Category: God’s purpose for you

He is our Savior!


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God has done all that is needed through Jesus, our Savior, to save each and every one of us. All that is required of us is to believe like a child that He did it and ask Him to come into your life, into your heart and soul and you will be a new creation in His Image!

It doesn’t take your works or your money or strength to be saved and righteous enough to be allowed into Heaven because nothing that you or I can do in our strength is good enough to bring you into His Presence! He provided all that you need to be saved, all that you have to do is believe it and ask for it.

Unfortunately, many people look at this as being too simple, too easy. They want to help in some way. The problem with us helping is that we get in the way.

So, what will it take for you to believe in Him? People have been teaching that God punishes us so that we will learn certain things when the fact is that Satan is doing that. Of course, he won’t do that unless you are a Christian or you are thinking about becoming one because in the spiritual realm if you don’t belong to God then you are part of Satan’s group. I don’t mean that you worship him, but if you aren’t or you haven’t given your life to Jesus then as far as Satan is concerned you are not dangerous to his cause.

God loves you because He created you for a reason. What that reason is and when you might get busy with it is only known to Him until you are drawn to Him and make your decision to follow Him. The reason that I don’t make a distinction between God and Jesus is that they are part of the Trinity, which includes the Holy Spirit. All of them are part of One Creator. Like it or not they all show up in Scripture.

God has made a way for you to be saved from sin and the consequences of it, all you have to do is claim it. Will you?

Read the scriptures in Romans and John, not just one or two passages but all of them. Pray that God will show you why you need Him and how to come to Him. He loves you and He wants a relationship with you. It is up to you to seek Him, because He doesn’t force faith on you nor does He chase you down.

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Time is short


We have a tendency to think that we have a long time to make decisions and to live our lives, but when you think about it…we really don’t have that much time at all. Sure, when you are a child it seems that school will never be over or this class that you hate will never come to an end but both of those circumstances do end. The older that we get we realize that time slips by much faster than we realize and after you have added a few years to your life then you realize that it does go by faster than you thought it did.

We live one sunrise at a time, one meal at a time, one child’s laugh at a time, and all of those go by too fast for us to place those memories in permanent storage sometimes. We wonder where the time went, but we lived through it and it is gone. Those moments won’t be back, the words that you said or that your mother said can’t be unsaid, the anger and frustration that prompted those words will fade but the hurt and the pain caused by words spoken in anger won’t go away and the scars will be there for a long time.

Even when you tell your Dad or your friend that you forgive them, the scar from the words is still there and may come back later in life. Words hurt far more than guns or knives because the pain is emotional and it is hidden inside. No one knows the pain that is felt nor the damage that it has done, but it is there. Why do I speak on time and reference pain and suffering? Because we all go through those things at the same time.

Life is lived one day, one hour at a time and our words and the building up that we can do or the tearing down that can be done happens right along with us. If we could control our tongue we would be better and in better shape than we realize. If the things which we write were filtered through God’s peace and His Word, then much of the hurts and pain caused in the world would cease. But, even the Bible says that no man can control the tongue. Which is true, we can’t control it unless we allow Him to have our minds and our hearts every day, not just on Sunday morning.

Even when we allow Jesus into our hearts and our minds, our tongue is not easy to control but it can be tamed to an extent. God loves us so much that our life is in His hands at all times and He can see the things ahead which will happen in your life. All that you need to do is to trust in Him and let Him be the pilot and the navigator of your life. Give Him the control over your mind and tongue so that what comes from your mouth or your hands will be words that He sees are necessary and good for the situation at hand.

Writing these words so that you might come to know Jesus, I pray that you will. In His Service!

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


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

The few, the proud, ….


The words in the title were heard in commercials for the Marines a few years ago. I haven’t heard this in a long time. Why?

I believe that it is because of the way that young men and women are being raised today and how they learn our country’s history today. In some classes they don’t teach the actual history of the United States of America, they teach a watered down, altered version which makes us look like criminals in our past.

Yes, it is true that some of the treatment that our fore-fathers gave to others was cruel and in-human. Especially regarding slaves and Native Americans, but if you and I could see and understand their way of life from this side of history, it would change the way we are today. I am not trying to make them into people who could do no wrong, but a lot of history has been changed or forgotten, even re-written in over 200 years.

The Marines were formed as a fighting force to protect our ships in waters and ports which were hostile toward “outsiders”. They were and are the maritime equivalent of our Army.

Why am I writing about the Marines on my site? Because my father was in the Marines during WWII and we have many young people in this service today. Do they need our praise and our thanks for their service? YES!! They most certainly do! All of the people in military uniform need us and our support and it is sad that when they come home we don’t help them get back into society like we should. Most seem to be forgotten or used as a way to get money for someone else’s use.

Regardless of how you may feel about the Armed Forces of America, they protect our country in ways that most will never know about. In places many people can’t even find on a map. Then they come home with scars which may not show on the outside, but they constantly deal with the effects of those scars every day and every night. Our police forces and those in the fire service deal with the same scars (PTSD), but we don’t pay much attention if any to them either. I was an EMT/Firefighter for five years and it took more time than that to get past the anxiety and nerves when a siren would sound close or an explosion would go off nearby. I can’t imagine what a veteran would feel after being in REAL combat at a fireworks show.

I was a member of the Air Force at one time, but I never was deployed overseas. I had to get out of the service because of a medical discharge and I am not going to elaborate on that here. The point of this post, even if it is on a religious site, is that we should honor our Veterans and treat them with the respect that they deserve. God watches over them each day whether they know it or not and He sees the aches and pains that they have to go through, mentally and physically. I started this out by talking about the Marines but I feel that all of our military men and women deserve a better and more honorable treatment than they get and that goes for the men and women who serve as police officers and firefighters and EMT’s too!

I am stepping down from my soap box now, so please read and study your Bible. Learn about the love that God has for you because He really does love you more than you can love yourself. Learn about our country’s true history, not what is taught in schools or universities. Seek out the truth in history and in the Bible because the Truth will set you free.

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.

Life is…..


Personal and individual and collective and cultural. Do you know what I mean by this? It is very touching and personal to each of us, because each of us who wakes up every day we experience it anew again. Each day and night is special because it will never be again. This minute has already passed while I have been writing, and it will not be back.

Why is it so fleeting? Because time flows like water and one ounce of water that has passed you in a stream will never be back. It is the same with the seconds and minutes of your day, the one that is passing right now will never be back again. Your life started with your first heartbeat in the womb, and it will continue until that last heartbeat.

For some, this line of thinking is circular because it is just double-talk to some of you, but the comments that I made in the first two paragraphs is true. This minute right now will never come back, yesterday is gone and the future is still a minute ahead of us at all times. Your life is and always has been lived in the moment, right now. You can plan for tomorrow or next week if you wish but you are not guaranteed that time until it gets here.

God loves you and He prepared to give you an eternity of time with Him through Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross. It is your choice to believe in Him and the grace that is extended to you through Jesus, because it is the only way for you to have an eternity in Heaven. No amount of work or money or attendance will open the door for your salvation, only the redeeming power of belief in Jesus will do that.

Yes, it is simple. Some claim that it is too simple, because there must be more that I can do or you can do to be saved. Unless you confess your sinfulness and ask Jesus to forgive you for waiting so long and ask Him to come into your heart and change you from the person that you were to the person that He needs you to be…your life means nothing and it will end with your last breath.

By giving your heart to Him so that you can be cleansed and changed by Him, you become like Christ. Little by little, day by day, in reading and prayer through the Holy Spirit and His Word you will become more like Jesus and less like your old self. You won’t be perfect and sinless, but you will be forgiven! Your name will be in the book of Life and your life will be eternally with Jesus and all of the other Christians.

Life is tough sometimes and it is hard some days, but mostly life is something that we each live through. What our life means in eternity, the outcome of our influence in this life, will be apparent only when we enter into Heaven. For some, you will see many people who you had influence in their lives positively, even though you may have never met them. Everything that you say or do for Jesus like saying thanks for your food in public, giving back money that you got in change that was too much, helping out someone who needs help without them knowing who did it…all of these things show that part of Jesus in you.

It gets noticed by everyone. You may not know who sees it, and it may not make much of a difference in your life here, but you will be surprised when you get to Heaven and find a person that your actions or words made an eternal difference in their life. Consider life today because the moments that it has taken to write this or read this will never come back, but what you do with the rest of your life could have eternal consequences for you and for others too!