Category: Abide in Him

Who will lead us?


mygodisawesomeIn the world today there are many people who seem to be clamoring for a chance to be a leader in some fashion. Some are not worthy to lead a song, let alone a country, but that doesn’t stop them from being in a position of power if they can manage it. Power is seductive and it corrupts those who thought they were good, decent people particularly if they don’t have a strong foundation of values to stand on.

The lack of teaching from the Bible in America specifically has caused a terrible vacuum of responsibility and accountability in our country, but it seems that the majority don’t want this book as their compass in life. Most seem to be bent on doing their own thing, again. Like those who did this almost fifty years ago, doing your own thing is fine until it impacts on the rest of us. Today we are at the mercy of those who fought against the “establishment” and “the man” back in the day. The problem is that now they are part of it!

So much is happening and will happen in the future until we should be taking note of the things which are happening in the news today. It is part of prophecy and we need to be telling others of it and watching closely for the signs of Christ’s return.

The leaders of the world seem to be intent on doing almost anything to keep religion, in particular the Christian religion, out of government. The Bible has so much good advice for those who are in power yet they won’t listen to it or read it to gain that wisdom. Why? Because, they are trying to fit into the normal way of the world around us and politics seems to have nothing to do with religion for the most part. In the Middle East, religion and politics go hand in hand but that is a totally different culture from most of the world.

God places governments and their leaders in their positions in order to fulfill His purposes, whether we take notice of this in His Word or not. He raised up Pharaoh for the purpose of humiliating the gods of Egypt. God raised up Darius also as well as Nebuchadnezzar for His purposes. The Bible should be leading us toward our future regardless of which leader may be in power. Yet…today few people pay much attention to a book of Israelite history and religion because of the Person named in it as Messiah, Jesus the Son of God!

Seek out leaders who will acknowledge Jesus as their Savior because if they aren’t following Him, then who or what are they following? Themselves or some man-made god or religion?

 

Which god do you follow?


This is not the way that I refer to the God of Abraham from the Bible, but many people seem to look at God as just one more to add to the number of “gods”. He isn’t that at all! He is the Creator, our Creator and the God of All things! All created things in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth were made by Him, not some man-made god which came from someone’s imagination.

OnlyJesusThe hypocrisy needs to stop! Many people seem to be trying to merge Jesus and Islam because He is mentioned in the Koran. Some Christians are trying, very successfully, to merge new age thinking and Christian ideals as well. Some of this is even being taught from the pulpit! Why would anyone want to go to a church which teaches man’s wisdom, such as it is, and gives it equal validity with the Bible? Cults do this all of the time and get away with it, but many of their members are so ingrained in the teaching until they can’t tell the difference.

God told the Israelites that this would happen if they allowed their children to intermarry with those who lived in Canaan or the Promised Land. Which is why He told them to utterly destroy the people there and take over their lands, getting rid of all of the idols and groves and things which might draw them away from Him. It is happening in the church today in some countries, particularly in America.

Why can’t we get back to believing the Bible and teaching from it because it is the Word of God? I believe it is because we have compromised for two or three decades, maybe more, and we have become too tolerant of lifestyles and sins which our grandparents would not have allowed in the door of their church. “But, didn’t Jesus associate with sinners and others?”; yes, He did, but He didn’t agree with them or their lifestyle. He didn’t tolerate their beliefs, He told them that they were to “worship God and serve Him only”, it is true that in this particular instance Jesus was talking to Satan, but the Scripture that He quoted came from Deuteronomy 6:13.

Jesus also said that “the sick need a doctor, not those who are well“, and He was referring to those who were sinners needing Him rather than the Pharisees and the Scribes who didn’t think that they needed salvation. The point of this is that Jesus does love and care about all of humanity, but He doesn’t agree with our sinful lives nor our behavior. We are to seek Him out and come to Him for our salvation, not go to man-made religions and “gods” who are NOT God at all!

I pray that all of you who read this will see that I am not judging any sin or person, rather I write this to point you to the One Who can save your soul from the second death of being in darkness and away from God forever. Thank you for visiting.

Words and meanings


There are many different ways to say things, particularly in our media driven world today. Although you need to be careful of the things that you say in certain places, whether it is on social media sites or commenting on news sites, even in sending an email. Words once spoken cannot be unspoken or taken back, so the hurt that they cause can be just as devastating as a bomb and the damage can be lingering as well. Pastors and politicians have to consider this as well as teens and young adults. Small children say things which are hurtful at times but they don’t understand why it is hurtful.

All of us should realize that is the reason which God gave us two ears and one mouth and tongue. We should listen twice as much as we speak, but also we should consider (think about) what we will say before we say it, if possible. This is a failing which humanity has had since the beginning of spoken language and it really hasn’t changed much since that time.

The truth which we have access to in God’s Word is also littered with words and phrases which we should take as God’s wisdom and incorporate into our life. Learning about God and about His promises is not enough. Just as learning about history is not enough, we need to retain it so that the mistakes which were made in the past are not repeated in the future. We are given a very unusual task which is to tell others about salvation. Not so much for our life and being but for their eternity.

Telling others about Jesus and the offer of salvation is something which Christians should do just as easily as breathing, yet most of us shy away from it as if it causes us pain. Why is that? If you had something spectacular to happen in your life which didn’t involve religion or Jesus, wouldn’t you shout it out to nearly everyone you know? Some of us wouldn’t, by many would.

As Christians, believers in Jesus and His atonement for us, we have been given the most wonderful gift imaginable…the gift of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life! No amount of money, gold, silver or otherwise precious stones or metal can compare to those gifts which we are recipients of! Although, we can’t produce something tangible to show others if they ask about the reason for our joy in Christ, it still needs to be a conversation starter.

Here is a sampling of Scriptures which detail the path to salvation, I pray that you will consider it and become a child of God soon:

1. We must acknowledge God as the Creator of everything, accepting our humble position in God’s created order and purpose. Romans 1:20-21

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

2. We must realize that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness. None of us are worthy under God’s standards. Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.”

3. God gave us the way to be forgiven of our sins. He showed us His love by giving us the potential for life through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8

“But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

4. If we remain sinners, we will die. However, if we repent of our sins, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will have eternal life. Romans 6:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

5. Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you are saved. Romans 10:9-10

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

6. There are no other religious formulas or rituals. Just call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved! Romans 10:13

“For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

7. Determine in your heart to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life today. Romans 11:36

The writer of this letter to the Roman church, Paul, was a persecutor of the faith which the disciples had after Jesus was resurrected. He put some in prison and at other times he stood by while the believers were stoned to death. Until his conversion by Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was known as Saul but afterward he changed his name to Paul and became the greatest missionary of the New Testament church. We should try to follow his example.

Short days and short times


It has been almost two millennia since the time of Jesus and His disciples and His prophecy concerning the end of the age , yet people don’t seem to be concerned. Even with many of the signs already shown and seen in years past, as well as the signs which are in front of us every day. When I say that the days are short I am not speaking of days like in the winter when the Sun seems to go down not long after it comes up. I am speaking prophetically of the time in which we are living.

It is true that many don’t believe that we live in these particular times, but in fact we do. There are many signs in the heavens which God has used recently which point toward this time, as our generation is called the “terminal generation”. Yet, most of the people in the world today don’t want to acknowledge the truth of what is going on around them. Even if they recognize that these signs are true and occurring almost on a daily basis!

I don’t bring this up to attempt to scare people into church or make you fearful enough to seek out the truth in the Bible, although you should be doing this anyway. What I am saying about this period of time is that we don’t know how long we have. It could be a couple of months or a few years yet, but just as the virgins in the parable, we need to be ready when the Bridegroom comes. Not sitting around twiddling our thumbs but watching for Him in Scripture and in our everyday lives.

Praying every day, seeking His wisdom concerning these times and those around us who are in need of His love and compassion. Telling those who are in need of salvation about Jesus is the mission which we have in these times. If they don’t want to receive Jesus, then tell someone else and move on. It is imperative that we keep telling as many as will listen because very soon, they will be on their own in a world which will not tell them of Jesus and will kill anyone who does profess faith in Him!

God loves humanity, but His patience is drawing to a close. The Spirit will strive with man for a while longer and yes there will be a few who accept Jesus during the Tribulation, but they will be in the minority when they do. I pray that most of you who read this will accept Him before this time has come. If you have not, then I will be praying for you from the balcony of Heaven. I hope that God might allow me to come to Earth during this time and help guide those who have given their lives to Jesus, because they will need the help.

I am not special. I am a sinner just as you were or maybe still are, but I am forgiven and that makes the difference. Please, if you are seeking your Savior, read the Bible and pray about giving your life to Him, asking Him to come in and change your life from the inside out.

The possibilities


In the environment of today’s Internet and the education afforded by it, the possibilities are almost endless. It is true that you have to be careful about which information that you trust as truthful and which is junk, but so much is there until it is spectacular in amount and scope! One hundred years ago, you would’ve had to spend hours and hours reading through countless tomes to find as much information as  you can get with one click in a search today!

The possibilities in your life, whether you are religious or not, are also endless. Your life is endless because of Jesus’ atonement for you and His Life in you, if you have accepted Him as your Savior. If you are not religious in any way, then your “life” is here where you are and you aren’t worried or concerned about an eternity. So, which side of the fence are you on? Unfortunately, those are the only possibilities regarding your eternal future, you either believe in Jesus and His atonement for you or you refuse to believe in Him.

Those are the choices and you should choose wisely and carefully because eternity is a very long, long time. All of the stars and galaxies will go dark before eternity and its march in time because time doesn’t mean anything there. Why do I bring up the eternal question? Because your choice in believing  or not believing in Jesus and His atonement for you changes your place in eternity and your real Life in that eternity!

In God’s Word it says that the smoke of their torment will rise forever referring to Satan and his demons and fallen angels. Forever and eternity are the same, so reading this should frighten you if you haven’t given your heart and life to Jesus. Why? Because, if you have chosen to follow Satan in his determination to not serve Jesus in this life, then you will share in his fate in eternity. The line between the two states is a very thin one called belief/unbelief and you are either on one side or the other. Make sure which side you want to spend eternity on before you draw your last breath.

Don’t forget Mom


Ephesians 6:1-3

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”


Exodus 20:12

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.


Deuteronomy 5:16

16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.


Consequences For Disobeying Your Mother


Deuteronomy 27:16

16 “‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’


Proverbs 20:20

20 If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.


Proverbs 30:17

17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.

 

God speaks a lot about giving honor and attention to your Mother and Father in His Word, so it seems that He puts a lot of weight on how you behave around them and for them. Truly, your parents are the example for you to live by and the example by which you will raise your children one day. Mother’s day is a day of honoring our Mothers because they are our mothers and because of God’s command to honor both of your parents.

Why did He specify giving honor to your Mother and Father?

God wants us to revere the aged in our family, not because they are a burden to be taken care of but because they have borne the burden of caring for us and they need the same care given to them as well. Consider that in America there are fewer children in most houses than there are pets, so when you reach an age that your children should take care of you, helping you to live gracefully into your later years, you may have to rely on the family pet more than them. That is not a prospect for aging that I would want to live with.

Protestant culture, such as in America and England, tends to favor the young which places the elderly in a difficult place. They are no longer working or maybe their health keeps them from working, their children don’t come around much which just adds to the loneliness and depression.

God places a very high amount of respect and honor on the aged, the crown of the elderly is their grandchildren.
So with a nod to St. Augustine and his mother, I place this sermon in your mind. Consider all of the things which your Mom and your Dad do for you, think about it today and every day because one day, they will need you just as much or more than you needed them when you were young.

Responsibility


nots in your lifeAre we responsible for our actions? It seems that many people don’t want to be. Seeking safe places where their feelings won’t get hurt or disregarding laws and officers of the law seems to be a national pastime, at least according to the news. Being responsible for your moral decisions and actions seems like an old-fashioned idea that many don’t want to subscribe to anymore. Why is that?

Could it be that our society is living with a sense of entitlement today? I think so. The past couple of generations have gone from being brought up in the church to visiting it once or twice a year on certain holidays or on Easter and Mother’s Day. That doesn’t say much at all toward proving that our nation is the Christian nation that some polls say that we are. What happened to being responsible for yourself and your actions? Is that also a quaint idea that needs to be swept under the collective rug?

I was told once that I shouldn’t judge people, especially those who are addicts to drugs or alcohol. I don’t claim to know the depths that those addictions take you to. I was a drunk in high school every Friday night, occasionally on other nights depending on how I felt. I have used drugs although none of the so-called “hard drugs”, until I began having some really bad nerve pains and bone pains in the last couple of years. I don’t like the way hydrocodone makes me feel at all which is why I haven’t had it refilled in almost six months.

Responsibility needs to be taught to young people and some older ones and soon! Why? Because in a decade or so we won’t have anyone who will take responsibility for their actions!

God loves you and you knew that I was getting back to this. There is no substitute for His love and compassion for you. It doesn’t give you a high feeling nor does seeking His wisdom give you a euphoria that you want to come back to until you can’t get enough of it. Giving your heart and life to Jesus by believing in Him will get your sins forgiven IF you will turn away from them, with His strength, and become a follower of His on a daily basis. He gave His Son for you to have access to eternal life and forgiveness, the only thing you have to do is accept it.

It is a gift of God. It can’t be earned, bought or bartered for, but it can be accepted if you will repent and seek Him out in that repentance. He can take away the cravings for alcohol and drugs and give you a desire for His Wisdom and His purpose in your life. God does love you, whether you know it or acknowledge it or not. Whether you will follow Him is already known by Him, yet it is still your choice to do so or not. He will not force you to be a Christian just as nobody can be forced to love someone. Seek Him out today, learn of His ways in the Bible, pray for His wisdom to come to you when you read it and He will answer all of these prayers and more.

Just a thought…


Maybe more than one…I saw this on another site or maybe in an email and considered that it was worthy of placing here:Listen and silent

So much of the life and the times in which we live is part of the prophesied times told of in the Bible. The books of Revelation, Daniel and Ezekiel all have some points which give us some insight into the times in which we live right now. So what is the point of the words “listen” and “silent”? Simply this: you must be silent in order to listen and you need to listen in order to understand. In order to understand the wisdom of God, you need to learn to listen to Him and what better way to do that than to read His Word so you will know His voice when He speaks? If you don’t know someone’s voice, you can’t pick them out in a crowd of people, and that is what we have to do in order to hear God.

There is so much going on around us today until it is extremely hard to pick out relevant information, let alone the actual Truth of God. It just gets drowned out in the background until you can’t hear it well enough to know what is being said. Daily living with God’s Word, not just once or twice a week, is what is truly necessary for all of us who wish to know Him and be known by Him.

Seek His guidance in all of life’s problems and triumphs, the good and the bad times, and everything in between. Why? Because that is how the relationship between us and God was supposed to work in the beginning! Walking, talking and learning from Him was the normal and the only way for Adam and Eve to learn the things needed to be caretakers of the Garden. It is very sad that we fell from His grace so soon, but it didn’t surprise God. He knew that it was coming and what brought it about as well as who was responsible, just as the rebellion in the ranks of the angels didn’t surprise Him.

Silent and quiet times are few and far between, but we need to try to have those with God. Because, Jesus made sure in His ministry to do just that and He did it often, not just when He needed some advice or inspiration. We should do the same. Seek Him out so that you can learn from the Creator, He really is the best teacher.

 

 

 

 

So much…


We, at least those of us who live in America, have so much that we take for granted. People don’t look around them and see the little things that they do have, the things and the people who would be so much appreciated in other areas of the world. Sometimes people don’t even visit places of surreal beauty in their own states, they want to go to other places and see the sights but the ones in their own backyard are neglected and forgotten.

It is the same way with religion and Jesus too. In America, we have heard about Jesus and seen the movie, “The Ten Commandments”, so many times in our lives until we are going to be shocked when Moses doesn’t look like Charlton Heston! We have been on the receiving end of so much “movie propaganda” until much of the Bible and its stories play in some way when we read Scripture. I wonder…what does God think about our “video feeds” in Scripture?

Some of it may cause Him to laugh a bit. Some of it very likely causes a bit of concern, with the liberties  that have been taken with some of His stories. Some of them are actually lies made up to make money and have very little to show as being truthful in the telling of Scripture. In the past fifteen years or so, Christian films have done a bit better because people other than those in Hollywood were doing the filming.

You may be wondering why I am writing about this today? Mainly it is because of all of the so-called pundits who tell Christians that our faith is wrong! Some say we are too judgmental, some say we are not inclusive of others, we are too narrow-minded. Something that I have noticed in my eight years of Bible study, reading it from cover to cover, is that God doesn’t change! His rules and His ways are the same today as they were when He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses over four thousand years ago!

He is not politically correct and He doesn’t change to suit us! We either repent and humbly ask Him to change us into the image of Jesus or we are lost, it’s just that simple. Believe in Jesus and His redemption of you by His blood which was shed for your sins, no matter what those sins may be, then repent or turn away from those sins and don’t go back to them!

God’s redemption of you doesn’t take any work on your part except that of walking close to Jesus in repentance toward being more like Him before your life here is over. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “take up your cross daily and follow Me.” Determine to follow Him and not your old ways or the ways of your “friends”. When you feel the call in your heart from the Spirit, then choose to follow Him and leave the world and its ways behind!

Think about it this way: if you are on a path toward a destination and you take the first step, don’t stop and turn to go the other way, back where you came from. You will never get to that eternal destination if you do! Getting off of the path or turning back doesn’t take you in the right direction unless you are following Jesus.

Will you come back?


Many people seem to be leaving the church today, for one reason or another. They are either too busy or tired of the same old sermons being taught over and over, or at least that is what they think it is being done. The message of the Bible, from the Genesis to Revelation, is salvation through Jesus the Messiah. So, yes it does sound a bit like the same message over and over again but that is what God had to do in the Old Testament to get Israel’s attention. He still has to do it today, even with grace and mercy and Jesus’ atonement for our sins. If the message weren’t repeated then many people wouldn’t hear it.

God loves each of you and He has made salvation easy but it seems that it is too easy. It seems that many look at something which is free and easy isn’t worth much, but that kind of thinking is wrong. Jesus did all of the work necessary to accomplish your salvation and mine, the only thing we have to do is realize that we need it then ask Him to come into our lives and change each of us from the heart outward!

Why should you come back to church?

Because, God’s Word is being preached there and because your home church needs you! We want you back because when Jesus comes back we want to all go up there together! This isn’t something which is dependent upon your location though. If you belong to Jesus, you will be caught up in the air to be with Him forever. The alternative destination is not one that you want to look forward to at all.

Why is that? Because, being in “outer darkness” and away from the love of God is the place you will be in. It is hell because the Presence of God is not there and your loved ones who know Jesus will be elsewhere. At the end, at the White Throne judgement you will be cast into the lake of fire with the other angels and humans who have decided to follow their own path and not the one of following Jesus.

God doesn’t put you into hell or the lake of fire, your decisions in this life do that all by themselves. It is your decision to walk and live one way or another. The end results are very different but eternity still lingers in front of you, make sure of your eternity before it is too late to change your mind.