Category: Be useful to God

God is there in time and on time


Some of the attributes of time:

Time moves without legs. 

Time only moves in one direction.

Time moves without regard to religion or creed.

Time seems to slow down with anticipation and speed up with our dread of an outcome or our age.

Time will never stop.

God’s promises are always on time and they are never late or early.

Psalm 46: 1-3 says: 1 …God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

God is as near to each of us as our next breath so regardless of the trouble we may be facing, He is there to strengthen us and comfort us in times of trouble. During the past few weeks, we have seen a lot of trouble in our nation and in the world itself. Racial tension has been drawn as tight as a bowstring and it seems to be near the breaking point. 

Our people need to be drawing closer to God during this time but it seems that most of the people on the streets and in the news are more interested in pushing God away. This is really nothing new. God has been pushed to the edge of our collective conscience in America and in most other countries as well and it began during the early ’70s or late sixties. Once the people began to move away from Him, it has been very hard to get it to stop or reverse.

Numerous evangelists have preached to those who would listen and some did but the majority didn’t take their message about Jesus and His love for us to heart. I pray that there will be a revival in America and around the world but it seems that the part of the world that does not revere God or Jesus as their Messiah is just not interested. They seem to be inviting as much violence into the world as possible. That is not going to prompt God to send Jesus or the Tribulation any sooner than He has it planned for.

Violence and uprising, looting, and burning will do nothing for their “cause” except to draw the news crews out in force…which is what they want. The truth is not part of their narrative. Yet, they want any reference to ANY historical event from 140 years ago stricken from the public square or from TV or movies. Any reference to a figure which had anything to do with the Civil War regardless of their view on slavery should be taken down or destroyed.

Slavery was never sanctioned by the Bible and God never intended for us to enslave people but people are still being sold into slavery today. Particularly children. We, as a society, need to become more social with each other across racial barriers. In the culture that we live in today, it will be hard to do because of the hate and mistrust that is being spread on the Internet and in the news but it needs to be done!

When parents and grandparents teach their children that they are different from the other children it sends the wrong message. Yes, we have different skin colors and tones but we don’t have to hate each other because of that. Did history record that there were some really terrible things done to people in the past just because of their skin color? Yes, but if we change our view of each other today we can be an instigator of change in that area as well. But we need to look at each other not as black or brown or white or any other shade of color but as people who are made in God’s image.

His promise of forgiveness


1 John 1:9:  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The promise which we see illustrated in this passage has a condition attached to it of “If we confess our sins…”. Why would that be there? Mainly because of our need to be convicted of being a sinner and needing forgiveness. If we don’t think or feel that we need to be forgiven of our sins, whatever they may be, then we won’t seek the One Who can forgive them. Jesus Christ came and died to pay the penalty of our debt for our sins and it is only by having faith in Him for salvation that we will realize that we need Him and the forgiveness that is offered.

It seems that many people believe that they can come to Jesus any time they feel like it and everything will work out in the end. But until the Holy Spirit touches your heart and convicts you of your sinful nature, showing you that you truly do need Jesus, you won’t seek Him out because as far as you are concerned there is no need. It is our decision to turn away from our old way of living and to seek to follow Jesus but without being convinced of our need for salvation by the Spirit not one of us would ever go down that pathway. God knows which people will make that life-giving decision to follow Jesus and which ones will not but He doesn’t force this decision on anyone.

Walking with Jesus on a daily basis is not for the faint of heart. Satan and his demons will attack you with all sorts of temptations and they know exactly which buttons to push to get your attention. They will do this at night and during the daytime and when you see something you like or want and you know you shouldn’t get it. This is not a one-time temptation, it is ongoing. This is what Jesus meant when He said to “take up your cross and follow Me”. It is a daily fight which you will be living with but you won’t be alone. The Holy Spirit will be there with you every step of the way.

The best way that I can do this, and I am not successful at it all the time, is to wake up thanking God for today and everything it will bring. Be in the spirit of prayerful thankfulness during your day. If you feel a cool breeze thank Him for it. If you find a parking place that is convenient for you, thank Him for it. You get the idea. Every good and pleasant thing which comes your way during the day, no matter what it may be, thank Him for it!

Life is much easier when you do this but it is a way of life that has to be practiced. It doesn’t come naturally for us. We wouldn’t think of any of these little blessings at all if we weren’t saved through the blood of Jesus. When we were our natural selves being thankful probably didn’t come to mind unless our parents or grandparents taught us that while we were growing up. Even when they taught us this way, as my parents did, I still questioned why? What is the point of thanking God for something that I did?

The problem is that until we realize that He is in control whether we see Him or believe in Him or not we will continue to think that we did it. When it is God Who has given us the ability and the thoughts and knowledge to do what we do every single day! Seek Him and His Kingdom through Jesus Christ and every good blessing will be yours. That doesn’t mean that God will drop a block of gold in your yard but your strength will be renewed every morning, your day will be more like a pleasant walk than a grind to get through so do this every day, one day at a time until you are called home to be with Him.

How much longer, Lord?


This is a question which has been asked many millions of times since Jesus went back to Heaven but we don’t have an answer yet. It seems that the time is getting very close to the time when Jesus and other prophets from the Old Testament said that we would recognize. What time would that be you may wonder? The beginning of the troubled times. Diseases and famines and hatred of anything and anyone who is or claims to be a Christian. No respect for property or laws or the image of God which each of us is carrying inside of us whether we are saved or not.

All of humanity, regardless of your skin color, has been made in the image of God and each of us carries that image with us regardless of our view of God or religion.

The time is growing shorter and yet people…even Christians are not taking notice of the prophecies which most of us have heard preached from the pulpit many times. I can understand why those who are not regular church-goers would not recognize the signs around us but those of us who have been in church most of our lives should! Yes, a few years ago we had four blood moons and an eclipse and all fell on Jewish Feast days. Does that mean that God doesn’t care? No, it doesn’t! God placed those signs in the heavens so that we would take notice and be looking for our Blessed Hope!

You would think that a global pandemic would get people’s attention to turn toward God a bit more but even that doesn’t seem to have done enough. God knows the hearts of those in the world and He knows exactly who will give their lives to Jesus and follow Him and who will not. But that does not mean that we should stop our efforts to tell others about Him or to evangelize as much as possible especially in our own family and area where we can make a difference. Some will hear and listen and some won’t but we should try. Pray about this and tell others about your Lord and Savior. Read His Word and study it so you are approved as a ready workman for the Kingdom.

God loves us and He has been patient with us…all of us, but His time and date are coming soon. He knows the day and the hour when it will be the exact time to get His bride, the church. Don’t be fooled by those who say that the Bible isn’t true and that God’s Word is just a bunch of old men’s writings because it is God’s Word and it is Truth. When that day comes, and it will come, the whole world will know but for many it will be too late. Have your lamp full of oil and have those wicks trimmed because you don’t know when the Master will come or at what hour.

Do you seek the spotlight?


During this time of video classes and video services from churches without people, are we seeking to be in the spotlight? Some people may be like fireflies in front of a camera and some truly are but for those who are trying to take the message of Jesus to others, shouldn’t we try to make sure that it is His message which is in the spotlight? It is our pride which causes us to seek the spotlight because we want the attention. It is pride which is the tap root from which all sins grow from and Satan knows how to nudge us in this direction.

Jesus didn’t seek the spotlight but He did spotlight the message itself so that people would hear it and seek salvation through belief in Him. It is our own pride which carries us into hell because we try to do everything ourselves. We even try to be our own savior because we believe that our works and our “righteousness” would gain us entry into the presence of God. It isn’t easy to be humble before God because we can’t see Him. We don’t know His majesty or His holiness and we can’t look around us and perceive Him in all of His glory.

We look at all of the accomplishments of mankind and we think that man has done so many great things. In some areas we have but if you look closer you can see all of the failings of mankind’s stewardship of our home. The pollution of rivers and the ocean and the cutting down of rain forests, which clean our air and make it breathable again. In the past few hundred years we have done much harm to our home, most of which cannot be fixed or replaced. Yet, we think that we deserve to stand in the Presence of God because of our “accomplishments”. How brazenly bold and prideful we are.

God loves each of us but those that He has called to be His aren’t doing their job as they should. Some are true enough but many of us seem to look at our salvation as nothing more than “fire insurance”. When we should be working for our Savior and Lord until that day when He comes to take His Bride, the church, home. This is the expectation of our Savior and our God but if we don’t read His Word we won’t know until it is too late.

Just as in the parable of the talents, when the Master of the house comes we should be found diligently working for Him and not being lazy and only bringing his one talent back to Him. Think of being a worker who will be richly rewarded if we are found working hard for our employer on the day when He says, “Enter into the rest of your Master my faithful servant”. Our time here is a very short time compared to even ten thousand years and that is only a moment in time compared to eternity. Make sure of your salvation and get to work while there is time to do so. Once your time is done here you will give account to God for every word and deed which you did for Him or not. You decide which side you will be found on.

Tiny though thy faith be…


Think of how much something as small as a virus has impacted our world. Look at all that has been done to the wealth of the world and the health of its people because of a little virus and the fear of it, what could we do if we had even a tiny almost microscopic amount of faith in God? Have we given up all of our belief in Him because of something that we can’t see which is taking many in death? Why would the entire world give up on its Creator and His ability to heal and save because of some “new” disease?

There is no disease which is new. It may not have been seen for many hundreds of years or it may be one which is known yet it has changed and mutated in such a way that it affects us differently than it did in the past. Even the “scientists” which believe in evolution would tell us that this is the way of life so that only the strong will carry on.

God doesn’t do this. He may allow it to happen so that we will seek Him for deliverance and healing. Yet today we do not. We turn away from God and His servants and call them hypocrites and hard-hearted toward those who are suffering. Even when Christian organizations give help with no reward to themselves they are looked upon as withholding treatments from some because of their beliefs.

“Oh, ye of little faith“, Jesus said this to His disciples many times regarding their lack of faith. We should be having church services and being the church that Jesus began two thousand years ago. The world and all who live in it needs to hear His message and that He is the Savior Who died for all of us…not just a few. There are many in the world who are living out their lives as heroes because they are doing what He would do if He were here in Person. If we had even a mustard seed’s worth of faith in Him we could pray for His healing and if we believed that He would do it then it would be done.

There are so many who do not believe in Him or in God or in any part of the Bible as God’s Word but one day soon all will see and know that it is true. They will see that it is the Truth yet for many it will be too late. I pray that you will be one of those who does believe in Jesus for salvation and forgiveness now…today. Because when the believers are taken up to be with Him the time that is left on Earth will be only seven years and during that time there will be many signs and wonders which will deceive many people. Seek Him for your salvation while there is time. You may not have tomorrow so trust Him now.

Life…doesn’t last long here


Life in this world and in this body doesn’t last very long.

We live maybe sixty or eighty years by God’s grace. It sounds like a long time to someone who is five or ten years old, but one day they will understand.

If you have ever had a pet, especially a dog, from the time they were a puppy until they passed on then you know that life is short. Even when a Dachshund can live to be twenty or a bit more, you are their world. You are their caretaker and their friend and to them you are the Alpha of the pack that lives in your home. If you treat them like family they will love and take care of you just as they would any other part of the pack. This applies to any breed who shares your life because they are family even if they have four furry feet.

Our lives are not long when you compare our few decades to the time that the Earth has been here or how long some people believe it has been here. God knows exactly how long your life will be because He formed you and He gave you the time and talent to be what He intended for you to be. Whether that is a doctor or a lawyer or a plumber or a policeman or woman or a nurse or maybe even a welder. In each of these professions there are those who truly excel at them and there are some who don’t and even some who just do the best they can.

Those who excel at their profession usually thank God for their life and their profession and for His Son Who came to save us all from our sinful lives. They know that it is God Who gave them their talents and skills to be and do the job that they do. They also give Him a part of their income so that His Kingdom will be honored and will keep growing until that day when He calls all of us home to be with Him. God loves each of us and He has given us the talent and skill to be useful to His Kingdom if we will learn His Wisdom from His Word and use it in every part of our lives. That way more people can see Him when we speak or when we pray or even when we are just doing our job as He gifted us to do it. Do your work every day as if you are doing it for God Himself. After all, He did give you the talent and the ability to be and do your job.

Living in Christ


Have you considered giving your life to Jesus? During times like this with nearly every country affected by this virus, how can we not look to the One who can truly help? Some are blaming Him for this and some are looking to Him for their healing.

Living with Christ is actually something that is not hard to do. He’s near you all of the time, but you don’t get the full measure of Him until you trust Him for your salvation. He gives us strength and peace for each day and the words that we need in times of testing. Jesus has come to us as a Savior and it is our responsibility to accept Him as our Savior when we feel His call on our lives.

Have you felt that call of the Spirit in your heart and His conviction of your sins which calls you to repent and give your life to Jesus the Messiah? Many people have heard it but they have ignored it and walked away. You are doing this to your own hurt. Because we are not guaranteed tomorrow, your soul could be required of you even in the next hour. I have been accused of scaring people to seek their Savior by saying this but if that is what it takes, so be it. Your eternal destination and your eternal life is at stake here!

Your soul will live on after your death and according to God’s Word we will have a body like Jesus had after His resurrection. We won’t be floating about like ghosts or angels but we will have an actual body. The only question about your eternity is where will you spend it while you have this immortal body? Will you be in Heaven where God is or will you be in hell where Satan and his demons are? It really is your decision when you feel the touch or call of the Holy Spirit in your heart. Will you respond by giving your heart to Him or will you ignore the call and walk away. Occasionally, you may have some time to ponder your decision and you may get another nudge from the Holy Spirit.

Why do I point this out? Because we are not guaranteed to live through the night or into tomorrow. God knows our so-called “expiration date” but we don’t, thankfully. Just make sure of your eternal destination before it gets here because there are no “do-overs” and no “re-spawning” after this life is over.

Are you a visitor or a Christian?


In churches you sometimes see little cards to quantify if you are a visitor to the church. When you fill out one of these you admit that you are “just visiting” but what about the members of the church? Are you just visiting? Why do I ask this question? Because some people who come to church on Sunday morning don’t even darken the door at any other time. Some come to Sunday school and church on Sunday morning but you don’t see or hear from them until the next Sunday and this covers many people in the church today. To explain what I mean when I say that you are “just visiting” even when you attend every Sunday morning I want to ask a question of you: Does anyone at your place of business or your workplace know that you are a Christian? I am not speaking of those who may know that you attend church on Sunday. I am asking you if they can see the influence of Jesus in your work and in your speech when you are at work?

Or do you sound like everyone else at work and in public? Do you act like those around you when you are away from your church or can they see Jesus in your everyday life?

See, visitors who attend church only get a little bit of what is available to each of us. When you are committed to Jesus and your walk with Him goes out of the church and into the world then you are NOT visiting…you are being the church which Jesus wants us to be. Because, how are your co-workers going to know about Him if you don’t show Him to them in your life and your words? In many parts of America only twenty percent of people even attend church so if you aren’t taking Jesus with you then how will the other eighty percent find out about Him?

Many of us don’t even invite other people to come to our church so how will they ever find out about their Savior unless you show them how He has changed your life? God sent Jesus to the entire world and everyone in it. While it is true that He came to the Israelites first His message was intended for everyone. So how will it get to everyone if the church (people who are committed to Jesus) doesn’t carry the message outside the church building?

The world and those living in it have eternity ahead of them and you have a message to give them about Jesus Who can bring salvation to their lives and give them an eternity worth dying for. Because each of us has an eternal soul and whether you decide to follow Jesus and know Him as your Savior or not has an impact on your destination to live out your eternity. If you aren’t sure about your salvation or where you will spend eternity I would suggest that you take care of that as soon as possible. Not one person is guaranteed to see tomorrow and if you die tonight your eternity begins at that point. The question still remains: where will you spend eternity?

There is a chapter in the New Testament which the Apostle Paul wrote which gives a clear description of your life and mine as believers in Christ. Read chapter 8 in Romans and you will see. We are responsible for our lives and what we say and do here on Earth. We cannot be sinless because we sin every day. There are no sinless people on Earth, Christian or not because we cannot be sinless. Our life is given to us every day by God Himself and if you are a Christian we should be telling others about our Savior especially if we aren’t sure about their salvation and especially if they aren’t sure of it either.

Don’t be a visitor in church, be a disciple who takes God’s Word and your Salvation in Christ out into the world around you so others can see it and hear about Him. Be doers of the Word not just hearers only.

Today’s question is…


Why have people, young and old, left the church? Are they not satisfied with God? Are they bored with the sermons that they hear? Are they really listening with their heart…their soul even when they are at church or reading God’s Word? All of these questions need to be asked of the church, the people who make up the church. When you read these questions I want to ask you to do one thing for me and for Jesus: place “you” where the word “they” comes in the sentence. Then re-word the sentence to read: Am I…._______.

Most of us don’t think of this when we are in church. Especially when we have grown up going to church with our parents. We think because we’ve been in “the church” all of our lives that we are covered…that we are Christians like it says in the Bible. We don’t really break any of the Ten Commandments (at least in our minds) or do we? The answer to the last question is a resounding YES! We do break the commandments every day even if you’ve spent your entire life in the church. We cannot keep the commandments without Jesus or without His blood covering our sins. Do Christians wander from their faith sometimes? Yes, they do but eventually that spark in your chest, the Spirit in your soul will show you what you’re doing wrong and steer you back to the right path.

What if I’m not listening to the Spirit in my heart? What if I can’t feel His conviction of my sin or feel convicted by Him? Well….you might want to consider that your salvation may be counterfeit. You felt His Presence and you went down and talked to the preacher and came back and got baptized. Then you spent the next few years trying to do all of the things that you know that Christians do and don’t do, then you felt a temptation from something or someone and you began moving in that direction and away from “church people”. You felt a little guilty about it but eventually even that went away.

What now? Seek Him out in the Bible and find a true Christian friend or your pastor who can guide you back to Jesus. It isn’t a long trip because He never left you. Why do I say this so easily? Because I did it myself. I got wet a few times actually. I thought my conversion was real and I went through the baptism at least twice, maybe three times, but later I found that I was still feeling empty inside. We can fool ourselves into believing that we are saved even when we aren’t and that is a very dangerous place to be in. If you died, you would stand at the judgement seat and you might confess that you believed in Jesus but He would say “I don’t know you”. What a horrible way to start eternity.

Some of us have had family praying for us which has kept us fairly safe until the day we finally find our way to Jesus. If it weren’t for those people, a brother or a sister or your mother or your grandmother praying for your salvation your life would be stretched on a very thin string. If you could see what that string was keeping you from falling into….you would run to Jesus. God has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus’ blood. Believe in Jesus for your salvation because the time grows shorter every day. Seek Him for your eternity depends upon your position of belief in Jesus. Eternity is there without Jesus but it will be without life or love or joy because you will be in a place of torment. Make sure of your destination and that it will be with Him.

In hell there will be no light nor water for Life, only weeping and mourning because of your choices. Make the right choice now.

Are we living during the last days?


pestilence
1: a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating

Matthew 24: 4 …Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

False Christs 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

According to the predictions of Jesus and the book of Revelation, I believe we are at the point where Jesus says that “these are the beginning of sorrows”. The last days can last for a few years before any of the other signs begin to be fulfilled and there are no dates or indications in the Bible that point to a certain year or anything that we can use as a specific sign. We don’t know the day or the hour. It could happen tonight or next year or in six months. The timing is up to God and He knows the exact time that He will send His angels to gather the church from the Earth.

Will this happen in our lifetime? Yes, I do believe that it will because the signs that we can see and read from God’s Word all point toward a time when news videos can be transmitted all over the world as they happen. We are living in that time.

God has provided a way for every person who is seeking salvation to have it through belief in Jesus for their salvation. He is the only way and if you want to be a part of the church that He began with His disciples, I would ask you to seek Him out as your Savior soon. The clock is ticking closer to that time but once the church is taken away it will be even harder for anyone to accept Him as their Savior. Read the chapter that I have highlighted above in the link and also the book of Revelation and Daniel chapter 9 and following.

Don’t turn away from His call on your life and in your heart. If you have felt it please turn to Him even on your bed at night and ask Him to be your Savior and Lord. A child can do it and you can too.