Category: Jesus loves you

The Gift


Many people have tried and failed today,

Many have just turned and walked away.

Some could not care in the least, they

Are at home enjoying a feast!

Some only want what is yours and not their own,

It may be because their heart is a stone, but

When the day dawns and the Prince appears, then they will know

Why they see Him through tears.

They’ll know and they’ll cry because they know the reason,

Their tears are caused because they forgot Him during

This season.

They forgot or maybe didn’t want to remember,

The Babe who was likely born in September. Who

Came to be the deliverer of all, even though He came

When He was quite small.

His life didn’t last long but it was for many a reason,

Each one of us owes Him for our own reasons.

You see Christ came For you and for me, to give His life on an old

Rugged tree.

The reason is simple though understand it we cannot, because

He loves us all more than we ever could,

which is why He died on that old piece of wood.

But, He rose again and settled the debt on that day…a debt that none of us can ever repay.

Christmas, what is it to you?


This time of year is many things to many people. It is a time of hope, a time of joy and giving to others, a time of renewing friendships and relationships with people who are close to us. To some it is a time of worry and anxiety and being unsure of what to do or what to get someone special, it is a time of loss for some and a time of grief as well. Many people experience a very depressing time during this holiday season. In consideration of that, I have to ask “Why?”

I went through many years of depression and anger during this part of the year because of a divorce between my parents which seemed to coincide with this time of year. Then, about 18 years ago, my mother died on Christmas Eve. It wasn’t exactly unexpected because she had been sick for a long time, but it took me many years to get past the feelings which came during the holidays because of it. I am telling all of this to those of you who read here in order to ratify my ability to sympathize with the feelings which come during this time of year.

Yes, there are problems which we all have during this time of year. Bills, frustration, grief, heartache, anxiety, but there is also joy, happiness, kindness, love and acceptance between us and those that are around us. We can choose to be better human beings and be a blessing to those around us or we can act in such a way as to be labeled a “scrooge”, but it is our choice!

Can we choose to be better in our daily lives so that the holidays are more enjoyable? Yes, we can! It has to be a conscious choice though, not just a temporary or superficial show which is not real. Choose to be a better person and decide to work toward that goal, though many of us can’t accomplish this on our own. We have to be prepared to be changed from the inside out and that change is something which we cannot do on our own!

You can struggle all you want, trying to get free of sin, but all you’re going to do is sink deeper. Stop the struggle. Surrender to Christ, because you do not have what it takes to get out of sin unless someone gives you a way out. And that way out is Jesus. His name is wonderful. He is the mighty God, the everlasting Father, our Prince of peace. He is your salvation and the path to salvation, the only path that is available to each of us, yet it is our decision to accept this offer. Whether we accept it or not, Jesus is the only way to salvation and being free of the burden and bondage of sin.

Have you ever been down?


By that, I mean depressed, angry, upset with almost everyone about something that you can’t put your finger on? This is the kind of “down” that I have lived with most of my life. I never really talked about it with many people, not even my immediate family, but it has always been there. Like the monster in the closet or under the bed, never seen by anyone except the person that is scared of it, it haunts us in our minds and in our dreams when we are asleep.

That feeling of being down and not worthy of anything that the world might give you except despair is constant and it doesn’t go away. Christians get this way too. I feel it at least once a week, sometimes more, usually after a good sermon in which I delivered the words and tried to bring some feeling with those words. Yet, it was not received with any feeling by the congregation. I have no feedback as to the effectiveness of the sermon and it makes me feel hollow and empty, similar to someone talking to a wall.

The only solace that I have is to bring my voice here, that I might be heard by someone that will listen and give me some feedback. Then there is my prayer life and my study of God‘s Word which gives me hope because His prophets were hated, killed and despised by the very people that they were sent to, so I am thankful that I haven’t had any fruits thrown at me or anything that might cause bodily injury.

Many people think that, as Christians, we are immune to these sorts of problems when the very opposite is true. We see the world as no other group of people see it…through the eyes of prophecy and the Word of God. The news that we hear each day, is written in God’s Word. Maybe not word for word, but there are places in the history of God’s people that sound as if they were taken from today’s headlines. But, few people think that what we base our belief on is the truth. Today, many people call this book a work of fiction and fantasy. One day, when the sky’s roll up like a scroll and Jesus comes in the clouds, they will know that it is the Truth. I pray that it will not be too much longer.

It is true that being happy is a choice, but in today’s world it is hard to make the decision to be happy with so much happening in the world and so many people hurting in our world today. I hope that you can find some hope and encouragement in my posts here and in Jesus, because He is the answer to the questions that people are asking, many of them just don’t know it yet.

Many people try to mold their version of Jesus. To change Him into the savior that they want, and not accept the Savior that He is. This is something which our recent, within the past fifty years or so, Christian preaching has caused. We are responsible for making people think that He is only a personal Jesus. He is in truth, but He is so much more than that.  I think that is what causes us to feel down many times. We don’t give Him the credit and the position that He deserves in our life and in our ministry, whatever it may be.

Only through Him can we accomplish the calling that has been placed on us. He and the Holy Spirit are the Ones which accomplish the conviction and the transformation of souls into Christians, we only bring messages that point people in their direction. It is usually our own pride which causes us to make Jesus in our image instead of being transformed by Him. When we can get out of His way and let Him do His work through us and through the words which He gives us, then we will see the changes and the results that come from being “little Christs” like Christians are supposed to be.

Are you a slave?


I read the book, “12 years a slave”, over the weekend and I never learned this in high school or college history. Any of it! Oh, I had heard that things were really bad in some areas of the South but I didn’t know how bad that it really was. Yes, I am a white man but as far as I know none of my ancestors owned a slave, at least as far back as the Civil War era. For all of those who had family and friends, and I know that there are many of you, who either owned slaves or were slaves in the past that history has been acknowledged and it was dealt with in our past. It is true that the hatred and feelings still bubble up to the surface from time to time, but it shouldn’t make that much difference in our personal relationships today.

That being said, there are many who are still in slavery today. It is well hidden because the media doesn’t report it, but it is there. Children and young people, boys and girls, are captured or coerced into going with someone that doesn’t have their best interests at heart at all. They are sold as sex slaves or as servants in some capacity all over the world, but many are right here in America. Slavery has not gone away, it is hidden behind locked fences and gates, inside mansions or in brothels overseas. Their living conditions are usually very close to starving or they are addicted to drugs to keep them where they are.

Are you still a slave today? Do you know anyone who is? I know that there aren’t any plantations that have slaves today, but do you feel like you are a slave to your job, or to the government? Are you in debt so much that you are a slave to it and have to work, making the money to pay it off? What about cigarettes or alcohol or gambling, anything that can make you addicted to it can be a “master” to you? So, in many ways today, there are lots of people who are enslaved to something!

What can be done about it? Well, as far as the kids that are enslaved, it is not easy. There are groups which are trying to rescue them as well as stop those who are the perpetrators of these crimes. But since these are hidden from plain sight, without money and some help from eye witnesses, the proof is hard to come by. As for the others types of slavery, they are personal masters that can be overcome only with your will-power and by prayer. God Himself can give you the will and the power to overcome them, if you will acknowledge Him for His help and ask Him to help you. Many people know that they need Him, but they are too proud to admit it. The problem with this is that God and Jesus have made it very easy for you to ask and receive their presence in your life, so why don’t more people do this?

The slaves who knew about Jesus did quite a bit of praying and asking for His presence, so why don’t we do this today? He loves you and cares about your life, especially your eternal life in Him, which you will have if you have given your life to Him. If you have not asked Jesus into your heart, what are you waiting for? We have today, each one of us, but what about tomorrow? You and I are not guaranteed tomorrow, your life may be required of you tonight or in the morning, so what will the answer be? Jesus is the answer to your life’s needs. He doesn’t provide you with money or drugs or anything that this world recognizes as “necessary”, but He does provide you with the only path to salvation which will provide you with eternal life. And that is worth more than anything that this world can offer!

The mind is a terrible thing to…..


I know that you have heard or possibly seen the commercial that went along with that opening or ending, but what about all of the other times that your mind becomes more or sometimes less than it should be. Many times it is because of different issues that we have to go through every day such as the stress of commuting, the bills, school, tuition, etc. This is just the stuff that people go through that have a job to go to every day. What about those of us who are disabled? We live on far less than most do, but the bills and the phone calls don’t go away. We just have to pay the ones that we can, and skip the ones that we can’t pay. Like it or not, the bill collectors will just have to get in line and if or when the money is there, they might be paid if something else doesn’t come up.

We all live in stressful times, regardless of your income level. Stress, like death and taxes, is not a respecter of persons. It comes to us all in one form or another. So, how do you deal with your stressful situations in your life? Jesus dealt with them too and did so without sin by relying on God‘s strength and His provision for Him. Here is a quote from the Word which might make it a bit plainer than this:

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus came humbly and willingly so that we would have access to God’s strength any day and every day that we need Him and truly, we need Him daily. Those of us who deal with depression and loneliness, fear and uncertainty, whether it is clinical or temporary, it is real. Sometimes it is only for a day or two, but sometimes it hangs around for weeks in the background, waiting to bring you to your knees and put you in the bed. Such is the way of this state of mind.

So, how can we defeat it? Well, giving your life and your heart to Jesus is the best way that I know of. I don’t mean that depression will never bother you again if you are a Christian, because it will, but through prayer and studying the Word of God you will have enough strength from God to make it through those times. You are loved by the Creator of the universe and He will not allow you to go through anything without His strength and His presence in your life, if you have allowed Him into your heart.

For those who may not have asked Him into their lives, you don’t have much to fall back on except your own strength and many times, that is NOT enough! I have lived through times without Christ and I would not want to do it in today’s environment. So many people are in need of assurance regarding the future, their future.

Do you know that you have a future? Truly, God did not create mankind for only the life that we have here. He gave us a soul that is eternal and whether you believe in eternity or not doesn’t have any effect on whether it is real or not. Jesus talked about it, and it is mentioned all over the Word, but especially in the New Testament. Give Jesus a chance in your life because the strength and the compassion that you get from a relationship with Him is more than you can get from anyone or anything else.

 

What kind of Christmas do you celebrate?


In most of the world that is industrialized, this time of year is a very hectic time of year. Everyone that has a business is having sales. They are open early and stay open late all for the reason of making the most sales, and the most profit during the Christmas season. But, the question is “What kind of Christmas do you celebrate?” Are you working through it, having to get to work early and stay later to take care of all of those shoppers? Are you working longer hours so you can afford to give your children lots of toys that will be lying around or broken by the end of February?

Or, do you celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ during this season? Most of us know that He was not born on December 25, the early church used a pagan holiday to try to make some converts and that is why that date was chosen. Nowhere in the Scriptures does it say the exact date, unless there is a record of the census taken under Caesar and that is not likely after two thousand years. Jesus is the true reason for the season but do most people celebrate His birth during this time of year? Unfortunately, many people do not.

They celebrate the holidays by giving gifts and by going to parties. Some give thanks at Thanksgiving, but are they giving thanks for what is or should be important in their lives or are they thankful for things which will not last? Then after Christmas, comes the New Year celebration where people determine that they will do better this next year, they will be a better person or be less of a person by years end (by dieting).

So, with all of these promises and things, what is the important lesson that has been learned by years end? How much stuff still works since last year? How much weight did I lose or gain in the course of the year? All of these things are great, to an extent, but what literal good comes from an Xbox or a PlayStation?

What is the message that your children get from the games that they immerse themselves in? Did the diet really get you back to your jeans from high school? I don’t even have any jeans from that period of my life! If I did, there is no way I could fit in them, with any kind of diet short of a hunger strike!

We have put far too much into the “consumer” part of living, and have left out the most important part…living! Stuff that is bought for Christmas should never replace the One that the season is about in the first place, because He is your Savior and if He is not, then He should be. Take the time to read the book of Luke, chapter 2 verses one through twenty with your family if possible. Pray about the meaning of His birth to you and the world and ask God to show you what you mean to Him, it may surprise you when you find the answer.

What is your salvation worth?


Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? Life has a way of bringing us to a point where we need Jesus, and I mean to a place where we feel that we can’t make it without Him. Many people think that they can use some other way to cope with depression or loss and many do.

They place their life and their future in things that mankind has made, why? We depend upon chemicals, legal or illegal, to make life more bearable. I know that there are people who do not look to chemical fixes to their problems, but the news seems to glorify people who do! Man-made fixes for problems may work for a time, especially if the problem is made by man, but even then the real fix, the one that will lastingly fix the problem will ultimately come from God.

Regarding your salvation, many people seem to think that they can somehow have an impact on whether they get to Heaven or not. How can anyone think this way? We are not supernatural beings, we cannot have an influence over anything which might happen after our physical body dies! For many in the world today, when their life is over their religion teaches that they will come back as something or someone else or not and that is the extent of their “afterlife”. Some believe that when you die, that’s it. There is nothing, you will feel nothing nor see anything once this life is over. Death is the ultimate end to everything.

With that kind of world view, what would drive me or you to be or to do anything good in this life? What would you do if there wasn’t a hope of something better and more substantial after this life? To me, it would be a wasted, useless life if there was not hope for an “after” life. I mean, what’s the point? What really would be the point other than having stuff in this life and enjoying what you have access to now?

The point is that God created this world and everyone in it. He had a part in every person’s life from the beginning, but He also gave us a choice of whether to learn about His love and whether we will follow Him or not. We also have the ability to be adopted as sons through our belief and acceptance of Jesus as our Savior. Once we do that, our eternal life begins. That doesn’t mean that we will never die, but that we will live on after this body dies.

Doesn’t that sound preferable to being put in the ground or cremated and there being nothing after this life? The Truth is that Satan knows that there is an afterlife and if you don’t accept Jesus as your Savior, your next destination will be in hell with him and the demons with him. Hell was not made for us at all, it was created for those Angels that rebelled with Satan. But…when you reject God’s love for you and His grace through Jesus, you end up on the same side as the demons are.

Your life is worth far more to God than you can know or realize without Him in your life and until you do, your life will feel empty and without…something. That something is not drugs or anything man-made, but it is Jesus! He is what your soul is looking for! That is what the empty part of you is searching for and until you allow Jesus to come in, it will always feel empty. Until you fill your “God-shaped hole” with the One that is supposed to be there, it will always feel empty, so fill it with Jesus.

Are you a loving person?


We are told to give away our faith in Jesus so that others might have hope in Him too. Do we do this? If you don’t, then why? We can all be the types of people which do this. We can give money or time to causes that we believe in and yet not have any love or compassion for those who are receiving our gifts but you know, but spiritually we are not getting it! Giving without love is easy but you can’t love without giving because it is impossible!

If you truly love Jesus, you can’t keep it to yourself…you have to tell others, you have to give away the thing that you could not afford to attain that which you cannot lose! Not one of us who claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior could’ve paid the price that was paid for our Salvation, but once you get it you can’t lose it. Some people walk away from it and from Him which ruins their witness to others, but your eternal salvation (if you were sincere in your belief in the first place) is secure.

There are people who have thought, in their own minds, that they were saved at a particular time and yet when things get tight or tough in their lives they turn away from the only One that can help! You have known people like this, when they are making enough money and everything is going fairly well in their lives (on the outside) and they seem to be strong in their faith, they may be coming to church regularly. But, when they are at home or at work or out with their friends then they allow a part of themselves to show that doesn’t show at church. Usually, they are quite the opposite. So, what happened? Are they true Christians or were they deceived into thinking that they were?

A loving, kind person can be as sweet to you as your grandmother but they may not be genuine about having faith at all and could not care less about you or your situation. Love and kindness can be faked, affection can be faked but a person who truly has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior cannot fake it! If there has been a real change in their life and in their heart, and the Love of Christ is dwelling inside them, they can’t keep it in, they have to let it out. In whatever ways that God leads them to, it will come out. It will come out when they are at work or at a restaurant or a store, it is impossible for them to hold it inside! The genuineness of that love is so real that anyone that it touches will know it for sure!

I know that there are people who will disagree with this, but when you are the recipient of the greatest love that the universe has ever known, you cannot keep it to yourself! If it has truly changed your life and your heart then there is no way that you can keep it to yourself because it has to show in your life and your work and it will show through  your character! The love of Christ is too contagious so it has to get out so that someone can see it, it has to be shown and felt and known by all of those around you!

Here is a link to a wonderful site which shows and explains the reasons for becoming a Christian

If you have never known Jesus or a genuine Christian, then I encourage you to seek Him out. Through prayer, reading the Word, regardless of the translation and asking Him if He is real. He will show you for sure and He will be with you no matter the situation. The problems and the stuff that is happening all over the world have been caused by us or by Satan and his fallen angels. God is allowing it to happen, but He has a plan and is still in control, whether you believe it or not.

Are you for real?


Is your form of Christianity the real thing or is it more like what is seen outside of the church? Don’t mistake my remark for an accusation, it is not, but there are many in the world who have a “form of Christianity but deny its power” which is why there are people who claim that there are hypocrites in the church.

There are many in the world, about two billion or so, that claim to be Christians but if we all were doing the things which Jesus commanded us to do (like love our neighbors as ourselves) the world would be very different from the way it is today. Evangelism by a quarter of the world would have a tremendous impact, especially if it did not involve bombs or killing in any way. How much good could be accomplished this way?

Here in America, some over-the-counter allergy medication has been changed so that you have to have a prescription for the “real” thing. The stuff that you buy OTC just doesn’t work like the real thing and that is what I am referencing about Christians here. Are you for real or are you a Christian in name only?

Being real about your faith and the hope that you have is necessary because fakes can be seen by all. Anyone who knows a real Christian, one that lives their faith every day whether they are at church or at home or at the grocery store, can tell the difference. Your friends can tell the difference too, because when you claim Christianity and don’t live it then it is evident that you are a hypocrite.

2 Timothy 3:5 mentions people who “look like they are religious but deny God’s power.” (It also says, “Avoid people like this.”) Being religious and appearing to be a Christian doesn’t cut it, just like putting on a uniform and giving the appearance of being a police person doesn’t cut it either (and is illegal). True, you won’t go to jail for impersonating a Christian, but if you try to get by with it for long enough you will pay a price.

What do I mean by “pay a price”? Your appearance to others and to the outside world of being a Christian my help your reputation, it may allow you to do many good things for people. But if your heart has not been changed by the presence of Jesus then when your time comes to meet God at the end of your life, then all of the things that you did and the time you spent in church will convict you before Him.

Why will it convict you at that point? Because if you have never asked Jesus into your heart and allowed Him to change you, then all of the truth that you have heard in church washed over you but never penetrated your heart. Like being baptized but not really being saved, you just got wet. I went through these motions a few times and it makes you feel good for a while, but if the commitment to follow Jesus is not present then it doesn’t last long. A Christian that has never accepted Jesus as their Savior is not a Christian. They were just present in church in body not soul and they occupied a seat. Some may even have been deacons or teachers in Sunday school.

I have even read about some pastors or bishops who had been filling their positions for many years and yet became convicted at some point of the emptiness in their life and their heart and finally came to the point of asking Jesus into their lives. It was at this point that their ministry truly became effective and real to them and to their congregations. It was hard for me to understand how someone that had been teaching from God’s word and performing the duties of a preacher and yet they had never really given their heart to Jesus!

Make sure for yourself and for those who come in contact with you, because they are watching you to see if you are for real. If you claim Christian ideals and beliefs then people are really going to watch and listen to every word and deed, to make sure that you are real. So make sure for your sake now and for eternity.

A conscience, do you have one?


Many, if not most people, do have a conscience but with all of the evil, hateful things going on in the world it sure doesn’t seem like it. You would think that it would prompt more people to think about what they are doing before they do it, but when you read a news story or watch the news, it seems that thinking about what was wrong with their intentions was the least of their thoughts.

What is a conscience? Is it God telling you what you should and should not do? Your conscience is, according to the definition of Webster’s: an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior. To answer the second question: yes, it could be the Spirit of God telling you or guiding you toward and right decision rather than a wrong one. It also has something to do with your character and how you were brought up as a child. Were you taught right from wrong? Did your parents or grandparents take you to church?

The lessons learned, and the words that were heard in church came from God’s Word, the Living Word. This is where most of our collective conscience comes from since God’s Word is able to make an impact on your life, even if you are not expecting it to make an impact. It resonates with your heart and soul because it is supposed to. God’s Word never comes back to Him void, it always accomplishes what He intended for it to do. If you heard it in a sermon or on the television, if God intended for your heart and soul to respond to it, you will.

God loves you and wants what is best for you, regardless of the time or place or the circumstances that you may find yourself in. Our lives are truly important to Him, for some that is hard to understand. I mean, how or why in the world would the Creator of the universe be interested in me or you as an individual? What could we possibly do for Him? Well, what about when He called Moses? God came to a bush in the desert to call him, for something great, couldn’t He do the same thing (maybe less dramatic) for some of us?

Your conscience comes from a part of you that knows right from wrong, the truth about life comes from the One Who created it so you recognize truth, His Truth. Give Jesus and the Word of God a chance to make a difference in your life so that you can make a difference in someone else’s life. Of course, it won’t be you making the difference it will be Jesus. He will show through your life and into someone else’s life so that they might want what you have.

Think about it, then ask Him to come into your life and be your Savior. When He does, your life and the lives of those around you will never be the same.