Category: Abide in Him

Do you feel meaningless?


I have felt this way before. Some days…I still do. But we don’t have to. Our Creator gives us meaning and a purpose IF we will listen to Him and follow His directions. Now, I am not saying that we have to follow Him blindly like sheep who follow their shepherd as he leads them to a good pasture. What I am saying is that each day, in fact each hour that we live in service to Jesus and showing others what He has done for us is full of meaning and purpose. Even if you are writing a blog or teaching your children about Him or working at your job, your witness is your life. The meaning of your life is that He has saved you from an eternity of punishment for your sins and for rejecting Him as your Savior.

It seems that many people today do feel as if their lives are without meaning, but why? Is it because of the bullying which happens on social media? Very likely. Is it because parents have been “validating” their children for more than two decades regardless of how well they do or not? Probably. Why do I say this? Because when you have been told that you are perfect and beautiful and that everything that you do matters most of your life…you begin to believe it. Then when reality punches you in the face at college or on a job…it is very painful. You find out that words really can hurt and they hurt deeply.

Wounds from spoken words don’t heal quickly for most people. Especially when they are not the praise and adoration kind which your parents heaped on you when you were young. My words here may even hurt some people’s feelings but reality is like that.

God loves you and He knows exactly how you feel inside and what you are capable of doing. So living up to His expectations and His love for you is something which takes a lifetime to accomplish. It is not something that you can do today or tomorrow and that’s all you have to do. When you give your heart to Jesus and repent of your “old life” whatever it might have been, you are expected to strive toward becoming more like Jesus each and every day. You can’t do this on your own though. You have to have His Spirit inside you guiding you and directing your steps every day, one step at a time.

Becoming a Christian is exactly that. It is a process which you and the Holy Spirit work on together each day while learning more about God and His love for you. Reading and studying His Word so that you can defend your faith and so your mind will be washed in the Living Water of His Word. Others who are very religious in this world memorize their holy books so they can refute any ideas which we, as Christians, may want to talk about. Knowing God’s Word well and the principles which He wants us to live by gives us the “full armor of God” to deflect the darts from the Adversary. By being a warrior for God’s Kingdom you should never feel meaningless because you are fighting for the King of Kings!

Consider the sparrows…


They don’t work for their food or for their shelter yet God provides for them. He even knows when one of them falls to the ground. God has more love for us than for them, so don’t worry about what you will eat or what to wear. God has even numbered the hairs on our heads so if He cares enough for other parts of His Creation to take care of them, won’t He take care of us as well?

God has also named every star in the heavens and He knows where each one is because He hung it there. All of the atoms and elements in the universe are tuned by God so that life can exist here. So why do so many people think that He doesn’t care about them or each one of us? He has always cared for us and He knew each of us from the beginning of time yet there are many who won’t believe it today. Eternity is going to be very lonely and painful if you don’t know Him and believe in Jesus for your salvation.

Confessing Christ

(Luke 12:8-12)

32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

The Sword of the Gospel

(Luke 12:49-53)

34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

Take up Your Cross

(Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-27)

37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

The Reward of Service

(2 Kings 4:8-17)

40He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

If you have given your heart to Jesus and have been following Him in your daily life, you will not fear death nor anything which may happen in the future. Your future, your eternity is sure and you will spend it with Him. If you have not followed Jesus in your life and have decided that salvation is not something you want then your eternity is sure too, but it will be in hell with the rest of those who have rebelled against God. Make sure of what you believe and Who you believe in.

Do you believe in God?


According to a poll which was taken recently, over half of the people who believe in God do not believe in God as described in the Bible, God’s Word! Huh? Yes, the poll was taken about a year ago but how can you believe in God and not believe in the God of the Bible? God is the Creator and our Savior as well and He is described in His Word as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. So how can you decide to “not believe” in God as described in the Bible?

Is it because you don’t like Him or what He asks people to do? I looked at the picture which they had on the link above and it shows clearly how America’s belief breaks down. Here it is:

So how can this be in a country which claims to be Christian in it’s belief system? What happened in our churches or the sermons which people have heard? Have they heard a sermon preached from the Bible or was it just a pep talk about how they feel with a few scriptures thrown in for good measure?

I know that prayer and the Bible were taken out of our education system over fifty years ago but that can’t be the only reason which is making this kind of impact on our culture! College professors are teaching their own agendas in class and much of that is against any sort of Christian ideas. Then there are the other parts of our culture like movies and TV shows which push their agenda of unbiblical ideas and ideas which go against the Ten Commandments. All of this is piling up in our daily lives with our children watching these shows, unless we turn the TV off or just don’t have one in the house.

How can we fight this? By teaching our children from God’s Word and by preaching from God’s Word too. If we don’t teach our children from God’s Word, how will they know what God says about our sinful ways of living? People will never know what sin is unless they are taught from God’s Word and His laws which are what our laws are based upon.

If nobody goes into the world to tell others about God and His will for their lives, how will they know? Until preachers and teachers tell others about Jesus and God and His laws which have been a part of our world for over two thousand years the percentage of true believers will keep going down.

Jesus is coming back soon and until people know it and know why He is returning nobody will be expecting His return. Which means when it does happen, it will terrify the entire world even those who have heard it at least once in church. I pray that those who don’t believe in Him or have never heard this will seek Him while there is still time.

Jesus is Coming

6And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

7Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

8And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

10And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Nothing May Be Added

18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Is your culture Christian?


In some areas of our country and in some other countries, there are cultures which have had access to a church or a Bible for most of their lives. But, just because you have heard sermons and had access to a Bible, either at home or at church, for most of your life does that really translate into you being a Christian? In America those of us who live in the “Bible belt” of the South seem to be culturally “Christian” just because we have grown up in the church, regardless of the denomination. We have heard sermons and watched crusades on TV and may even watch Christian television occasionally. But are we more like Christ or do we have more in common with the priests and Pharisees of Jesus’ day?

Are we truly Christians or do we just know about Christianity and its trappings?

Reading the Bible at church and singing the worship songs is great but does it mean that you or I are Christians? Have we accepted Jesus as our Savior because we know that we can’t get into Heaven without faith in Him? Or are we just going through the motions because that’s what we’ve always done? Jesus condemned people who think they are Christians and yet they really aren’t. Read it here:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name,drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’” (Matt. 7:21–23)

Performing good works and going to church and praying “in Jesus’ name” doesn’t mean that you are saved! Giving your life and your heart to Him and repenting of your sinful ways and then growing in that faith is the only real proof of being saved and born again into the family of God. By your faith and your growth in your faith after you accept Jesus as your Savior is the only proof of salvation. Just praying to God every day or so or reading the Bible occasionally is proof of nothing except that you know Who He is and that you have read the Bible.

Satan knows every word written in the Bible and he knows Who God and Jesus are, but he won’t give his life to them or serve them. He can be the best religious attendee at your church or mine but he will cause a rift in the church eventually. He can appear as an angel in light and speak the words of the Bible in your ears but he is not serving God. He is trying to get you away from God and your salvation.

Beware the “feeling” of the experience in a church service because it is deceptive. It can make you feel as if you felt something, but what did you feel? Emotions don’t produce salvation or true repentance from your sinful life. If the Holy Spirit has convicted you of your need for Jesus, please seek Him out at a Bible teaching church or a friend who can lead you to your Savior. Don’t turn away from Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s calling in your life. Just because you have been in church all of your life doesn’t mean that you are saved, it just means that you know about God and Jesus and Who they are. I pray that anyone seeking Jesus will look for Him in God’s Word diligently and make sure of your salvation while there is still time to do so.

Salvation


What is it and how do I get it?

For one thing, salvation is not something that you just go out and get. The only time that we even realize that we need salvation is when the Holy Spirit convicts your Spirit that it is necessary. Most of us tend to go through our teen years without a care in the world. Sometimes we even get through college without feeling the need for salvation. We live our days with sins which we may not recognize as such until we feel the need for Jesus in our lives

That conviction of our spirit usually comes from a sermon or a friend who witnesses to us about their salvation and how they have gained their freedom from sin.

So, where do you go from the point of learning that you need Jesus? To the Bible and to church. Learn more about your Savior. Seek Him and learn as much as you can about Him. Here are a few verses about salvation:

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

+ 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

+ Acts 16:30-31 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Life in eternity is what these verses are speaking of and telling you that you are welcome in God’s house. He would rather have you in Heaven than to condemn you to an eternity of punishment in hell. But unless you believe in Jesus for your salvation and turn from your sinful lifestyle, whatever it may have been.

Whom do you serve?


2 Chronicles 7:14, 19 says this:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land; verse 19-20 also says this: 19But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; 20Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

These words from God tell about blessings and curses which will be laid upon the nation which humbles themselves before God and serves Him or the nation which turns away and follows their own ways. Which of these is happening in America today? Few people in our country give God any thought. We want and do those things which we want to do regardless of the consequences. We want it now and there is no humbleness of heart toward God. We don’t think that we are sinners and we don’t need any salvation.

So which of these would you think that we are living in today? I think that we are reaping God’s curses. Not yet has God plucked up our nation and destroyed it but if we keep following this pathway we will reap those punishments from Him. It is not a hard thing to follow God and His laws but we don’t want to hear anything from the Word of God because it is the Truth. There is no defense against the truth but those who cannot stand the absolute Truth will not hear it. Because there is no argument which will be successful against the Truth.

God loves us and has blessed our nation for many years but we are coming to a time in which there will be much trouble and despair. Will we, as a nation and a people, humble ourselves and draw near unto God so that the blessings might continue? Only time will tell. If you look at the news and listen to our representatives in Washington, DC, I don’t think that anyone is ready to humble themselves before God. It seems that most want to mock the Bible and everything which it stands for. They seem to want to close the mouths of those who do believe in God and have faith in Him. We are living in a very sad state of being these days.

The pathway to Heaven doesn’t have many lanes and intersections, there is only one path and it is not very wide. It is only through your belief in and by giving your heart to Jesus and following Him every day that you may gain entry into that wonderful place. Many people and religions tell you that there are many paths which lead to eternity with God but there is only one and that is through Jesus. The other paths and roads lead in a direction which may seem to be moving toward heaven but the end of that road crumbles and you fall into hell.

Seek Jesus as your Savior and put your faith in Him because that is the only way to live in eternity with your friends and family who have gone on before you.

The direction in your life


What sort of direction does your life have? Where are you going? Do you know or have you been on this road so long until it is just a daily walk and you just do it regardless of the way it feels?

I felt that way for a long time myself. I took some different turns during my life into different vocations but most of those felt wrong or at least not quite right. Have you ever done something like this? Most of us have during our lifetime at one point or another. Why am I bringing up “directions” in this blog? Because we are given directions as Christians. We are supposed to go in the direction which Jesus points us in. Not the direction which we want to go in our own prideful ways.

Walking in the path which Jesus walked is not an easy path. It is not a wide and easy pathway like many people do walk through life but it is the pathway which leads to Heaven. Will your walk with Him be easy? No, it won’t because Satan doesn’t want people to help God establish His Kingdom. Your spiritual life, once you have given your heart to Jesus, is one which follows Jesus and tells others about Him and how they can have an eternity with Him too.

Why is that important?

It is important because Jesus said that His disciples should go into the world and tell people about the good news which came with Him. The good news, the gospel of salvation, was foretold all the way back in Genesis. It pointed the way to the One Who was to come to save mankind from their sins. If you are a Christian, that is your direction in life and your purpose. At least it is your ultimate purpose.

So, why do so many people seem to be stuck in their vocations? Sometimes they are in a job which they don’t even like nor enjoy doing but it pays the bills so they stay in it. It is because of economics mostly and because the jobs which are out there may not suit you as well as the one you have. Even if you don’t like it very well. Can we change our calling? Sometimes we can. But, if you are a Christian your calling is telling others about Jesus. Isn’t that different from your purpose or even your direction in life? Not really.

A janitor or a house painter can still tell others about Jesus. A nurse or lawyer can tell others about Jesus. It doesn’t matter which job or vocation you may have or which you are working in, you can use it as a platform to tell others about Jesus. In our politically correct world today it could get you in trouble or even get you fired, so find a way to be vocal about your faith without confronting people directly in your job. Like blogging for instance.

You can tell as many people as will be seeking Him by getting your message, His message, on the Internet. I pray that someone who may be searching for Jesus will find Him or maybe a reflection of Him here. Because I can’t get into the world and into all of the countries which can access this site but God can bring as many as He wants to see and read these messages. I pray that at least one of these will touch your heart and draw you to my Savior and yours, Jesus the Christ.

God is in control!


There is nothing which escapes His eyes and there is no place where you can hide your deeds from Him. So why do people today believe that they can hide from God? Jonah couldn’t do it. Adam couldn’t do it. Even Satan cannot hide his treachery from God. He can see the end of time and the beginning of it too, so what could possibly be hidden from Him?

Nothing is hidden from Him.

Don’t believe the lie that night or some building can hide anything that you do or any thought that you have from the Almighty. He knows us in ways which none of us can know or even understand. I pray that any who read this will seek Him out in His Word and repent of their sins and ask for their Savior to save them from God’s punishment. Our Lord doesn’t punish or send people to eternal punishment but your decisions and your own ways send you there. Making the decision to ignore the salvation offered to you through Jesus is the unforgivable sin which will send you to hell.

Yet today there are many which tell others that there is no eternal punishment but Jesus spoke of it and it is in God’s Word. You can test this if you wish but there is no escape from this place of punishment. You receive your blessings in this life and in your daily walk with Jesus so seek His wisdom and His will for your life and then go and do that which you find. God’s will for us is contained in His Word if we will understand it and if you have trouble understanding it then ask Him for understanding and He will give it.

The salvation of all is available to all if they will receive it into their hearts and live by it. Those who rush in during a sermon and accept the prayers of the church but do not change their life or their ways have nothing to show for their “conversion” except an emotional outpouring. When your life isn’t changed after meeting Jesus then there was no conversion in your heart. You just met Him and then walked away, joyful yes but unchanged which is a sad state which you find yourself in.

Do not turn away without a change in your life because the chance to give your heart to Jesus may not come again. Seek Him in your daily walk and trust in Him for your salvation today because when you breathe your last breath here you will stand before Him. Don’t stand before Him without His Presence in your life.

Who is Jesus the Christ?


Why did I write it that way? Because Christ is not His last name, it is a title! Christ, Christos, and Messiah all point to Him because He is the Messiah. He didn’t stay dead in that tomb. He was a prophet and a King and our Creator. He was a dark-skinned man but He was the Son of God, yet He came to save the entire world from their sins IF they, you and me, will believe in His work of atonement for your sins.

So why is there so much hatred in the world today? Is it because of their rejection of Jesus? Some of that hatred is because of Him and the Truth which He represents. The other instances of hatred in the world are due to the work of Satan and whether you believe it or not he is real and at work in the world. God sent Jesus into the world because of His love for us. God values even one person’s soul beyond all of the wealth of the whole world! That is why Jesus said, “you could gain the world but lose your soul“, by the “world” He meant the wealth of the world.

Could you even imagine the wealth of the world? I can’t. I have tried to research it and it is in the trillions of dollars, but what good will that do you in eternity? You can’t take one cent with you when you die and no amount of money will stop death from taking your life. God values just one of our souls being worth more than the wealth of the whole world. Imagine what value He places on all of the children that have been killed in abortions over the years?

Seek out Jesus as your Savior while there is still time. You don’t know when your life will end, none of us do, so make sure of your eternal destination before that day comes! Jesus came to open a door into eternity for you but only if you will believe in Him and repent of your sins and follow Him for the rest of your days.

Trials and troubles…


All of us go through these at one point in our lives. Sometimes they actually help and sometimes the lesson which comes with them is hard to see, at first. As long as we go through them with our hope and our eyes on Jesus, depending on His strength and not our own then the outcome will be assured.

The problem comes to us when we think we can get through our trials without Him. We try to “do it myself”, and we get into a really big mess at that point. True, going it alone is part of the way that many people are taught to do but it’s not always the best option. The thing you need to remember is that God will allow you to go it on your own even though He knows what is best. Then when you do realize that “I messed this all up” you will turn to Him and just like a loving parent, He will guide you back to where you need to be.

Many people are too stubborn and prideful to allow Him to help them. Sometimes they won’t let anyone give them advice whether it is a friend or a pastor. They would rather suffer in their trials and troubles until one day they realize that they don’t need to do it this way anymore. It reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son. He wanted his inheritance and he wanted to live it up the way he wanted to without his father or his brother getting in the way (or so he thought).

If you have heard the story it goes like this: he went away with his inheritance and enjoyed it tremendously, until he ran out of money. Then there was a famine in the land and all of his new “friends” left him. He began to be “in want”. He got a job feeding swine and he was so hungry that he wanted to eat the food which he was feeding the swine. For a Jewish boy, this was the worst possible thing that he could do. Well to shorten the story, he went home and his father welcomed him with open arms and a party!

Many of us get so far down, just like he did, until there is no way to go but toward our Father in heaven. Which is exactly what the point of the story is. Our trials and troubles don’t define who we are and we shouldn’t allow them to. But in your life walking with Jesus as your Savior, you shouldn’t take your eyes off of Him either. If you don’t know Him as your Savior, the troubles which you have to go through may be His way of bringing you to the realization that you DO need Him in your life.

I hope that all who read this may come to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you have any questions about being a Christian or want to know more, please don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments. Jesus died to pay the price for our sins and He is coming back soon to take His Church to be with HIm. I pray that you will be counted in that group and in eternity we can get to know one another. In His Love and grace until He comes again. Amen