It's been a while!

 I noticed that I haven't been here in some years, but I haven't forgotten about this blog. 

God loves us...all of us, and it is something that most of the world seems to rebel against at one point or another. Your life and mine are part of His creation, and we need to be thankful for that if not for anything else. Life is what God created this world, Earth, for, and many scientists are finding more life in places that they never thought it would thrive. God placed those life-forms there to get our attention because of the unique nature of the place they live in. Whether it is a super hot vent at the bottom of the ocean or under the ice in Antarctica, life does thrive where God intends for it to.

We are part of the life that He intended to survive and watch over this world, but we have kinda dropped the ball over the last 200 years or so. Now we are having to get used to a climate that is changing, whether it is our fault or not. We are still loved by Him, and He has given us a blueprint and a guide. It's called the Bible. We need to read it through and learn from it about our purpose and our Creator. One day soon, He will be coming back to rule the Earth, so be sure of where your heart belongs. Have you given your life to Jesus Christ, or have you decided to follow the world around you?

By faith alone...

If you have ever read the Old Testament at all, you have noticed that many of the patriarchs stories begin with that statement, "By faith...". Did you ever wonder why? Because nothing that is done for God in this life will work unless it is done by faith. Even people who didn't know Jesus, like the servants at the wedding at Cana, had a smidgen of faith. His mother told them to do whatever He tells you.

They had run out of wine at the wedding feast, so Jesus told them to fill six water jars with water, then draw some and give it to the master of the feast. When they did, he exclaimed that the groom had saved the best wine for later rather than giving it out at the beginning. The servants didn't know Who He was, but on Mary's word they did what Jesus asked and they knew that what they put in the jars was water but what came out was wine.

By faith, we can do many things if we will believe. Faith in God and in His Son can heal relationships, disease, heartaches, and all sorts of other maladies particularly those caused by sinful behavior. By faith and without doubt, you can do anything through Jesus and the Holy Spirit!

By faith the mouths of lions were shut, by faith Samson conquered the Philistines, by faith David vanquished Goliath, by faith Peter stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus on the surface of the water. All of these were accomplished by faith. It is true that faith can be short-circuited by doubt and by obstacles in life, but if you will keep your faith focused on Jesus and His Spirit, then there is nothing which can't be done for God's Kingdom!

Ministries can expand, the effect of those ministries can impact even more people, when you have faith in the power of God to accomplish His purposes through your life or your ministry. I am not giving you a way of getting wealth by this fashion because that is not what serving God is about! Yes, there are some out there who use their ministries to do just that, but they will have to answer for this and many other things one day.

All that I ask is that those of you who read this post, search the Scriptures for faith, do your homework for God and your ministry for His Kingdom because in the end, when this life is over you will be standing before Him. Do you want to bow before Him as a humble servant and a minister or will you stand arrogant and proud of what your ministry accomplished! IT WASN'T YOUR MINISTRY!! If you truly are a child of God and have surrendered your life to Him, then anything that your ministry did or accomplished belonged to God and it always did!

In Christ

Many people seem to wonder at the claim of Christians of being "in Christ". What exactly does it mean? I am not sure that I have the time or the typing ability to write that treatise which would explain it simply but also fully, but I will do my best.

The claim or the idea of being "In Christ" means no more or less than when someone tells their significant other that they are in love with them, and yet it actually does have far more deeply religious meanings than just being "in love" with someone. Jesus was and is the Son of God, His earthly father who helped teach and raise Him as a carpenter on Earth was Joseph, a descendant of David who was an earlier King of Israel. Jesus' mother Mary was also a descendant of David, so he was also considered a Son of David by lineage.

The label of Christ which means Messiah was not part of Jesus' name, but was given to Him in the writings of the New Testament and by His followers who believed that He was the Son of God and therefore the Messiah that they were expecting according to prophecy. Some writers today claim that He didn't exist because historians of the period didn't mention Him, which is absurd because they didn't mention many people who lived in the period and yet we have skeletal proof that they existed, famous or not.

There won't be any mention of me in the history books of the future, but I am writing this piece and unless all of my writings are purged at some future time, I did exist long enough to write something. The Christ or Messiah was prophesied to come from the time of Adam and Eve when God said that the "seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent". Since God is Jesus' Father, He is the seed of the woman because God used the egg from Mary and created Jesus with His humanity, but not the nature of a human father.

Your life and mine have a purpose to fulfill. Mine is to be a pastor and a type of missionary for Christ to the best of my ability. Since I cannot travel the world, I have to keep these blogs of mine going. I apologize for not getting to this one more often, even though it was the first that I started. I have four other blogs over at Wordpress.com that I write for and all of them, to some extent, are blogs about world happenings and their place in prophecy and of course they point to Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

Getting back to being in Christ, we are as Christians in Christ and He lives in us through the Holy Spirit giving us hope and strength and the words to say when needed in defense of our beliefs. He is living in all of those who have given their lives to Him, but He doesn't force His life on you or in you. Many of you know that being forced to do something, especially belief or love is really impossible, you can't be forced to "love" someone or be forced to believe in something that you don't truly believe!

That would be like forcing a square peg into a round hole, if you pound upon it long enough it might go in but you will likely break the board or the peg before that happens. Which is what is happening in the Middle East right now. Isis is trying to force people to bow or believe in Islam and if they don't they kill them. Belief cannot be forced, no matter how much you threaten or point a gun or knife or sword at me, I will not give up or deny my Savior! I would rather die, because by doing so I will be standing in His Presence in Heaven and no longer bound by disease and disability as I am now! So, in truth, if you kill me you are doing me a favor and if it is God's will that I die this way, then I will gladly give my life for Jesus and for my belief in Him! After all, He died so that we might have life eternal and I give my life to Him every morning when I get up to do His work while I am able.

In Christ is what we are as Christians and it is not something which many people can understand unless they are a Christian. You come to a saving knowledge of Him through faith, it is not forced into you nor can it be taken from you, although I gladly give it away through my preaching at my church and through these blogs. Consider Christ Jesus as your Messiah, seek Him through the reading of God's Word and pray for understanding so that you will be counted among those who will stand with Him on that day when all will bow to Him.

Speak the Truth but only in love!

Why do we tend to make up stuff to say in front of people? We want to make people think that we are more than we are. We want to be more important in the eyes of other people than we are supposed to be! Why do I think this? Because it is true! We, as Christians, are supposed to be examples to everyone that we meet and if we are not committed to being Christians then we might as well not be.

God loves you and all that you can do because He knows what you are capable of, especially when we are doing His will or at least trying to be in His will. We are able to be prophets and disciples for Jesus and bring His Truth to everyone who needs to hear it. No, we won't be giving the news ahead of time unless we are glorifying God with a prophecy from Him. God's prophecies are all in the Bible and unless you are repeating them, then you are telling something which is not from Him!

The Truth is from God because He is the Truth. We are here because of His Truth and grace. God loves you more than you or I can understand and the only way that you can learn of it is by reading and studying God's Word, the Bible. Yes, there are wars in the Bible, yes there is incest in the beginning of the book, there are people who kill their children and other people's children while worshipping other gods. The reason for this is because the people went into the land that God promised to them, but they didn't kill all of the people that had been living there. Why was this important? Because God knew that if they did not, His people would stray into another religion and worship other "gods".

We make up our own gods today and people do it all the time. We can't get by without our phones, our jobs, our families, our churches or the prestige that we have from our wealth and we turn those things into our "gods" today! The truth is that we look at all of these things as parts of our lives that we can't make it for a day or more without them and we need to put God in that place! He needs to be the One that we can't get up without in the morning or go to work without or drive home without! He needs to be more important than our cell phones? People walk around with those things stuck to their faces everywhere and yet they supposedly they don't have time for God!

God's love for you....

He loves you in such a DEEP and intimate way until you cannot fathom exactly how much He truly does love you! Satan and the world at large try to tell you that God doesn't care about you or anything that goes on in or on this Earth, but He honestly does. I mean, honestly, do you think that He would've allowed His Son to die for you or me or the rest of humanity if He didn't love us?

You may not believe in God or in His Son, but God does love you. Why? Because God IS LOVE! He can't help but love His creation and you and I are a part of that! Yes, there are many people in this world who don't believe and may never believe in Him or His Son and truly that is too bad. There is nothing that I can do or say that will change their minds and unless they feel or hear the call to their heart from Him and answer it, they will never know Him. The problem is that they will blame Him for it when it is their decision to believe or not!

Can anything be done to prove to anyone that God exists? No, not really. People in our world are deceived by their eyes and by science and by Satan, although many don't think that he exists either. I have met many who don't want to change their minds, even if you could prove God's existence. But...one day they will meet Him. Because we will all stand before Him and give account for our lives and the deeds done by us..each word, each syllable uttered that was hurtful or may have caused a child to disbelieve in God. Every action that we did in life, if it was not covered by the blood of Jesus, will be accounted for.

When you are not a child of God what are you exactly? You are a human being just like everyone else, regardless of the color of your skin or the culture that you grew up in. God knows this because He knows you! He knows exactly where you...each of us is at any time, no matter how dark the place may be or if you feel that God is not in this place, He is. God loves you no matter where you might be, all that you need to do is allow Him into your life.

He will not push or poke His way into your life, you may feel a tug at your heart when you hear a sermon but unless you answer that call it will be unanswered until the next time. If you close your mind and your heart to God though and decide for yourself that it isn't worth giving your life to Him, He may stop calling and just allow you to be the way that you want to be. Grace is available to all but unless you make the decision to let Jesus into your life it won't happen.

Jesus came and died on a cross and rose again so that we all could have eternal life but we have to believe in Him and in the fact that it is His blood that purifies your sinful life before God. You can't do it, Muhammad can't do it, Buddha can't do it...there is no other person or priest who can pray for you and absolve you of your sins. Jesus is the only way...the only Shepherd that can bring you into eternity.
Believe it or not, it won't matter whether you are a good person and have given your life to doing good things or maybe you have given thousands of dollars to charity to feed the poor and the sick and disabled. These are all wonderful things to do, but unless you are a Christian and have the love of Jesus in your life and you did them for His glory and not your own...they don't mean anything.

People will think well of you for doing this but it will have no lasting significance, no eternal reward for you because it was done for your recognition and not for God's glory! He will enhance your life and your eternity with His love and His grace and He will help you to be more of what you are supposed to be in Him and through Him. Think about it and seek Him, while there is time to do so.

God loves you, each of you, and He has from the beginning. We are not specks of dust to Him, living on a speck of dust in the universe, we are His children..His Creation. Don't live your life as if there is no tomorrow and then die and find out that there is an eternity to come? Please consider that He loves you and read His Word, pray that He will help you to understand your place in His world...His creation.

What do you think God feels…….

When we decide not to trust in Him or people kill each other for reasons that no one understands, but God. When babies are aborted for selfish reasons like convenience. They are a gift from God regardless of how we feel about them. He cannot and will not stop us from doing these things even when He doesn’t like them. Our life and the lives we have been given on earth are gifts from Him. What we choose to do with them is our choice. No matter what the choice is, good or bad.

That is why when people ask me, “Where was God when all those children were tortured or killed in those countries”, the only answer is that He was there in the midst of it. His anger won’t blaze against us for these atrocities until the time when He comes back to judge humanity for our sinful deeds. What about the children that are beaten and abused, physically, sexually or verbally in this country? He doesn’t turn a blind ear or eye to them either. Their parents or guardians will answer for their crimes as well.

In the countries where Christians are tortured and persecuted for their beliefs, God feels all of the things that they are going through because He is there in the midst of it all with them. So, how does He feel when this is happening? I am sure that it hurts Him, so let me ask this: "Shouldn't you be afraid of the Creator a bit, since He made this world and everything in it?" Would you walk up to a strong man's house and abuse his children in front of him? If you knew that he could rip your arms out of their sockets, would that make you a bit fearful of him? So, if you are afraid of a man, how much more should you think about God and fear Him too?

God loves each one of us and wants to get to know us, but in order to do that we have to ask Him to come into our lives and our heart. We have to take the step toward Him, because He will not force Himself on us. It is our choice! So, make it a good one and one that you can live through eternity with!

Life is .....

Life is...? What? Hard? Easy? Difficult? Mostly, life is all of these. Occasionally, all of them at the same time! The wind blows, the trees sway. The river and streams run and tumble and play, But the rocks are still, yet the are shaped By wind and water too. Life is like that as well. The things that we experience shape our lives and how we perceive life. Can we do anything about the life that we live? Sometimes, but most of the time we just have to live it. Give that some thought, then I will get back to you.

Christmas means….

 

Scripture: Luke 2: 8-20

In our culture today what does this time of year mean? To some it means that their business may end the year with a little money in the bank. To others it means that they hope they will get what they want for Christmas from Santa. What about in countries which are less fortunate than we are?

What about the children in Korea with their eyes so big and bright, what does this time of year mean to them? In North Korea, they may be looking for food and hoping they will have a meal tonight. In South Korea, where there are some churches and a fairly robust economy, they may be celebrating Jesus’ birth just like we do.

I wonder also about those who live in Africa. In places like Zimbabwe where the annual income may be fifty dollars, where people live in huts and never see shopping malls or a Christmas tree, what do they think of this time of year that is celebrated in most countries?

How about the Muslim countries, where Christmas is not celebrated at all?

I am sure it means different things to different people depending on their culture and their beliefs.

Do we forget about Jesus at this time of year? I have heard of people who set an extra place at the table for Him because it is His birthday that we celebrate. It isn’t our birthday but it is the Lord’s birthday and this is a time to remember Him and why He came.

(READ Luke 2:8-14)

The announcement that went out to the earth about God’s Son being born went to the shepherds, not the temple, not the high priest. Why do you think God went to the outcasts of society to announce the birth of His Son? I think it is because they would receive the news with humble hearts and with willing spirits. They were chosen by God and told the news by a multitude of angels, they had to feel honored even if society said they didn’t deserve honor.

Shepherds were considered unclean and not allowed to participate in any worship service, even though they took care of the animals which were used as sacrifices.

What about today? How do we receive the news of Jesus and His sacrifice for us? Do we humbly bow and thank Him and ask Him to come into our lives and be near to us every day? I am sure that is what He wants of us but not just on holidays or at certain times of the year, or when things are going bad. Jesus wants us to be near to Him as He is with us every day and in all things, great and small in our lives.

Doesn’t He deserve our respect and praise? For all the things that God has done for us through Jesus and through His work on the cross the least that we owe Him is our life in service to Him. Is there any higher calling than to be called a “child of God”? I don’t think so and I don’t believe any of you think that either.

So, what are we to do when we realize who we are in relation to Him? Do we become missionaries? Yes, in a manner of speaking we are supposed to be just that, because Jesus told us to be the light of the world and to take the gospel to all people. We can do that every day while we are working, or at a restaurant or a ball game. We do it by our life and our witness to others and when His Spirit is working through you they will see it and recognize it.

Getting back to the shepherds and what they saw and did; they saw the glory of the Lord shining from those angels who were proclaiming that the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem. In the darkness of the Judean hills the light must have been breathtaking, like spot-lights shining all around them. Today with the technology that we have lights in the sky wouldn’t be a big deal, but these were angels and they were SINGING and there were no lights at that time except for a fire or a candle so the glory coming from them would’ve been much brighter than they were used to.

Can you imagine how those shepherds felt? “What is this from God? Why is He telling us this?” They might have been thinking those things but they listened to the message and obeyed. They went to Bethlehem and found the Christ child and worshiped Him.

This is all that we are called to do in our lives but we are to do more than just worship. We are called to be ministers and teachers about our faith and why we have the faith that we have. We are to be the voice of Jesus and his hands and feet in a world that is rejecting Him now and in the future, until we are taken to be with Him.

God is in control, even when it seems that He isn't

Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, the list could go on and on. These are the signs of the end of the age and it is because of this end that these things are happening. God knew that they were going to happen and how many people would be affected by them long before they happened. He is not the cause of them but many people are asking "Where is God? Why didn't He stop this from happening?" Because it is part of the birth-pains of creation that is why.

Our Creator and His Son, Jesus, knew these things would happen before the end of the age. That is why Jesus told His disciples that they would happen before the falling away and before the end of the age. He did not specify where or what would happen only that it would be a sign to watch for.

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24: 4-13)

In many ways verse 13 confuses people when it refers to the "one who stands firm to the end will be saved", this verse is not a reference to those of us living in Christ now because we are supposed to be taken to heaven before the terrible part of the tribulation begins. This verse refers to those who come to Christ during the tribulation and hold onto their faith without giving in to the Antichrist's demands that they worship him. Even though they may be killed because of this, their souls will be saved.

The time to come to Jesus and give your life and heart to Him is NOW! We are not guaranteed any time past each breath that we take and each breath is given by God. So, when you draw your last breath only God knows when that will be and hopefully you will be ready to meet Him at that time. No one can save your soul and grant you entrance into Heaven except Jesus and belief in Him, other than that you are wasting your time!

God loves you all and wants you all to be His, but that will not happen by wishing or hoping that you have been good enough. None of us can be good enough to merit a place in heaven on our own, even Abraham had faith in God and that is what was credited to him as righteousness. Your only hope of eternity is through Jesus, that is it! The pope can't get you there, praying to Allah can't get you there, Buddha can't get you there, Scientology can't get you there. None of these man-made religions can get you into eternity and Heaven! Only belief in and following Jesus can do that!

Give Jesus a chance in your life and leave everything in His hands from this point on. Once you do that, your Hope in Him will sustain and keep you until you meet Him and when you do, you will have an eternity to get to know Him and the Father and everyone else in Heaven.

Does our life really matter in the grand scheme of things?

The answer to that question is: “It depends on who you are serving, yourself or God.”

Do you ever feel that life and the living of it is just too hard or stressful? I do. There are days when I wish that a truck would just lose control and end my life right there regardless of whether I am going to work or coming home. But, most days I have my son in the car with me so I don’t pray for anything like that to happen. You do have to be careful about what you ask for, you know. Depression is an awful and deceitful emotion. It creeps up on you gradually, just a little at a time and then one day it hits you like a truck with no brakes!

Depression really does hurt. Especially when our daily grind is unrewarding or when you feel that life and this world are not treating you fairly. If you are not a Christian, days like this can cause all sorts of things to happen and most of them are not good. Being a Christian doesn’t exempt you from days like this.

In fact, it seems to multiply them occasionally. If you haven’t matured enough or if you have other things in your life that you haven’t confessed lately, that is when God gets out His polishing tools and puts you through some trials in order to make you into the Christian that He needs you to be.

He knows the outcome but that doesn’t stop Him from doing what needs to be done to bring out your best, even if it hurts. The pain that comes during these times is not unbearable because He said that He would not allow us to go through a trial that He can’t provide a way out of.

If you are serving yourself, the grand scheme really doesn’t matter unless it is a personal accomplishment of some kind. Because your personal “grand scheme” likely will not affect the whole world, just your piece of it, then what will become of your accomplishments and your family when your life is over?

If you are serving God, then the grand scheme should be His and you should be asking for His guidance to do whatever it is that is necessary to fulfill your part of it. He will provide you with exactly what you need, when you need it according to His plans for you. He doesn’t always give you what you ask for when you ask for it because He knows that we sometimes ask for things that we aren’t ready for or that we really don’t need.

Come to the throne of grace and ask Him into your life. Your life and your daily walk with Him will never be the same. It will be BETTER!!

Heaven IS better than hell!

I saw something tonight which upset my whole world, I saw a post on someone’s site which said exactly the opposite of my title. How could someone, even an atheist, believe that hell could possibly be better than Heaven?

The absence of God and light, other than from the fires of hell. The absence of anything of beauty or of anything which is living other than the creatures which inhabit hell. The people and the demons (fallen angels that followed Satan) which are there have no souls, and yet they will never die, even if they wish to. There are no parties, no laughter, no joy, no peace, no water, nothing good other than what you may wish you had done in your life on earth.

This is what is waiting for those who reject God and His grace through Christ. God does not wish that any should experience this place. It was created for Satan and his followers, not for humans. And yet, if you choose to reject God and the truth told in the Bible, you are at enmity with Him just like those who followed Satan and rebelled against God.

God loves us all and doesn’t want anyone to go to this place. Give Christ your life and your heart. Ask Him to show you how to be a follower of His and what you need to do to serve Him in this life so that you will have a real life after this one. Jesus loves us all and wants us all to be there with Him. Please give Him a chance in your life today, right now!  You don’t know if you have tomorrow or next week. Don’t wait because waiting may be too late.

Jesus came to save the lost of the world, us, from the punishment which was designed for those who followed Satan. Hell was not designed for us, mankind was never meant to go there in the beginning. We condemn ourselves to this place if we reject the gift of grace through Jesus and refuse to accept Him as our savior. It is not too late so don’t wait, you may not have another chance.

Take care lest ye fall ….

Our world today tends toward glorifying wealth and the accumulation of things. What good can this possibly bring to anyone? The possession of possessions, expensive or not, is a disease that our culture has. Not just in America, but being consumers means that we consume anything and everything that we can get our hands on. What kind of society is that? Would any sane person want to be a part of a world in which being a consumer was all that you strive for?

Is there a cure or even a way out of this for our world? Or even for our culture and our country? Does anyone care that our economy is failing? Not just the economy of America but eventually the economies of other nations as well, like what happened eighty years ago during the Great Depression. When the economy of America crumbled, the financial systems of the entire world crumbled too. That could happen again, then what are we going to do?

The only real cure for out world, not just America, is to turn to the One who has the answers for all of these questions. The Word of God has the answers that the world seeks, but the world doesn’t receive it and won’t until their hearts come to the knowledge of Christ. I am not speaking of a particular race or country, but to the whole of humanity.

Christ died for all of our sins, regardless of what those sins are or were. Sin, to God, is sin and it doesn’t matter if it is telling someone you will do something and then not doing it or if you killed thousands of people in the name of Allah. A lie or murder or a sexual sin of any kind before, during or after marriage is still sinful and they all carry the same penalty, eternal separation from Heaven and God.

Eternal separation means hell, even though it was made for the devil and his followers, that is where those who don’t accept Jesus and his grace will go when they die. There will be no “eternal party”, it will be torturous for all time to come and it hinges on one decision, whether you believe Jesus died for your sins and paid the price for them or not.  That’s it! The entire gospel can be summed up in that sentence.

One world currency and a “united earth” cannot fix our problems, because the differences are still there. Culturally, spiritually, collectively, our differences will always separate us from each other and from God. Until we decide to trust Him and His redemptive work, which Jesus did for us, and accept it into our hearts, we will be separated from God here and in eternity.

When we are separated from God in this life, who has control of your life’s outcome? You may believe that you do, but you don’t. Satan does. He is the temporary ruler of the world. He knows that his time is limited and that when the end of the age comes, and Christ steps on the earth again, his rule is over. No time-outs, no do-overs. Christ finished His redemptive work on the cross, He said so when He said, “It is finished”. The only thing that is keeping the end of the age from coming is the last person who will accept Him has not done so yet. When that happens, the age of the church will be over. Don’t wait until then.

PTSD in daily living

Post traumatic stress disorder sounds intimidating but it happens all around us, not just to soldiers. Children experience it from bullying at school or from constant tension at home. Men and women experience it at work as doctors, nurses, fire department personnel, police personnel and in tense arguments at home. Soldiers experience it anytime that they are in a dangerous and life threatening situation.

We are all in life threatening situations when we get on the highway but it seems so normal until we don’t see it that way until something happens around us or to us and our family.  Some days, just living can be a stress producing ordeal which can traumatize our minds. These are the times that we should be reaching out to God to be our constant companion in every situation. Our comforter and guide is always waiting for us to call on Him and He will be there.

Jesus said that we would receive a comforter when He went back to the Father and as Christians we have that but some of us don’t count on Him daily like we should. God loves us all, no matter where we are and until we allow Him to enter our hearts and live there daily, we can never know the depth of His love for us.

In many ways, the lack of commitment to being a servant of God is the reason for Post traumatic stress disorder.  If we would humble ourselves and come to Him daily, we would not have such stressful lives and if the stress was there we would have Him to comfort us in our time of need. There are many ways that people today have to find comfort. Some are legal and some are not but most of us find a way to find comfort whether it is temporary or permanent. The kind of comfort we find in serving Jesus is permanent.

Read the Bible, it is good for you and for your future. It also contains the most helpful wisdom that can be found in this life and it is the source of most “self-help” advice, in my opinion. Our Creator put your DNA together bit by bit before you were born and He knew you long before that. Give Him a chance in your life to prove that He really is the One, the Excellent Counselor and the Prince of Peace.  Romans 8:28

Faith in Today's Church, is it real?

 

The church that our Lord began two thousand years ago seems to be lost. Not from the lack of members or converts, but from a lack of conviction and purpose. We, as the Church that our Lord gave His life for, have become stale, bland and unappealing to those who need Hope the most. Like salt which has lost its saltiness and is good for nothing, and the message has lost its fire.

The message from the church only causes more strife and bitterness in the world at large rather than giving men hope. Why is that? Jesus taught us a message of hope and yet Christians today seem to be unable to give that hope or His message the fire and the flavor that they once did. The enemy seems to be able to quench the fire of our faith too easily, why is that?

It is because our lives have become too involved with “stuff”, not just our everyday existence but other insignificant issues which get in the way like so many thorns and weeds. The only way to overcome our adversary is to study God's Word and get our hunger for it back. If we don't do that, he will overcome us and our message, and the Church cannot, must not allow that to happen! The Spirit will guide us and protect us but we have to be willing to follow Him daily.

Our coming to God is not of our own volition because we are drawn by the Spirit. Once we claim our place in His service as Christians, God never lets go. We may walk away but He is always there waiting for us like a patient Father. The time which we have here on earth is to be of service to Him but so is our eternal service after this life. This will not be a chore, as some would think, but a glad and cheerful service as unto someone dearly loved.

The message which was given by Jesus to be spread to the “uttermost parts of the earth” was and is the good news of the Kingdom of God. This also includes the forgiveness of sins through our Lord's suffering for all on the cross with His death and resurrection putting the final blow to the control over us by our sinful nature. Once we come to Him, believing in Him and the forgiveness extended to us through His sacrifice for us, we can never lose that which we cannot gain through any act of our own.

The sacrifice that our Lord made on our behalf is something that no mere man can accomplish, only the Son of the Most High God! Only the Lion of Judah could accomplish the forgiveness which was needed for the whole world. No law or man-made “thing” can accomplish this. Our so-called righteousness is as formless as a vapor and has no substance to it at all, especially from the point of view which God has. A perfect and Holy God cannot view imperfect man and his imperfect righteousness.

YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO A GOD WHO TRULY WANTS TO SAVE YOU (Ezekiel18:30.32)

 

The Jews in exile were saying that God was going to condemn them so He could watch them suffer, that God would take pleasure in destroying them (vv. 30.32).

Ezekiel's reply to this idea was that God does not want you to die! (See v. 23.) These statements from God cannot be any more plain, forceful, or beautiful than this: I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies. (v. 32). God wanted His people to live. He did not want Judah to be destroyed; He wanted His people to live, not to die!

If they died, it would not be because God wanted it to happen; it would be instead because they refused to listen to God’s prophet and turn from their sins that they might be saved, so they might live! Even so today: If you die, if you are lost now and are lost eternally, it is not  because that is what God wants. God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9); rather, He wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Jesus died for all (Hebrews 2:9); the grace of God that brings salvation
is available to all (Titus 2:11). If you ultimately are lost, then, why will it
happen? The answer is sin. Sin condemns (Romans 6:23), regardless of the type of sin that it may be.

Even that answer is incomplete. We are lost because of our sins, certainly; but if that were the complete answer, everyone would be lost eternally, for all have sinned (Romans 3:23). Why will you be lost? The answer is unrepented-of sins! That was Judah's problem: It was not merely that Judah had sinned, but that Judah had, in spite of the warnings of the prophets, refused to repent. Ezekiel came with a final appeal: Repent and live.! (18:32b). In the end, Judah was destroyed as a result of the people's failure to heed Ezekiel's appeal.

Likewise, if anyone should perish, the reason will not be that God wanted it to happen. Rather, destruction will come because you have failed to heed the warnings found repeatedly in His Word.  Repent and live!

Our life in Him, His Life in us!

Some people think that Christianity is just like other religions. That there is no difference other than the person that we believe in. We still have to try hard to be good enough to “get saved” before Jesus will accept us as His. This view of doctrine is not from God’s Word.

Jesus’ words were “I will abide in you and you abide in Me”. The word translated as “abide” can mean many things like “walk, live with, or trust”. Our responsibility as Christians is to daily live as Christ would have us live. Follow Him daily or as scripture puts it “pick up your cross daily and follow Me”.

God expects us to be holy as He is holy but He knows that we cannot do this without Him. We are not able to be holy on our own, our righteousness is as “filthy rags” before a holy God. Without Jesus in your heart, nothing that you do or say can ever be “worthy” enough.

Other religions of the world try to get us to work our way toward heaven so that it is our accomplishment and our way which brings us to heaven. These religions have been and are being deceived by the ruler of this world, Satan, the adversary of God. He can and has done this for many thousands of years and is still doing it. The world doesn’t like Christians or our message because our message is against their way of life. It makes everything that they do or say look foolish because it is when judged by God’s Word.

Before the troubled times come at the end of this age, please read the Bible! Ask someone to explain it to you, pray about it and ask God to show you what you should know and what you need to know. He will if you ask.

Do you ever feel like your voice is never heard?

Do you ever feel like your voice is never heard, even when you are talking with someone close to you? A friend, your wife or husband or even your dad or mom? Does it feel like your voice is just going into the air and no one actually hears what you are saying? In a crowded place do you feel alone, as I do? These feelings are what is considered normal in today’s society but they are not normal in any sense at all!

Do you feel empty, like there is always something missing? Something that you know that you should have or something that you feel deep down that you really need and yet you know that you don’t have it yet? We were actually created with this “need”, but we were not given the identity of that need. We are supposed to find it ourselves. The problem with that is that we usually look in all the wrong places for this “something” that we know or feel will make us “happy”. Why is that?

Our society and its expectations are such that we look to “trophies” of one kind or another to make us “happy” or fulfilled, and in reality these trophies can do no such thing. No matter how much money, fame, honor, glory, praise, or prestige you may have, it will never fill the ache inside which you have felt for most of your life.

The only way to fill that emptiness is with a relationship with God and His Son, Jesus. When you truly accept Him into your life, the void will begin to fill up! It will continue to fill as you seek Him to guide your life daily through prayer and by reading His Word, the Bible. God is not dead as some say and He is not asleep. He has not forgotten us because He can’t. We are His creation, all of us! Prophecy from His word tells us this and that He is not finished. There are many things yet to come.

Your life can be a witness to His glory and for Him. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Jew, or a Muslim, or Hindu or Buddhist, if you give your life to Him and ask Him into your heart the void in your life will be filled! It will begin to fill up and it will continue until He comes back or you are taken home to be with Him. The life we live here is but a temporary, fleeting existence. Our real life begins at our meeting Jesus and continues on from there. Death has no control over our life after that, this world and its troubles has no control over our life and its meaning after we accept the Christ. Our witness to every person that we come in contact with daily matters more than anything we can accomplish on earth because everything here is temporary.

Your life and what you choose to do with it is what matters and what matters the most is what you choose to do with Jesus in relation to the life you live and what you pass on to others. Whether they are your friends, your children or your family in general, the message that you portray to others as a Christian is your legacy that you will leave when you die. Nothing else truly matters until that part of your life is filled with Him. When that happens, then your life has a purpose and a true meaning. Before you accept Jesus nothing has an eternal meaning but after you do, everything can have an eternal meaning when you are living your life for Him and through Him daily.  Have a blessed day in His Service.

Standing accused before a Judge

Standing before the Judge and about to be sentenced for a serious crime, how would you feel? What could you say in your defense that would make a difference? Anything?

“I have given ten percent to my church all of my adult life”; “I have always helped out during Christmas at the homeless shelter”; “I gave over a million dollars to the relief of hunger in Israel”:  Would any of these wonderful humanitarian acts mean anything in relation to the crimes you are convicted of? Have you forgotten anything?

Just before the Judge sentences you, a Man steps forward and tells the Judge, “I know he is guilty but I will pay for his crimes. I will take the punishment for him. Let him go free!”  What kind of person would do such a thing? Why?

The answer lies in a simple but profound word, love.  We are not wrongly accused at all. All of humanity has fallen short in that we cannot be good enough on our own. I know the One who would take and has taken the punishment for all of our sins, do you? The Man who stepped forward is Jesus and the one accused could be any of us. Our own humanitarian acts and good deeds in this life are not good enough to get us into heaven. We can’t be good enough because without Jesus, we are just as guilty of rejecting God’s gift of salvation as Lucifer and the other angels are of rebellion.

Our lives and the good works which we may do are gifts from God and yet the only way to heaven is through the blood of Jesus that was shed for our sins long before we were born. God cares for all of us, Jew and Gentile, but if we choose to live our lives our way instead of giving our life to Him through Jesus then it is our decision that condemns us not Him. It is a hard concept to accept from our limited point of view and it seems too easy, but that is why God gives us the choice and the ability to choose.

Give serious consideration to the message here and those found in the Bible because it is important! Your life here and in the hereafter will be greatly affected by your decision, so choose carefully. Regardless of the rhetoric out there regarding life or the lack of it after you die, wouldn’t you rather choose Jesus and His gift and find out that the Bible is true, than to choose not to believe and still find out that the Bible is true? One choice leads to life forever and the other leads to  eternal punishment for the simple act of refusing to believe.

URGENT RECALL NOTICE!

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction

2. Foul vocal emissions

3. Amnesia of origin

4. Lack of peace and joy

5. Selfish or violent behavior

6. Depression or confusion in the mental component

7. Fearfulness

8. Idolatry

9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.

The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas is:

P-R-A-Y-E-R.

Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure.

Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love

2. Joy

3. Peace

4. Patience

5. Kindness

6. Goodness

7. Faithfulness

8. Gentleness

9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.

Thank you for your attention!

GOD

P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'!

Because He Lives

Our country needs PRAYER, NOW!!

We are just before losing our country to radicals and because of the government's stand against Israel. I am calling on ALL Christians, regardless of your denomination, in this country or around the world to start fasting and praying for the USA.

I am beginning a forty day fast starting this Friday and I call on all committed Christians to do the best that they can to follow me in this. Even fasting for one day and praying will let God know that we are all serious about this so please consider it. Our world is rapidly approaching the end time spoke of in the Bible and if we don't do something, nothing will be done!

I await your comments on this.