cashews and the second leading exporter of coffee, after Brazil. [6] Vietnam’s population is young and vibrant with 70% of it below the age of 35. [7] The street food is delicious, safe, and inexpensive. There are a large number of tech startups in Da Nang, an other urban centers. [8] Hanoi (pop. 8 million) established 1010 AD is the cultural heart of the country, while Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) (pop. 13 million) is the economic heart and engine of the country. The country is about 38% urban and 62% rural. [9] Modern Vietnam is heavily influenced by 1000 years of Chinese occupation, 100 years of French occupation, and a 25 year civil war between the northern part of the country desiring communist rulership allied with the former Soviet Union, and the southern part of the country wanting a democratic-republic government, allied with the United States. Diplomatic normalization between the US and Vietnam occurred in 1995. [10] Vietnam ranks 34th in the world by GDP, and 23rd by purchasing power parity—its economy in a steady climb since it embraced private ownership of property and encouraged free trade, inviting international investors. There are many billionaires along with large numbers of poor.
Spiritually speaking, Vietnam is reportedly 13% Buddhist, 6% Catholic, 1% Protestant, with 73% reporting as non religious—practicing folk traditions including ancestor worship. The spiritual landscape will be the subject of subsequent blogs as I process my experiences and reference my journal.
We spent time in Da Nang, visiting the beach, driving about the city over the amazing Dragon Bridge, and visited nearby Ba Na Hills for the views, the architecture, and to experience the iconic Golden Bridge held by giant hands. The French discovered the area in 1901 and built a French village in the mountains to enjoy the cool air, and to escape the heat of the coastal jungles. Today it has become an exhibition of where East meets West, and a Disney World-type venture that is remarkable to behold.
We also visited Hoi An about 30 miles south of Da Nang called The Lantern City because the ancient town glows with thousands of colorful silk lanterns every night. It’s a UNESCO site. No cars are allowed in the old town. There’s a river where folks release floating lanterns—super romantic at night. It’s been a trading port along Vietnam’s coast since the 1500s, and has special historical ties with Japan.
As an airline pilot I had many opportunities to travel as a tourist for short stints. But whenever afforded the opportunity to visit a country and culture and see it through the eyes of a local person, who speaks the language, and wants to show you their favorite places—that’s special! We had plenty of unhurried time to dine, sit for coffee, and talk about life, family, history, culture, and beliefs. That’s sort of what short-term mission trips are like too—guided by a friendly local into their world. I’ve been on more than twenty such adventures. Each one is special in its own right. This one certainly was special!
May 14th mark’s Israel’s Independence Day. On that day in 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the modern state of Israel in Tel Aviv, just as the British mandate over Palestine ended. It was the rebirth of the Jewish state after 2000 years. This is unique in history. No other nation has been without a state to call its own for 2000 years and maintained its language, religion, and culture, then returning to it’s native land.
The next day it was attacked by Arab neighboring states, but survived and thrived, as it has, to this day. There have been a few other major wars during this present history, with Israel being attacked each time, but victorious each time and gaining a bit more of thier land back each time.
There is really only one plasible explanation — the Bible and the God of the Bible, who gave the land to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants forever, and has caused it to be so. Shalom, Israel. May all who love you enjoy peace.
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“Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” (Exodus 32:13 NIV)
“I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.” (Leviticus 26:42)
“Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return.” (Zechariah 10:9)
“Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.” (Isaiah 66:8)
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure.'” (Psalm 122:6)
That’s the name of a new book written by one of the busiest men in America. It’s about the ancient practice and biblical command to observe the Sabbath. The ancient Hebrew word, Shabbat, which translated into English as Sabbath means literally, “stop” (your labor, and rest).
Has it ever occurred to you that the Sabbath was first observed by God Himself, at creation? He rested Himself after six days of creating, not because He was tired, but because He was finished. He then blessed the Sabbath, the seventh day, a mystical act that held some importance to all humans who would inhabit His earth.
This was millennia before the Law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and that additional-Mt Sinai-insight into the Sabbath was given millennia ago. This mystical Sabbath celebration is ancient and enduring. Why do you think we might be so blind to it? Is it possibly important to our lives today? Might observing it be a lens to finding our way out of spiritual darkness in our day and culture?
Have you ever wondered why Christians pause for worship and rest on Sunday instead of Saturday? Have you ever wondered why Sabbath is so important and central to Judaism and the Jewish people? Its ancient and constant practice prompted one famous Jewish thinker, Ahad Ha’am, to say: “More than Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.”
Have you ever wondered or read what the early church fathers said about the Sabbath? Men like Ignatius and Augustine? Or more recent church fathers like Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and Pink?
I have some wonderful news. All those questions and more are answered in a concise and beautiful manner in a recent (2026) book. It’s a fascinating read, geared to the modern reader. Charlie Kirk may have been even a better writer than speaker, famous for thinking on his feet in college debates.
The real genius of a person shows itself in brevity, simplicity, and the concise sharing of complex information and ideas. Charlie Kirk hit a bull’s-eye here and it’s one worthy of hitting. I recommend it to you wholeheartedly, even before I’ve had time to process it all. I finished it yesterday and I’m still in shock about the possible power and importance of what I read. You’ll be informed, blessed, and challenged to think about it too.
It wasn’t the nails that held Jesus on the cross, it was the joy set before Him. It was the thought of His soon-coming resurrection, and the joy that would entail for us, the family of God, His bride, from the time we believe throughout an eternity with Him. He even told His twelve disciples with a grin on His face and in His heart, “I’m going to die, but I’ll rise in three days, and meet you in the Galilee.” But they didn’t get it. They couldn’t see it. He did.
He didn’t defend Himself before Pilate or the High Priest. He simply told the truth, and went resolutely to the place of the scull as hundreds of passover lambs were being led up, bleating in His hearing, to the Temple Mount on preparation day, April 3, 33 AD. He knew the pain and suffering would be great, as was the humiliation, and now he was feeling the full weight of it, quietly.
He knew He could have stopped this injustice in the Garden the night before when He was arrested and betrayed, and He could stop it now. I suppose He was still thinking of obedience to His Father, and of the Joy set before Him.
He heard of Barbarbas, a convicted murderer going free while He Himself died in his place. He granted salvation and eternal life to criminal dying beside Him. Then shortly thereafter, He summoned what air He could in His collapsing lungs and told His Father in a quiet prayer that He was finished, and sending His spirit back to the Father from where it came.
Earthquake
God the Father wasn’t finished honoring and testifying about His Son. It was about three in the afternoon, and dark for some reason. Then at the moment of Jesus quiet prayer and expiration on the cross, there was a violent earthquake. These manifestations of supernatural power, and revelation from the Spirit of God, caused Jesus’ executioner, a gentile Roman centurion, to come into the family of God confessing the truth of the matter to all who could hear, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
This evening, about 250 people filled the space where our community of believers worship together on Sundays. We were a bit late and it was dark in the room except for the stage when we entered. As our eyes grew accustomed to the dim lighting of the seating area, we could see almost all the seats were taken. There were children, youth, college students, young adults, and older adults — generations, worshiping, singing songs, reciting Scriptures, and remembering what happend on that Friday in Jerusalem on this very date. On a Friday night in the USA in 2026 we experienced this. That was 1993 years ago, almost two millennia, and people still remember, reverence, and revere “the Lamb that was slain” and raised from the dead for all who believe. It would be a joy to know how many were celebrating this day around the globe. Someday we will, in His presence, and experience even more of the Joy set before Him.
His name be praised. Amen.
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“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)
“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
I awakened this morning with the war in Iran on my mind, and the Lord’s decision to remove an evil entity from the Earth, in whole or in part. I felt like I should blog about it. It’s almost as much about words as bombs seemingly, in the world’s media. But what aspect of the complex but simple issue would the Spirit have me communicate, if any? I tried to communicate about it simply in the midst of “Rising Lion,” saying a simple way to see the correct side of the conflict, God’s side in the conflict, is, “Love Israel, and hate violence.” Or, “Love what God loves, and hate what God hates.”
Operation “Just Cause”
I’m somewhat conflicted in writing about the war. The Lord tells us to seek to live quiet and peaceful lives and work with our hands. The Scripture also tells us that Jesus, with spiritual warfare often swirling around him, simply “Went about doing good.” He stayed connected to His Father by early morning prayer in solitude and in nature. That’s what God wants for us, and of us, in our day of devices, distractions, speed, and screens. So we can live our best lives now in healthy relational, emotional, and spiritual ways. Those are the realms of the soul. We must care for our souls with intentional focus, actions, and habits. That’s the main thrust of my most recent book, God Stays Near.
It’s for these reasons I unplugged from TV news years ago and never looked back. It’s one of the best things I ever did for my soul and my relationship with God and others, as well as, enjoying life.
But this regional war waged against Israel for several years has erupted into a war with Iran. That has captured my attention for a number of reasons. I’m a former fighter pilot (F-4 & F-16), and the air-war tactics and execution naturally interests me. Anything to do with Israel on the world scene interests me from a prophecy standpoint, and because God’s faithfulness to the nation in preserving it and fighting against her enemies is a historical and biblical lesson on God’s faithfulness. This attribute of God is of the utmost importance to Israel, but also to the whole household of faith—Christ’s followers who enjoy the same promises, protection, presence, and provision from the same God.
To those who read the Bible often, the war makes perfect sense. It fits with how God has dealt with nations from ancient times to the present. That’s why I named this war “Just Cause.” I also like the fitting names Israel gave to “Rising Lion,” and to the present operation “Roaring Lion.” The US operation name “Epic Fury” also is fitting and descriptive. Yet behind it all is the God who rules and reigns over nations, and by his grace keeps us from destroying ourselves. He does so as he executes His judgments and justice, according to His Word, the Bible, and His plan stated in the same.
Purim 2026
This war kicked off during Purim. So it could be called the “Purim War.” Read the book of Esther in the Bible to gain a historical perspective of a war against the Jews in ancient Iran (Persia) circa 474 BC. You will see where and how the Jewish feast of Purim originates, celebrating the faithfulness of God through the millennia.
I find myself wondering how much Americans know about the ancient origins of the conflict and the modern landscape of nations and players in this struggle. I asked two older navy vets at my barbershop recently. They replied in similar fashion, “Well, we can’t let Iran get a nuclear weapon.”That’s true and probably the very biggest reason for the war.
Then I asked a young mother of three from our church. She replied, “I don’t really know what started it, the issues, or what’s going on.” I told her I wasn’t sure she needed to know those things. She’s caring for small children, her family, and holding down a job. Those things required all of her attention and that’s fine. I told her I’d send her a text highlighting the main points in case she wanted to know, and she said she’d love that.
Issues of the Purim War
Taylor, “It’s a just and needed war to dethrone a violent and evil regime wanting to destroy Israel as their main goal, and an active enemy of the United States. They were about to have a nuclear weapon, and certainly they have the will to use it. The regime is a cancer that needs be removed from the earth. They’ve been responsible for over a thousand US deaths in the past 50 years.
They continue to launch missiles and drones at civilians in Israel and their neighboring Arab states while the USA and Israel only target military targets and military infrastructure. It’s the 10th day of the war. The Lord has given the just-cause forces unusual, even supernatural, success. Hopefully the Iranian people will seize the opportunity to rid themselves of the evil regime and take back their country soon.
There is an underground church in Iran of maybe a million people. Pray in the midst of this Arab/Muslim war in the region, hearts will open to the Gospel of Jesus. And that God will have mercy on innocents and peace lovers as He brings justice on the violent murderers of this regime. That’s a thumbnail summary, and it’s certainly helpful to know which is the right side, and more important to be on the right side of such a war. I hope this helps with perspective and for prayer purposes.”
“…Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11 NASB1995)
“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’” (Genesis 12:1-3)
“Then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land.” (Lev 26:42)
“O Lord, You showed favor to Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob.” (Psalm 85:1)
I just finished reading Undaunted Courage by Stephen E Ambrose. Wow! What an interesting book for those curious about American history in the early 1800s! And what a stellar biography of one of the most interesting people of all times, Meriwether Lewis. His story now rests with two others as the best three survival, adventure, and discovery stories of all time for me. The others are Endurance about the Antarctic discovery voyage of Earnest Shackleton and Wager with the Windabout an early Alaska bush pilot, Don Sheldon.
Reading good books is such a healthy exercise for our minds and hearts — our souls. It gets us away from the shallow exercise of scrolling on our devices and into deep thought in a quiet place that’s focused, yet enlarged for imagination, thinking and pondering the meaning of life and the better parts of it, instead of just devouring information and mindless entertainment.
Reading is a spiritual discipline or habit for the enjoyment and development of our souls. It involves solitude and humility. Solitude and silence are almost lost and badly needed in our day for healthy souls to connect with themselves, others, and the spiritual realm. Reading involves humility because you must stop and humble yourself to listen to someone else share their thoughts or stories.
I just finished a season where I read three books. Let me recommend them to you and tell you a little about each. Each was mind-expanding and enriching in its own way. All bought joy, peace, and expanded my horizons as I journeyed with the authors.
Undaunted Courage
I attended a high school with a good curriculum and felt like I had a better than average introduction to American history. I graduated from a university with a minor in history. But when I read this book, I felt like I was reading or learning about this period of history for the first time, and it fascinated me.
Ambrose is obviously a scholar and a good storyteller. But the way he relied on Lewis’ and Clark’s journals and their eyewitness accounts of the Indians they encountered and the descriptions of the terrain and weather conditions on their historic trek, made it a page turner for me. Also the political and relational elements of their lives and times were fascinating. Lewis’ best and closest friends were William Clark and Thomas Jefferson. I’ll share a few highlights at the end of this blog to see if it catches your whimsy.
Catching Whimsy
Speaking of Catching Whimsy, that’s the name of the second book I’ll recommend to you. It’s actually a “365 Days of of Possibility” devotional book of sorts by lawyer and best selling author Bob Goff. His short readings and stories each day will take your mind and heart to some interesting and worthwhile places, making a difference in your day, your outlook, and your life.
7 More Men
An easy-read collection of seven short biographies, 7 More Men, by Eric Metaxas will take your mind away to what’s possible in human history with the stories of ordinary people with flaws and rough starts who became history changers and added to our stories and lives on the planet. It’s inspirational, educational, and will lift your mind and heart out of the mundane and into the free realm of the soul.
Take courage, and read! Then take courage and live a more rewarding life of love and adventure following your dreams, being lifted and perhaps standing, on the shoulders of those who have gone before.
Undaunted Courage—Quips & Quotes & Thoughts
From my journal on February 11, 2026: “Spending the morning in glorious silence and solitude, reading of the Lewis and Clark adventure. Synchronicities abound in God’s helping the USA as a nation to progress. Also in my personal, spiritual, and natural journey I identify with Lewis in many ways–ways you can only understand if you’ve walked some of those paths of resilience and courage. I’ve ridden horses, explored in remote mountains, canoed with friends in ten heavily loaded canoes on a flooding river, and served in the military.
“Let me be clear, I do not consider myself in the same league or conversation with Meriwether Lewis for toughness, courage, or intellect. But I can see his greatness and genius and faith from where I stand, and his spiritual journey and circumstances, maybe even more clearly than he did.
“That’s an interesting thought! But such is the nature of revelation and spiritual sight. It seems to be a meeting of the minds, and a spiritual synchronicity for me what Lewis recorded August 18, 1805, on his 31st birthday.
“As I and my friends contemplate the brevity of life and the limited time we have left, what shall be our purpose and course in the days ahead? Our characters are mostly formed with the truth we believe, and our thoughts are solidified. But our strength and minds are waining, so it seems a good and timely question to ask. It should be asked all along life’s way.
“It seemed poignant to Meriwether Lewis on his 31st birthday, at a time he felt his mission was most in doubt, but also feeling the hand of Providence in the good favor experienced with the Shoshone tribe, Sacagawea there to interpret, and she being discovered to be the chief’s sister, with 3000 miles of amazing, incredible, adventure, and protection behind them. Meriwether Lewis writes, “This day I completed my 31st year… I reflected that I had as yet done but very little indeed, to further the happiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation… In the future, I purpose to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself.”
“I know he was a son of the Enlightenment and of that generation. But these are major themes of Solomon, philosophers, poets, and thinkers throughout time. There seems to be a strain of “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “He has set eternity in their hearts” in his words, along with faith in God or destiny and the willingness to sacrifice his all for something greater.
“I really found myself loving Meriwether Lewis, and hope to see him in heaven. I found myself wondering if he was a Christian. It even occurred to me to ask that question to Grok, my favorite AI engine. The results revealed some churches he might have attended and the beliefs of some people in his life, but it was inconclusive. Besides religious people try to put people in religious boxes so they can evaluate them, compare themselves with them, and maybe control them. So I decided to look at his character and actions. Jesus said, “By their fruit you shall know them.”
“I looked at how he viewed and treated the Indians, his own men, and how they viewed him. He was honest, kind, fair and very much respected by all. I also looked at his loyalty to his friends William Clark and Thomas Jefferson. He had a respect for authority and practiced obedience to the same. He showed a familiarity with Scripture by some of the things he said, and recorded in his journal. On the Pacific coast, for instance, he spoke of, “Eating the whale instead of the whale eating them,”a reference to the book of Jonah.
“He was complex. We all are, or can be. But based on the points I’ve mentioned and others from his diary and actions. I believe him to be a man of faith, even though it wasn’t his common confession, and even though his life didn’t end well. He loved his mother, his siblings, and his friends. He didn’t often take into account a wrong suffered. He was a man under authority. He lived in amazing times and accomplished amazing feats — almost unthinkable, and unfathomable to moderns.
“And there were many synchronicities which indicate to me divine intervention on behalf of him and the Corps of Discovery, 31 men and a woman over 28 months and 8000 miles of wilderness adventure on a par with any mission of discovery before or since. It’s interesting to consider what God did for them and what he was doing among the nations to bring about his plan. It’s amazing to view the history of the United States and all nations through that lens —the lens of Scripture, given by the God of Creation.
“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” (Isaiah 46:9-10)
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)
“For the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants.” (Leviticus 18:25)
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Another book selection from the fiction catagory that’s a really good read about kindness and goodness that’s recently burst on the scene and wildly popular is Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Also a reasonably good book about soul care and spiritual habits is God Stays Near by Yours Truly.
Unbelizable! Belize It or Not? Those were titles I considered for this short report on the fantastic spiritual adventure I just completed with six friends from Northwest Arkansas, January 3-9, 2026.
Unbelizable! Because of the ways we experienced God, the people we came to know, and the sights we saw.
Belize It or Not? Because initially there where just two college women and myself signed up for the trip, and I didn’t think we should go. But our mission leadership said, “Go for it!” And the two ministries we were going to serve said, “Come anyway. It will keep our relationship growing and God will use it.” Well, we’re back home now, in a snow storm with temperatures in the teens for a week, still processing what happened there. We became a team of seven, and God did all those things, “…Above all we could ask or think” (Eph 3:20).
Background
Our church community is an average size, and fairly young, but very mission minded. They envisioned and promoted this short term mission adventure to Belize in Central America. The thought was that not everyone can muster the time and financial resources necessary to go on our longer mission trips such as Malaysia and Uganda. Therefore we should provide opportunities for Harvest Community Church members who have it in their hearts to participate in the great commission by going to other nations and sharing the gospel and making disciples in a shorter and more accessible timeframe and place.
Let’s Go!
I co-led this adventure with a young couple, Colt & Taylor, from our church and community group. I’ve been on 20+ short term mission trips since my first to Burkina Faso, Africa, in 2002. But I’m encouraging the next generation to go and learn to lead them. I tell them often, “All you need is someone you know, and some place to go.” “The Holy Spirit will be with you to lead and guide and do the things He does.”
Our young team got it! We so bonded with the young pastor and his wife with their two young daughters and their community in Bella Vista, Belize, that we hated to leave and tell them good bye. The feeling was mutual and we all felt a loving, spiritual, and family bond that’s impossible to forge in three days, unless the Holy Spirit is working, or the wind is blowing among His people (John 3:8). I wrote a several-page, after-action report for our elders and leaders, but there isn’t space for that here. I only want to report that we went, and you should consider going yourself.
I’m giving a thumbnail sketch of our trip, along with some photos, and I’ll let those do the talking. Normally one wouldn’t visit two places on a short adventure like this. But we were led to do so from an earlier scouting trip to Belize in April 2025. I had made five trips to Belize with our church in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but that was more than a decade ago. So we were asking the Spirit to lead us to ministries we could support and people we could trust to allow our short term groups to do kingdom work there in the future.
Our first three days were in service to a small, growing, multigenerational church in southern Belize with lots of kids. Our second three days we served the discipleship ministry of a young couple from Northwest Arkansas, who intend to disciple Belizeans to disciple future generations of Belizeans. We were welcomed into their lives and saw the places they minister and their vision for a campus on the outskirts of the capital, Belmopan, high on a jungle mountain top. We ministered in area high schools, and were connected serendipitously with the East Texas Baptist University track team which was staying at the same camp where we lodged and had our meals.
There were so many opportunities for prayer, ministry, interactions, and friendship that we will be processing what happened for a long time with a sense of mystery, wonder, and joy.
During our ministry time, we visited the beach at Placencia to buy paint, for a brief swim, and to admire the beauty of Belize. We also visited a Mayan ruin near the Guatemala border, and ate some of the world’s best ice cream at a dairy owned by Mennonites, who produce most of Belize’s food in the community of Spanish Lookout. Most mission teams include a day of recreation and reflection to further enjoy a new culture and place, while meditating and talking about the experiences they’ve encountered–still fresh on their minds and hearts.
Go Ye Therefore…
I hope you’ll find a group who takes these kinds of adventures and go! We are blessed more than the people we go to serve. But they are blessed too, so it’s a win, win situation.
Also, you almost have to go away to get to know your friends in our day and time. It’s a bonding time with friends in your church community that you’ll always remember, and a fresh experience with God. You’ll discover, or rediscover, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand….” as Jesus frequently told us ( Matt 3:2, Matt 4:17, Mark 1:15). Adventure with purpose!
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“The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!” (Psalm 16:3 NLT)
“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.” (Psalm 18:35 NASB1995)
“Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.” (Acts 13:26)
“‘That the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name,’ says the Lord, ‘who does these things’— things known from long ago.” (Acts 15:17-18 NIV)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB1995)
“You will never know what prayer is for, until you know that life is war.” John Piper
The answer to those questions may be the same. Because there is war, Jesus came to restore hope, peace, justice, love, and give power to overcome an evil enemy. Because Jesus came, the evil enemy is stirred up to inflict as much pain, destruction, and havoc as possible because he hates Christ, Christ’s followers, and humans in general. He also knows his time is short—the King has come, the King’s Spirit is here, and the King’s powerful, personal second coming is near.
The King
I grew up a Baptist, and I grew up in the United States of America. Both are strikes against me coming to see Jesus as King. As I’ve lived, continuing to read the Bible and study history, it’s clear that the Bible story and human history is the story about a King and His Bride—Christ and the Church, God and Israel. Read Psalm 2, Psalm 24, Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2-4, Numbers 24:17, Zachariah 9:9, John 18:33-37, John 19:19, Luke 1:32-33, and The Apocalypse also called The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Christ means “anointed one,” “Messiah,” “King”), or my first book, A Friend of the King.
Understated
God, our Creator, is so understated in how He chooses to mysteriously move in history and in the individual lives of men and women compared to what He obviously could do, and has done a few times in history, e.g. The Exodus from Egypt. Why the mystery? Have you ever pondered that? I think it’s to give us plenty of room to believe what we want to believe, without overly influencing our decisions or desires—in a word, “choice.” I love what A W. Tozer said about God’s ways, “They are secret, but it’s an open secret.”
The Magi
The most loved and complete Christmas story is recorded in Luke chapters one and two. It’s filled with love, beauty, simplicity, mystery, destiny, and joy. But my favorite story from Jesus’ birth is that of the king makers from the east.
Their mysterious story is only recorded in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 2:1-12). Why would they come from Persia, modern-day Iran or Iraq? It’s over 500 miles away, a journey taking months to complete. The best conjecture is that Daniel, a gifted Hebrew prophet, and the chief of the Magi in Babylon after 605 BC, told them of a most important future king. The magi were an ancient college of king makers, training young princes from antiquity in the sciences, politics, and how to rule. It’s surmised that Daniel told them a secret they treasured and passed down for centuries, “If you see these signs in the heavens, follow the star and it will lead you to the King of Kings.”
They knew the stars well. They studied them nightly and recorded their movements for what could be learned about nature, about the future, and about God. The movement of the stars are like the hands of a giant clock, predictable and mathematically precise. That God would arrange the planets and stars to signal the coming of His Son the King and cause these prestigious and powerful people to be aware of the occurrence, making a sacrificial trip to honor Him with extravagant gifts as a toddler in Bethlehem overwhelms me.
Every year I watch a documentary The Star of Bethlehem by Rick Larson to refuel and add to my wonder of that happy event. Larson is a lawyer who became interested in these things, taking clues from Matthew and then using modern astronomy software to “puzzle it out.” I highly recommend it. In the same vein, I recommend this short YouTube video remarkably capturing some of the mystery, humility, and majesty of what happened in Jerusalem and Bethlehem 2025 years ago.
Christmas shalom to all. Christ, the King is born… Noel! ✨
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“The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’” (Matthew 2:1-2)
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There are two chapters on soul care and spiritual warfare in my latest book God Stays Near, Faith and Flight. They are entitled “Prepare for War” and “Israel–A Time for War.”
It’s interesting that I’m writing about the second advent of Jesus Christ, on the first day of Advent 2025, when Christendom starts celebrating Christ’s first advent—His first “coming.”
Jesus second coming to Earth and the study of events surrounding that cosmic event is called eschatology. But who needs it? Maybe we all do! I’ll repeat the eschatology being taught us recently from Luke, Daniel, and Revelation, and I’ll also include thoughts on personal eschatology. I’ll call that “Solomon’s Eschatology” from the book of Ecclesiastes. There we see what the wisest thought about the end of our lives with inspiration and insights from the Holy Spirit. We all will have a personal end-times, if the Lord doesn’t come back first. We should give that equal thought and live with it in mind. You can read Ecclesiastes 12 for Solomon’s perspective and conclusion, but I’lll get to that.
Why is eschatology important? Four reasons come quickly to mind:
So you won’t be confused or disillusioned when the end time events start happening. You will be at peace and able to make some sense of it all knowing God is in control and He told us about it before hand.
There will be a lot of deceit involved and flying around like there was in 586 B.C., 70 A.D., and nearing 2026 A.D.. Jesus started one of his end-time’s discussions like this, “Let no one deceive you.” Paul said essentially the same thing before 70 A.D. as recorded in II Thessalonians 2:4-11. That’s important to know as a sign to the approaching end times, and as a deterrent to lethargy and hurtful surprise—being caught unaware.
So you will continue to put your trust in God who told you these kinds of things in the past through His prophets and recorded them in His Word. They came to pass. God is 100% faithful to His Word and plan (Isaiah 46:9-10).
It’s a part of the process of having faith, and growing in your faith, confidence, and love of the Lord. In reading the book of Ezekiel anew, I noticed the phrase, “Then they will know that I am the LORD” was often stated. I asked the AI engine, Grok, how many times that phrase was in Ezekiel, and was quickly told 63 times!
Thumbnail Sketch of the End Times
Ben Wilson, our Cambridge-educated, PhD, Pastor recently taught on Luke 20 through 24 a message series entitled, “The Week That Changed the World.” Within it, he outlined the timeline of biblical prophecy. In theology the study of end-time events is called eschatology and is mostly taken from the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Daniel, Revelation, and the words of Jesus in the Gospels. Jesus addressed the subject during His final week on earth with some prophetic insights and predictions. Peter, Paul, John, and Jude, were New Testament prophets and apostles who added to the clues under the Spirit’s inspiration.
Ben mentioned that all Christians believe that Christ is coming back, in the resurrection of the dead, and in the judgment. He emphasized that in eschatology, where the doctrines of the Bible are more complex, we should employ the same straightforward reading of scripture to order the predicted events most accurately.
Then Ben said that the future events of the end times are important because they give us hope, a focus on God, His promises, and His character. A thumbnail sketch, or timeline of those future end-time events that come from the straightforward reading of scripture would look like this:
[1] RAPTURE (Christians meet Christ in the air, spared the wrath of the tribulation, and live forever with Jesus — Luke 7:43-35, Matt 24:40-41, John 14:1-3, 1 Thess 4:13-15 & 5:9). [2] TRIBULATION (A time of violence, intrigue, evil political powers, and judgment; the 70th week of Daniel, it ends with Satan’s defeat, the battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ as King — Daniel 9:24-27, Matthew 24:4-28, Revelation 6-18, and Zachariah 11-12). [3] MILLENNIAL KINGDOM (Christ reigns on the Earth for 1000 years from Jerusalem with the Saints who died during the tribulation—Revelation 20:1-3). [4] NEW CREATION (Believers experience a new heaven and a new earth with Christ forever—Revelation 21:1-4).
The discussion of personal eschatology will have to wait for another blog. This has become lengthy enough and I want to keep the timeline and the reasons for having a timeline simple, so it’s meaningful and easier to recall.
Summary
The complexity of the subject comes from the fact that the pieces of the puzzle are spread over 4000 years of Bible history scattered through many epochs and eras. But they do fit together in a grand, cosmic, mysterious story our Creator wished to make known—one that is hard to ignore if one wishes to look at the puzzle pieces searching for truth and honoring the tug of a God who put “eternity in our hearts.”
I’m learning to use AI like the rest of the world, and consulted my favorite AI engine Grok for a summary. Here’s my question and Grok’s answer:
Q: What’s the most commonly taught eschatology or sequence of end-time events?
A: Probably the premillennial dispensationalist view-top dog in evangelical circles. Jesus comes back before a thousand-year reign, raptures the church first, then there’s seven years of tribulation with the Antichrist, Armageddon, and finally Satan’s defeat. Folks teach it heavy in seminaries and churches-big on literal timelines from Revelation, Daniel, and Matthew twenty-four.
I hope this helps you to remember or serves as a starting point for your own investigation of the facts the Bible and history provide about the end times and Christ’s return. Godspeed on your journey to truth, and knowing God better each year of your journey. Shalom in Jesus, “The author and finisher of our faith,” the Son of God, Prince of Peace, Bright and Morning Star, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27)
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John…” (Revelation 1:1)
