From the Home Place

September 9, 2025

Tuesday, 5:30 a.m., 43 degrees. The weather man is predicting a 55 percent chance of rain today. But then toward the bottom of the page he lists the amount as “o.o4 inches.” Fifty-five percent sounds good, but the four-hundredths sure isn’t going to amount to much. If we get any, it won’t be enough to help with the drought that we are experiencing.

That’s the way with the false religions of today, they sound good, but don’t amount to much. They make big promises of bringing healing into your life. They predict that your family will be stronger, and your life will have real meaning, as long as you give your check to them on a regular basis.

Yet as we plant Bible-based churches across the west, we are seeing many folks stepping away from the false religions and embracing Jesus as Savior. It is truly an amazing thing to step out of the darkness and into the light!

Though we may not see people come to Him by the hundreds here in the states, across the world that is exactly what is happening. However, those conversions are usually coming with great persecution. In many countries, to follow Jesus costs a person everything, including losing family and friends. Yet, many are turning to Jesus as Savior!

Just like the forecasted rain, I believe persecution will come to America as well, it’s just a matter of “When?” The good thing about persecution is that it makes stronger Christians. I think that is what Abraham was speaking about when he said, “I will not give anything to my God that cost me nothing.” Up to this point it has been a free meal to follow Jesus in this country. Though, as we have been told for years, “there is no such thing as a free meal.”

It cost Jesus His life to establish His church, but to join it costs us nothing. So today’s question is, “Is that really what Jesus said?” In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9, verse 23 we read, “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ You see, the cross has always been a place of death! It was for Jesus, and it is supposed to be for His followers as well.

In the Greek language the word “deny” is an interesting command. To “deny himself” literally means to “disown” self. I am to give ownership of myself to someone else, and we seem to be really good at that. We American Christians often give ourselves to things that are ungodly: lust, fame, fortune, self… With our easy access to most anything a person could want, it is extremely easy to satisfy self rather than “deny” self.

You see my friends, the problem is that we tend to be very selfish. So rather than denying myself, I pamper myself with all the pleasures of this world. As a result, our faith tends to be weak. Jesus does not tell us to “deny” self because He doesn’t want us to enjoy our life, He gives us that command so that we can get self out of the way and focus upon the Savior! And when we “deny” self and focus upon the Savior, true joy and happiness invade our lives. That’s what it looks like to step away from a false religion and into the truth of Scripture, we become self-less!

You see, it is going to rain, the question is “When?” Persecution is coming, the question is “When?” Stronger Christians are coming to America, the question is “When?” May today be the day that we “deny” self and embrace the Savior

Denying self with you, Neal