Category Archives: Finding the End of the World

Blogging about stuff related to my book, “Finding the End of the World”

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No King but YHVH

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“We have no king but Caesar!” the Jewish high priests exclaimed to Pontius Pilate, who would send Jesus to be crucified. Conversely, we experienced a flurry of ‘No Kings!’ protests on June 14, 2025, in opposition to President Donald Trump’s authoritative measures. Have a king; don’t have a king … Which is it? Like it or not, the Creator of the universe is king and owns everything, whether people demand a human king or defy any kingly rule.

The Jewish people understood the Creator’s name to be represented by the four Hebrew consonants YHVH. We who have been adopted into His family pronounce it Yehovah or Yahweh, depending on how you consider the V. The apostle Paul explained nearly 2,000 years ago that YHVH made everything and is King over all in His realm and our created world (Acts 17:24). So, the heavens and the earth are His throne (Matthew 5:34). YHVH owns everything and was recognized by the Jews as their King until about 1,000 BCE.

Selfishly, we generally want what others have. Such was the case with the 10th-century BCE Jews, who decided to be governed by a human king like other nations: “Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations … Give us a king to judge us.” The LORD said to Samuel, ‘… they have rejected Me from being king over them.’” (1 Samuel 8:5-7) The Jewish people would eventually have a puppet king under the Roman leaders and then … none.

Yet, YHVH was, is, and will be King, whether humans recognize His sovereignty. Old Testament king David expressed this in Psalm 47:2 & 7: “For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth” and “For God is the King of all the earth … God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.” Similarly, New Testament Paul wrote this about YHVH, the one true King, in 1 Timothy 6:15: “… He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”

So, what about the future? YHVH will eventually tire of our nonsense and immoralities and redo everything. Then, His realm and ours will become one again as was the case in Eden, as we find in Revelation 22:3-5: “There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it … And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.”

Summary. Like it or not, you have a King that is above all and rules over everything, including you and even Trump! Soon, I’ll contrast what that King loves against what He hates: What He loves, first. Meanwhile, choose your king well!

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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Jesus in the Underworld

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Jesus died in the flesh after Roman crucifixion and was resurrected three days later. Upon that, most Christians will agree. But what happened before the resurrection? Where was Jesus during that time, and what did He do while He was there? I’ve heard things like, “Jesus went to the grave, preached to all the dead people, and got ‘em saved!” Let’s discover the truth, starting with a foresight into Jesus’s subterranean visit.

Where: The prophecy. “… Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He [Jesus] answered and said to them, “. . . no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

So, where was Jesus after His crucifixion? In the “heart of the earth,” where disobedient spiritual beings await their final end-of-the-age disposition. What did He do during that time? Let’s search for the answer with what He did NOT do.

What: Fake news. The idea that Jesus preached to dead people to ‘get ‘em saved’ is nonsense. First,the Bible teaches there’s no middle ground, do-overs, or second chances where God is concerned. We live as we choose until we die and then are judged accordingly (e.g., Hebrews 9:27). Second, the apostle Peter taught that Jesus’ ‘preaching’ in the underworld was to doomed angelic beings—the Watchers who corrupted humankind, prompting the great flood (not the spirits of dead people). Now, more on that truth.

What: The truth. Read 1 Peter 3:18-20, and you’ll find thatJesus’ proclamation was to imprisoned disobedient spirits. What disobedience? Why did God imprison them? The Book of Enoch provides much information on the subject, but you can read a summary in Genesis, chapter six. But, basically, it was because they taught humans things they shouldn’t know and had sexual relations with them, corrupting God’s creation. They’ve been imprisoned in the underworld since and await God’s great judgment and wrath at the end of this age (see Jude 1:6).

What did Jesus proclaim to them? That their fate had been sealed with Christ’s triumph over death. They’d lost; Christ had won, and wrath is coming for all who oppose the Creator. In case you’re now wondering, “What about all those people who died before Jesus could ‘save’ them?” This will all be fleshed out in God’s great end-of-the-world judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15).

Summary. In the underworld between crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus proclaimed His triumph in fulfilled prophecy to spiritual prisoners, the angels who corrupted humans post-Eden (not the spirits of dead people!). What’s next?  From uncaused first cause to nature, we’ll discover that there’s no excuse for denying God. Meanwhile, remember there are no do-overs where God is concerned: choose well, stay there, and live.

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

When Love Grows Cold …

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In my last article, I taught that real, unconditional, godly love is “doing the right thing no matter how we ‘feel.’” It doesn’t come and go with an emotional or sexual wind; it’s constant and actionable. That’s God’s love for us, as proved by Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection from the dead to pay our debt to the Creator and give us hope. Similarly, we do real, unconditional love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). How can we summarize and do real love?

True love seeks the highest good in others. It is always actionable and even translated occasionally as ‘charity.’ For instance, the apostle Paul mentions these actions (or lack of certain actions) in a not-all-inclusive true love list (1 Corinthians 13:4-6): “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.”

Furthermore, Jesus gave the following examples when teaching about last-days judgment in Matthew 25:31-40: “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in … Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” In other words, do love and live.

Still, Jesus said true love will ‘grow cold’ in the last days: “At that time many will fall away … Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” (Matthew 24:10-13) What does that mean? What would, or does, cold love look like?

If true love = action, cold love is the opposite: diminishing charity, patience, self-control, truth, etc. Look around, and this is the predominant posture in America, which has earned the title of “the most self-centered nation in the world.” What will be the end for the loveless? “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment …” (Matthew 25:45-46)

Summary. True love seeks the highest good in others through actions like charity and self-control. Cold love deceives, deprives, and hurts others. What’s next? Let’s explore evangelism in “What’s Your Story?” In the meantime, don’t be lukewarm in your zeal for God and don’t let your love run cold! The results could be devastating!

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

Apocalyptic Poster Children

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I’m an ‘end times’ dude. Not an imperious date-setting soul, but someone interested in teaching people easy-to-understand truths about the end of this age and all it comprises. I published “Finding the End of the World” to do just that in 2011. Here, I’d like to clear up confusion about Revelation’s letters to seven churches to address real people with real problems.

Clearing the fog. Some teach that biblical history is divided into eras (dispensations) representing God’s interaction with people. Furthermore, historical dispensationalists insist that the seven churches of Revelation (chapters two and three) represent particular church ages from the apostles to Christ’s return. Don’t buy into it. The letters contain admonishments and praises to existing churches—nothing more, nothing less, although we can learn from them. Let’s begin our journey by introducing John’s Revelation and the letters.

Introduction to the Revelation. In about 95 CE, Emporer Domitian exiled John (and his scribe Prochorus) to Patmos. They penned the Revelation within two years until Emporer Nerva freed them. What was unveiled? Last-day events from increasing false Christs, war, famine, and earthquakes to great judgment and the new age. Chapter one introduces the Revelation, chapters two and three contain instructions to seven of John’s Asia Minor churches, chapters 4 and 5 prepare to unveil the future, and chapters 6:1 through 22:5 detail a future hinted at by Jesus 70 years beforehand (e.g., Matthew 24-25). Now, the letters.

The Letters.

  • Ephesus. This ‘great’ city had an assembly that refused to follow heretics but whose love for God, Christ, and each other had grown cold.
  • Smyrna. This ‘loveliest’ city was home to prideful Christian-persecuting Jews (‘Synagogue of Satan’). Saints would have to persevere through a short tribulation to inherit God’s Kingdom.
  • Pergamum. Called “Satan’s throne,” it was the pagan worship center of Asia. Heresies and immorality abounded, as did self-indulgence. Jesus said, “Change!”
  • Thyatira. True Christians refusing paganism and immoralities couldn’t buy and sell in the marketplace, although prophetess Jezebel misled some to compromise. Others standing fast would avoid God’s future wrath.
  • Sardis. A legendarily wealthy and degenerate city with a dead church (except for a few). Overcome or be erased from the Book of Life!
  • Philadelphia. City of brotherly love, city of earthquakes … and another Synagogue of Satan against the Church. Believers would face tribulation but be empowered by Jesus to persevere.
  • Laodicea. “Lukewarm Laodicea” existed between hot and cold springs, producing undesirable lukewarm water. It was wealthy, self-centered, indifferent, and lukewarm in faith. Jesus to Laodicean Christians: “Overcome and rule with Me!”

Summary. God gave Jesus warnings and commendations to send to overseers of seven Asia Minor churches. They were contained in seven letters (Revelation chapters three and four). The immoral would suffer God’s wrath, while overcomers would inherit God’s Kingdom. Read and heed! What’s next? Let’s explore godly superstars on the fringe. In the meantime, be like the assemblies of Smyrna or Philadelphia or suffer the consequences.

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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Know Your Enemy: Part One

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If you belong to God, you war against principalities from another dimension. The apostle Paul wrote about this in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Evil spiritual forces move people to oppose God. How did this happen? What is the genealogy of their evil and leader?

Background. God and other disembodied spirits called Elohim were part of a divine council before our time (Job 38:4-7; Genesis 1:26). The one we’d eventually call Satan rebelled, taking others with him (e.g., Ezekiel 28:12-16). Then, angelic watchers, sent to oversee humanity after their exile from Eden, also rebelled (Genesis 3:22-23; 6:1-2 & 4). After the Great Flood, meant to eliminate their offspring, God disinherited all the nations except Israel.

Those Elohim in charge of the disinherited nations have caused people (especially rulers) to rebel against God ever since. Think of them as other-worldly puppets. Their puppet master and ruler of this world is called in Hebrew Ha Satan—The Adversary. He’s your main enemy—don’t underestimate him, as he and his minions search diligently for the spiritually weak and isolated (1 Peter 5:8)! Let’s consider these things in more detail.

The Course of Evil: Until the Watchers. Initially, God and others comprised an innumerable council of spiritual Elohim. There was no apparent rebellion until one Elohim became an adversary. He fell from grace and tricked humans into revolting, too. Their disobedience caused their expulsion from Eden (Genesis 3:22-24). Other Elohim sent to watch over them afterward also disobeyed. Then, the Great Flood came, after which God distanced Himself from most of creation.

The Course of Evil: Disinheritance, Influence, and the End. Read Deuteronomy 32:8-9 and Psalm 82, and you’ll learn that God temporarily gave control of nearly the entire world to other Elohim. He kept what would become Israel, though. Evil persists because those spirits are now in authority (e.g., Psalm 82). For instance, in Daniel 10:13, we read of the spiritual principalities manipulating Persian rulers in Daniel’s time. And we read that Satan will empower the Beast—Antichrist in Revelation 13:3-4. Finally, 1 John 5:19 reminds us that the world lies in Satan’s authority for now.

The good news is that The Enemy won’t prevail, as we see in Revelation 20:10: “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Summary. Evil exists because of free will gone wrong when Elohim rebelled and the one we call Satan became God’s adversary. Next? I’ll equip you to resist your spiritual enemy! Meanwhile, pray that God will protect you from that evil one as you resist him.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

When Two Kingdoms Collide

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Initially, God’s world and ours intersected and cohabitated. This was Eden until humankind rebelled and broke its relationship with the Creator. Now, the two separate realms (kingdoms) have two kings: God and Satan. Because we’re made of mammal fleshiness and God-made spirit, we feel the draw of this appealing-to-the-flesh earth ruled by Satan and heaven ruled by God. We can’t serve two masters and must choose one. And not choosing God’s Kingdom will put you in the other by default. Let’s learn more about each to help you choose well. By the way, I published “The Supernatural God: Rebellion & Disinheritance!” in May 2023. You might want to revisit it for more background.

Satan’s Kingdom. After the dispersion at Babel, God disinherited most of the earth and its people (except for Israel), giving them to others in His council (Deuteronomy 32:7-12; Psalm 82). Those other spiritual beings have managed most of humanity ever since. Satan is their ruler; he has authority over the earth and anyone who isn’t God’s. He couldn’t have offered Jesus his earthly kingdom in Matthew 4:8-10 otherwise! Other biblical examples of Satan’s rulership: “Satan, the ruler of this world . . .” (John 12:31) and “Jesus said, ‘The ruler of this world approaches . . .’” (John 14:30). Jesus also confirms “My kingdom is not of this realm” in John 18:36 and “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19) But, this won’t always be the case!

God’s (YHVH’s) Kingdom. Despite Satan’s temporary rulership of this earth, God’s Kingdom has been attainable since Jesus gave His life to satisfy our debt to the Creator. Why did He do that? To return us to our Maker (1 Peter 3:18). For now, His Kingdom is ‘already, but not yet’ because it is available through Jesus but isn’t physically among us. One day, the two kingdoms will engage in a final conflict, and the ruler of this world will be ousted and destroyed. God’s realm and ours will intersect again as they did in Eden. When? We don’t know for sure, but here are reminders of the certainty:

  • “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.’” (Revelation 11:15)
  • “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come . . .” (Revelation 12:10)

To summarize, the Devil runs things on earth for now, establishing lots of wickedness inside and outside the churches. However, God will one day reclaim what’s His and recombine His realm and ours in a new world. Where should we go next? Let me share my Orthodox Lent journey with you in an enlightening multi-parter. Meanwhile, choose your king and kingdom wisely and stay!

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

Dirt & Fruit

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I once heard the saying, “No root, no fruit!” It’s true, especially where God is concerned. Dirt that lacks nutrients, whether natural earth or spiritual soil, stunts root growth. Here, we’ll look at the spiritual stuff.

Jesus addressed spiritual seeds, sowers, and receivers in Matthew 13:1-9 and 18-23. The “seed” is an introduction to God’s Kingdom made by a sower (e.g., teacher, evangelist, or disciple-maker); the soil is the recipient. Depending on the sower and receiver, the result can be spiritual fruit or fuel for the burn pile (John 15:4-6). In Matthew 13, Jesus offered examples of the different seed recipients and their conditions to illustrate growth opportunities and outcomes. I’ll present each scenario one at a time.

Roadside (13:4 and 19): “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.” A lack of wisdom hides God’s Kingdom; erroneous church leaders and teachers can be at fault. Flawed or incomplete evangelism, encouraging someone to enter a one-sided selfish relationship with God without understanding the terms and conditions, is also at fault. The cure? Find a mature Christ-follower and imitate what you see and hear!

Rocks (13:5-6 and 20-21): “… this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary…” This person understands at least the appealing parts of Christianity and perhaps entered it emotionally. Once the feelings are gone, so is any motivation for growth. As with the roadside receiver, causes include bad teaching, inadequate evangelism, and the absence of discipleship.

Thorns (13:7 and 22): “… this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” This person probably understands the Kingdom but chooses self-centeredness, where the “lust of the flesh and eyes” rules over all else (1 John 2:15-17).

Good soil (13:8 and 23): “… this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” This person likely benefitted from truthful teaching and has a fertile heart, ready to take in and put to work what they learn about God and His Kingdom! No burn pile in their future!

To summarize, receive truth and engage in foundational discipleship and formational spiritual disciplines to grow fruit! Live and prosper by imitating authentic Christians who teach and model the Kingdom. What’s next? It’s often difficult to reconcile God’s realm “in the skies” and Satan’s kingdom on the earth and see how all things will be fixed one day as God takes back what’s His. So, let’s go there next time. Meanwhile, always test what you hear or read to ensure it resonates with God’s nature and desires.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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God Versus Evil: Part One

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Just as the word ‘God’ can conjure different ideas from a benevolent cosmic dude to a celestial judge, ‘evil’ may mean various things—usually because of different cultures and worldviews. The truth is that ‘evil’ probably doesn’t mean what you think, and its use By YHVH (God) has produced good. Let’s dig in by defining it first.

Evil defined. The word usually evokes responses like ‘scary’ or ‘spooky’ and images of fiery demons or people with spinning heads. However, these aren’t biblical representations of evil but imaginations working overtime. The truth is worse because evil is more subtle and can sneak up on you! Original biblical language and contexts suggest that it more or less represents something bad, adversarial, distressful, or disagreeable. Not spooky or frightening, but trouble often clothed in beauty that can be disguised as good despite the distress it brings.

Who’s evil, anyway? The disobedient Elohim (spiritual beings from God’s Divine Counsel) were evil. The devil we call Satan is evil. So were the ancients who opposed God’s instructions. And so is anyone behaving in wicked ways that oppose God whether they call their actions ‘good.’ Church leaders and teachers allowing distressful, adversarial, and disagreeable-to-God doctrine and people into the assembly of believers are evil. The apostle Paul called them out 2,000 years ago while also reminding Christ-followers that evil and its deceit can be beautiful: “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

Guarding against evil. It’s easy to be deceived by evil or call bad good if you don’t know what good looks like! This is why a solid Christian foundation is critical to discerning good from bad and righteousness from evil. Learn well and surround yourself with godly people, practicing what you see and hear. Deal with temptation in the mind before thoughts produce bad speech or behavior. Don’t give the adversary—the ‘evil one’ of Matthew 6:13 —a foothold! And always determine how your thinking or actions will affect your relationships with God or people.

Can evil be used for good? God doesn’t test or tempt people, trip them up, or do evil to them. However, He has used distress or adversity (often termed ‘evil’) and evil people to accomplish His plans. From Joseph’s brothers and Abimelech and Saul to the prophets of King Ahab, God has turned evil into good. I’ll explain more about this in Part Two.

In summary, evil can be anything opposed to good (e.g., God’s instructions). Next time, we’ll examine how God has used evil (adversarial things) for good in Part Two.  Meanwhile, behave, be kind, and beware of evil—inside the church and out!

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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At the End of the Day … God!

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Tenth-century King Solomon can teach us much about meaningful (or useless!) life pursuits. Read his letter (biblical Ecclesiastes), and you’ll learn that, despite great riches, wealth, power, and women, he realized that only God truly satisfies. Let’s begin at the beginning.

The beginning. God gave Solomon wisdom and great wealth (1 Kings 3:5-13). He amassed incredible treasure and many women (300 concubines and 700 wives!). And his extraordinary wisdom brought exceptional fame. But Solomon found that pursuits of fame, fortune, and pleasure were pointless and vain—like spitting in the wind.

Vanity and uselessness. Solomon wrote that much of what he chased was vanity, which, in context, means ‘empty’ or ‘unsatisfactory.’ Again, pointless stuff. Things that bring little advantage and die with the generations, yet aren’t new: “There is nothing new under the sun.” Again, all vanity, according to Solomon: “I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Let’s visit some of the vain, meaningless things.

Vain stuff. Topping Solomon’s list of vain pursuits is chasing madness and folly. Lusting after laughter and pleasure (including wine!) is up there are silly and wasteful things. And building projects didn’t bring satisfaction but grief. Solomon: “So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.” No matter what we do or acquire, we’ll leave this earth with nothing!

Where everything ends up. From dust we were formed, to dust we’ll return. The fate is the same for all mammals, including humans (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20). And the spirit within the body will return to its Maker. We’ll take nothing with us, and all we leave behind will eventually rot or be forgotten. So, what’s Solomon’s advice for good living in the meantime?

At the end of the day: God. According to Solomon, rest is better than striving after stuff in vain. And a healthy fear of God is a good thing:  “Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly” (Ecclesiastes 8:12). Don’t love or hoard money—share. Enjoy the fruits of your labor and what God has given, including the marriage relationship. Whatever you do, do it with all your might! Solomon’s conclusion: “Fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment . . .” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

In summary, the wisest man suggested fearing God and keeping His commandments for a fruitful, meaningful life. My next article will explore God’s Kingdom versus culture and differentiate between descriptive and prescriptive biblical texts. Until then, don’t be vain: chase only Godly stuff! Don’t know what that means? Ask me!

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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I Pledge Allegiance to Who?

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Remember when we always said the Pledge of Allegiance (at school, for instance)? “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America . . . one nation under God . . .” That was when we were a godly nation. What would make us godly again? Pledging allegiance to the One we call God before allying ourselves with anything or anyone else or chasing self-centered passions. But what would that look like? What would God (YHVH) require of anyone (and, collectively, a nation) wanting to be His ally? Good question—let’s find out!

First, YHVH told the prophet Micah something like: “Dude! I don’t want meaningless religious works—I want you to practice justice and mercy and walk with me humbly! (Micah 6:8). Before you give me grief about the whole ‘Dude!’ thing, there may be a Hebrew or Aramaic word for it—you never know. Regardless, the point is valid: humility, justice, and mercy are critical in allegiance to God!

Second, YHVH wants partners—allies—who bear His image. He’s looking for people who will do and say here what He does and says in His realm, like Jesus did, while empowered by the Holy Spirit. What else? We’re to honor our Creator (YHVH) with all we have and are. We see this in the Great Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5): “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Jesus reiterated the theme in Matthew 22:37. So, we are to honor Him in purity, among other things: “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Is anything else required for allegiance with God? Yep! Honoring Him (and Christ) begins with complete devotion—not only in the words, “confess Jesus as Lord” (Romans 10:9-10) but in action. Why do I write this? The ancients understood that speech and action were coupled. So did we until recently when lying became the norm and our word stopped being our bond. At any rate, pledge allegiance to God and stay in the relationship: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love” (John 15:10).

So, we are to pledge allegiance to God through action, devoting all we have and are, and through purity and charity. This requires learning about God and what He wants and establishing new habits. He has called; we must respond. Keep in mind that not responding or devoting will have devastating consequences!

Summary: Pledge allegiance to who? God alone! Then, stay aligned by honoring Him with all you have, are, and do. What’s next? Learning about YHVH (God) and His desires can sometimes be challenging and sobering. So, let’s lighten things up with some encouraging and uplifting moments through exploring making a difference in our world. Until then, do what pleases God.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.