Category Archives: General

Does Jesus Know You?

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“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” – Matthew 7:22-23

There are many people who can say they know who Jesus is. They may even be able to tell you what He did. But the only question – the only important question – that everyone needs to answer is, “Does Jesus know you?”

You may ask, “Why is that important?” To get right to the point, because He is the ONLY way a person can be saved from the consequences of sin that separate everyone from God and the eternal life that only He can give. He is the only way to enter the kingdom of heaven. And if you haven’t put your complete trust in Him for the forgiveness of your sins, the door will be closed.

Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). Jesus didn’t hide from us how we get to heaven. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6). And He also said, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).

Have you ever gone to Jesus in prayer and told Him you believe in His death on the cross to remove your sin, and asked Him to forgive you? If you answered “no”, please think about what is at stake. Time is short. No one can afford to wait until “tomorrow.” In case you haven’t noticed, darkness is falling on the whole world. Tomorrow may be too late. All the events happening in the world are showing us that Jesus is returning soon. Very soon. And the last thing you want to hear Him say is, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved…for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'” (Romans 10:9-10; 13).

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).

If you have yet to call out to the Lord to save you, I pray this will be the day you turn to Him and receive His gift of eternal life. God bless you all!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

U.N.C.L.E. SPECIAL MISSION RESOURCE – 11.29.2023

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WHY IS CHRISTMAS IMPORTANT?

Yes, it’s the Christmas season once again. It is hard to believe how fast a year goes by, yet here we are. So the question is, why is Christmas such a big deal? Well, the only important reason, and you may have heard this before, is because it’s a reminder to the world that God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from sin and death.

“For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This familiar verse tells us God has done His part to bring salvation to the world. But it’s of no benefit unless we do our part, which is to truly “believe in Him”. Believing in His death, burial, and resurrection. Believing in Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, who took your sins to the cross and paid the price for YOU!

However, the sad truth is there are many people who think there’s no need for that. They believe that when the time comes, if there is a God, He will give them a second chance. After all, they’re not that bad.

But God says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). In other words, no one is good enough to even earn a “second chance” to get into heaven. Yet what they fail to realize is that for anyone who has not placed their faith in what Jesus has done for them, every moment they are still alive IS their second chance! Every day, tens of thousands of people don’t take the opportunity God gives everyone. They go into eternity without the salvation Jesus has made possible, and there will be no second chances after that. Make sure that’s NOT you!

In John 3:3, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Basically, what Jesus is saying here is that everyone has one birthday, but EVERYBODY NEEDS TWO! If you don’t know for CERTAIN that you have a second birthday, pray to the Lord and ask Him to give you one, and He will give you His gift of eternal life by His Spirit. “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).  

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by, for “today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2), and it is the only way into the kingdom of God. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “For it is by grace you are saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So this is why Christmas is so important. It’s all about what He’s done for us!

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13).

If today you have called on the Lord for His gift of eternal life, let me be the first to say, “Happy Birthday”! And may this be the best Christmas that you’ve ever had!

P.S. If you already have a “second birthday”, pass this on to someone else. You never know who YOU may be giving a very special gift to. God bless, and…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

May God bless you all, as we follow the Lord on our Mission today and every day, until He comes!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

TODAY’S U.N.C.L.E. MISSION REMINDER – 09.25.2023.

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We are one day closer to the return of the One who will come with the sound of a trumpet, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Keep looking up!

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

At sunset today in Israel, they will be sounding the trumpets one last time to mark the end of Yom Kippur. We are waiting to hear “the trumpet call of God” that will bring us home and mark the end of our waiting for His promise to come for us. Could THIS be the day? We don’t know. But one thing is certain. That day is coming, and it’s looking like it could be very soon!

God bless you all as we wait and look for His coming on our Mission today!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

TODAY’S U.N.C.L.E. MISSION REMINDER – 08.17.2023.

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We are one day closer to the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Keep looking up!

“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”‘” – Matthew 4:4

This famous, and often used verse, contains the words our Lord used when He was confronted by the devil after fasting in the wilderness. The Scriptures often refer to the wilderness as pointing to times of testing, trials, and even death. God also uses the wilderness to be a blessing by revealing Himself. We see wilderness experiences in the life of God’s people, Israel. Also, in the lives of Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, Paul, and the Apostle John.

I believe we have entered one of those “wilderness” times that God will use to bring us to the place He desires for His church to be. And although it may be a time of trial and testing, it could also be a time of great blessing, if we remember the most important thing the Lord taught us during His time in the wilderness. Jesus turned to the only resource He knew that would get Him through when He said, “It is written!”

Until the Lord comes for us, it looks like the days ahead may be a time of testing for us as the church. It will be important for us to keep some of those familiar verses we know in the front of our minds, as we go through whatever it is we may be facing. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, we need to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (6:13). And a vital part of that armor is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (6:17). Mark my words, it will be crucial for us to be prepared to use God’s Word in response to whatever may come our way. And the best way to be prepared is to follow the pattern set forth by our wonderful Savior.

May God bless you all, as we follow the Lord on our Mission today!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

U.N.C.L.E. Ministry is affiliated ONLY with Jesus Christ to build up the body of believers who comprise His church…for His glory!

TODAY’S U.N.C.L.E. MISSION REMINDER – 08.15.2023.

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We are one day closer to the coming of our glorious King, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Keep looking up!

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

In the past months, I have to say we’ve had some very interesting discussions around the dinner table. After a couple of these conversations, I wished we had the recorder going, so we could share them with you. Since that wasn’t the case, let me attempt to pass one of them along to you, in hopes it may edify the rest of the body in some small way.

The part I will share deals with the above verse from the Apostle Paul. We often “talk” about how God wants us to prepare for the day when He comes and brings us into His kingdom. At times like we are in today, we hope for His return soon. Amen? But the question I asked in our conversation was, “If you knew that in a few months you had to run a marathon or, perhaps, compete in the Run For Your Life Obstacle Course, what would you be doing until then?” I hope the obvious answer would reflect what Paul wrote for us above, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.”

Let me ask YOU! How’s it going? Are you ready for what God has in store for us when His kingdom comes? Have you been taking time to prepare for that coming day? Or are you just counting the days, waiting for the “Great Transformation Day” to come, when we are all changed in the twinkling of an eye?

In his book, An Undivided Love, Adolphe Monod writes, “Earthly life only intercepts heavenly life in order to prepare for it. It is not the barrier to heavenly life; it is its apprenticeship and training.” Peter tells us that God, by “His divine power, has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4).

One of the obvious things about “training”, is that for training to happen, we need a trainer! Well, the Lord has provided for that need. Remember, He has given us EVERYTHING required. To help us in our training, God has, first and foremost, given us His Word. But He has also given us, His Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. And also, all those who have gone before us, whom we can learn from and follow them as they have followed Christ. Not to mention everyone else, in the body of Christ, God has given us, to help along the way!

Jesus said, “every student of Scripture instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old” (Matthew 13:52). I want to encourage you all. God has given us so many ways to help each other in our training and preparation to live the kingdom life. We dare not ignore them. And truth be told, the “waiting” is really over. Jesus said, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation; neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you!” (Luke 17:20-21). Let’s get running, so that when the King returns, He will find us doing what we know we should, and He can say to us all, “Well done!”

May the Lord bless us all on our Mission, serving our King today!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

U.N.C.L.E. Ministry is affiliated ONLY with Jesus Christ to build up the body of believers who comprise His church…for His glory!

TODAY’S U.N.C.L.E. MISSION REMINDER – 08.12.2023.

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We are one day closer to the coming of the Prince of Peace, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Keep looking up!

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Colossians 3:15-17

Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom, said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God you’ll be at rest.” With today’s technology and being able to “look at” all that is going on in the world, it’s not hard for something out there to cause us concern, whatever “it” may be. It can all be very unsettling and distressing. And, all too often, it consumes our thinking and leads to depression. But let’s not get distracted. God has promised us a glorious future together to look forward to! Not to mention all the opportunities He gives us every day to share our hope with others. He’s coming soon, right? So, let’s all take Corrie’s advice to heart! Keep your eyes on the Lord, and He will give you rest and peace.

God bless you all as we serve Him on our Mission today!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

U.N.C.L.E. Ministry is affiliated ONLY with Jesus Christ to build up the body of believers who comprise His church…for His glory!

TODAY’S U.N.C.L.E. MISSION REMINDER – 08.11.2023.

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Good morning family! We are one day closer to the coming of the One who makes us righteous, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Keep looking up!

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:20

When the people heard Jesus make this statement, I’m sure they were all shocked and wondered, “Then how can we get in?”, and then it would have hit them. They couldn’t. At least not apart from some miracle. And that miracle would come from the one they were listening to. Jesus is the only one who “exceeds the righteousness” of any person who ever lived, and He will give His righteousness to all who will believe in Him and the payment He paid on the cross to cover our unrighteousness. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Praise God that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith…not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). AMEN!

May the Lord bless you all, as we walk in His righteousness on our Mission today!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

U.N.C.L.E. Ministry is affiliated ONLY with Jesus Christ to build up the body of believers who comprise His church…for His glory!

TODAY’S U.N.C.L.E. MISSION REMINDER – 08.09.2023.

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We are one day closer to the return of the One who gives us life by His Spirit, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Keep looking up!

“And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” – Matthew 3:10

In this passage, John the Baptist warned the religious leaders of the Jews that judgement was coming, and that they needed to “bear fruits worthy of repentance”, or suffer “the wrath to come” (vs.7-8). I think it’s pretty important that everyone understands just what that “fruit” is, because if the Jewish leaders didn’t have “good fruit”, what about the poor everyday sinner on the street? Thank God He has told us, and John reveals to us in the next verse that it can be none other than the fruit of the “Holy Spirit”, which Jesus would come and “baptize you with” (v.11). It’s the fruit of a changed life, and a repentant heart made new by the power of God’s Spirit. Paul gives us a detailed description of it.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

And it can all be ours through faith in God’s one and only Son, Our Savior, Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!

God bless you all as we walk in His Spirit on our Mission today!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

U.N.C.L.E. Ministry is affiliated ONLY with Jesus Christ to build up the body of believers who comprise His church…for His glory!

TODAY’S U.N.C.L.E. MISSION REMINDER – 08.05.2023.

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We are one day closer to the coming of the One who has made us heirs to the Kingdom of God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Keep looking up!

“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” – Titus 4:3-7

If you ever start to lose your motivation in your walk with the Lord, just remember this passage. Because of His kindness, love, mercy, and grace, we have become heirs to the kingdom of God! He made us LEGALLY QUALIFIED to receive it! All we are waiting for is Jesus to come and usher us into His glorious presence! And it’s all because of what HE did for us. Wow!

Lord, help us not to forget all You have done for us. Give us the motivation and desire to follow your word, and show others the love we have for You. Amen.

God bless you all as we live for Him on our Mission today!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

U.N.C.L.E. Ministry is affiliated ONLY with Jesus Christ to build up the body of believers who comprise His church…for His glory!

TODAY’S U.N.C.L.E. MISSION REMINDER – 08.04.2023.

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We are one day closer to the coming of the one who God promised will return, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Keep looking up!

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior.” – Titus 1:1-3

In the Book of Genesis, we find the familiar first words, “In the beginning.” In Hebrew, these three words are recorded as “Berisheet”. However, the word Berisheet was written in a picture script, or pictographs, with each “letter” telling a story. The amazing thing is the story in the word Berisheet, is the story Paul is talking about in our passage today, the “hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began”. That “hope” is the gospel story that tells us of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior. And it’s in the very first words of the Bible. Amazing!

Here is a link to a short, two minute video by Rock Island Books about what I’ve said here. They also have a longer study on this for those who would like to know more. It’s truly a fascinating study, and well worth taking the time to watch.

God bless you all as we wait and watch for our Savior on our Mission today!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

If you want to know more, please contact us at: uncleministry@gmail.com

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

U.N.C.L.E. Ministry is affiliated ONLY with Jesus Christ to build up the body of believers who comprise His church…for His glory!