Tag: Christianity

New Year, old problems


The dishes need washing, the grass will soon need cutting, I’ve gained a few pounds so I need to go on a diet (tomorrow), etc.

These are the problems that we deal with year after year and they never seem to go away! Well, it just proves that you are alive, that’s all! So what else is different about you that most others haven’t experienced? Is there anything?

It is likely that there is very little that anyone has experienced something that most of us have not, at least not yet. How can we deal with the problems that we have now and the ones that we will experience in the future?

The one ingredient that we all need is a relationship with Jesus. Once we have that we can deal with our problems, if not under our own strength then with His guidance and His strength. I know that some will ask me “Why can’t I just do it on my own?”; to answer that I would like to ask you if that has worked in the past?

Living our life on our own strength and our wisdom works for a while and we may be able to get by like this for as long as we are here. But, what about the minute after you die? I know there are many who say they are atheists, or Buddhists or Muslim or Mormons, or any of a number of other religions which don’t follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but what will you say when you are standing in His presence?

Regardless of whether you believe in Him or not you will stand before Him at some point in eternity. That will be the point where you will acknowledge Him as Lord but He will say “Depart from me, I never knew you”. There will be many in that day who think that their salvation is secure who will find that they are mistaken.

Examine your heart and the Bible so that you can come to Him now before it is too late because once you have crossed over into eternity, there is no second chance. You cannot be prayed out of hell, and yet you weren’t intended to be there anyway. It was made for Satan and his demons not for us, but if you have rejected the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament that is where you will be.

This is not a pleasant message to write to you but it must be said. Our time grows shorter with each passing day, each of us only have today and are not guaranteed tomorrow. Seek the Lord while He can be found and don’t put it off because if your tomorrow doesn’t come and you stand before God, what will you say in your defense? There is nothing that can be said which will do you any good. Your own works and your life will condemn you if you haven’t accepted Jesus as your savior.

Please, do so now before it is too late. I read about a man once who was giving a eulogy at a funeral telling the people there the same thing that I have told here. When he sat down, he fell over dead in the pew. His time had come. What will you do with Jesus and your life?

Politically correct or in denial?


Many in our society today cling to the “politically correct” way of relating to one another, especially during the holidays. Which is fine but it is not what we have traditionally done in the past. The politically correct way or PC for short has only been around for a few years and in limited circles, particularly politics and not in the general publics view.

Being PC about everything is wrong because it is not following the wisdom found in God‘s Word. Today, this would put any reference to Christmas, the Nativity, God, or Jesus out of bounds and that is the way many would like it to be. Why is that? The majority of people in the world believe in God or Allah so why does the minority get the most votes because they don’t want to hear about Him, especially in reference to the Christian view of Jesus or God or the Bible.

Almost any other view is fine except for Christianity. Is it because of fear or anger or hatred toward Christians? I believe so but it is also due to the Bible being viewed as God’s Word and therefore it is correct in its wisdom and in its laws. The behavior and humility set forth in it are at odds with many world-views.

Many are in denial about the facts that have been proven true throughout the Bible and they want to disprove, in any way that they can , what the Bible says. Especially when it shows that they are wrong about their lifestyle choices or about who they worship.

We were created by God to have free will to choose to follow Him or not. But, we also resent being told that the choice that we may make is wrong if it doesn’t follow Him and the wisdom found in His Word. The choice that you make is an eternal one, our souls do not die or come back in another life, we are accountable to God for the choice that we make and you will give an account of that choice when your time comes. Unfortunately, many will realize too late that their choice was incorrect and at that point it will be too late.

God doesn’t condemn you to hell, your choice about Who you will serve does. If you choose to do what makes you feel good and neglect or disregard what you have heard in church or on the radio or even by television ministries, that is your choice. The majesty of God’s creation is all around us and the miracles of birth and rejuvenation in the springtime are there for all to see because He set them in motion a long time ago. God loves us so much that He put on humanity in the form of a baby and came to ransom our sinful ways so that we can ask forgiveness and believe that He did just that. Once you accept the gift of His grace and love for you, your life will be changed and nothing will ever be the same.

Come to the Christ and ask Him into your life. You won’t be disappointed because He knows who you are, He is just waiting to show you who you can be!

Can we do without Christ?


In my opinion, NO! I know that many would disagree. Many people try to live their lives without Christ and that’s OK but what will you do if the God‘s Word is true?

I have seen discussions about a world without Christ describing or attempting to describe how we would be better off without Him. How could that be possible?

If He had not come into the world there would be no Christian religion, no church unless the Catholic faith could come up with something else to worship, no love for anyone, no freedom. All of these things would be changed and hundreds more if He had not come. There would be no hope in our world, no thought of an eternal life with God in Heaven. Living like that would be unimaginable to me and to many others.

I know from the news media that there are many atheists, agnostics, and other religious or non-religious people who would like to see any reference to God or Jesus eradicated from our world or at least out of sight. How do you think this makes God feel toward us? How would you feel if someone that you love were continually telling you to leave and get out of my life? Don’t bother me anymore unless I need you. What would you do?

Thankfully, God’s patience is deeper than the ocean and wider too. If it were not, our world would already be experiencing judgement from an angry God. Some of you may remember a show called the Hulk on television. When the principle character was being pushed by someone he would usually tell them, “Don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I get angry.”

What about the Creator of the universe? He could wipe out the earth with a thought if He wished, but He won’t because of the promises that He made to the Jewish people. Our world is under the rule of Satan and his followers, whether we believe in him or not. We will be better off when we wake up and see the problems that we have are not caused by God or Allah or any other deity but by Satan himself who is not a god but a created being just like the angels of God.

The problems that we have in our lives are also caused by our own choices, right or wrong, good or bad. When we make choices based on our own thinking rather than asking God to help us, we open our lives, and the lives of those around us, up to the consequences of those choices. God wants to be involved in your life daily, He doesn’t want to control it but if you give your heart to Him you will change and the life that you live will be in line with Him and in His will if you allow it.

We are never forced into a relationship with Him and even when we accept Him as our Savior we have to initiate the daily walk with Him. We are not forced to do it. So to answer the question posed in the title, yes we can live without Christ but it will be an existence it will not be living. If you never ask Him to come into your heart and life, the consequences for eternity will not be fun the way some try to make you believe they will. Eternity is a long, long time so I think I would rather be counted among those living in Heaven with Him than with those in Hell without Him.

Emergency Telephone Numbers


These are more effective than 911
When –
You are sad, phone John 14
You have sinned, phone Psalm 51
You are facing danger, phone Psalm 91
People have failed you, phone Psalm 27< /A>
It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139
Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11
You are alone and scared, phone Psalm 23
You are worried, phone Matthew 8:19-34
You are hurt and critical, phone 1 Corinthians 13
You wonder about Christianity, phone 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
You feel like an outcast, phone Romans 8:31-39
You are seeking peace, phone Matthew 11:25-30
It feels as if the world is bigger than God, phone Psalm 90
You need Christ like insurance, phone Romans 8:1-30
You are leaving home for a trip , phone Psalm 121
You are praying for yourself, phone Psalm 87
You require courage for a task, phone Joshua 1
Inflation’s and investments are hogging your thoughts, phone M ark 10:17-31
You are depressive, phone Psalm 27
Your bank account is empty, phone Psalm 37
You lose faith in mankind, phone 1 Corinthians 13
It looks like people are unfriendly, phone John 15
You are losing hope, phone Psalm 126
You feel the world is small compared to you, phone Psalm 19
You want to carry fruit, phone John 15
Paul’s secret for happiness, phone Colossians 3:12-17
With big opportunity/ discovery, phone Isaiah 55
To get along with other people, phone Romans 12

ALTERNATE NUMBERS
For dealing with fear, call Psalm 47
For security, call Psalm 121:3
For assurance, call Mark 8:35
For reassurance, call Psalm 145:18

 

ALL THESE NUMBERS MAY BE PHONED DIRECTLY.
NO OPERATOR ASSISTANCE IS NECESSARY.
ALL LINES TO HEAVEN ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.
FEED YOUR FAITH, AND DOUBT WILL STARVE TO DEATH

I got this in an e-mail and I believe that everyone needs this, especially today in the times that we live in. Pray and ask for God to show you the wisdom that He has placed in these scriptures. He will and your life will never be the same if you take into your heart and life. May God richly bless each person who reads these scriptures.

Are you a fan or a follower of Jesus?


Many of the disciples were followers of Jesus and the Word confirms that there were at one time or another about seventy of them. Were they fans or followers or true disciples?

Those who fall into one category or the other out of those three show three different levels of commitment. The fans of Jesus and his teachings were the ones who were with Him daily and tried to understand His teachings. The followers were the crowds which went with Him hoping for a miracle or some food or both!

His true disciples were the ones who went out and preached the Word and the good News of redemption through belief in Jesus and the Father Who sent Him. In the book of Jeremiah, there are a few verses which illustrate what following means, it is in chapter 6 and verse 16: “Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls.” Even though it says that, at the time, the Israelites said to him that they would not walk in it.

There are many who find the right path but for one reason or another, they decide not to walk in that path. Some reasons that I have heard are “it is too hard”; “I don’t want to right now, I am having too much fun”; “Following Jesus requires too much time and effort”. If that were the real reason, no one would ever follow Him.

How can we follow Him and be a disciple of His instead of a fan or a follower for our own reasons? In today’s language being a follower could mean that you know about Jesus and everything that He did. You have been to church, you have listened to sermons and even read some scripture about Him, but do you follow Him?

Are you classified as a fan of Jesus? Fans know their teams and the stats well. They know about all the things that their favorite team does and each team member and their statistics. Some might be able to tell you how many children some of the team members have who are married. In reference to football fans, they can tell you everything that each player did in college and in their rookie season. But what happens when your favorite team starts to lose or has a losing season. If they have a losing season or two, their fans tend to trickle away and lose some enthusiasm for them.

What happens when life gets a little tough, do you fall away or do you cling to Jesus? What do you do if the road that your life with Christ is following gets a bit bumpy or hard like a mountain trail? Do you feel the need to get off? Our trail that we are following is not easy because Jesus said that He did not come to make things easy but that He would ease your burden by taking the weight of sin off of your shoulders. He did not say that you wouldn’t sin but that you would not be tempted beyond what you are able to bear.

How many fans get to play in the Super Bowl? (Answer: none) What about true followers, do they get to play in games like that? No, because they are not players or professional football/baseball players, they religiously follow the game and its players but they can’t play.

What about Christians? Do we get to play? Let’s look at what it takes to be in the game as a true follower of Jesus: 1. I have given my heart to Jesus; 2. I read my Bible daily and study it, praying over the passages so that I can understand; 3. I pray about little things in my life as well as BIG things so that God knows my heart in these matters; 4. I ask God to help me to understand and know what He wants me to do with my life after He has changed it and decide to live my life for Him from that point on.

The problem is that there are many people who are in church and have been in church for many years and yet are still “fans” and not followers. Even though they do many of the things which followers do, their hearts are still “far from me” as Jesus said. How can we get back from that far country to the place where we belong?

The only way to get back from that far country is to humble ourselves and admit that we need to get back in the first place! Once we do that, we can become followers of Jesus and our new life will keep us in that place close to Him. Then our lives will be even more useful and productive, not only for God’s kingdom but for our own walk with Him daily as well.

In many ways, our lives are mirror images of the world in which we live. Some of us live in the world and have very little to do with church and its doctrine which is preached there. Even if we come to church, there are things which are said there that we don’t agree with so we tune them out entirely.

When we look forward toward the years that we each have left or think that we have, what do we see? Do we see a life full of promise like we did when we were young? Or do we see the end of our lives approaching and decide to wind down like a toy and “take it easy for a while”?

We were not made to “wind down”; our lives are to be useful to Him regardless of our age or our point in life. He decides when our time comes to “wind down” from this life, but that still doesn’t mean that our life will end. You have an appointment with eternity and where that appointment takes you is your choice.

The narrow road following Christ will lead to eternal life and service to Him that will never be boring, the broad road leads to destruction. On which road will you be when it is time to meet Jesus?

Did you know this about Jesus?


1. He is the first-born son of God; 2. He fulfilled over 300 prophecies about the Messiah during His lifetime on earth; 3.Pagan wise men (astronomers/astrologers) recognized Him when His own people did not; 4. He is alive today at the right hand of God; 5. He will judge the nations when He returns to rule on the throne of David.

These are just a few of the facts about Jesus and there are many more. The big question is this: Do you know Him? I am not asking if you are a “fan” of Jesus because churches are full of fans. I am asking do you KNOW Him? In many ways our culture has changed to the point that it would be disgraceful to someone from the generation of WWII. I know a few people from that generation and they can’t believe that our nation has gone so far down the path that we are on. The reason behind our decline in the world and in other areas of life is because we have replaced Jesus and God with something which doesn’t resemble them at all!

God created man to have a daily walk with Him, to fellowship with Him the way that we do today with our friends and family. Although the family is increasingly under fire today because of our “culture”, it is the most important institution that God endorsed from the beginning besides marriage between a man and a woman.

Knowing God is far different than being a fan of Him. I know about or have met many people but I only know superficial knowledge, just the surface. Intimate knowledge is reserved for my family and for Jesus. To have that kind of knowledge of Him, you have to have a daily relationship with Him. I don’t mean to say that I am in constant contact with Him, but I try to speak and allow Him to speak back to me at least once per day. Our lives can be far more than just living, we can be doing His work for Him on a daily basis. This is actually what we were created to do, though many of us never find this out until it is too late.

Some, find out about it and embrace it as their calling in life. Some are called to be ministers and evangelists and they fulfill this calling very well. As long as they keep God in the place that He is supposed to be in, things will work out just fine. On the other hand, if they try to be the one who is being served, they will find that their reward will not be what they expected.

We only get to experience the joy of knowing God when we are doing His work for Him and not for ourselves. Why does it have to be that way? Because that is the way He ordained it to be, just as the farmer reaps his harvest after planting the seed and nurturing it to maturity so our life is to be. If we are to be useful to Him and His kingdom, we must do His will every day.

Are you a true follower of Jesus?


I have been reading a book called “Not a fan“, and I can see that many of us are in the fan category, regardless of how long we may have been in church. Is it possible that our pastors haven’t taught the correct sermons about being a true follower or disciple of Jesus? I have included a link to the book mentioned and I hope that you may read it because it brings out many points that we need to address in our lives as followers of Christ.

Many of the people who followed Jesus around in His day were only fans because they were following Him for a healing or for food, and not for His teachings. When His teaching became a bit hard for them to take, many of them abandoned Him. There are many in churches today who are in the same place as those who were only fans of Jesus. They may have been in the church for many years, they can quote scripture chapter and verse about Him but they don’t know Him!

Is it possible that in being politically correct in our teaching, we have neglected the truth of the gospel itself? I am afraid that many pastors, me included, may have done so. I am pledging that I am no longer doing that from this point on. In our society today with all of its problems and time-crunched families we cannot be without Him!

Time, that many young people think that they have plenty of, is a precious commodity which we truly don’t have much of to spend with our families. There are many in our society today, especially school children, who have so much to do until they are feeling stress at a younger and younger age. When they are stressed, mom and dad are too. The entire family suffers because of it, but Christ came that we could live our lives more abundantly through Him.

Knowing about Jesus is easy, all you have to do is read your Bible. Christ or a representation of Him is there from Genesis to Revelation. But, knowing about Him is not enough, we must not be just fans of Jesus and His teachings we must be followers! Live for Christ daily, walk with Him, talk to Him and listen because He will speak to you too.

Is there a point of no return?


Many today believe that when things get so bad in your life that there is a point that you reach where there is no way back or out of the situation that you find yourself in. In a legal sense that may be true but I am speaking of your heart and your life as God sees it. It is true that the Bible says that there is a sin that is unforgivable, but that is referring to rejecting God’s call on your life repeatedly until your heart no longer responds.

If you have ever felt that tug on your spirit from God and just brushed it away as a fly, that is the call that I am referring to. When we brush God off many times and refuse to repent and come to Him, that is the sin for which there is no pardon. At which point, God will refuse to hear as you have done for so long. Our hearts can be hardened just as the pharaoh’s in Egypt were when God was about to liberate the Jewish people from their captivity.

When that happens, there is no argument or persuasion that will result in your salvation. It is at this point that God has turned His back on you just as you have done to Him. It is also a very sad and lonely place to be in your life because there is nothing that can help your spiritual condition at this point. It is one of those times that no parent or friend ever wants to see, but sometimes it comes and you just have to move on.

Why do we turn away from God? Usually the cause is a mixture of pride and our own arrogance. “I can do it myself”, “Christianity is too elitist”, “Their way can’t be the only way to heaven”, these are all arguments that I have heard or witnessed and they are all wrong!

The Bible says that “the only way to the Father is through the Son”, which is my paraphrase of John 14:6 which says:

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Belief and faith in Jesus is the only way to Heaven and everlasting life. I know that is a restricting way of saying so but it is true because the Bible is Truth and none of it is false. The world and the one who is in this world tries and succeeds in deceiving people into thinking that they can get by without God and without Jesus. It is true you can live your life without Him in your life, but the rewards of giving your heart to Him allow you so much more!

So much more life and effectiveness in this world and a future in the next one! I would never trade or attempt to return to my life before Christ because my life has become so much more alive with Him. God created us to have a daily walk with Him and that is what was restored when Jesus took our sins and paid the debt for us on the cross. All that we have to do is accept that, believe it and determine to follow His example and His Word in our life on a daily basis. He will give you the ability and show you what you are to do with your new life.

We are not just pawns to Him we are disciples, teachers, prayer warriors, preachers, evangelists regardless of where we work or live. These are our vocations once we are saved to be His. We are new creations in Christ and as such we are to boldly go out and tell others of how we became the adopted children of God! We also have the responsibility to mature into our new life by reading His Word and prayerfully accepting the truth that comes from the Spirit while reading it.

The Spirit of Truth which came down on the day of Pentecost to the disciples is the one that Jesus promised to us. We receive it at our conversion and acceptance of Christ, although it may not look like a tongue of fire when it arrives. Our life is so much more and can be much more meaningful with a relationship with Christ than it ever can be without Him. He wants all to come to Him if we will only believe in Him and what He did for us.

 

Small sins cause the greatest pain


When we do sin, even in the smallest way, we are breaking God‘s laws. Not that we are bound by the Laws of Moses since we are under the sacrifice of Jesus and under grace, but consider that God said that we are to be subject to our government and its laws. Every time we break the speed limit, even a little, we are breaking the law of God and man.

I know that many people don’t count those “little sins”, but God does. In the least, those “little sins” like speeding, lying to someone (just a little), cause problems with our prayers and with our relationship between God and us. If we are to call ourselves Christians, we should act like it, and that means obeying the law.

“For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.” Leviticus 11:44

Christians and those who believe in God and who He is are called to be holy by claiming Jesus as our Saviour because He is the Messiah and the One prophesied about by the prophets in the Old Testament scriptures. We have to come to Him before it is too late because the only way to the Father is through the Son.

There will be a great falling away of people from their faith in God and Christ during the time of tribulation coming upon the world. Your faith in what you have been taught and in the Bible itself will be tested and the only way to hold firm to that is to claim it fully and completely. God does not want any to perish but if you cannot or will not accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus, that is what will happen.

I know this is a harsh message to read and hear but the time will come when these things are happening. It is prophesied in the Bible and God’s words are true!

Are you a broken vessel?


Does your life feel broken? Do you feel broken in your walk with God? Sometimes our lives feel this way but Jesus and His Father have not left you. If anyone has moved in the relationship, it is you. Even though you may not have moved very far, distance makes the relationship a little harder to feel from our perspective.

Is your relationship with God feeling empty or lacking in depth? Mine does at times. At the point where we are in history, our lives and our relationship with God needs to be fresh and refreshed daily. Walking with Christ daily from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep at night is a process and it is one that He desires from you. It is also one which will enhance your life with Him as long as you keep your part of the relationship active and alive.

In biblical times, when pottery became broken and useless, it was thrown away much as we do today with things that don’t work anymore. The pottery and the clay of which it is made can be used again, unlike electronic junk today. Pottery just has to be broken and wet to the point of being remolded and shaped into something useful again. In our lives, it is the breaking and remolding which causes us discomfort but it is necessary if we are to be useful to Christ.

A few verses which show this are found in the book of Jeremiah: “Arise, and go down to the potter‟s house, and there shall I announce my words to you.” Then I went down to
the potter‟s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?‟ declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter‟s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:2—6)

God can work with us as a potter does with clay to make whatever is needed and to make it better suited for the job. How can we help the Potter in making us a suitable vessel for Him to work into the shape that is needed? By keeping our lives on the path which is set before us and by studying His Word and asking Him to show us what He would have us to do with that which we learn.

I am not saying that we will become as wise as Solomon or as effective as Paul was but God knows what we can do and He will equip us to do that which He has purposed for us to do. All that is required of us is to obey Him and listen to Him. Just as Abraham and all of the other prophets did when they were chosen to be His servants, so are we to do in our walk with Him. All of the disciples which followed Jesus and were faithful to Him in their service while He was about His Father’s work did this as well. They listened to Him and to what He taught and then when He told them to go and teach others to do the same, they did. The commission that was given to them was passed to us as believers today and the church too.

We, as the body of Christ which is the church, are to go and make disciples of all nations. That includes those at our workplace or at home or anywhere else that we may be asked about the joy that is in us. I know that there are times when we don’t feel “joyful” but when you have Jesus in your heart, the joy will leak out whether you feel it or not. Those around you can and will see it.

What kind of vessel are you? Are you a pitcher to bring forth prophetic words, a bowl brimming with the Spirit of Truth, or a perfume vial filled with anointing oil? Are you a basin to wash feet, a fine goblet fashioned for the King’s table, or are you a large platter to hold the bread and meat of His gentle Word?
We are uniquely made in the gentle hands of Jesus, and He alone knows your color, shape, and purpose. Are you going to allow Him to mold you and shape you to do great works? Do others see the works that you can do but you are not doing them? Could that be why your life seems to be off just a bit?

We are at the beginning of a journey, one which will be wonderful for some and endless for all who have come to know Him. If you have not made that commitment in your heart to Jesus, do it today. He patiently waits for you and He loves you more than you can know. Living the life of a follower of Christ is not the easiest journey that you will make but it is the most rewarding. We don’t know and can’t imagine the life that we will have with Him in Heaven and we won’t know if the decision is never made.

Show Christ what your heart is made of so that He can live there and He will show you what you are made of and He will make you better than you are now. You will be a new creation when He comes to live with you, one which can do all things through Christ and with His power so that others will see Him through you and your witness for Him. The finishing touches won’t be done until you are born into your heavenly body and it will be there that your eternal life will truly begin!