Racetrack living

There are days which seem to fly by as if we live on or in a car on a racetrack, yet we can’t seem to get past the observation that God sees your life and mine from the starting line to the finish line. We can’t see it because our life looks to us like the view from a car on a track. All that we can see is the view around us, memories behind us and a little of what lies ahead of us, and that last part is blurred to an extent.

Some people think or at least seem to, that God is just sitting up in Heaven looking down on His subjects like a King without a care about us or any part of our lives. Our experience of God is limited by what we find in the Bible and what we see and hear in our lives, which today is very limited by political correctness. Yes, God can see all of our lives from His vantage point but from His point of view He can also see the beginning of time. He can feel all of the betrayal and frustration and pain that you and I and every human has ever felt. He sits outside of time, but He is also part of our lives even if we haven’t asked Him to be. He is present in your past and in your future.

We do live like our lives are on a racetrack, but I am reminded of the race tracks that you get as a child. You are in the position of God because you can see the starting line but you can also see the curves and the straight ways. You can see any debris that is possibly there which will cause an accident. You can fix it by removing it or you can allow it to happen and then help with getting the car(life) back on track again. God is in control of all and since He is God, He can choose to get involved in your life and mine a little bit or He can use your life as an example to someone else.

God can see your life and the life of everyone at any point and He is there at any of those points in your life. It is your job to seek Him out and follow Him though. God has left us a Book which gives us some rules to live by and plenty of wisdom to go with it, but just as you had to do in school…you have to learn from it. Not memorize it so much as to get it into your being, into your heart so that you won’t have to remember it when needed. It will just be there, just as He is.

Yes, God does see the end from the beginning and everything in between but it is our choice to come to Him during our “race” of life for advice and counsel so that our life will be useful and an example to others. He is perfect and good, we are not, but He is able to give us the knowledge and ability in this life to be servants and leaders for His Kingdom and as we practice doing those things we will gain the ability to be more in His Kingdom to come.

We have to learn about the “drive” in life so we can complete the course and the only way to do that is to read God’s Book, learn from His wisdom and apply it to our lives every day. Little by little, we can get through the turmoil and hardships which come our way as we go through the trials and the traffic of life, but it is so much easier to do so with God as your driver and coach rather than leaving Him in the “pit crew” after services.

Movement…

It seems that everyone wants some sort of “movement” today. A movement to legalize this or that, one to discourage this behavior or that behavior. Why?

God moved toward us when He sent Jesus to be the substitute for our sacrifice, for our deserved punishment because of sin. He caused a movement in the world because of His love for us which has been making a difference in people’s lives for about two thousand years. Yes, there have been some missteps by those who considered their view of “christian” living and worship to be the only one that was valid but when you step into exclusivity for anything that is the direction you are going.

The only exclusive part of Christian life is that Jesus said “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” John 11:25. He is the Life and the Way to Heaven, there is no other path to take which can get you there. Jesus is our exclusive and inclusive way to eternity.

Why do I say that He is inclusive when there is so much division in the church all over the world? Because it is not the sinner which God and Jesus hate, it is the sin and the lifestyle of sin which they hate. You are loved by God as if you are the only person on Earth but if you are living in a sinful life, it is the lifestyle and the sins that you are committing which God hates…not you.

He created each of us as a person whom He could have a relationship with. He came down and walked with Adam before the fall in Eden and that is what He wants to do with you. Knowing about Him, listening to sermons, reading the Bible and going to church are wonderful in and of themselves BUT those things will not save your soul! Belief in Jesus and in His life and that He died for your sins is what will save you. Follow Him daily, confess your sinful life and repent of those sins so that others can see a change in your life that they will want in their life!

If there is no change in your life, then it is likely that a change has not occurred in your heart! God loves all of us, but He requires obedience and always has! Words and attendance of a church service or two don’t count. Reading the Bible is good but if you have not believed in the One Who wrote those words,,,it is just a book. Living your life according to a “code of conduct” is a great thing as long as the One Who wrote the code is our Creator and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

You can live by a moral code which many people do. One that is acceptable to the world, such as the so-called “golden rule”, but living by that rule will not save your soul. Being a peace-loving person and doing no harm to anyone is nice, but it will not save your soul…only belief in Jesus will do that. Yes, Christianity is a movement and it is one which is not accepted by many in our world today because it is a movement toward God and away from sin. It is a movement which causes us to reject the “accepted” way of living for the life of a servant of God.

It does require repentance from your old habits and ways and turning toward God and His ways.

Worry, doubts and fears

It seems that every day people are bombarded with more things which cause fear and anxiety. We doubt ourselves at times, and we have fears which cause us to worry about things which we can’t control. What can we do about this? Can we do anything about this situation? It depends upon your situation and your faith.

Some people claim that they can handle their own lives and they don’t need to have “blind faith” in religion to help them get through life. The problem with this kind of attitude is that when push comes to shove and things get a bit out of hand, most will seek out a “higher power” for comfort and direction even if they claim that they don’t believe in a “higher power”. God is that One Who is higher than all, Jesus is the One Who can relate to our suffering and our pain and they can help in all of life’s situations no matter what!

With all of the news that is available to us on the Internet and television today, there is very little which goes on in the world that we can’t keep tabs on whether we truly want to or need to or not. All of this information can cause us to worry far more than is healthy, and the worst part is that we shouldn’t worry about it at all. God is in control of it all. He is watching and guiding your life and mine toward that day when He will call us home.

Yes, one day the whole world will see that we are important to our Creator. Important enough that He will be returning soon, much sooner than most think. Many people are going to be surprised and terrified when that day comes and the church, the believers who are waiting for His call, all disappear and are taken to Heaven. Then they will want to believe, but it will be harder to do so. Many explanations will be given which have nothing to do with God or the Bible’s prophecies but just as in the days of Noah, when the door to the ark was shut the only ones saved were the ones inside.

We don’t have “blind faith” in a God Who is not there. He is the Creator because there is no way that all of this universe could come into being as it is because of an accident. Our own solar system, out of all the ones that have been discovered, is the only one that is stable and with orbits for all of the planets that allow for life to flourish. All of the hundreds of solar systems that have been discovered are too close to their star or too far-flung to harbor life.

God loves all of us, no matter what your skin color is or your culture, but we refuse His provision and His grace when we try to take His place. When we think that we know better than He does how to fulfill our lives in this world, we are deluding ourselves. Seek God in the Bible or at a church which teaches from His Word. Pray that your life can have meaning in and through Him and seek His wisdom every day. This is the best way to relieve stress and worry because He is the One Who holds tomorrow in His hand. All that we have is today.

Live today for Jesus and then do it again tomorrow, then repeat until He comes again. That is the prescription which will conquer worry, doubt and fears far better than anything that a doctor can give you.

Riches in hope

Amen! Hope thou in God because nothing is as sure as He is!

Is your life broken?

We hear about people who are broken in spirit and in their lives too. Broken is, sometimes, a state of mind but occasionally it is a state of being. We feel as if life and the things which we are doing just don’t work anymore, so it feels broken and cracked. Sometimes the brokenness is felt spiritually, like our prayer life and our connection to God just doesn’t seem to be working anymore.

Breaking news! It isn’t God Who broke the connection, it is something in your life and mine which does that. Something that we have said or thought about or maybe even something that we did that is a…sin. It puts a wall up around us and our daily living until we confess it, ask forgiveness for it and then get back into our relationship with God. That is when the mending begins. Sometimes the cracks in our life appear as sorrow for something that we can’t put our finger on. Occasionally, those cracks come to us in the form of depression which can make them seem even bigger than they really are.

A state of brokenness is survivable, whether it feels like you can get through it or not is your own perception. God can help you to get through it and you will be stronger in your faith and your connection to Him for going through it. It isn’t fun, but it is necessary sometimes. We get to a point and feel like things aren’t going our way anymore, and we don’t know why. We can’t pinpoint it, particularly the cause of the “not right” point, it is just elusive and out there like a feeling that we have and we just don’t know what it is.

God can give you the peace that you seek in this circumstance, but you have to seek Him first. His position hasn’t moved but ours is all over the place at times. There are days when we aren’t very far from Him and then we have days where we don’t even feel His presence at all in our lives. Those are the days where we feel as if we have fallen through one of those cracks in our lives, and sometimes it feels like it is over a mile deep. We may survive the fall, but when we hit the bottom it seems that there just isn’t a way out. Like we have nothing to hold onto.

We do have God, even in those dark places. He is there and His Word is always available if we will just cling to it and read it, study it, meditate on its wisdom and pray, PRAY, PRAY!!!

Is it broken? Can it be fixed? Your life and all of the parts of it that seem to be broken can be fixed, but not by you. God can fix it. I know the newspapers and magazines say that He hasn’t fixed it yet, but He will and He can. He hasn’t fixed our world because there are so many people who don’t care to know Him and aren’t listening to Him and His messengers. Life is broken to an extent because of the fall in Eden, but also because of our disobedience to God’s laws and His Word. God did not break your life or mine, we have done that.

We go through our days and weeks thinking that everything will be OK, regardless of what we do but God is still in control, especially when we aren’t. If you are not a Christian then your life is your own or it belongs to the worldly lusts and whims that you pursue. Most people don’t want to hear about or know that Satan is alive and well on Earth and he is completely happy with you not knowing God. As a matter of fact, that is his job…to keep you from knowing and giving your life to the service of God and Jesus. Your life goes right along like it should for the most part, but there is always that little bit of tension.

At some point that little bit of tension breaks, and causes an argument or a shooting which will blow your life completely out of the water. This is exactly what the world wants and it’s what Satan wants. To bring your life down around you so that your witness won’t matter, your ministry won’t matter because your life, your family, your health is gone. This is what happens when you get on the list and when Satan targets you and your family…something breaks and becomes broken. The only fix for it is to trust in and turn to God. Amen.

God is in control

Whether the magazines or the newspaper agrees with that statement or not, He has always been and He still is in control. He allows us to make our mistakes and our choices, but in the end He is still in control. It doesn’t matter how much money that you have or how little you have, your treasure here and in your heart should be your family.

Why do I say that? Because money can’t buy happiness or joy. It can’t extend your life nor can it give you peace about life. Sure, having money helps in many of these situations, but money is only a tool which is why the Bible says that “the love of money is the root of all evil”. We are to put our faith and our trust…our love into loving our Savior, Jesus, because He is the One Who can bring you joy and peace and He can give you eternal life. Money is just a tool and that is all that it is, yet we put our lives and our happiness on the line for our careers and our business ventures in order to have more.

God is and always has been the most important person that you will ever know. He is the One that you need to get to know because HE is the Creator Who gave you life and formed you in the womb. He knows what you are capable of and what you can do today, but He also knows what you will do tomorrow. Nothing takes God by surprise.

He loves you, regardless of what you have done in the past or may do in the future. He already knows about it, so it isn’t new to Him. Why not allow Him to show His love for you by bringing you into a relationship with Him? You only have eternity to gain and the loss that you will have is the loss of the guilt from sins and the penalty for them. Jesus already paid that price so that we wouldn’t have to. Give Jesus a chance in your life and you will see a very different person in the mirror afterward.

Seek Jesus out and learn about Him, because He is the only way to get to Heaven.

Inspiration comes in small doses

inspiration5 Some days I see a picture or just a few words in a comment here or on my FB page. Some days the inspiration comes from reading God’s Word or while I am in prayer for our country or the community that I live in. God uses little prompts, soft nudges which, if you are paying attention, you will be inspired by to write down something which comes to mind. Some days, it is a sunrise or sunset that brings inspiration with it.

Life itself is an inspiration to me. When I see a child running with all the abandon of childhood, it blesses me. When I see a sunrise like the one above, God is having a great day! He does this every day because HE can see what is going to happen before it happens. His days are never surprising to Him, they may be to us but as long as you begin your day with Him, the day will be a good one.

So much of our life is taken for granted, especially today. We look forward to tomorrow or next month, even when we have no idea if we will be here at that time. I know, expect to live tomorrow because expectation is a part of a faithful life. But, making plans without consulting God about those plans is foolish. He may have some other place or person in mind for you. His plans may not fall into the same time frame as yours.

Consider that He holds yesterday, today and tomorrow in His hands and He can see the outcome of those decisions that you make, with or without His consent. The direction for your life, in business and at home, always turns out better when He is part of it. God created you to be a part of His creation, His Kingdom and He is the One Who holds you and your life together.

There is a molecule called laminin that is part of our cellular structure and it is described as the glue which holds all of our cells together. Here is part of a wikipedia page quote which tells about these molecules: The laminins are an important and biologically active part of the basal lamina, influencing cell differentiation, migration, and adhesion.

Here is a picture of that molecule: laminin

It explains itself in a way. Jesus went to the cross to save us from our sinful nature and to give us eternal life through Himself. He also placed within our bodies a representation of that cross in the form of a molecule which is part of our structure which holds our cells together. God is present in all of the details of your life and mine, whether we know it or not. Ask Him to make Himself known to you through His Word and to become a part of your life from this day forward.

He will and your life, here and into eternity, will be more meaningful and more peaceful because of it.

How many times…

In your life and mine, how many times have you wondered about your salvation? How many times have you questioned whether you are saved or have given your life and heart to Jesus? How many times have you asked the question, whether in your mind or in person at church, “Can Jesus save me?”

There are many people who have asked these questions and many more like them. The answer to some of those questions is dependent upon your response to the Spirit of God when it touches you. When you felt it at a revival or a church service or even while listening to a television ministry, did you respond to it? How did you respond to Him because it was the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, which touched you when you felt the need to accept Jesus, so? What did you do?

Some people just shrug it off. The say to themselves, “I have plenty of time to make that decision, after I get my life straight.” Really? What if you have a wreck on the way home tonight? What then? Yes, I am trying to scare you because IF you don’t make that decision when you feel the prompting of God in your heart, you may not get another chance. God loves you, but He also knows exactly how many days or weeks or years that you have left!

He knows what you can do for His Kingdom and how many people you can have an influence in their lives while you are here. We are here for a certain number of years. For some of us, it may be fifty years or less, then again it may be for ninety years or even one hundred. In that time, you can have an enormous influence in your children’s lives and their children’s lives too. You can have an influence over many friend’s lives and people who come in contact with you at work or in a store or restaurant.

Some of us may get chosen to come to salvation while we are children and will be able to touch the lives of many people in our lifetime. Yet, some of those may die when they are only eighteen or twenty years old so their lives will be short but it still may have a huge effect on the people who knew them. God can use your talents and your time in ways that you don’t imagine and can’t imagine, until He does it. I never thought that I would be a pastor of a church, but I am. It is a small church but those in it may have a big impact on the world one day.

This blog and the others that I write for is also part of my ministry and many people can find the words which God gives me to write here. I don’t use this site to make money, all that I am doing is bringing the message of salvation to those who may be looking for it. God loves us all, even if He doesn’t like the sinful lives that we live. I still make mistakes and commit sins every day. To some the sins which I commit may not count as “big” sins, but to God ALL sins are the same. A lie told to your child, even those we call white lies, is still a lie. If you hate someone, Jesus said that was the same as murdering them. No one is immune to sin, except Jesus, because of our nature. We are HUMAN and we are sinful people.

The best part of salvation is that when you accept Jesus and believe what HE did for you to become a child of God, then your old sins are wiped clean and you are given the righteousness of Christ. Of course we will get some dirt on our clean robes afterward, but ask Him to forgive you and help you to do better. Read the Bible, learn of His ways and how God looks at our life and our sins so that you can learn to be more in tune with Him. Pray and thank Him for waking you up in the morning and He will help you to sleep better at night. Start each day with Him and end it with Him and you can’t go wrong.

We all have skeletons…

It doesn’t matter if you are an atheist, a Muslim, a Baptist, a Methodist or whatever type of belief system you want to hang on yourself, all of us have a past and we have skeletons in our closets that we may not want to let out. Yes, we have a past which may not reflect our present circumstances and may not line up with our future but we do have them.

Can we get past them? Can we be forgiven for those indiscretions and mistakes? Of course we can. Mistakes or sins, whatever you call them, are just part and parcel of life. You can’t avoid them entirely, but you can be forgiven for making them. That is what Jesus came to Earth for all those years ago, to bring forgiveness to all who sought it and to those who seek Him today.

Can we still serve Jesus if we sin, even if we are born-again Christians? Absolutely! If we couldn’t there would be no one in any church or pulpit in the world! Jesus forgave Peter when he denied Him on the night of His arrest so it makes sense that we can be forgiven for our sins today, whatever they may be.

Decide to ask forgiveness, seek out Jesus in prayer and in the Bible and move forward with your life. You can’t fix your own sin problem, so allow the Creator to do it. That is Who He is and His purpose for you and me is known to Him until He reveals it to you. God loves you, He may not like the life that you live or the sin that crops up in your life occasionally, but He loves you.

We don’t need to downplay the nature of sin by calling them mistakes though. Sin is anything that God says that you shouldn’t be doing and Satan knows exactly which one that you like the best. Life is full of temptations and he will use them to get into your head and your life and make you feel as if you can’t do anything right. The best and most important thing to remember is: God LOVES you in spite of this! Ask forgiveness, seek Him and praise Him in all things good or bad and keep moving toward Jesus and into eternity!