Category: Choose Christ

Humility


This is a word that is not heard much in the media today whether it is the news or on social sites. It is a rare word in today’s society period. But what does it say about a person if it is used about them? Do they stay out of the spotlight or never seek fame of any kind? That is a type of humility I suppose. What about the “knowing your limitations” type of humility and not bragging about your abilities? Rather…not bragging at all. That is also a type of humility.

Moses was said to be the most humble man in the Bible yet Jesus was even more so. During his time, Moses was the most humble (meek) man on the face of the Earth. When Jesus came He became the most humble of all because of his humanity but also because of Who He was. He was humble because He needed to be not because He had to be. He was and is the Son of God after all and His humility helped Him to be under the authority of the Father.

God needs people to be meek/humble because our temper sometimes flares up and it can cause all kinds of problems. Meekness doesn’t mean weak, it is strength under control and that is what humility is as well. Your strength and pride under the control of the Holy Spirit and not your own. People who allow God’s Holy Spirit into their lives to change them and use them as the apostles were have to be humble in this way. It isn’t a sign of weakness and it isn’t a “false” humility either.

Being used by God for His Kingdom’s purposes is exactly what we are called to do and to be…useful to Him. So why are there so many who claim to belong to Jesus but never show any fruit of the Spirit in their lives? Only God knows the real truth of that. He is the only Person that knows your heart and whether or not it truly belongs to Jesus. Some people have the gift of discernment but it isn’t accurate enough to see your heart’s condition. God knows who will accept Jesus fully as their Savior and Lord and who will not. Many of those who do not actually think that they did because of their place in the church or their “feelings” but that isn’t how it works.

God loves each of us because He has known each of us since the foundation of the world. He has known your future decisions and Who you will choose to follow and He knows that your decision will be one that will bring Him honor and glory through Jesus Christ. Does that mean that we have to come to Him? Eventually, but there are some who will resist and may even back away from the call of the Holy Spirit and at that point they have committed the sin for which there is no forgiveness. Because once you have felt His touch in your heart and know that you need Him only to turn away there will never be another time that your heart will change that decision. So…make the right one before it is too late.

Do you know why?


Most believers and the churches that they attend know or think they know “what they believe” and “how to tell others about their belief in Jesus”. In many ways, the pastors of those churches feel that they know these things as well. Some do know these fundamental beliefs of the church and they preach them from God’s Word. But do you know why you should study God’s Word? Do you know why you should tell others in your family and those who live nearby about your Savior?

Is there a reason why we should tell others about Jesus? Why do we come to church?

Telling others about our Savior throws a lifeline to them so that they can know their Savior and escape an eternity in hell. Why do we come to church? Because the Bible says, “forsake not the assembling of the brethren or believers”. We are strengthened in our Spirit when we worship Jesus together. We learn more about our Savior and how to be His disciples when we meet together and study the Bible about His work. We learn about who we are to take this good news, the gospel, to every tribe and nation and tongue, whether it is across the ocean or the street.

But…do we take this good news even to our own family? The “why” of the gospel is simple, maybe too simple, and it is love. God loved us and still loves us so deeply that He sent Jesus to live and die for our sins, no matter how big or small our sins may seem to be to us. The sins that we commit each day in our thoughts and in our speech and with our eyes tend to make a mockery of our claim of being a Christian. We don’t take our faith and our walk with Jesus by our side seriously. Sometimes we rarely think about Him at all outside of the church. It’s almost like when we were young and we would go to visit our grandmother or an aunt that we only see once or twice a year. 

We would be told in very stern words to be on our best behavior while we are there. The problem with this kind of thinking and living as Christians is that unlike our grandmother or our aunt, God knows what we think and say even if we don’t say it in church. He knows about your sins regardless of their perceived size because to a holy God…every sin is the same. It is our rebellion against Him and His commandments. That is hard for us to understand because we categorize sins as big or little, white or black. To God, telling your Mom that you didn’t eat the cookie when you did is the same as killing your brother or someone in anger. They don’t seem to be the same to us, but to God, a sin is a sin…period.

Your life and mine are an open book to God. He can turn the days back and see the day you were born and He can look ahead to the day you will die or to the day that we will be taken up to heaven. He knows you and me far better and more completely than our family does. So answer this question in your mind: do you know why you are important to God? It is a simple answer but it is one that we rarely believe or understand because it is too simple.

The reason that we are important to God is LOVE. 

Plain, simple, and boring…but from His perspective, it is the most important reason of all! Why is love so bland and boring to us? Because we have used the word for so many things which are not actually “love” until we have tarnished its meaning and weakened its importance. For some people, the expression of love can be done in ways that others would find obsessive or offensive. Then there are times when we say, “I love that show!” or “I love shrimp!” 

We use the word “love” in ways and for the expression of feelings that really have no resemblance to love at all. At least not the type of love that God has for us and for all of His Creation. We have stretched it and turned it into a word with little meaning at all because we use it so much. But…God’s Love for us is overflowing with meaning and purpose and it’s alive just like His Word in the Bible. It inspires you and it burns within you and it compels you to do things that you wouldn’t normally do like get in front of a group of people and speak for almost thirty minutes!

Love is the reason for everything that God made. Especially when it comes to His feelings for you and me. God’s love came to Earth so that we could come to heaven. He came to pay for our mistakes so we wouldn’t have to pay the penalty ourselves.

Amen

Are we being disciplined?


Look into the Old Testament and you see God actively disciplining His people. He used signs and wonders to bring them out of Egypt and then He also used all kinds of signs and punishments to bring the Israelite community back into fellowship with Him. I am very glad that He does NOT use those kinds of enticements or punishments for the church, that is supposed to be part of the New Covenant through the blood of Jesus. Why is our world in such turmoil today? Mostly because the church dropped the ball in the past.

It didn’t take the “church” long to conform to the people and the world around them after Jesus ascended to Heaven. The Roman Catholic church adopted the “rituals” of pagans in order to bring them into its influence. That is where “Christmas” and “Easter” come from.

Have you thought about how we could get people to come to church? Most of us don’t because the world around us, for the most part, is not interested in coming to church. They don’t want to hear what they are doing wrong nor do they want to know that their “truth” is not the right Truth. Most people in the world don’t believe that the Bible and its teachings are the Truth much less that what is written there was inspired by God’s Spirit. They just think that the Bible is an old book written thousands of years ago and it has no relevance in today’s society.

I do believe that we are being disciplined by God but it is a soft discipline at this point. He’s not throwing hail stones of one hundred pounds at us and the Earth is not breaking open and swallowing whole congregations but we are being taught a lesson if we will notice it and learn from it. The things which are happening around us with COVID-19 and the Antifa riots and other media hyped “news” are just the birth pains before the real storm hits during the Tribulation.

If you are not sure of your salvation or if you have shunned church services for whatever reason I encourage you to make sure as soon as possible. The 7 year peace treaty with Israel will be the beginning of hell on Earth. Make sure which side you are on before that time gets here if you can.

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.

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.

I watched this and it caused me to think…


I think that many people who believe in Jesus truly need to stand up for their faith when it is questioned. Many believers don’t do this. Eight out of ten people who attend church seem to believe in Jesus but they don’t tell anyone else about it. The other two people do. They take their faith in Jesus and they told people about it. So twenty percent of of people who profess to know Him actually do because they show it to others. Take a look at this video and take it to heart. Then make sure that someone hears the message that you believe in your risen Savior because He died for your sins. He made way for you to be forgiven and changed so that you can take His message to everyone you meet.

Our God is able to give you the strength even when you think it is gone. Seek Him for your eternity and for your healing today.

Some people might think that what happened in this instance was just coincidence, but God is able to do anything even when there are people in the room who do not believe in Him. The foolish people of this world think that we are foolish because we believe God’s Word and they don’t. Even Satan and his demons know Who God is and they know that He is real! So if God’s adversaries know and believe in Him why do we who are created in His image tend to move in the opposite direction from belief?

Seek Jesus for your salvation so you can know for sure where your eternity is because this world is temporary but your salvation and your home is in Heaven. All you need to do is believe in Jesus to receive it and repent of your sinful ways. Ask Him to come into your heart and clean out all of the “old stuff” and place the Holy Spirit in there so that you will be a “new creation in Christ“.

Which side are you on?


In the world today we have all sorts of “sides”. There is the Left and the Radical Left, then there is the Right and the Radical Right. Then of course you have Centrist and those who try to walk in or near the center but still leaning to the Right or the Left. Even in most movies which are popular there are stark contrasts between the hero and the villain, good and evil, light and dark. The same can be said of the Bible and the ideologies espoused in many other religions. So what can we do? Is there really a right or wrong way to live and be and act…or do we just follow our own ideas so that each person has their view of right and wrong regardless of how society perceives it?

If we followed our own version of right and wrong regardless of the way it makes others feel there would be total anarchy and riots and possibly wars all over this land and elsewhere. But this is not the way to be according to our actual rule book given to us by God Himself. The Bible teaches that we are to love each other as we love ourselves and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

So…why don’t we follow these simple rules?

Because these rules came from Jesus’ gospel. It isn’t that they are hard to do but many people who think that they are Christians don’t like to be limited by rules even as simple as these. God knows which person is actually a Christian believer and who is not. Does it matter? Yes, because many will come to the throne one day claiming that they have served the Lord for many years and He will say “Depart from Me because I never knew you“.

God knows the heart of each person and He sees exactly what each of us thinks and does in our lives, whether we do those things for Him or against Him. God is present here and in Antarctica and in Russia and France and Saudi Arabia and not just in those places but in places which may not even know or recognize Him at all. He is the Creator and the Father of us all but most importantly He is the Father of Jesus the Christ Who came to Earth two thousand years ago to fulfill the will of God that we would have a chance to know Him and be in His Presence into eternity. His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, touches our hearts and shows us the kind of people we truly are and it is then that we know that we need Jesus as our Savior.

That is the time of conviction and knowledge that we cannot be saved on our own or by our own choice but by Him and through Him we can come to know Him Who loved us so much that He gave His Son for our sins in order that we would be adopted into His family. So many in the world today don’t want to accept this and they are more afraid of a virus than they are of the Creator. He is the creator of it, whether it is the flu or a corona virus or the common cold and it is by His power that we will overcome it or not. If we do not then we go to be with Him. If we do, then we can tell of the wonderful saving grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ!

There are always two sides to every decision and every fence and every road that you take, your future will depend upon which one you choose to follow.