Category: God’s Love for us

Social problems and the world


It seems that we all have to deal with or listen to all of the problems in the world and on social media today, why does everyone seem to be so involved with it these days?

I think our involvement with social media of all kinds is due to people being lonely. We need companionship, even virtual companionship is better than being alone. Even though those of us who have a Christian background know that the Spirit of God is always present with us, it is not visual or apparent as a friend’s voice or presence. Yet, God is always present even when we can’t see Him.

When loneliness is present, even for a little while, Satan can use it to bring depression and despair into our lives as well and these can add to the burden that each of us feels. Is there anything that we can do about these problems? We can socialize more with each other…in person! Texting is great for quick notes, calling on the phone is better, but talking to each other in person is so much better.

I have seen pictures of people at a table and I have witnessed it in a restaurant too where a family is sitting down to eat and each one has a smart phone or tablet in front of them and they aren’t even looking at each other. Our society and the problems which are exploding in the world is partly caused by this kind of disconnect. Even in church I have seen people looking at their phones and texting while the sermon is going on. What has happened to us?

Technology mainly.

That which was supposed to ease our burden of work and help us to have a more productive life and make our work week so much easier is adding to the problem in ways that we never envisioned or even considered before. People have aches from looking down at their phones and tablets that they didn’t have before the invention of these electronic marvels. Our relationships have suffered in ways that can’t be ignored either as well as the impact on our society’s vocabulary.

Can we do something about this? Not really. Simply because it is so pervasive in the world today it can’t be ignored and we can’t reverse the trend now. Life has become dependent upon our ability to be connected all of the time and we are addicted to it too. Yes, Satan has made our technology into a drug which most of the world can’t live without today and we allowed it to happen because it was so easy.

Our world is the way that it is because we allowed it to become that way. It is not because of some evil politician or regime, although it is in some places around the world. Technology has created more wealth for some and drained much wealth from others, adding to the perception of have’s and have-nots’. Many of those in our society seek to gain wealth and power at the expense of others or even by taking from some and giving it to others, this also doesn’t work (in today’s culture it is called re-distribution).

Life today is not fair and it is not easy by any stretch, even in developed countries BUT with God on your side and with Jesus in your heart life can be better than it is and much better in the long run because of His influence in your life. Jesus loves you and me and He died so that we could have life, not just here but into eternity. Seek Him out, learn about Him and ask Him to come into your life and show you just how good it can be. Don’t turn away from Him.

Learn about God


We, as Christians and believers, need to learn more about God and Jesus. Why do I say this? If you truly are a believer and a Christian, don’t you already know about God and Jesus? Well, yes you do, but knowing about God and Jesus doesn’t even make you a Christian. How about that? If you really consider what I just said you will know it is the truth. Knowing about something or someone doesn’t mean that you really know them!

Intellectual knowledge of God or even of the gospel story of Jesus doesn’t save you and it can’t save you. Attending church every time the doors are open doesn’t save you, it may expose you to the Truth of Jesus and His redeeming work on Earth but it won’t save you. Unless you have felt the Spirit convicting you of your life, your sins, and the fact that you can’t help God in your salvation then you won’t turn to Jesus and ask Him into your life and your heart.

If your pastor isn’t teaching your church from the Word of God, then you won’t get the gospel story, you won’t be hearing the story of Jesus and His part in saving you from your sins. Many churches today teach a message which sounds more like a “pep-talk”, a feel-good message, one which doesn’t tell you that you are living a sinful like without Jesus! So, what are you living out in this life? Are you a true Christian, one that has the power of the Holy Spirit in your heart and giving you the ability to be a Christian? Or are you just mimicking your parents and friends who go to church with you every week, going through the motions of a “christian” life!

Jesus said that He and the Father are One, He also said that He is the only way to the Father and to Heaven. The Scriptures call Him the Door, the Branch of David, Wonderful, Counselor and the Prince of Peace. He is the Creator and our Savior and He is the One Who gave the ultimate sacrifice of Himself and then was raised on the third day so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

Changing times


In many ways we are living in times that are changing drastically from what most of us grew up in. Some of the younger people, under twenty years of age, don’t really know what we are talking about when we say this. Their world has been this messed up ever since they were old enough to notice.

Thirty years ago or even further back than that, life was much easier. I don’t mean there were more jobs or more money because that was not the case. I am talking about tolerance for religious beliefs and other things. Yes, Islam was around but not so much in our country, especially not close to home. We heard about shootings in big cities and terrorist bombings in Israel and Palestine, not here in America.

People weren’t as confused about their gender either. You were and are either male or female. If you want to dress like the opposite sex, fine but don’t tell me that I have to accept it. No you can’t use the lady’s room if you are really a man! Although, I imagine some “cross-dressers” have used the ladies room and few were even aware of it, if any.

Yes, we live in times which are changing in ways that we can’t understand unless you have read the Bible. It says that in these days people will be lovers of self and will say good is evil and evil is good and that is exactly what is happening today. Is there a way to stop all of this? Yes, when Jesus comes to rule the world. God says that there will be times like the days of Noah at the end of days and we are beginning to see those times right now.

Another tidbit of information that I am putting in here today is that I live in Mississippi. Yes, the one that is in the middle of the South, right in between Alabama and Louisiana. God loves all of you, no matter where you live or your situation in life but He doesn’t agree with some of the lifestyles and sins that some of you live in. It is the sin that God doesn’t like, I don’t know your heart or your spiritual condition BUT He does. There are many today who go to church and go through all of the motions of being a Christian, but their hearts are far from Him.

So many people think that they are Christians because of their family’s membership in a church, some think that just going to church makes them a Christian. Some think that because they haven’t broken any of the “major” commandments that they are OK or that they have an “understanding” with God, except that none of those things which you think you have done has anything to do with your salvation! A seat at church is just a place to sit, family position doesn’t mean anything to God. Nothing that we do, no matter how good or noble it may be, has any bearing on our salvation.

Your acceptance of and belief in Jesus as your Savior is the ONLY way to get into Heaven and have all of your sins wiped off the books. God doesn’t remember your sins at all once you have given your heart and life to Jesus and you are forgiven. When God looks at you from that point on, He sees the blood of Jesus covering all of your sins and you are just as sinless as Jesus was when He rose from the tomb! It isn’t a hard thing to do to give your life and your heart to Jesus although sometimes our culture or our belief in “me” or some other “god” will get in the way.

Search the Scriptures, seek Him out, pray about your salvation and understanding of God’s Word then give your life to Him and let Him give you a New Life in Him! Why do I ask you to do this? Because Jesus told me to tell others about the gospel, the Good News of salvation where we don’t have to do anything for it because it has already been done by Him. It is a free gift, all you have to do to have it is to ask Him for it and believe.

Confusion in our time


Much has been written about creation and confusion in the time that we live in. Some of it is the truth, most of it is opinion and disinformation made to confuse those who have not read and studied God’s Word. Jesus said that there would be many who will come in my name in the latter days who will deceive many, even the elect but He admonished us to stand firm in our faith and not waver in our beliefs.

Yes, many of those who are placing their own opinion out on the web and teaching it in churches and Sunday schools are doing so with the full cooperation and endorsement of their church. The messages that they teach seems to be true and right, but when you are placing one created being in the place of another Who is more important and Who is not created, that is blasphemy! Like the one who will come and declare that he is “the Christ” one day, it is blasphemy and yet it will deceive multitudes all over the world!

Even many who are in the church today have not believed in the true Christ but of those only God knows who they are. We, as Christians, are not to judge a person’s heart because we don’t know their heart…but God does. All that we can do is preach our messages in our churches and here and then hope that those who come will seek God out and turn to Him, to Jesus and ask forgiveness for waiting so long.

There are many different denominations in the world and just as many versions of the Bible, but there is only one truth and it can be found by seeking Him out in all of Scripture and asking for God to show you what really is the TRUTH and what is a lie! Your Spirit will agree with those things in the Bible which are true and that is the Truth that you should be paying attention to. There is so much confusion in our world today over what is a right or a privilege, or which group of people wronged someone in the past and who is going to pay for it today.

If the courts spent their time doing that, no justice would ever be done for modern crimes. The past is just that..past, and there is no responsible party to file against when a case is over one hundred years old. Yes, I am sorry that our forefathers used slave labor, yes I am sorry that we displaced the American Indians in America and that many of them died for it. But, I can’t pay reparations for something done before my father’s time! Is our world today confused? Yes, it is! Terribly confused!

When the news and our leaders continue to call evil as if it was good and condemn those who are trying to live their lives according to the teachings of Jesus in the Bible, then we are in a bad situation. Times are changing in ways that were predicted in the Bible and that these days would come upon us before the time of the Antichrist. We are living in those times right now and it is only going to get worse in the near future. Seek God in His Word and learn about salvation from the gospels. Jesus is the only way to be saved from the punishment which will follow. I pray that all of you who read this will seek the Truth from God’s Word and find it for yourself.

God’s Promise to us


Gods Promise2

God made this promise and since He cannot lie, it is the truth.

Who is in charge?


Have you ever wondered about this today? In the world, in America and other countries, who really is in charge? Do you wonder about this at times? I do.

It seems that many people are against one thing or another, especially when it involves religion and its viewpoints and in particular the Christian religion. An interesting article was on ministrymatters.com about the American Library Association’s list of books that were challenged due to their content. Here is a small sample of that article:

“The Christian Scriptures are a “regular” among the complaints forwarded by public libraries and schools to the ALA, according to James LaRue, director of the association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. But it’s been seven years since the Bible received enough complaints to make the Top 10 list, LaRue said.

“There’s almost a little retaliatory feel to people speaking up against the Bible because they want to go on record as being opposed to Christian opposition to LGBT (issues) or Christian opposition to Islam,” he said.”

So, who do you think is in charge in this situation? God is still in control whether we see it or not. He knows the reasons and the outcome of these opposition matters which are against the moral laws brought out by the Bible. He knows which parts that every person on each side of this discussion are against and which ones they are for. So, in today’s world as the sides draw lines and begin pounding on desks with gavels, how can we understand the part about who or Who may be in charge?

Truthfully, our understanding is limited by our own viewpoint and on which side we may be standing on. Our understanding is also limited by our knowledge of Scripture and what it tells us that we should do and how to do it. The problem with this lack of knowledge is that it involves each of us and how much we have studied God’s Word. Not just read it, but actually, prayerfully, study it word for word. Asking God to reveal to us what He wants us to know about Him and what we should do with this knowledge in our world today.

Why do I say we need to do this? Because our world, everywhere around us and where we work or go to school, NEEDS Jesus! The more we know from His Word, the better we will be prepared to defend our faith or tell someone about our Savior. Time is growing shorter, and many people are searching for Him. They may not realize that Jesus is the one they are looking for, but He is the One that they NEED!!

So much..so little


It is a contradiction but, with God in the picture even a contradiction works. How do I know? Read the story of Jesus feeding so many with so little, like the five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand men. Some say that there were likely fifteen thousand souls there at least and yet there were twelve baskets left over from a lunch meant for one child.

God can use even a little talent in a big way, no matter how you see yourself or where you may be in the world. But, you have to give Him control of your talent and yourself before He can use it to bless others. Just as when a farmer plants a seed or a plant in the ground, it is only one at the time. But with water, air and sunlight it can become much more than one seed or one plant.

We, as Christians, are like that as well. God places His Spirit in us when we are saved and we are supposed to nurture it with care and feed it by prayer and the Word of God. By studying God’s Word, we feed the Spirit and like Jesus said “it will overflow as a river of living water” to all who are exposed to it. True, it may not be His exact words but that is what we are supposed to be, springs of living water to draw the world to Him by what they see or hear in us.

God can use each of us in ways that we can’t imagine or even believe that we could do. But, with His Spirit guiding us we can do so much more than just be ourselves. We can be His ambassadors and representatives to anyone who is searching for the Truth. It doesn’t take much. A prayer here or helping someone with their load in some way. Opening the door for someone, praying for someone who you don’t know.

These things are “works” true enough, and they don’t get you a spot inside the gates of Heaven. Giving your life and your heart to Jesus gets you into Heaven, the “works” are part of the life that you live after you accept Him. These are the results of your salvation, the fruits of your life in Christ that never would’ve grown out of your life if you had not given your heart to Jesus.

Just as James wrote in his epistle, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” James 2:18, he wasn’t speaking of works being required by your faith but as a result of your salvation. The works that you do will prove your faith and your salvation! God loves each of us so deeply that we won’t understand it until we are in His presence, but He hates the sins that we have lived with in our life. Repent and turn to Him, give your heart and your life to Him so that you will be saved.

Seek Him and everything else falls behind


I realize that by saying this, it seems that I am saying that work doesn’t matter or your life doesn’t matter but that is not what I mean at all. By seeking out the Son of God and putting Him first in your life, everything else will fall into its correct place. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen. Life is hard at times, but when you put the One who created Life in your life and make Him first above all, then He can cause the rest of your life to work like it should!

Think of it like a chain, when you are the one in charge and you begin making the chain you start with one or two links. It isn’t hard to handle and it is easy to control. But, when you add more into or onto the chain, it really becomes a chain of binding then. By the time you reach adulthood, the chain that is your life is getting a bit harder to handle, some people turn to friends or family to give them advice. Others want to drop the chain altogether. Still others will look to drugs or alcohol to help them cope. The chain of life now has debt and responsibility added to it and it is getting very heavy and hard to handle.

Carrying the chain is getting almost impossible, dragging it is hard because of its weight and length, but if you will give your life (the chain) to Jesus and allow His strength to guide you and help you in this journey it becomes easier. He doesn’t get rid of the chain for you but He will help you carry the load and show you how to handle the pressures and problems which come with your life.

Remember, chains cannot be pushed and they are hard to carry and in order to pull them you have to be strong. When He is giving you His strength and helping you in pulling it along, life isn’t such a struggle anymore. It won’t be a breeze either, but it will be easier than it was before. Jesus loves you enough to come to Earth and die in your place, the least that you could do is to seek Him out and learn about His offer of eternal life through Him.

If it isn’t for you, then refuse Him. You haven’t lost anything if you do…except your eternity. Yes, there will be an eternity for you if you refuse Him, but it will be one of torment, regret, and pain because you will be cut off from the love of God and your reward in Heaven had you accepted His offer. What do you have to lose if you do accept Jesus?

The only things that you may lose in this life if you choose to follow Jesus are things which you could live without anyway. Some people lose their family ties because of this choice. Some lose friends, some may even lose their jobs, but look at what you gain! Forgiveness for all of your sins, eternal life and a home in Heaven…is there anything which could be more valuable than those gifts of God’s grace? You will also gain more friends and family through the church and by association with other Christians and the best part of that is that you will be a part of God’s Kingdom!

Today…


paintingFor most of us today began about four hours ago, depending on when you may need to get to work. Some of you may have been working last night until this morning, so your morning was during the night for the rest of us. I worked the night shift in the hospital lab for years after I graduated from Clinical Lab Science with a BS. It was different, not very enjoyable though. Your body was not designed to be awake during the night and try to sleep during the day.

Anyway, today is the day that we all have to work with. What we do with it and what we accomplish in it are up to us and the abilities that God has given us. So…what will you do with yours?

Some of us have to go to work for the day, some, like me, are disabled and get to spend the day doing what we can do. For some we can do almost as much as we could before, but pain or tiredness comes on really easily. Like today for me. I was painting a couple of hours ago, but my shoulders began to hurt pretty bad so I had to quit. Hopefully, I can get back to it before it dries completely. If I can finish it, I may put it up here so you can see it.

The painting above is what I was working on yesterday. I hope you like it. I can do better I think, but that will come with practice.

God gives each of us a talent, some of us get more than one. The problem with having more than one is that you have a hard time figuring out what you are supposed to do with yourself. For me, it usually has to do with how much pain I have and how I feel that day. I am sorry about bringing my situation in here because it really doesn’t belong here, but sometimes that is how I feel.

I hope that you don’t have to go through the pain that I have. God loves us and our life, each and every day, is our service to Him and for Him. Regardless of our job or our talents, your day can be useful to you and to God as well. Seek Him out and do what you can do with what you have, every day.

Love wins….


Your life and mine have been influenced by love at one time or another. It could be when we were small children and we could tell that our grandma loved us by the way she spoke to us or played with us. Love is expressed in many ways and in many different cultures. Some are very affectionate, some are not. Parents are this way too. Some express their love for their children and their spouse by gifts, some by physical expressions such as a kiss or a hug. The best way to show your love toward someone is by being present. Be there with them during special occasions or just be with them period. Don’t be an absentee Dad or Mom, because that makes your children feel like you don’t care. This is especially true with your spouse. Be there when they come home, physically and mentally. It is too easy to be there in person but “zone out” into your own world when they are talking to you.

Why am I writing this on Easter Sunday? Because, we need to be present physically and spiritually in our relationships with God too! Don’t show up once a week, listen to a sermon, sing a couple of songs and then forget everything that you heard as soon as you leave! Some people even leave their Bibles at church during the week! How can you read and study God’s Word and get to know Him better if you don’t read His Word?!

I used an illustration this morning and I am not sure it sunk into everyone’s mind when I did it, and it went something like this: How would you feel if you only saw your spouse for about an hour one day per week? They never read your letters or poems which tell of all that you have done in times past or what is happening right now. Would this relationship be a good one? I don’t think that you would be in a relationship like that for very long, do you?

But, this is how many people treat God when they go to church. They visit for an hour or so, listen to the sermon and maybe read a few verses in the Bible. The sing and pray along with everyone else and then they go their separate ways until the next time. What kind of relationship is that? It really isn’t a relationship at all, but “Christians” do this to God every week. Why? Pride, selfishness, fear, apathy…these have infected the church and its people and this began a long, long, time ago. This is not something new. It isn’t something that is only happening in the 21st. century. This has been building up for a long time.

True, there are some Christians who are very dedicated to serving God and reading His Word, praying for others and for each other. These are the ones that you read about in the Scripture where it says that God has saved Himself a remnant. There are many who think that they are saved and in good standing with God but they are not. Sometimes, I wonder if I am in that group who thinks they are saved but aren’t. I think that is Satan trying to take my joy away from me, which he does easily if you listen to him much.

Some days, it is hard to only hear what God is saying but if you read His Word and learn how His voice sounds then you can discern His voice from another’s. Love shows through all of the areas in your life and mine, especially where God is involved in it. God is love and Jesus was God’s perfect expression of His Love for us, but many people don’t look at it that way. Many people today try to say that we are bigots and hateful preachers for preaching the Truth from God’s Word, instead of coating it with sugary words and making it say one thing or two that God did not say. This is happening in churches today, and many of those churches have large congregations. People like to be told that they are OK and that God loves them just as they are.

He really does love you just as you are, but He also wants your life to change when you open your heart to Him so that others can see a difference in your life and they want what you have! Telling someone their sins that they are living in are OK with God when they are not is just plain and simply a LIE FROM SATAN. Seek Him out while you can because your sin will show up very plainly when you are standing in front of God at your judgement! Without Jesus and His blood covering your sins and making you as righteous and Holy as Jesus is, you will go into hell because you turned away from Him while you had the chance or you were fooled into thinking that you were saved when you really weren’t.

Think about it while you can.