Category: Believe in the One Who saves

God’s Love


God’s love is more than we can believe or understand and that is why we have so much trouble believing. Even when you read the “Love chapter”, 1 Corinthians 13, most of us think this is referring to love that we have toward each other. In reality, it is a human description of God’s Love for us. Why do I call it a human description? Because the Bible was written with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, just as the words here are, but our vocabulary is limited by the words that we use.

God’s love for us is so…deep and unknowable until we can’t begin to describe it in terms which we can understand. We can compare it to our love for our children, whether we are a father or a mother but even that falls terribly short. Yes, we love our children but God loves each of us in a deeper way that we just can’t comprehend. Does He really love those who hate Him? Yes, and He loved the world enough that He sent Jesus to die in our place to provide each of us a way to come to Him through His Son. Whether we accept that invitation or not is still our choice though.

God doesn’t want slaves or instinctual service from us, He wants a relationship with us! It doesn’t matter what we have done or who we are, He wants to know you and He wants you and me to get to know Him!

1 Corinthians 13 New International Version
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

This is the description of how we should be to our wives and our children as well as toward each other in the church. It is a description which falls short of the love which God has for us, but it is how we are to be toward each other in Christ. Can you do this without Him? Partially, but not completely. Living and loving in this manner is not something which we are able to do on our own. God designed us to be this way but when sin entered the Garden our Spirit was cut off from God until we realized that we truly need Him in every way, every single day!

Don’t turn away from God and His love for you. He longs to show it to you in ways which you may not be able to see right now, but He will if you just give Him a chance in your life to change your heart and draw closer to Him each and every day.

Pathways to eternity


I know that most of you have heard the songs about the respective pathways to eternity. There is a “highway to hell” and a “stairway to heaven”, but have you ever wondered why such a difference? Well, it likely has something to do with this…
Pathways2Eternity It kinda makes sense when you read it in the Bible because it says that the road which leads to hell is a broad road and many will find it. The pathway (stairway) to heaven is narrow and there will be few who find it.

God and Jesus never said that the way to Heaven would be an easy path to find or to travel on but the gateway to Heaven is a narrow gate or road and few will find it.

Many people in the world will find themselves on a road with many other so-called “believers” yet they are on the road to hell. Why do I say it this way? Because there are many people who think they are Christians just by attending church services, whether they do so regularly or just occasionally.

Becoming a Christian is not so easy as just attending church, it requires that you turn to Him when you feel His calling on your heart. If you sit there with white knuckles and decide not to give your life to Him, then you have refused His calling. If you do this each time that you feel His call, the call on your heart will get weaker and weaker. That is how we quench the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives, even before it has a chance to change our hearts.

Please, seek Jesus and His Spirit to change your heart because eternity is a very long time to pay for a decision against accepting Jesus as your Savior.

 

 

Darkness and Light


In our world today we live in places of both darkness and light. Sometimes it can be seen or heard or reported in the news, sometimes it is more spiritual in nature. Particularly when someone you may know seems to go off the deep end unexpectedly when you don’t see it coming and nobody can explain any reason for it. Then there are times when we see an unexpected kindness in places where it doesn’t show up very often and it seems to grow by being passed on to others because of a kindness which a stranger did.

No one seems to understand how either of these can be seen in our world. The darkness which rises on our television screens when people are killed for no apparent reason. The light which shows up when someone either gives their life to save another or when someone does something for people they don’t know and didn’t have to do it but they did.

How can both exist in our world today? Because of the war between good and evil or God and Satan. This is the reason for both being seen in our world today. Sometimes or rather most of the time, we hear about the darkness more than we do the light simply because it gets our attention and it makes a better news story. Oh, there will be a small story at the end of the news where you will hear about a kindly man or woman who does something for others and they try to make it seem as if kindness was truly rare in our world.

Sometimes kindness and love really are rare in our world, but I believe that is because it doesn’t sell well. Kindness doesn’t make good news or copy for a newspaper. Evil or darkness makes really good news stories regardless of the media which picks it up. Also, we tend to pay attention to bad news more than we do when we hear about something which is good but unexpected. Why? For the same reason that the media picks up bad news… we look at it as more interesting, even when it may be a tragedy like the school shootings in the past few years.

If we are trying to follow in Jesus’ footsteps in our life we should be doing as much as possible to spread some kindness, some light into the world. Not for fame or recognition but to bring the world’s attention to Jesus and His teachings. A small kindness may not go very far but sometimes it goes a lot farther than you think it does.

We are special to God


YouAreSpecialHave you ever needed help which people cannot provide? Most of us have been through exactly that in our lives, especially before we found out that we NEED Him! There are many times in life where each of us truly needs God.

In truth…we need Him every day. Can we get through the day without Him? Yes, but we will likely make more mistakes during those times while we aren’t living each day with Him, following Him through the day.

I pray that you will seek Him out while you are yet living on this Earth because one day you will face Him and you will give an account of WHY you chose to live without Jesus.

If you believe that you are good enough to get into Heaven without Jesus, you may try…but it won’t work! We are not able to be completely free from sin on our own. We are only human and our nature from a young age is to be sinful. If you don’t believe me, tell a three-year-old or a five-year-old child not to touch the jar of cookies. Even when you are still in the room they will be working out in their head how they can do it.

Then, when they do get a cookie or two, ask them if they got those from the jar that you told them not to get into. They will most likely tell you “Nope, I didn’t get any cookies”. Many of us who are parents have heard this many times, it is nothing new. We are born with a sinful nature and even when we are too young to know that we are telling lies, we know how to do it and we don’t need someone to teach us how.

joyBe joyful in the Lord because He is thy Helper and your strength in times of trouble. God knows your trials and the problems that beset you in your days because there is nothing which is hidden from Him. Amen

 

 

 

Remember this…


God will always be closer to you than you think He is.

National Prayer Day


I pray that our nation will come together in prayer for each other and for the world in general. What will be your prayer today?

Godknowswhereyouare

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

praying-hands-258x300.jpg

Prayer is our line to God in all of our lives, no matter what may be happening or how bad we think it is.

Seek Him and His strength in all of your daily lives.

How little we are


In the world today we live and love at God’s grace and discretion. Although many do not see it this way, it’s our life which comes to us through Him and no other. We are not in control of our lives even if it seems to be that we are, but God in His Mercy gives us those things which are needed at the time that we need them.

Should we work toward that goal of becoming more like Jesus? Yes, we should because it is our calling and our duty to do so. Little by little we should become more like Him, if we determine to walk in His light each day, yet not in our strength but by depending on Him for each step. Why do I say that we are little and cannot walk in our own strength? Because it is true!

DontLetGoWe aren’t strong enough to withstand the devil’s temptation and the arrows which he flings in our direction each day. Because Satan knows each person’s weakness and frankly our weakness boils down to pride and greed. Usually, our greatest weaknesses are linked to at least one of those if not both! Alone and without the Holy Spirit we can’t resist our greatest temptations, especially on a bad day but also on a good day as well!

Jesus can give us the strength through the Holy Spirit and help us to walk in His strength and His light each day but we must determine to do so each day. Life is hard on individuals in this world and without Jesus in your heart and His Spirit getting you through your trials each day then more people fail and fall for the temptations of Satan. We are small and little compared to God and His Spirit. Yes, we are weak in our faith and in our walk with Him too. Very few people can claim to walk in His steps each day and if you tell others that you do then they look at you like you are bragging or you are crazy.

It is best to keep your walk in faith a secret between you and God. Others will see the results of that walk as long as it is real and genuine. Even if your faith feels small to you, God knows where your faith is placed and Who it is placed in…Jesus. Don’t underestimate even tiny faith. Remember, even faith no bigger than a mustard seed is enough to move mountains IF we do not doubt that God can do what we are asking.

Some people may say something like, “Where was He when my wife/daughter/father was dying?”; did you blame Him for what was happening or did you stand in faith that no hair would be harmed and meant it?

Our God and Savior, Jesus the Christ, is the only way to get to Heaven so don’t ignore His call in your heart and your life. Seek Him during your life here because there are no second chances once your life is over!

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not there.

C. S. Lewis

Who is Jesus?


John 8:12-29

12 Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”
14 Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone when I judge; I am with the Father, who sent Me. 17 Even in your own Law, it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am One who testifies about Myself, and the Father, who sent Me, also testifies about Me.” 19 “Where is Your Father?” they asked Him. “You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”
20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come. 21 Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews began to ask, “Will He kill Himself, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
25 “Who are You?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.” 27 They did not understand that He was telling them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me. 29 He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.

Why is the title of my sermon, Who is Jesus? Well, I want to know Who He is to you! Is He your Savior? Is He a prophet or a man? Is He the Son of God? Is He all of these?

YES!!! Jesus is all of these and more!

But…how many people think that He was just a prophet like Moses? There are many in the Middle East who think this way. The Jewish people mostly think that He was just a prophet like Moses. The descendants of Ishmael, those who are Muslim, believe that He was only a prophet and a servant of their prophet.

Jesus is part of the Trinity and the Son of God and yet He was also human, which is why He could understand us and our temptations and pain and our limitations in this life. But, He was also God and He proved it through His actions like healing the sick, bringing people back from death, and walking on water. Jesus also proved that He was more than a man in that He was able to hear and listen to God and to do everything that His Father told Him to do.

We may try to do those things and truly we can hear from God in our prayer time and we can try to do the things which He tells us to do but can we do them completely? No, we can’t be completely in His will and do His will every day, all of the time and accomplish it without mistakes. We are human and because of this and because of our human nature, we can’t perfectly be obedient to God’s will each and every day of our lives! But Jesus could do these things because He was fully human and fully God too.

Here is another proof of Who Jesus was and is:

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

So…what are we to do with Jesus? Are we to keep Him in our hearts and never tell anyone that we know Him? Do we ignore what the Bible says about Him and live our lives as if Jesus and God Himself don’t matter in our lives today? Do you know Jesus?

If you do know Him then tell others about Him and what He has done in your life. Do you live your life without Him? That is a very dangerous thing to do. Have you accepted Him as your Savior but you haven’t told anyone about Him. Why?

Living without Jesus is dangerous because when your life is over and you are standing before Him…what can you possibly do to justify your life’s choices? If you have accepted Him and have not told anyone about His influence in your life then you are being disobedient to His command to tell others about Him. Being a Christian by giving your life to Him and repenting of your sins is a gift from God and it is your choice when the Holy Spirit convicts you of your NEED of Him. Choosing to live without Him is a foolish choice in this world so I urge you to choose Jesus as your Savior before it is too late to make that choice.

 

 

 

Encouragement


Son of encouragement. That is what Barnabas was called in the book of Acts, in fact, that is what the name means. His actual name was Joseph and he was from Cyprus. He was very prominent in the early church. Why do I mention him here? Because each of us needs an Encourager. Yes, the Lord is also an Encourager and gives us the encouragement we need through the reading of His Word. So, why do we need another to give us more?

Because we have all encountered setbacks and problems along the way. Sometimes it is because of depression or other things which are “bringing us down” and we need someone to cheer us up. We are so bombarded by updates and news today in this world of 24/7 connected devices until it is hard to make sense of it all. Decompression and relaxation doesn’t happen when we take a vacation anymore. Because we are never disconnected from our phones or our tablets or laptops!

God did not intend for us to live our lives like this every day! Years ago the prediction was that computers would make our lives easier and our work would be less. That didn’t happen at all! Now that we have smartphones, which amount to pocket-sized computers, we are never away from news and work-related content! Even when we are in places where there is limited service we feel as if we are in danger because we can’t contact someone or be contacted.

So a bit of encouragement is needed especially today and particularly now. It keeps us going when the times get a bit choppy with troubles and all of the stress which we have in this world. Just listen to someone who is hurting or in need of a friend, don’t offer advice unless they ask for it. Why do I say this? Because it is very likely that you haven’t been in their shoes before. I know that many of us have had loved ones to die or we have gotten divorced or even lost a job, but some people are going through more than one stressor at a time. So..be gentle.

God is there for all of us and He does comfort us in all of our troubles and situations, but sometimes it just takes a sympathetic ear or a shoulder to lean on or even cry on. Nobody can handle all of life’s troubles without God or someone to support them and just be there when things aren’t going the way they should. Yes, Jesus is nearer than any person could be, but until He is here in the flesh we need a friend at times. Try to be that friend because there will come a time when you need one and if you were never there for someone then who will be there for you?

What will you do?


I think I have written a post by this name before but it does need to be repeated. Why? Because there are too many people who haven’t figured it out yet. So, have you figured out what this means?

Jesus died on the cross for you. He paid the penalty for your sins and mine and everyone else’s sin in the world. While it is true that not everyone will be saved, that doesn’t mean that the way is open for all. So…what will you do with your gift of eternal life in Heaven? Will you throw it away or just decide not to follow Jesus because you think there isn’t any fun in it?

Every person is going to live for an eternity, but it is your decision about your belief in Jesus which determines where you will live it. If you decide to only believe in yourself or in some other “god” besides Jesus, then you will meet Him but He will be your judge instead of your Lord. Some of you may think this is unfair, but God has provided a way for you to live in Heaven but it is dependent upon your belief in Jesus or not which determines your admission to His Kingdom. Why did God make it dependent on your choice? Because salvation is a choice. While it’s true that the Holy Spirit convicts you of your need of salvation, it’s still your decision to accept the offer.

God loves all of humanity but He doesn’t love our lifestyles or our sinful lives. Many in the world deny that Jesus was the Son of God even though God says so in the gospels. Why do we rebel against our Creator in this way? Because we are stubborn and we want to live our lives the way we want to live them, not according to the Bible and His way of living. Can we live the way that Jesus taught His disciples to live and work and spread the gospel? Of course, we can, but we will have to live our lives daily according to His example

Will it be easy to live this way in the world today? No, it won’t be but with Jesus in your heart and with His Spirit, in you, it can be done. But, only if you depend on Him to get you through each day…one day at a time. Which is why you should look in God’s Word for wisdom and support for your life. As Paul wrote about each of us “keeping our eyes on the prize of glory through Jesus the Christ our Lord”, it’s necessary to do exactly that!

When Jesus told Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water, he did it for a few steps. But, then he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink. That’s why we should spiritually keep our eyes on Him every day! Because walking in this life as a Christian is not easy, even though many people think that it is. Walking as a Christian daily can only be done successfully by keeping our heart and our mind focused on Him. Don’t seek out your own wants and stuff, which most of us don’t have enough room for anyway. Seek His way and His Truth in your life and in all of your steps through this life.

I pray that our churches, our country and our representatives in Washington will turn to the Lord because our country and the world needs to see us doing this.