Tag: Christ

What do you need from God?


There are many things which we need and He provides them all, even when we don’t ask for them. We need air to breathe and our health which enables us to get up every morning. Water and food are the next things on our list of needs and God has provided those for us through our ability to pay for them. Clothes and shelter are another couple of things which I would describe as needs, since we don’t want to walk around without clothes in the winter especially! Shelter is nice because we can stay warm and dry when it is cold and wet outside. These are the basic needs which everyone has that God has provided for us, even when we haven’t asked for them.

What about our life itself, didn’t God provide us with that too? God has provided for us to be alive every day that we live and He has provided a way for us to have eternal life too. In truth, we all will have an eternity since we have an immortal soul. The difference is our place of residence. Jesus said that “I am going to the Father to prepare a place for you, so that where I am you may be also.”. The dwelling place is in Heaven, which is beyond our comprehension to understand the beauty and majesty of yet.

Since God loves each of us enough to do this, why won’t many of us accept it on faith and believe in Jesus’ sacrifice for us so that we can have it one day? Looking at the Bible, God’s Word, from our stand-point, we see a book of rules and regulations and a book of historical stories which may or may not be true. Many people today see it as just that, a book written by a bunch of old men which has no real truth to it and is a work of fiction. Really?

One day soon, our world will be shaken with the Truth coming back like He said that He would. Then many who don’t want to believe will have their world turned up-side down because of their un-belief. Why do I say this? Because a book with over forty authors which spanned over two thousand years of history could not possibly point to the birth of a Messiah from beginning to end, if it was an imaginative fable written by people who made these stories up!

After His resurrection, His disciples went all over the world that they could reach and were all killed for the message that they brought except one who died of old age. During the last two thousand years there have been many thousands of people persecuted and killed in horrific ways for their belief in Jesus and this Book, the Word of God! I doubt that they would’ve died the way that many did if this had been a fantasy or a lie.

What do we really need from God? Forgiveness, which we already have through Jesus, if we will believe and accept it. Our world and many of our churches need forgiveness for perverting the gospel into something which is twisted out of Scripture and doesn’t look like any of the Wisdom contained within the Bible. Yet, today many so-called “preachers” and “evangelists” are teaching a form of godliness which is not represented in the Word of God. This was prophesied by Jesus when John wrote the book of Revelation.

It is a book of the Bible which many are afraid of and they don’t want to read it but it is relevant to our time.

Racism…why?


In our world today there are so many different ism’s until it is hard to tell which is which. But why is there one called racism? There is only one race on Earth and it has been that way since God began everything in Eden. Adam was not one race and Eve another, they were both human. Their skin may have been dark, not brown or black but not white or yellowish either. We are all part of the human race.

For many years, centuries even, we have separated ourselves from each other because of our different cultures and skin tongenetic-variationes but honestly those are really the only actual differences between us, no matter where we live on Earth. Yes, we do have different cultures, that can be seen easily in our customs and the religions, the way we talk and dress, but it doesn’t make us different in race. We are all of the same race, human beings or Homo sapiens and there are no others. If there were you would easily be able to see the differences.

I know that cultural differences are varied in every country and region on this planet, but that is the only thing besides skin color that separates us. It is something that we must contend with and it is a difference which we have had since the beginning. The problem with our separateness began with the Tower of Babel where everyone’s language got mixed up and they were forced to separate and move away from each other, at least that is my opinion about it.

We live in a world which is broken and bruised in many ways because of the original sin in the Garden, but also because of our own nature. We want things a certain way in our lives, we like our coffee a certain way and our eggs cooked a certain way and when someone comes along with a different way of doing things we fuss and fight against it until we decide that maybe their way is better. If not, then we have a problem between their way and our way. This causes a split in communities and churches sometimes and in times past, it caused us to distance ourselves from each other along cultural lines which soon become “racial lines” because we considered the differences to be so great.

When in reality, the differences are not that great if you get to know someone better. Sooner or later those differences become not so different really. The difference in culture, between the way people dress or act or even the music that they listen to or the way that they talk, those are the separating lines between us. We are all of the same race, just different branches of the tree that’s all. The branch at the top is no better than the roots because they are all a part of the whole.

Of course, this explanation is one which will be very hard for most to accept. “My branch is better than yours because I am not so close to the ground”; “My trunk is better because I get my nourishment before you do”; these are silly arguments from a human standpoint but you get the point. Is there a way for us to fix these differences in culture and skin tone? Not with our human understanding alone. Force and wars, whether fought with guns or bombs or swords, have never solved any of these problems and in many countries they have made the problem worse.

The only cure or fix for this is Jesus. When He comes to rule the world for one thousand years, things will be different. Yes, there will still be separation between most nations, tribes, and cultures and all of the diversity that has come to Earth since Creation but we can take our grievances to Him directly and He can judge fairly between the parties which are having problems.

Until the new heaven and earth appear though, there will be disagreements and arguments. Maybe no wars or bombings or killings, but that won’t stop us from having disagreements between people.

Seek His counsel and His Wisdom in your life, every day, so that you have the best advice available in all of your daily activities, whatever they may be.

An addendum to this post:

Christ did not come to Earth for only one so-called “race” of people, He came to save ALL of us, to bring the possibility of salvation to all skin colors and nationalities and the cultures from which they come. God created us as one race, humanity, and He wants to have fellowship with all of us, no matter where you may live or what color your skin is.

Think of our skin colors like this: there is a snow leopard which is mostly white, there is a leopard which has black spots and a tawny color and there is a black leopard in South America which is black, but you can still see the spots well enough to know that he is still a leopard. The colors don’t change the fact that it is a leopard any more than our skin color doesn’t change the fact that we are all homo sapiens! One race, different cultures and skin colors, blessed and loved by God to be His people if we will accept Him as our Savior.

 

Love, what is it really?


This being a day that many of us associate with relationships and the feelings associated with them and yet many people don’t know what love really is.

Love is not sex or lust, those are associated with erotic love (lust), but that is not the emotion which would bring about a lasting relationship. One which would grow deeper with time regardless of the health of the one that you love or the amount of money that you have.

There is a movie in the theatres today that is making the erotic lust of someone into a “relationship”. It will be like burning a candle with a blow-torch, it is fun for a while but if it doesn’t grow into something far deeper and even more intimate, then it will burn out like that candle.

Many people chase after feelings like those from a sexual relationship or even the feeling that comes with getting high from drugs or adrenaline or even alcohol. These things are temporary and don’t last at all, but the love that doesn’t ask for anything in return, like the love that comes from God, that is mature love. The kind of deep love that lasts through sickness, heartache, poverty and wealth. It doesn’t matter what happens in your life, that kind of love is what we all search for and yet it is the kind that is so hard to find.

It is the kind of love that only God can bring into your life, whether it is through Jesus or by God bringing you and your “soul-mate” together. He is the only One, the only match-maker Who can answer the prayer of someone who is looking for that special someone who will be there for life, regardless of what life may bring. He is the only Person who can show you the very one who will be faithful and true to you just as He is. That is the relationship that we all are looking for, whether it is an intimate relationship with your spouse or with Jesus.

A relationship that is strong and enduring, whether it is between friends or your spouse or children, is what we crave and hunger for in our lives. Yet, even that relationship can’t take the place of the Relationship between you and Jesus. That One is more deep and connected than any that you can have if you will seek Him out when you feel that call on your life. If you haven’t felt that call yet, then I pray that you will seek Him out by going to church and open your heart to Him. Ask Him into your life and read the Bible, pray that God will give you the wisdom to understand its words and the Truth contained in it and He will.

The Love of Christ is the deepest and most enduring Love that is more than you can imagine or comprehend, yet it is available to you any time. Regardless of how your day is going, good or bad, Jesus is there to comfort and to strengthen you. He is there to heal when you feel broken by depression or injury or sickness, just call to Him. Coming to Him is easy if you believe that He will answer you. He doesn’t turn down anyone who genuinely seeks Him with an open heart asking Him to come and heal their lives.

God’s love for us, all of us, has been present since the first day of Creation. He saw down through the ages who would be needing and seeking Him. He knows you and your life, your problems and your pain and He has the answers for those too. No, I can tell you that your disease or other health problems  won’t immediately go away, but He will be with you and help you through them. In some cases, He may heal you immediately so praise the Lord for it when it comes.

Time for our world is growing short, so I urge you to seek God and His grace for your life. Believe it and in Jesus’ sacrifice for you and ask Him to come into your life so that God can give you eternal life with Him. If you choose not to believe in Jesus or in anything that you may read here, eternity will come for you but it will not be pleasant.

Time is short


In many ways the news and the other media outlets want us to think that we have all of the time in the world. Everything is going to keep on getting better and life will go on just as it always has.

WRONG!!! WAKE UP!!!

Folks, this country and our world at large is headed for a big wake up call and it won’t be something which we will recover from in a few days or weeks. This will be a long time getting fixed. Sounds scary doesn’t it?

Guess what? It is going to happen! All of these shows which keep us watching so-called “reality”, are complete and total jobs to keep us blind to what is happening behind our backs and in front of us. We don’t notice it because we are too busy tweeting or whatever online or we are texting constantly and talking to our “friends”. When what we should be doing is paying attention to what is really happening in the world, not just the tidbits that we get on the “news” programs.

Nearly all of the events which are supposed to happen prior to the trying times foretold in the Bible have come about already. The birth pains which Jesus spoke about are already occurring in natural disasters and heat waves and sudden snow storms and all of the others that are going on around us. The wars and skirmishes that are happening everywhere over disputes about whose religion is the right one or which sect is going to be the best!

All of this was foretold over two thousand years ago, yet many people have ignored the signs or just never even read about it or heard it preached. The problem is that when the climax comes and the really bad stuff begins, then what will the world do? Celebrate? Be glad that there are no more Christians in the world to bother us about how wrong we have been doing things?

When that day comes, and it will come, anyone who has heard about it or maybe seen a movie about it will know that what they thought was wrong. Realization and the reality will truly set in and then the Wrath of God will truly be released on the Earth. The last seventy-two months will be far worse than the first seventy-two months were.

How soon do I think this will happen? I don’t know. I just feel in my spirit that we don’t have a decade or more to ponder and think about it. I could be wrong, but what if I am not? If there is a treaty signed between Israel and all of her neighbours in the next few years then that is the beginning of the first part of the last seven years of this age.

God doesn’t want anyone to die in sin, He wants all who will to come to repentance and believe in Jesus. When you do that your life will just be starting. It doesn’t matter how old in years you may be, your eternity begins when you accept Jesus as your Savior. Then, when you die you will just step away from this life and begin the next one in Heaven. No judgement or penalty for you because Jesus paid your way into God’s Presence. If you don’t accept Jesus then you will be judged by how many times you heard the message and walked away, as well as all of the sinful words and deeds that you did.

Do I have a time-table for when these things will happen? No, God is the only One Who knows the day and the hour of when Tribulation begins. He also knows when your day of Judgement will be. It could be tomorrow or next week or next year, but unless you have asked Jesus into your heart then the judgement will find you guilty of turning away from God’s call on your life. Then you will stand before Satan and he will determine your place in hell. The choice is yours, choose Life in Jesus.

What is going on today?


Many people are asking that question today and every day, so what would you tell them? Would you tell them that global warming was destroying our world? What about radical groups of religious zealots for Islam and Buddhism that are attacking and killing people because they don’t follow their brand of religion? Economies of governments and the budgets of nations are in dire need of help, but from where? The people in those countries don’t have enough money to put food on their table let alone enough money to pay taxes and higher fees for insurance! This world and the people in it need hope and a Savior but from where will he come?

He will come from Heaven and from Scripture into your lives and your hearts if you will choose to allow Him to do so. He is not going to bring pounds of gold to give to you nor is He going to make your problems vanish over night, but He will give you a hope for tomorrow and the strength to get through whatever it may be that is in your path today and tomorrow.

God loves each of us far more than we can know or even understand, yet we don’t seem to want to allow Him into our daily lives, why? Are we so blinded by our own ego and pride that we can’t see that we need Him in our lives? It is possible to let Him into our daily lives without His Presence interrupting our activities. Actually our activities should be in line with His plans for us, but that isn’t possible for many people.

The love that God has for us is far above anything that we can understand, but the closest that we can come to it is the love that most parents have for their children. That is how God views us, as His children. Regardless of our color or our background, He cares about us. No matter where you live or what you may be doing in your life, He is there watching and if you allow Him into your life He will guide your steps and your actions so that others will see Him through you and maybe they will seek Him out too.

In our world every day there is heartache and trouble, from drugs and shootings to violence in the home and religious zealots making statements about which religion we should be following. Some of those zealots may be Christians, but the majority that we hear on the news are from those who don’t believe in any god or those who follow Islam. Most news agencies won’t report anyone who is doing Christian work, unless it gets a headline somehow and usually in a negative way.

Satan is in control of most, if not all, of this negative press so it really shouldn’t be much of a surprise. If you have read some of the prophecies in the Word of God, you know that this is supposed to happen. God knows that it is happening and He is in control. He allows some things that Satan does but thankfully He isn’t allowing Satan free rein on Earth just yet.

Jesus is the only answer to our world’s problems and giving your heart to Him is the only way to come to the Father in Heaven. Seek Him out while you have today. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, only the day that we have and we must use it to the best of our ability. Serve Jesus and allow Him to work through you for the better and greater good of those that you come in contact with. He will grant you peace and security in the Life that you will have after this one.

Worry and fear, what should we do?


Jesus said for us not to worry although in today’s world it is hard not to. We hear of all the wars and killings, in our local cities and overseas. We read the news or hear it on the nightly news and wonder what is going on in this world and why. We are worried that our children and grandchildren will have a worse time of it than we had instead of hoping for their lives to be better like our parents did. What has happened to our world and why is all of this terrible stuff happening every day and every night?

It was foretold that this time would be this way, yet few people are paying attention because there are so few who believe the Book that contains those prophecies. Even fewer it seems, believe in the God Who gave the words to the writers of that Book or in His Son, Who came so that we would have eternal life and have a way for all of our sins to be forgiven. Why?

The reason for the unbelief that is so rampant these days is simply that very few families teach their children about God and the founding of our country as a Christian nation. The schools don’t teach it because someone might be offended and take the school to court. America was at one time, following God and seeking His counsel in politics and in everyday life. What happened?

Some would say that we became enlightened to the new “truth”. If the Truth didn’t come from or originate in and from God’s Word, IT ISN’T TRUE! It has been massaged and mangled and changed to the point of being a lie, period! Fifty years ago, when my parents got divorced, the company that my father worked for wrote him a letter and asked him why? Now, most companies could care less what their employees do in their personal lives until they get caught.

Even the sanctity of life is questioned in our lives now. People care more about some terrorist’s feelings than they do about an unborn child and his or her right to live. If you happen to be a Muslim, people are more afraid of insulting you than they are about anyone or anything in the world, why? Because of the wrath of Allah? No, Allah was the name of a moon-god, not the Creator of the universe. The place in Mecca which is so revered houses a meteorite inside, go figure.

Satan’s hatred


For those of you who claim to be atheists, you can stop reading now. If you don’t believe in God then you shouldn’t have to worry about Satan, right?

The rest of you, believers and non-believers, listen to this: Satan HATES YOU! With the utmost, vilest hatred that is known but it is likely that we could never understand the depths of his hatred. Why are we as humans, mankind, hated so by the Accuser of the Saints, Lucifer, the Devil himself? First and foremost is because God loves us, and anyone that God loves, Satan hates since he has chosen to be as much an opposer and opposite of God in all things as he possibly can be.

He cannot create in the same way that God can by speaking something into existence out of nothing, he can incite death and destruction through us by influencing our minds and our thoughts. He has become truly expert at this as well as causing us to dismiss his existence as a tale told to scare children and nothing more. All of the religions of the world were created in the minds of men by him and the fallen angels that came to Earth with him long ago.

The diseases and wars and all of the things which are happening to people, young and old, are part of his doing. As long as he and the demons who serve him are able, they will be thorns in the side of church members and pastors until Jesus comes again. They will cause dissension and other cracks to appear in churches and between the members of those churches in order to weaken the message of Jesus that may be taught there.

This has been going on for centuries and Satan has become very adept at all forms of deceit which mankind will listen to. He will appeal to your vanity and pride through success that he brings your way in order to lure you in his direction and away from serving God. It won’t be as dramatic as the contract signed in blood like some movies have portrayed, but you will be following him or his legion if you are not following God.

Why am I bringing this up on my site? To show that Satan is real and that it is he and his demons who are influencing our world leaders and many of our people today. You can choose to believe that he is doing this or not, I am not trying to prove it to anyone. I am just bringing it up because it is happening, in the background and unless you are a Christian who is following Jesus every day then you are vulnerable to their influence.

Even Christians, if they are not following Jesus and reading God’s Word daily and praying, can be influenced by Satan and his demons. Make sure of your faith, strengthen your faith through God’s Word and pray about what you are reading. Make sure that your life is in God’s hands because life is short and Satan’s time is growing shorter.

God’s grace


God’s grace is sufficient for all of our needs. Why does He extend His grace to us? Because we don’t deserve it, but He gives it to us anyway, that’s why. God loves us and wants the best for all of us, whether you believe this or not doesn’t change the fact. His love is deeper and more pure than anything that we can understand and yet we push Him away more and more. Many people today seem to want less and less to do with Christianity in general. What have we ever done to deserve this? Have we attacked your schools or your homes? No, we do want the best for all and that is why we try to tell you about our Savior. It is that “telling” that everyone who has a phobia against Christians is afraid of or is totally against.

There are numerous instances where the church is vandalized or even set fire, especially in Europe, but it seems to be happening more and more. The sentiment toward the church was predicted by Jesus for the time that we are living in, so it is not totally unexpected but it still brings out pain in my heart and it hurts our world, not as an entity but as God sees us.

God extended His love and His grace to us through Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins. Whether you want to believe in Him or that grace which is so richly poured out on us is totally up to you. It is your decision to choose which part of the world that you will live in, the Christian part or Satan’s part, because there is no middle ground! You are either on one side or the other.

I know that some have said that they will sit on the fence until something or someone knocks them to one side or the other. The problem with this thinking is that, you may fall off when you die and if you haven’t made the decision to follow Jesus by that time then you will be on Satan’s side of the fence. Paint the church black on one side and white on the other to represent God and Satan, allow them to meet in the middle and see how well you can walk the line without dipping into one or the other. You must choose!

The problem that we have is that it is the choice and the power that we have to choose one or the other that causes so many to wait or to put it off for too long. God is patient, but your life goes on regardless and it is limited. As the writer of James said, “your life is like mist or a puff of smoke”, especially compared to eternity and while you have it you must make the best choice that you can. This can’t be denied because even comparing our lives to the past millennia or two, we are only here for a very short time! The choices that you make during this life do have an effect on where you spend eternity! Choose Jesus and come to Him, before it is too late. We live so close to death that many people don’t notice it anymore. People get killed on the highway every day. They are shot and killed for no reason at all in our cities and towns and we hear about it every day, but we get used to it. Life is precious but it is short, make the choice which will give you life everlasting. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you from your sins and from the life that you would’ve lived.

Do it…before it is too late.

What are you looking for?


Many people today are searching for something in life to give them hope and joy, but many don’t find it. Why is that? Mainly, it is because they are looking in the wrong places and trying the wrong things.

People tend to give all sorts of stuff a try to see if it fits or if it might fill the need in their lives, hoping that one of them might fill the spot which seems to always feel empty and hollow. Is this because they are ignorant or maybe it is because they haven’t found the right combination yet? No, there is no specific combination or specific thing or drug which will fill this void in your life. But, there is a person Who can do all of those things and more and His name is Jesus.

Living without Him is possible but it is unfulfilling. Yes, you can get through life without Him in it, but you will always feel lost and alone regardless of what you try or who you may be with. When you have felt a tug from the Holy Spirit, whether it is by a dream or a church service or someone witnessing to you, that is Him calling to you. You can walk away and ignore Him, but the call will be felt again. It won’t go away. When that call comes to you, it will come whether you want it or not, because there is something that God knows about you that you do not. That something is a particular thing which only you can do. It may be a message that you can bring to someone or it might be that you will be able to touch someone’s life in a way that nobody else can. But, only you can do it and God knows this which is why He is calling you.

Yes, there is something that you can do or someone who you and only you can speak to or bring the Light into their life and until you let that Light into your life they might never see it. Jesus is the Light and the Life and the proof of it is in God’s Word. All that you need to do is seek Him out because until you do, that part of you which feels empty will never be filled with the One and only Person that can and will make you feel like a whole person.

Think about it and allow Him to come into your life and give you His Life.

The End Game, what is it?


There are always end games in movies, in computer games of all kinds, in business deals and in life itself. So, what is the end game from God’s prophetic point of view that is told in the book of Revelation? It is very simple actually, to bring about the end of Satan’s reign on Earth and to restore Earth to its pre-fall condition.

Humanity fell when Adam didn’t obey God, not just one couple, but also the entirety of creation itself. Before the fall, there was no corruption of the Earth, no weeds or thorns or creeping vines which were of no use except to cover everything. All of this came to be afterward. Death and decay began after the perfection of creation was broken by disobedience.

God knew that it was coming and when. He also knew who would be responsible for the fall, not just Adam but Lucifer too. It was he in the form of a snake which tempted Eve and then Adam decided to go along with his wife instead of following the command of God. Then the Seed of the woman was foretold and we waited for about four thousand years for Him to come into the world.

When that happened, it was still a few years before His ministry came to its conclusion but when it did the endgame began. Bruised by the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, Satan has been attacking humanity for the past two thousand years. Bringing war, disease, famine, infanticide in the form of sacrifices to demon gods and abortion, the list of tragedies and heartache goes on and on, all because he knows that his time is coming to a close.

Regardless of his pride and his boasting, Satan has already been defeated but he hasn’t stopped trying to get as many people away from God as possible. If he can keep you or me from asking for Jesus to come into our lives, then he will find a way to do it. He is not above killing your family or taking your job or your home either. Any way that he can get to you, to keep you in the place of blaming God instead of asking for His help, then he and the fallen angels that followed him will do it.

Humanity has always had a special place in God’s eyes and if Satan can hurt God by hurting us or causing us to miss the calling that God has for us, then he will do it. The thing to remember is that he is already defeated! The battle is won because Jesus was triumphant over sin and death on the cross! All that we need to do is to believe in Him and His grace that has been given to us.

God did have a Son and He came to bring salvation to us by His death and resurrection at Calvary. He was foretold at least four hundred years before His birth and all of the prophecies about Him were fulfilled by Him when He came! We are important in God’s Kingdom, each of us, and there is something which each of us can do that God knows only we can do. Pray that you can and will find that point in your life, find that place which will bring you to know Jesus.

Because when you do, nothing else matters except doing something, anything for Him and His Kingdom, no matter what it might be, no matter how insignificant you may think that it is, because for Him it will be significant and you can make a difference. Why would anyone do this? Because, Jesus died for you to be able to do it, that’s why! He paid the price so that you can be the person that God knows you can be with His Spirit guiding and helping you to be that person.