Tag Archives: History

Undaunted Courage

Three Books

I just finished reading Undaunted Courage by Stephen E Ambrose. Wow! What an interesting book to 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 Wind about 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 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 life 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 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.

“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 me a meeting of the minds, and a spiritual synchronicity what Lewis expressed and recorded August 18, 1805, on his 31st birthday.

“As I and more and more of my friends contemplate the brevity of life and the limited time we have left, what shall be our purpose and course in the days of head? Our characters are mostly formed, 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.

“But it seemed poignant to Mr. Lewis on his 31st birthday, at a time he felt his mission was most in doubt and also feeling the hand of Providence being in good favor with the Shoshone tribe and Sacagawea 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 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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An extra 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. A reasonably good book about soul care and spiritual habits is God Stays Near by Yours Truly.

Eschatology Important?

Eschatology, Who Needs It?

Budapest Hungry 2017

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)

A 2018 Blog About the End Times

A PDF with more end times references and explanations South Fork, Colorado 2025

Love What God Loves

As barbaric and evil as the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by its Palestinian neighbors in Gaza was, the anti-Semitism that has come to light around the world since then may be even more disturbing. There are people marching, rioting, burning flags around the world, and threatening violence against Jews who probably don’t know a Jew or who have never met a Jewish person. How do you explain that? Outside of dark, evil spirits?

Yes, people are jumping up and down around the world, protesting for media attention, burning Israeli and US flags, waving Palestinian flags, and defacing and destroying property while they chant “Free Palestine” or “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” 

Not surprisingly, in a recent survey, American college students were asked about the chant  “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.” They were asked which river and which sea. An overwhelming majority of them did not know. Their guesses were as preposterous and humorous as they were sad and telling — telling that college-educated adults in the US have so little grasp of the history, religion, geography, and politics of the region, as well as the Bible.

My own experience asking three college students in our church wasn’t all that different. That’s also telling. The referenced sea and river are the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The PLO popularized the phrase in the 1960s, calling for themselves to have a state that encompasses all of Israel and for Israel to have no country or state at all.

Those familiar with the Bible will recall that God gave Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and their descendants forever the land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River, a much larger part of the Middle East. Israel’s boundaries under King Solomon about 1000 BC — 1700 years before Islam — were as large as they have ever been, but the whole possession hasn’t been under Israeli control yet. All the while, for 4000 years,  since Abraham, Jews have lived in the land. They just didn’t have an officially recognized nation since the Romans destroyed and dispersed them 70-73 AD, that is, until the miraculous return to the land after WWII and the rebirth of their nation on May 14, 1948.

“Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west” (Joshua 1:4— also see Genesis 15:18-20, Genesis 26:3, Genesis 28:13).

So that is a little history and geography lesson. Maybe a theology lesson, too. Grab your Bible and some history books, or do some valid research on the web. This is going to be an important issue going forward to the end of time. You should know what you believe and why it’s important. You should know what is right, historical, just, and true — the facts.

Jesus said, “You shall know them [people] by their fruit,” by what they do, not what they say. Have a serious look at what both sides in the conflict have said and done throughout history, especially since 1948. Then, draw your own conclusions. 

In the meantime, you can dwell on the Bible-stated truth that God hates violence, and God loves Israel. You will always do well to love what God loves and hate what God hates.

“And God loves Israel, declaring, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3). “The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion” (Psalms 11:5).

Those who do not love what God loves and hate what God hates, those who passionately support violence and hate Israel, are shaking their angry fists at God. This never ends well for them, their political organization, and those who support them.

This is how to make sense of it, even with the smoke and media haze — misguided secular-humanist deception. Harvard? Pit? MIT? CNN? BBC? Beware of deception!

Be aware of these verses: “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:10b-11).

Choose the age-old wisdom and most basic Bible teaching, “Fear God and keep His commandments.” Or if that seems out-of-date or too draconian for you, “Love What God loves, and hate what God hates,” and you’ll be fine and fare well.

Shalom and Godspeed on your journey to truth — also righteousness, peace, and joy.“For the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Indeed, that’s what Israel is in the process of doing right now. They are freeing Israel /Palestine from a people who love violence, oppress their own, practice lawlessness and injustice, hate Israel, their neighbors, and fire rockets and missiles at them incessantly. You reap what you sow. There is One who sees to it.

May our gracious Creator and King exercise justice and judgment mixed with mercy. It’s His to do. And He is the only One who can.

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“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13).

[An article I wrote about end times events in 2018]

Pentecost 2023

Today is Pentecost 2023, 50 days after Passover and the 7th Sunday after Easter — the day the Holy Spirit came in power to the Chruch. You might say to found the Chruch, the Bride of Christ — forever changing history and beginning the Last Days according the prophet Joel (2:28).

WOW! I just looked in my iPhone calendar, and they don’t include Pentecost on their calendar. Look at Western Civilization and the civilized world of the last 2000 years — and note if you have eyes to see and mental facilities to look at historical facts unbiased — to see all the advances in science, medicine, education, art, government, and religion where Christ is acknowledged as King and His Father God as Sovereign over all.

On Pentecost 33 AD, the same Sovereign sent His Spirit into His house — His disciples, His church, and all future disciples who would become holy ones — normal mortals made holy by Christ’s sacrifice and then the indwelling of His Spirit. These have caused His Kingdom to come forth on the earth in some measure, ebbing and flowing, with the resultant “righteous, peace, and joy” (Romans 14:17) described in Scripture during the ensuing 2000 years.

Pause with me and ponder, “Where are we today in America and the Chruch with these realities?” — realities that began on 33 AD in Jerusalem, and the most recent outflow of that Grace for us in 1620 and 1776 in the USA.

Ponder in wonder, and give thanks. Amen אמן

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Remembering Pentecost four years ago in Jerusalem

From my latest book Puzzling 2020: “Without being born of the Spirit, we cannot see the things of God or know God Himself. If Nicodemus, the Bible scholar, and teacher of Israel, couldn’t apprehend God with just his mind, why do we think we can? Or that it’s our job to make the issue more clear for others than Jesus made it and left it. It is God’s job by His Holy Spirit. Thankfully to those who believe Jesus’ testimony, ‘He gives the Holy Spirit without measure'” (John 3:34b).

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:26-27).