For all the broken out there, remember that God’s Reckless Love will chase us down and fight till we’re found!! He does not want to leave anyone behind.
Inspirational Song For Today: Reckless Love With Cory Asbury — The Abuse Expose’ with Secret Angel
Are you a friend to somebody? Do you have many friends that you actually know? Or are you more like me, you have friends that you have known for a long time but life and distance keep you from seeing each other? Many of us are in the same place that I am. We do have friends and have had some for many years but circumstances and distance tend to make the relationship kinda hard to keep alive. Even my relationship with some of my family is tempered by distance and our ability to bridge that distance is tempered by money and time as well.
In many ways, our relationship with Jesus sometimes falls into this same rut. We get caught up in life and our own problems and we push our time with Jesus and His Word to the back of our priority list. Then, sometimes, it gets pushed a little bit more. Then one day we realize that we truly miss our relationship with our Savior and we come back to Him apologizing for being away for so long. Why? Because it was us who moved, Jesus has always been near us. If we are Christians, His Spirit is still there even if we aren’t paying any attention to Him. This happens more often than we would like to admit…to anyone.
Sometimes we get a bit too open with our words and our “opinions” and we hurt each other’s feelings. Sometimes I feel like we do the same thing to Jesus as well, but He forgives us even when we do it more than we should. The best thing that we can remember about friendships is: don’t treat your regular friends like you treat Jesus. Because we take Him for granted all of the time and we should never take our friends for granted. God gave us friends to be there when we need them because until He comes to rule this Earth He isn’t physically here. So our friends are there to be “stand-ins” for Him.
Make sure which friends you have and always treasure their friendship like you would a brother or a sister because in Christ we are all brothers and sisters.
It seems that many people place their “faith” in books and degrees and they seem to think that the wisdom that they have came from those achievements. Some of it did, at least the mankind of wisdom comes from books and degrees. But what about your common sense? What about the value and wisdom which comes from reading God’s Word?
I’ve heard that there are some who seem to be lacking in the “common sense” department but have you ever thought that their version of common sense may just be different from yours? It may not be the same or work in the same fashion as yours does but it is likely that they have a special case of common sense which fits their position and purpose in this life. Why do I say this? Because God is the One Who gives out “common sense” and I don’t think He makes mistakes.
There are too many physical properties of our universe which have to be so in tune for life to exist to say that God could make a mistake like not giving someone any common sense. He doesn’t make mistakes. But, we seem to want Him to be more like us instead of the other way around. I don’t want God to be like us at all! If He were like us, I’m sure we would not be here!
All of the wisdom in the world was given to us from God. I don’t think that He quit speaking through people just because it isn’t canonized and included in the Bible. What about all of the Christian literature which has His wisdom included in it? True, some of the inclusions are direct quotes from the Bible but there is other wisdom in those books which did not come from the Bible and it is just as wise and true as if Paul wrote it. Do we look down on it because it is “man’s” wisdom rather than from God? How do you know that the Holy Spirit didn’t inspire them to write it? He could be giving me these words too and frankly, I think He always has because I’ve never been a person who talks a lot.
Writing here is my witness to others who may never get to a Christian church and I stand by that conviction. I do believe that the Holy Spirit gives me the words to say here, so please take the time to read His wisdom in these words because I’m not trying to convince you of anything other than the fact that Jesus is the Christ and He is the only Savior Who can save you from your sins and pardon you so you can enter into eternity with Him.
On the last Passover that Jesus celebrated with His disciples, He knew what would happen soon. His Spirit knew what was being planned for Him. So why did He go there? You know that if it were you or me, our fear of death would’ve kept us away from that place. Jesus was as much human as we are, but He was also God and He knew that if He didn’t go and fulfill the Father’s will mankind would have no part in His Kingdom when it’s time is fulfilled.
So, why did Jesus go to Jerusalem that night? Because of His love for mankind, not just for the Jewish people but for all of humanity. God did this because He knew that we could not have a relationship with Him unless our sin debt had been paid fully and only Jesus could do that. The blood of bulls and lambs and goats could only atone temporarily for our sins as it did in the Old Testament, but the New Testament in Jesus’ blood is a permanent atonement for our sins if we will believe in Him for our salvation. That is the only requirement that we have to fulfill for our salvation and it is our belief which comes to us through the faith which is given to us also by God. We cannot choose to come to Him on our own but when we feel our broken state and know that we need Him, then we can cry out to Him and He will heal us by the blood of Jesus.
You may wonder why I said in the paragraph above that He will heal you by the blood of Jesus. We are under a curse of sin and before Jesus comes into our heart we are dead spiritually. It is this spiritual death which Jesus heals us of and quickens us by His Spirit to do His will for the rest of our days. God loves you and has always loved you. The only requirement for your salvation that you can accomplish is to respond to the Spirit of God which breaks your heart to bring you to the point of repentance knowing that you need Jesus as your Savior.
God sent His Son to bring salvation to Judea but since they refused to believe that He was the Christ, the world gained a Savior. Believe in Him for your salvation because it is found in no other. Salvation is by the grace of God given to us through Jesus and by Him only.
Many of us have often wondered what our purpose in this life really is. We have also considered what our place might be in the “great scheme of things”. Neither of these ideas or wonderings have given us much comfort though. Why is that? Is it because we aren’t looking in the right place or maybe we aren’t asking the right questions? Actually, I think it has more in common with the Person that we are searching for rather than the question or even the place.
Your purpose and your place in this world are found in Jesus alone. There is no other name by which we can be saved from eternal wrath because of our poor choices in life. Your salvation comes through Jesus, period. This also places you squarely in God’s hands for eternity so your place is secure because nobody can take you away from God. Your purpose truly is found in Jesus but what is it? Truly, it is being His disciple and going into the world as a reflection of Jesus so that others will see Him in your life and if they don’t know Him then they will want to know Him!!
By some of the early apostles examples and their writings, at least those who lived after the first century, we should model our Lord and Savior in such a way that people will see Him and come to you so they can know Him better. Almost like your life is your sermon every day that you live and breathe as a Christian! Isn’t that the kind of witness that we should all strive for?
I know that we can’t live perfectly walking like Jesus walked and living out our witness without stumbling and thinking or doing something that would make people question our walk with Him. We are human and we can’t be perfect in our attempts to live as reflections of Jesus but it is the striving to be more like Him that is the real witness! Living the rest of your life as a Christian is not the easy walk that some people think it is. Before we become Christians, Satan doesn’t care what we are doing because by default we live according to our own rules and ideas. But…when we truly give our life to Jesus a target appears spiritually on our head and our heart.
Why does this happen? Because we are working for Satan’s enemy when we become Christians. Our life and every word which we say should reflect Jesus in our lives from this point on. Do we fall and fail at this from time to time? Of course we do, but God still gives us the strength to overcome these stumbles and failures. Recognize that we are weak and we need to ask God to give us the strength today to get through today and then tomorrow and every day after that. Does Satan target us after we give our lives to Jesus? Yes, he does. We might touch someone’s life and bring them into God’s family. The more effective our witness is, the more numerous his attacks on our life and ministry become.
Sometimes your ministry may be world-wide as it is by blogging like this. Sometimes your ministry and witness may be limited by your geography or your ability. But if your witness is effective and draws one or two people to God, then you will be targeted by Satan and his demons. I pray that every person who reads this blog will seek out Jesus as their Savior, if they don’t know Him yet. If you do and you find something here that you could use in your ministry, feel free to use it in witnessing to others. God will bless it.
How many people wake up each morning and thank God that they have one more day to do His will on this Earth? I do, some days. Then there are days, more than there should be, that I just get up and go about my daily routine and I don’t thank Him for anything until I’m about to eat something or maybe I read or hear about something that causes me to think about Him and what He does for us every day that we live. So I guess what I’m saying is that I’m normal, whatever that is. God loves us when we are normal and also when we are not…normal. But, do we give Him our love in return? Do we praise Him when we see a hummingbird fly by or see a rainbow in the sky?
We live and move in this world not because of our own power and ability but because God placed us here and it is His will and purpose for us to be the person that He made us to be. Some of us may not find out who or what His will for us is until kinda late in life, but that’s okay. Maybe He was waiting until you were old enough to be the person that He knows you can be. Many of us are too ignorant to do His will when we are young because we think we know it all. We believe that we can do those things which come to mind even though we usually find that we can’t. We just thought we could. Sometimes those lessons hurt us physically and emotionally too. Usually, that is when we begin our search for the One Who can give us the ability to do His will and not our own.
Sometimes that search takes a long time and sometimes we find Him as we are beginning our search. We find Jesus when He knows we are ready, not when we think we are. Because we think we are ready at point A and He knows we won’t be ready until we reach point C or D. Wherever those points are in your life and at whatever age you reach them, the time and place was appointed by God. It did not come about because of your idea of the time and place, it followed God’s plan and purpose for your life. Whether we know it or even acknowledge it or not, God is and always has been in control of everything that happens on Earth. The election of whoever may be the President or the King or ruler in any country is under His hand and control too.
Since God knows when even a sparrow falls to the ground, don’t you think He cares about what is happening in your life and mine? Since His eyes see every life which He created on this Earth, animal or human, isn’t it wonderful to just breathe in the air which He created for all of us to breathe?
I’ve noticed that many people do seem to be searching for the Reason for Life. Who is the Author of Life? Jesus Christ! He is the Creator and a part of the Triune Godhead along with the Holy Spirit and God the Father. How can I say that many people are searching for something or Someone? Because of the number of people who have visited my little website which God led me to write years ago. Also, because of a search for Bibles on Amazon or any other retail location on the web. Many editions, regardless of translation, are in short supply.
The Holy Spirit is moving in our world today drawing as many people as He can to come to know Jesus as their Savior. The only real way to do this is from reading God’s Word or by attending a Bible teaching church or website. Learn about Jesus and seek to know Him as your personal Savior because He will be that and more. Don’t turn away from Him, especially if you are at the end of your life and you feel God touching your heart. If it is because of age or by reason of some disease which is bringing you to this point, don’t let your life end without Jesus being your Savior. Asking Him to forgive you and make you a child of God is the easiest decision you can make and it is the one which will impact your life far more than you will know on this side of heaven.
We truly are living on the edge of Revelation and if you have ever read this book, the problems which are described in the first few chapters sound exactly like the news broadcasts today. Life is not going to get easier from this point forward, in fact its going to get worse. Because the intolerance of the rest of the world against Christians and their so-called “intolerant” religion is ramping up in intensity and approaching dangerous levels of persecution. In some countries Christians are being hunted down and killed just because of their beliefs and for no other reason. We are being targeted in America because of our “intolerance” but the same thing could be said of their opinion and intolerance too. We are preaching the truth of God from His Word but nobody wants to hear it.
I pray that anyone who reads this post, regardless of the country you live in, seek out a Christian if you can. Ask them about their Savior and pray that your heart will be changed by Him so that your eternity will be with Him in Heaven. The alternative for eternity is unthinkable. Because, whether you believe the Bible and its Word about Heaven and Hell or not. now is the time to make the decision which will impact your eternity and that is a lot longer than your life here.
From Acts chapter 16 starting at verse 29:
29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. 33 At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized. 34 Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.
It is our belief in Jesus and what He did for us, all of us, that brings salvation to us. It has nothing to do with our gifts or our abilities or even the church that we may belong to. Your salvation and mine depend only on the work which Jesus did on the cross and by His resurrection from the grave! Anything which we attempt to add to His complete work for our salvation is covered in pride and it does nothing to elevate us in the eyes of God.
Believe in Jesus the Christ, the Son of God and you will be saved. Repent of your sinful life and its ways and follow Him until that day when you go to be with Him. Because He was raised from death to Life then we have the Hope of eternity as well through Him.
Have you ever doubted that He would do something, anything for you when you pray? If you did doubt Him or His ability to accomplish what you were asking Him for…why should He do it? Doubt is the seed which Satan sows in your mind toward God’s power so that when we are in need and we ask for God’s help, we still doubt if He will do the thing which we asked for. Do you understand what that looks and sounds like from God’s perspective? It goes something like this: “I know that you will supply all of my needs but…”; “I know that you said that you would heal me by His stripes but…”.
Do you see a pattern forming here? There is a “but” getting in the way and it is caused by your doubt towards God and His power. You really don’t believe that He will give you this or heal you of that or even provide for you in your time of need. You say it with your mouth and you may believe it with your head but it isn’t deep down in your soul belief! It isn’t unwavering belief which is shaken but not torn down by the winds of doubt and fear. God is able to do ALL things which we can ask or imagine, if it is His will for us and our ministry to give Him glory!
There is no power on Earth which can stop God from giving you that which will accomplish His work in you and through you but you have to believe in Him and in His ability to do what He said and that He will answer your prayer. Will it be the answer you want? Maybe, but if it isn’t then God may have something better planned for you, He just hasn’t showed it to you yet. God loves each of us and He is able to do all of the things which the Bible says that He can do, the promises and healings and the blessings. But, when you doubt Him you are telling Him that you don’t think or believe that He will do those things. Maybe not in words but God knows your thoughts and your heart so there is nothing hidden from Him.
Trust Him and believe that He can and will do the things which you ask IF it lines up with His purpose and His will for your life. Trust in God and His purposes for your life and put that faith to work for Him and through Him you will be blessed. Amen
On the news and on Facebook and other media outlets there are many so-called “news” stories which are true but there are also many which are fabricated to inflame emotions and add to the fear in our world. God is still in control regardless of what you hear on television. He allows things to happen not so much to punish people but to try to get them to open their eyes and see with their Spirit. Each of us has a spiritual person inside of us but they are not fully realized until we accept Jesus as our Savior. It is only at this point that our Spirit begins to grow and mature. God’s Word, the Bible, is the only nourishment which can give us the strength to get through our life with any certainty.
Yet, in many countries and in our own nation, schools can’t teach from the Bible. In some schools it isn’t even allowed in or on the school grounds. Why do people fear this book so much? Because it is the absolute Truth and it came from God Himself, the Creator of all things! Those who hate this Book know it and where it came from, even Satan himself knows Scripture and he fears it as well. He will quote it to you, but he will twist it into something that isn’t exactly like God said it just as he did in the Garden of Eden.
Some people are asking why preachers don’t preach on hell and the consequences of sin any more. The real reason is fear. They don’t want people to be scared away from their church. It looks bad when people begin to leave. The actual problem is that people don’t really want to hear that there are consequences for their sins. They want to hear that they will go to heaven anyway. The Holy Spirit told Timothy through the apostle Paul that people would be this way close to the end of the age. “They will seek out teachers who will tickle their ears“; the people don’t want to listen to the sound doctrine which was given to us by the Holy Spirit through those who wrote down His Word.
In our world, people prepare (at least some do) for their retirement but there are very few who are preparing for their eternity. Most don’t even seem to think that there is an eternity waiting for them on the other side of death. There is and you need to prepare for it now because there are no second chances. If you choose not to believe in Jesus and not to believe in God and His Word then you have chosen to be in eternity with Satan because no choice is a choice. Seek out Jesus and His doctrine and His Wisdom through the books of John and Romans because it is in these two books that all of the gospel is contained and explained. God doesn’t want anyone to perish in hell because it was created to punish Satan and his followers but if you choose to not believe in Jesus for your salvation then you have chosen to be with the demons in hell. Consider an eternity with once angelic beings who hate you because you were created with the image of God.
