Be still…

In our busy world today it seems almost like a joke when someone asks or tells you to “Be still!”. We want to say, “I don’t have time to be still, I have too much to do!”. Many of us think it, some of us may blurt it out but this is very true today. Our world, whether it is in a developed country or a third-world country or a war-torn country, is very busy, constantly moving in some direction regardless of whether it is the right one or not. When God says, “Be still and know that I AM God“, He is speaking of being still in your Spirit. Sometimes it does involve being still physically because many of us can’t focus on Him if we aren’t being still.

Can you be still? Many people are so busy running here and there trying to get things done yet most aren’t successful at getting the most important things accomplished. We do many little things during our day but many times we don’t get around to the really important decisions. “What is a really important decision?”; how about the decision to make Jesus your Savior so that your eternity is sealed with Him?

We live our lives and our careers so focused on “getting ahead” and “making sure our retirement is comfortable” but many people don’t consider their eternity. We live seventy or eighty years and spend maybe fifteen or so “enjoying” our retirement years by going to doctor after doctor. It doesn’t sound very enjoyable to me. Some do go on vacations and trips, then spend a month or more recovering from them. Consider eternity for a moment though. Even a life that lasts for a century is but a puff of smoke in comparison to ten thousand years and ten thousand years is only one tick toward one million years. Eternity is beyond our comprehension, so why not get prepared for spending it with the One Who loves you the most in all of the universe?

God sent Jesus to pay our penalty for every sin for every person from the beginning of Creation to the end. All that we need to do is believe it, repent of those sins and accept Jesus as our Savior and our eternity will be sealed with Him. Don’t believe the lie that you have plenty of time to make that decision because not one of us is guaranteed tomorrow. Just as the rich fool who built more barns to enjoy his wealth but God said “your soul is required of you tonight“, you or I don’t know when our time will be up! So, prepare for your eternity and make the decision to follow Jesus because not making that decision will send you to a place where you will regret your lack of decision for eternity.

Why is there persecution?

There are many reasons for Christians to be persecuted at this time. One is because it was foretold by our Lord Jesus Christ. Another reason is because our belief in Jesus and the Truth of the Gospel and God’s Word is offensive to many religions because of our claim that it is the only Truth. One other reason is because there are many people who don’t want to believe in Jesus and they fervently believe that their religion is the “right” belief to have in order to enter into eternity. The problem that is present in our world today is that God designed us with an eternal soul regardless of our belief in Jesus or not we will have an eternity ahead of us after death. Our eternal problem is our destination after death, will it be in Heaven or will it be in the lake of fire, not for any sin that we’ve done in this life but for rejecting the Savior that God sent into the world to save us!

Whether you believe in Jesus for your salvation or not doesn’t change the fact that eternity is still out there ahead of you. Oh, some people may tell you that there is nothing after death. You’re just dead!

That isn’t what is taught and shown in God’s Word. Jesus spoke many times about Paradise or Abraham’s bosom and hell, so if the Son of God speaks about a life after this one then the end of this life isn’t the end at all. But there are many religions and beliefs that don’t teach about an eternity beyond this life, let alone that you will experience it as a living soul! The soul that comes from God Himself, the breath of Life that was breathed into Adam, is eternal. When this body, this “temple of the Holy Spirit” is dead, your soul goes back to its Maker. If you have given your life to Jesus and followed Him, even if it was only for a few days or weeks, your soul will be in His Presence from the moment of your death into eternity. If you did not give your heart to Jesus and you lived like the end was going to be the end…period, then your soul will go into eternity to be judged by God without the blood of Jesus covering your sinful life.

Which one of those situations would you rather be in? The one where your soul is welcomed into eternity or the one where you are facing the Judge of all, God Himself?

It is an easy choice to make while you are alive here but it has to be made before you draw your last breath. This life is a “proving ground” in a way because God proves each of us while we live. Whether we will obey Him and follow Jesus and repent of our sinful lives or not. Those are the only choices in this life that have real eternal consequences. When you feel convicted of your sins, whether you are in church or in your car or at work, begin to pray right then and ask Jesus to forgive you and come into your heart and change you so that you can be useful to Him for the rest of your life regardless of how long that may be.

You and I are not guaranteed tomorrow, so when that conviction does come on your heart please don’t ignore it. Immediately begin praying for Him to come in and save you from your sinful life and it’s consequences. Don’t wait until Sunday because you may not make it to Sunday!

You must have love…

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1co.13.1.KJV

All things are possible…

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mrk.9.23.KJV

Come to God

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/heb.4.16.KJV

Discipline isn’t fun but it is rewarding

Dear Friend,

How are you today? I know that some of my friends are feeling sick. Some are overwhelmed by their circumstances. Some don’t know what to do with all of the blessings that they have and feel guilty about them as well. Some don’t feel that they have anything to give but in God’s Kingdom all of you matter! All of you have something that can make a difference in someone’s life.

Do you know what your gift is? I’m not speaking of money, although some are blessed with that too. I’m speaking of life lessons for the most part. Sometimes it is hard to get those lessons across to others. Sometimes they don’t want to hear them and many times they may not take those lessons of advice to heart and put them to use. Why? Because they have a better education than you or I do or they see our advice as being from someone who doesn’t know the struggle that they are going through.

The thing is simply that God does know everything that you have been through. You might not know God as your Savior yet but sometimes those trials are what will bring you to the point of knowing God and knowing that you need Him. Each of us is blessed in the specific way that we have been working toward. Some of us have abilities and even wisdom that has come from Him that we don’t use or may not even know that we have.

We can’t see our abilities because of our distance from God and His Wisdom and His Word. Sometimes we read and study God’s Word but we are thinking of our business or something else in our life. Reading and studying God’s Word is something that takes dedicated study. Not just opening your Bible while you attend church services, but actually studying it like you did in school to pass a test. That is how you get to know God and His Wisdom that will take you through life so you can help others. What do you mean that I have to help others? Because Jesus did it. We are supposed to be and do what He did and more.

Now how am I supposed to do that? He was and is the Son of God, I can’t walk on water or heal people or feed thousands from a sack lunch! There was some bit of wisdom that my grandfather gave me and my grandmother too: Can’t never could. You are living with doubt about who you are in Christ and what He has given you to be. If you doubt anything, Biblical truth or any other truth, it will not happen! If a football team goes into the game thinking “We can’t win”, they won’t win regardless of how hard they try. We defeat our own dreams and abilities even before we begin if we start with a defeated mind!

I’m not advocating “positive thinking” but study of the Bible, quitting smoking, having a successful career in business, or even passing a test have to begin with a mind that is set on DOING and not failing! If you want God to save you, pursue Him…especially when you feel His hand of conviction on you. If you want to graduate with honors go after that goal with everything you have. Living the Christian life cannot be done by us alone but with the Holy Spirit in our heart and our determination to learn more about Him every day we can do it and live it so that others will see our life and will want the life with Christ that we have.