Category: Salvation

The word “but…”


Many times you read it or hear it said, “but, they followed their own way”, and that is when things go wrong. There are also places in the Bible where the writer says “but God remembered” and it is usually those “but God” moments that really make a difference not only in the nation of Israel but in our lives too. It is those times when we decide not to follow Jesus and we create our own “but” moments. “But I want to do it this way or that way”; the problem with this is if you have been called to be a Christian, you are supposed to be following Jesus in your daily life. Yet, we look at our lives and, if we are honest, we can see that our lives work with Jesus as our Savior until we decide that we know better and we come to one of these “but, I want to…” moments.

It is unequivocally clear that it is at those times when we get off of the pathway that Jesus is leading us on simply because we see something off to the side that we want to pursue. It might be a shiny new car or this new job but it isn’t what God was leading you toward. So we follow our own desires in that “but” moment. It is usually at this point that we find that this new path or job or whatever it is that we wanted isn’t what we thought it was. Then…we have to come back into a right relationship with Jesus and begin again on His path.

That little three-letter word “but” can bring a lot of heartache and misery into our lives. Especially when we are just starting our walk with Jesus. We will get distracted by something or someone and walk off into the briar patch and then realize that we have gotten into something that we shouldn’t have gotten into. Sometimes we realize it right away but most often it is after we have been off of the “narrow way” following Jesus for a while. The best part of following Jesus is that He never walks away from us. He is always right next to us and when we decide that our way isn’t working, Jesus takes our hand and we begin again.

While it is true that life is a highway, it is the narrow path that leads toward your eternal home. The highway may be smooth and easy but the path that leads to eternity, even though it is narrow, it is more productive and it doesn’t have the same dangers that are on the “easy path”. That little word and thought, “but…”, can lead you into some wonderful places but it can also lead you down some dangerous roads. Seek out and follow Jesus while there is time.

Hobbled, but not done


I broke four of my toes on my left foot yesterday afternoon. Now, I’m getting around with a cast on but I’m not done yet. God still wants me to work and post for Him and for you too. Life is not over, I’m just having to move a little slower these days.

He is working on healing the fractures and I’m still putting His message out here so people can read what He gives me to say. God is good even when things go a little sideways. Job got through His ordeal and I will too. Thankfully, I haven’t lost everything the way he did but I’m used to getting up and walking without problems or a cane. I guess I’m going to have to slow down and be a little bit more careful from this point on.

God provides for our provisions in this life as long as we live according to His commandments and follow Jesus as your Savior. There is nothing that can stop you when Jesus is your Savior. He is on your side when you have given your heart to Him. It doesn’t matter if my legs are broken or my foot is broken, I will be in His house to worship Him regardless of the pain or difficulty. God loves you more than anyone on this Earth could ever love you and He cares more about your little problems than you do.

Give your heart to Jesus and follow Him for your life and it will be more than you can ever manage or imagine. You may not be wealthy in this life but your home in Heaven has been built by the Creator of all and the road going to your home is paved with gold. His authority is over every sickness and ailment in our lives and everything in the universe does as He intends and tells it to do. My fractures will be healed and I will be walking without these implements before my birthday on November 1st.

Learn His words


Because you need His Word for your protection.

God doesn’t stay angry


There’s no “Oops”in the Bible


It’s not strange to note that God doesn’t have anywhere in His Word where He says “Oops”. He knows what He’s doing and He knows how things will turn out so nothing is a surprise to Him.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmaments sheweth his handiwork.” – Psalm 19:1

He is the Creator and our Savior and there is no other. He is in control even though the rest of the world says that He is not and they don’t care to know Him. Everything that He made in the first chapter of Genesis was good. God’s creation has more beauty in it because that is how He made it to be. Don’t turn away from the One Who loves you more than anyone else can.

Which way should I go?


We are given all kinds of choices in life. Do you eat cereal for breakfast or a bagel and fruit? Should you eat eggs and bacon or some fruit and a veggie “sausage”? Every day we make choices about what to eat and what to wear, so why do we have such a hard time making the decision of whether to follow Jesus or not? If you work for a company you usually plan for and save for retirement. You invest it and try to make sure that you don’t have to depend on just Social Security, which is what I’m living on right now. It isn’t impossible to live on that but you do have to watch your bills and your spending.

Anyway, why don’t we plan for eternity in the same way as we try to plan for retirement? Is it because we don’t care where we spend eternity or maybe it’s because we don’t really believe that there is eternity past death? Some of us may hang on to the idea that “I’ll get around to that later”. How do you know that you will have a “later”? No one is guaranteed even tomorrow. All of us think that we will live a long life when we are young, but today that is definitely not guaranteed. Other people not paying attention on the road are a hazard. Not getting enough sleep can determine how well you are paying attention. There are many hazards in our world today and they are not getting any easier to handle.

Just going downstairs could be hazardous to your health, especially if there are children in the house.

Eternity is a very long, long time and our tiny lifespans don’t even begin to help us to realize that. Consider how long Methuselah lived, 969 years. If he has been born in the last thousand years, he would’ve been born in 1053 AD. He might die this year but can you imagine how much change he would’ve witnessed in his lifetime? He would’ve been around before scientists even “discovered” that the Earth revolves around the Sun! The Catholic church would’ve burned you at the stake if you declared that the Earth wasn’t the center of the universe. Not to mention all of the advances from that point on to this year. His lifespan would only amount to a fraction of a second compared to eternity.

Seek out your salvation in Jesus Christ if you don’t already know Him as your Lord and Savior. He is the only doorway to gain entrance into His Father’s house. Today we hear of “many ways to be saved” but that is not what Jesus taught. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light and no one comes to the Father except through belief in Him. Then you have to learn more about Him by reading God’s Word and praying for understanding. If you don’t do this, you might miss His voice speaking to you because you won’t know what He sounds like. Why am I saying that you need to seek Him now? Because we are living at the time of the end. He could come back to get His Bride at any time so if you aren’t ready you will be left here to go through the trouble that is coming to the Earth. Get ready, the King is coming!

Is your crown bent?


I have fallen and gotten back up so many times in my life. Mostly because of alcohol and just plain stubbornness. The fact that I am writing here is a testament to God’s faithfulness that He will not let go of us even when we try to get away. Jonah found this out and I did too. God called me to become a preacher in 1983 but I didn’t want to. I knew who He was and I knew about the salvation that was offered through belief in Jesus but I didn’t want to proclaim it as a preacher.

I felt that I had done too many things wrong in my teenage years. Everyone in my school knew about the drunk that I was. I had wrecked two cars that my Mom had allowed me to use. I had spent many days recovering from those injuries in the hospital during different school years but still…the effect on my “reputation” was the same. I knew that I could not preach salvation in our community because my crown was bent in more than one way.

The thing that I didn’t realize about Jesus was this: He doesn’t require us to be perfect. He changes us so we can be His representative wherever we are. Even if the people in your community know how you were or what you did, He can change you so that your message is fresh and meaningful to those who hear it. God has used so many flawed people over the years and He can use your witness regardless of how deeply you stepped off of the path to Him. It doesn’t matter how far you got from Him, He can bring you back to the pathway that He needs you on.

Give Jesus a chance and He can make you into His disciple and His missionary to whoever He needs you to talk to. It may be only one person that you can have an influence on but He knows that you are the only person who can do it.

Do you believe the Bible?


The Bible is at least one-third prophecy and many people discount it as just an old book.

We are living in a time of prophecies being fulfilled before our eyes and yet many are not paying attention. Why? Because more than two-thirds of the world doesn’t believe the words in the Bible. Many of them know of the Word and the Bible but there are many who do not think that those words are the Truth.

Nearly all of the prophecies of the Bible have come true already and many more that pertain to this time in history are being fulfilled almost every day. God doesn’t want anyone to be cast into hell with the devil and his demons but so many refuse to follow Jesus today and will be cast away from Him. Knowing about prophecy and Scripture and Jesus is great but knowledge is not enough. You have to believe in Jesus for your salvation and repent of your sins and follow Him until the day He returns for the church, His Bride.

God is coming back in the Person of Jesus Christ as King! This will happen at the end of the seven years of Tribulation but it will happen. God always keeps His promises and Jesus said He would return to rule as King for one thousand years. If you don’t believe in Him as your Savior, you should. Your eternity depends on it. Jesus is coming back! I believe it will happen in just a few years.

I know, it sounds like I’ve lost my mind but if you read the Bible and the prophecies which point to the time we are living in today you can see that these prophecies are coming true…NOW! The signs of the end are all around us. It isn’t “global warming”, it is the judgment of God on the Earth and those who have ignored His call to be saved. The things happening now are not as bad as during the seven years of Tribulation.

Satan hates us! Why? Because we are made in the image of God. Something that angels cannot know. All of the wars, all of the diseases, everything that has been bad and wrong in our world has been engineered by Satan. God allowed it, but He did so for our souls to turn to Him for salvation. I pray that everyone who reads this will give their heart to Jesus as their Savior soon. We are not promised tomorrow, today is the day of salvation.

Are you ready?


The Parable of the Ten Virgins

1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. 4 But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 ‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.

11 Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’

12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’

13 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The church is the Bride of Christ and He is returning to take her home to be with Him. When that day or hour is only the Father knows. I pray that many more will come to know Jesus as their Savior before that time because when the church is taken, as the bride was taken to the groom’s father’s house, the wedding will begin and those who were not ready will be left. God has given many signs in His Word for the church to know and for them to believe but there are so few who actually believe it today.

There may be as few as ten percent of people who “claim” to be Christians who actually believe that Jesus is even coming back. I pray that many more will come to know Him before that day comes when the trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ will rise and those of us who are looking for Him will be taken up to be with Him forever.

Life on Earth will be so much worse after this event takes place. People think that things are bad today but when that day comes, the years following that will be much, much worse. I pray that anyone who reads this will seek to know Jesus as their Savior if they don’t know Him already. Please, read God’s Word and seek out a Bible-teaching church so that you can be informed and know that you will be part of the wedding party on that day.

Love casts out fear