Other paths lead in a different direction


You may wonder why I didn’t put something specific where “paths” is and there is a reason. It is because we are giving legitimacy to so many religions and beliefs when we shouldn’t be! There are too many paths which would fit in that title. What are they? Dowsing, pyramid energy, mediums who claim to be using “angel cards”, ouija, etc.; all of these and more are part of the occult and people shouldn’t be consulting with them, but they are.

Giving these “optional” beliefs or paths legitimate status doesn’t help us to get the message out into the world that Jesus is the way to salvation, not “alternate religions”. There are so many different beliefs in the world until it is hard to understand just why there are so many. Satan has been working very hard to give people an alternate viewpoint which can be molded into a new religion or faith. It seems that today it is so easy to put your faith in almost anything besides God and Jesus!

separatechurchesWe talk about religion and being religious as if that covers all of Christianity but you can be religious about anything. Just because someone seems to be religious doesn’t mean that they are a Christian. They could be religious about any one of the hundreds of different religions out there, you could even be a religious atheist! My point is this: don’t give religions other than Christianity a legitimate foothold!

I know, I am not being inclusive of all people and their beliefs and I will own that. What I am trying to get people to think about here is ETERNITY!! There is only one God and Jesus the Christ Who can grant you access to eternity, or at least one that you would enjoy living in! The Bible states it plainly that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, all other paths, even though they may be morally good, will lead you elsewhere for eternity.

Some faiths don’t believe in eternal punishment like the lake of fire foretold in Revelation. But, if God says that is where you will be and He doesn’t lie, then that is where your choices will take you! Seek out Jesus and His gospel, believe in Him and repent of your sinful ways and then follow Him, reading His Word and praying for strength each day because it is through Him that we are given eternal life and forgiveness.

Don’t let someone pull you away from faith in Jesus just because they believe in some other faith a bit stronger than you believe in yours. That is what has happened to many today, especially young people. They meet someone who is very passionate about their faith, regardless of what that faith may be in, and it is their passion which draws people in. A question which comes to my mind when I may be confronted with this would be: Would you be willing to die for that faith, that passion in your religion?

Does it convince you enough that you are on the right pathway to Heaven that you would give your life under fire or being burned at the stake for it? If you question this just the least bit, then you might want to back up and consider your faith again.

Does God care about us?


With all of the things that occur on a daily or weekly basis, some of them being horrific and some not so bad, things could be better. I am sure that I am not the only person, Christian or not, who has wondered if God really cares about us! Jesus said that “not even a sparrow falls without God’s knowledge“, so we shouldn’t look at the bad things which seem to happen, in light of His love for us, so many times these things do happen for a reason. But what sort of reason is it?

Sometimes it is to bring God into the situation, many times it is to focus our thoughts on Him but often it is to bring Him glory and praise for His mercy. You might say that the death of so many couldn’t possibly bring God glory and honor and praise! What about the people who we don’t hear about who might have pushed someone else out of harm’s way? Some caregiver who didn’t think of their safety in order to save someone else.

Most news stories don’t focus on anyone who may have done any of these things. They may only be known to the person that didn’t die and they could be in the hospital but still live because of something that someone else did. By the time they remember it, the story is cold and nobody wants to hear about it or they may not even remember much about what happened. God is present in all things, good and bad, and He causes them to work for the good of His Kingdom and those of us who serve Him. We may never find out what has been done behind the scenes until we get to Heaven, but God knows.

It’s possible that something that we say or do, that is seen by someone else, may have a positive effect in someone’s life, yet we may not find out about it until we meet them in Heaven. Yes, God does care about each of us. Not just those of us who are Christians, but every person in the world. Even those who choose not to give their lives to Jesus. That doesn’t change how God feels about them though. He love for us is not dependent upon our response to Him.

Remember, John 3:16, 17: 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His [a]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

God’s grace is given to us as a gift, just as our salvation is, but we have to accept it. If we feel His Spirit touching our hearts to do so and we refuse, then it is our own fault if we don’t get into Heaven. God doesn’t send you to hell or condemn you for your sins on any other basis EXCEPT our acceptance of His gift to us through Jesus and His atonement for us! It is all up to you! “Choose this day whom you will serve“, just as Joshua did!

Living the life of a believer and a servant of Jesus is not always easy and it doesn’t pay much but remember this, the benefits of eternity outweigh any hardship that you might have now!

What is your hope for eternity?


Does your religion or belief tell you that you will live into eternity or do you just die? Some do look at life as being just what we have here on Earth, which honestly is nothing. If you only have this life to live and enjoy then what is the point of going on day by day? Life after the death of our physical body is the only hope that matters to a Christian. If that were not available and promised to us then, again there is no point to this life if it ends when we die.

john317Many stories from our families and friends and others who have been on the edge of eternity before death tell of a place where family lives and we thrive in bodies that are eternal. Where disease and death and other ailments that we have to deal with here on Earth are gone and the bodies which we have will have no limitations! That is the eternity that I long for, that I hope for and wait earnestly for. This life that is painful and stiff and limited, I would gladly give it up in a second for the one that is promised in God’s Word!

I do not mean that we should just give up on this life and commit suicide because that is very wrong too. The point that I am making about the few years which we have to live being nothing is that when you compare even a life of 120 years to ten thousand years or one million years of eternity….120 years is like a few days compared to those! Eternal life with God is not going to be boring because we will be with God, our Creator! All of creation will be laid before us to enjoy and see with our eyes! We will not be ghosts, we will be like Jesus was when He was resurrected! He had a body, but He could appear in a locked room, He could eat and drink too, a spirit can’t do those things.

DarkorLightGod has prepared a place for us to live with Him, in our eternal bodies without disease or pain or fear of death…forever. Believe in Him and seek Jesus out so that you can have eternity with Him because the other side of eternity, with Satan, is completely cut off from God and Life and it is forever too. It is your decision, but it must be made here in this life because when this life is over and your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life, then you get to step into the Father’s house. If your name isn’t there, then you will be in hell, the Lake of fire, with Satan and everyone else who chose not to believe and give their lives to Jesus.

So….choose which one that you can live with, forever.

What do you value?


black-friday-software-dealsIn society, no matter where that society is, it seems to be respect and a standing in the community that is valued most. In some areas of society it is wealth and power and prestige that is valued more. There are times that all of those combine into one abiding and driving force in a society regardless of which country it may be in–and that is called greed. During the holidays, it seems that we value things far above people because of how much value we place on “stuff”.

We see it in the news and online, we see the effects of it in life around us but greed is actually a part of an overpowering emotion that humanity has been dealing with and losing the battle against ever since the Garden. That is pride. Pride of course can be a good thing when you are proud of your son or daughter for their accomplishments in school or even in life. But…it can get out of hand when pride in yourself and your status and your wealth swells up to the point of making you want more and more.

Our values and what we value should be a part of our life with Christ. Our life in general should be a reflection of our values and Jesus being a part of our life should be the standard by which our values are measured. What does He value in His ministry? Who does He value and why? When we find the answers to these questions, and they aren’t hard to find, then we will have the answer to having a life which reflects more of Him and less of our pride, less of us.

Why should our values be aligned with Jesus’ values? Because if you are a Christian then your life and the values that you have should be reflecting the same life, the same values which Jesus placed value in. If you claim to be a Christian but you live like the rest of the world and only go to church when it is necessary or maybe on holidays, weddings and funerals, then you are missing the point.

The Christian life is about believing in Jesus but also living with Him on a daily basis, gathering for prayer and worship of your Creator with other believers and becoming more like Him and less like the person that you were before. If this doesn’t describe your life with Jesus, then you may want to do a bit of soul-searching to see if you really are a Christian.

I am not writing this to put anyone down, but there are many people in America and in other places, who claim to be Christians BUT they never go to church. It is likely that they rarely read the Bible or pray and praise God, unless something is going wrong in their life or in their family. Then they seek His help and influence. God is not on call just when something goes wrong, He is supposed to be present in your life…every day!

God is not a genie. We shouldn’t treat Him as such, but there are many who seem to look at Him like this. God values your life so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross, one of the most heinous and barbaric ways that anyone could die, in order to be the sacrifice for your sins! He would’ve done this even if there was only you to save, but He paid the price for ALL of humanity. Even though many won’t give their lives to Him and become a Christian, the price has already been paid for their sins.

Learn of Him and His Love for you. Seek Him out while there is still time in this life to do so. When you have breathed your last breath or if death comes suddenly tonight or tomorrow, your chance to change is over. Don’t put it off, please.

Preaching from the Bible


Is this the actual way to do it? I mean, if you are a preacher of the gospel aren’t you supposedTaketheGospeltoAll to preach from the Bible? Today, it seems that more churches which are growing, especially the larger ones, have pep talks and “5 ways to make your marriage work” sermons. Jesus didn’t preach or teach on these topics. The gospel is the Good News of His payment of your debt owed because of your sins. He made that payment iN FULL so that we can accept His grace and offer of salvation once and never have to come to Him asking for salvation again.

We may need to confess our sins when we fail Him one day or another, but our salvation is secure in Him. He will in no way lose any that the Spirit calls to Himself and they accept that call. Preaching from the Word of God is the only way that many people get to hear God’s Word. It seems that today many rely on apps on their phone or tablet for scripture reading, and that’s fine but reading the Word and hearing it preached allows it to be imprinted on your mind and your heart even more.

Don’t neglect the gathering together of the brethren in worship. I know, there are always other things to do instead of going to church BUT if you have given your life to Jesus you are expected to worship Him at least one day during the week. Of course some people claim that they worship Him every day, which is good, but the disciples gathered together to worship and pray so I think we should too.

We should preach from God’s Word and worship together because the worship of His people and the praise which we give to Him, He inhabits it. Our prayers and needs are seen and heard by our Father and the Son when we are together because those prayers rise like the smoke from incense or sacrifices to the throne! Praise His Holy Name!!

Nominal Christianity


Romans 10

Paul was writing to those Christians, those who accepted Jesus as their Savior. But he saw no distinction between election by the Spirit and prayer to God. Because only God who has rights to move unilaterally in human affairs can answer our prayers. Whether you truly believe it with all of your heart and soul and mind or not, God is truly in control. He doesn’t force us to do things His way, but He can intervene in the affairs of humanity to bring His purposes and His will to pass.

Considering those who don’t believe in Him, we don’t know who will respond to a sermon or to the call or touch of the Holy Spirit, so when you think of election don’t look at it as God has picked you and not this person. He wants all men to come to salvation, yet it is still up to us and our choice to believe in Him or not.

This is why, in this chapter, Paul was praying for the Jews to come to know Jesus as their Savior and we should be diligent to tell others about Him as well as pray for their salvation. It is never proper to just give up on someone because they don’t come to church or even believe like you do.

Verse 10 says: “For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”

In verse 9, Paul wrote that with the mouth you shall confess the Lord Jesus and shall believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Why did I write this after verse 10? Because, you can’t confess something with your mouth that you don’t truly believe in your heart. This is why Jesus said that “out of your mouth comes defilement”.

God’s nature and the humanity of Jesus existed in Him when He was here and after He was raised to life again, this is the confession which Christians should believe in and confess to others. It is the way to Life eternal and for our hope when He comes again. The world is moving away from belief in God and has been for a long time. Even many “Christians” today only have a head knowledge of Jesus and God. They claim to know them but they only know about them, and that knowledge is not enough.

In the USA, 70% of the population claims to be Christian, but only half of that number or less says that religion is important in their lives. I mean, if only about half of that number claim that religion is important, then are they really Christians?

So how do we define a Christian? Only God knows for sure who really belongs to Him. According to the world, anyone who says they are a Christian is a Christian.

But consider, if someone on a jihad came up to you with a knife and asked that question…what would be your answer? Would you truly answer them that you are a Christian and belong to Jesus the Christ, in the face of death? I don’t know if many people would do that, none of us know for sure what our answer would be in that situation. So, what would be your answer? Will you believe in Jesus as your Savior? Our time is growing short, so don’t take too long to find the answer to that question.

New Age?


There are many different healers and mediums and those who read “angel cards” and Tarot cards who are using angels in their “practices” to fool many people into thinking they are in a ministry sanctioned by God. This is just not true! The Bible says “do not consult mediums“. These cards and the “angels” associated with them are from Satan, who can tell you all sorts of things about your life especially if you are not a Christian.

The end of the Church age is upon us and the time is drawing near when all of these who practice such “arts” will be exposed for who they are and the spirits that they use in their so-called ministry. Don’t be fooled into thinking that these people are not fooled because they are. They have been fooled into believing that they are consulting God’s angels and getting them to perform good things in your life.

Only God can command an angel to do anything, we do not have that power in this life. God can and will help you in all of your good and bad days, but you have to seek Him out. Living your life without Him and then calling on Him just when you need Him isn’t a good way to have a relationship. Jesus gave His life so that you and I could have eternity in Heaven and so that we could tell others now because people NEED to know.

Many people NEED Jesus although many of them really don’t realize it. They are looking for something but they don’t really know what at least not yet. Some try to fill that emptiness with alcohol or drugs. Some try to do it with career or family or even money. All of these are temporary and utterly useless when it comes to saving your soul, only Jesus and belief in Him can do that!

Jesus loves you and since He is the Living Word of God, He is also the Creator and sustainer of your life and mine. Seek Him in all things and follow His path and His wisdom because the wisdom of man will fail you and the religion of demons will take you exactly where they want you to be…in hell with them.

The wrong road home


Sometimes we think that we are on the right road or path when we are really on the wrong road. So, how can you find out which road you are on? The first clue is finding out how many actual friends of yours are on it too. If you are alone or have found new friends then you are very likely on the right road. If most of your old friends are with you and you are still going to the places that you always have, then you are on the wrong road.

Many people think that the path which leads to Heaven is one which is traveled heavily, but Jesus said that the road to Heaven is a narrow one and there are few who find it. The broad road may lead upward for a while but in the end it leads to hell. The world is on that broad road which so many seem to truly enjoy walking on. Why? Because it is easy and carefree with no thorns or rocks and it isn’t very steep. Satan makes it easy to believe that you are on the right path and it is so fulfilling in this life to walk on it because of the rewards you have in this life.

When it seems too good to be true, it is. Money, fame and fortune are all available on this wide road and sometimes they come to you very easily but there is a price to be paid. Some people think that they will give up all of their freedom and fun in order to become a Christian which is not true at all. I don’t miss waking up with a hangover or wondering where I was last night or who I was with (or in some cases what happened during that time).

When your heart is changed your life will be too. Your friends will either follow you in your walk with Jesus or they won’t. If they can’t follow you then you will make new friends in Christ. Living your life for Him is far more rewarding than many people think it is. I have never seen a street paved with pure gold in Hollywood or anywhere else, so eternity is going to be far more rewarding than anything could be here.

While it is true that your life on Earth has to end before your eternity begins, for me that is not such a big deal. I mean, there isn’t much here besides my family that I would rather stay here for anyway. One day, they will be with me in Heaven too, so my time will be short without them. It sounds as if I am ready to go and I am really, but I am going to wait until God decides on the day and time.

The title of this piece almost sounds like “the long road home” and for some it may be. Some days it feels that way to me as well, but if you look at how short our life really is compared to eternity then it is easily put up with. I mean, our life at best can last say one hundred years. When you compare that to ten thousand or one million years, it is just a small speck like the period at the end of a sentence.

Granted, time won’t be measured in hours or days or years in Heaven. Really, time won’t be measuredroad2eternity at all, so you won’t even know how long you have been there. And…it won’t matter. No more death, disease, pain, or suffering of any kind. No more sunrise or set. Days and years won’t have a measure to stand anymore. The pathway which is wide and easy leads to eternity too but it is a different one than that in Heaven. It is the punishment for denying God and denial of His Grace and His Son’s sacrifice for your sins. Consider this before your life ends because the time to make that decision is today because you don’t have tomorrow…yet.

Unreasonable expectations


In today’s world every person on Earth looks for something or someone who is unreasonable, impossible even because we are looking for that “perfect specimen”. We not only look for an immortal beauty but we want her to be strong but gentle and one who can fulfill all of our desires and our needs. No woman or man exists which can fulfill these expectations! Sometimes we get these ideas from watching movies or reading books like romance novels or maybe some other form of lesser entertainment.

But…perfection in all areas doesn’t exist in this mortal plane. There isn’t a man or woman on Earth who can be all of these and be in love with us because each of us is also imperfect. If the perfect man or woman exists then anyone or anything less than perfection, such as you and me, just won’t cut it! It is something which we learn as young adults usually to our own peril and disappointment.

Just as Galatea and Pygmalion, we too are bound by expectation and disappointment to some extent. In the story, he prays for her to be made into a woman who is like his ideal and his goddess grants his request. In reality, unless perfection is mated to perfection, the relationship is doomed to fail because an imperfect being, such as you or me, cannot fulfill the expectations of the other.

God can change you into a new creation when He comes to live in your heart, but until you are brought to Heaven there will always be a human who fails and falls in this life. Is it possible to have perfection in this mortal body? No, it is not. It is an unreasonable expectation of our existence to even think that it is possible.

Even God cannot look on us and we cannot look Him in the face without dire consequences. Perfect love and sinless Life cannot stand in our presence without causing our death because we are unable to be perfect in any of those areas. Perfection doesn’t exist in this realm of existence and since God exists outside our reality it only exists where He is. Did God expect too much of mankind? No, because He knew when He created them that they could not be obedient in all of their imperfect ways.

God does give us an image, an ideal to work toward in the person of Jesus Christ, and we can strive toward that goal but in this life we will never attain it. Learning about Jesus, following hard after Him in this life, reading and studying Scripture and prayer asking Him to grant us wisdom enough to understand Scripture’s true meaning, these are the works which guide us toward Him and His image.

As long as we don’t create an imperfect, human inspired image of Him, changing Jesus into a more attainable human ideal then we will do fine. If we do that then we are guilty of creating an idol of our own which resembles Jesus only in our minds, because it is not Him but an imperfect copy. Our copy or idea of Jesus or even God is based upon the only form that we are familiar with and that is ourself.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Why don’t relationships work?


Truly the reason that this happens is because of the foundation. Many marriages begin on the wrong foot and certainly on sand or loose gravel for a foundation. Why do we pursue a relationship that ultimately will fail?

IAM-JesusWe do this because we haven’t found the Relationship which can’t fail. We are born searching for something or Someone but for years we search and look for things and people to fill that void, that empty place which always feels as if it needs…to be filled. It is a scientific principle which states quite accurately that “nature abhors a vacuum”. At some point, something will fill that space whether it is good or bad, God or Satan, it doesn’t matter which, but it will be filled.

If we try to fill it with a career or a family, that can work for a while but it isn’t permanent. If we try to fill it with drugs or alcohol, our life and our relationships are doomed to fail because those things are designed to destroy whatever they come in contact with! But…if we will seek out our Savior, Jesus the Christ, and repent of the attempts which we have tried before, and ask Him to come in and clean our heart up, then our life will be placed on the right path.

Following Him, learning about Him by reading and studying the Bible, praying about your family and your problems, all of these will begin to fix your pathway and your life in such a way that your foundation will become complete and solid. When this happens, your relationship with your spouse and your family will begin to level out and become less bumpy and more smooth. This is the foundation which should guide our lives today but we tend to follow along with the rest of the crowd at school or church, if we go at all.

If everyone at school or at church is just going along to get along for the sake of being thought of as a “pillar of the community”, that is the wrong reason. Trying to earn a place in the eyes of people and “fair weather friends”, no matter how you earn it, doesn’t help you in the long run. Why? Because it isn’t built on God’s foundation which is Jesus.

You can decide to ignore this advice if you wish or just don’t read this at all, it doesn’t hurt my feelings one way or the other. But…what if I am right. When your life is going to hell on a slippery slope, which of your friends could possibly pull you out of it? A rich kid that you went to school with? No, they are likely off enjoying life just as they think they should. What about your dear friend from work? Not likely, they come home feeling even more tired than they did last year.

The only One Who can get your life back on the right path and give you strength enough to make it through all of your trouble is Jesus. No other religion or “holy man” or prophet can do that because all of them are dead! He is alive at the Father’s right hand and He is able to help you in your time of need. Seek Him out and make sure that He is your foundation and your Solid Rock, your Savior. Because without Him, we can do nothing.

Get your relationship with God and His Son, Jesus, right and the rest of your life will be so much better than it has ever been before.