Tag: Christianity

Doctrine and Salvation


I am having a hard time with this one so bear with me.

Our Lord, Jesus, specifically said that we come to the Father through Him. By accepting Him as our Lord and Savior we are saved. There was no particular doctrine involved, at the time there were no Baptists or Methodists or any other religion besides Judaism or pagan beliefs in the area where He lived.

According to John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

This is not a doctrinal statement and it does not give partiality to any belief other than in Jesus and God, the Father and the Spirit since He is the Comforter that was sent after Jesus ascended to Heaven. These concepts are not in question between doctrines or between true believers. The problems have arisen over the years because of disagreements in the church itself, regardless of the denomination.

These disagreements have resulted in hurt feelings, splintered families and broken churches. We are all trying to worship the same God and His Son, Jesus, so why can’t we get along? The reason may be as simple as this: we are human. We have differences of opinion about everything, especially religious topics.

Can we get past this and worship the One True God and His Son? Yes, we can if we follow what He teaches us in the Bible. The way to know Him is there because that is where God reveals Himself to all of us, through His Word. Doctrines don’t reveal or save anyone, regardless of their origin.

The apostles were with Jesus and gave us our New Testament by their writing to the churches which they started. Jesus said to go and tell the world the good news about salvation through believing in Him and by repenting of our sinful ways. Follow Jesus and allow Him to live in you and through your life in this world.

Sometimes, actually most of the time in our lives, we who are Christians are the only representatives of Jesus that many people see. It is through our actions and our words that they can see Him and if we don’t act like our heart has been changed, what will they conclude? If your heart has not been changed by allowing Jesus in, why not pray that He will come into your life and change you into that “new creature in Christ” mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Sometimes, our churches are split in two because of hard feelings and pride. Sometimes it is because of jealousy. Sin can cause more problems in churches than it does in your daily life. The reason behind this is that it is not recognized until it has done the work that Satan intended for it to do. Sin in churches is easy to see for someone outside the church but hard for those inside. Although it is the effect of sin that we can see, not the sin itself. We are not to be judges toward our brethren, that is left up to God alone.

I know that I may get many comments about being judgmental toward others because of this but I am only stating an opinion and an observation. From outside a church it is hard to know what the cause of the split is, whether it is personal or is it due to “factions” inside the church.

In 1900 there were only about one thousand religions in the world. Now, there are over ten thousand. Many of them are man made and don’t follow the One True God so how can we be so fractious in the Church that Jesus and His disciples started, regardless of the denomination? Satan has caused the splits in the church over the years and has laughed each time a denomination has split apart. Satan is the main cause of these problems because he attends church more than most of us do.

Christians need to get back to the basics of Christianity, telling others about Jesus, calling for a revival in our congregations and bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus and the reason why He is needed in their lives today! If we are not doing that, then we are not doing what Jesus told us to do as His followers.

Are there any “nots” in your life?


Have you ever wondered whether you are good enough for God? Have you asked Him if you are good enough to get into Heaven? The answers to these questions are simple: yes, you are good enough for God and no, you are not good enough to get into Heaven!

Well, why not? Why am I not worthy to get into Heaven? It is because of our human nature and the fact that we are sinners from the time that we know right from wrong.

Can we change? Yes, but not on our own. Only by accepting Jesus into our lives and allowing Him to change us from our heart outward can there be any lasting change. This kind of change makes a difference not only in our lives but through our lives we are able to touch others because of it.

The change in us will be evident to others and they will want what we have because it gives us hope and peace. A peace that those in the world cannot understand.

Your life can be so much more than it is with Christ in it and yet, many people don’t want Him in their lives. To me, that doesn’t make sense but that is how life with Jesus is. If you have Him you can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want Him. If you don’t know Him, you can’t understand why anyone would want to.

What do you mean, “die to self”?


It is a question which has been asked many times since Jesus was here. It is a question which is easy and hard to answer but I will try to shed some light on it here.

Our selfish nature or it could be called our childish nature, is what gets us into so much trouble and we don’t realize it until it is almost too late. Anyone who is a parent has heard a child say “I can do it myself” and it is that “self” that we have to get away from! If we don’t, it will get us into more trouble than we could possibly imagine!

I know that many people feel that this is just some preacher rambling about something that doesn’t mean anything. Well, I am a preacher but I have also been called to get these bits of wisdom that I glean from God‘s Word out to a dying world and in this instance our “self” is usually the bad guy. Satan will help our nature or our “self” to be a real problem, against our better judgement and our Christian nature, but it is us who cause much of our own problems!

As the old cartoon said, “I has met the enemy and he is us!” We are our own worst enemy in many ways, least of all to ourselves and the life that we live. It is our nature, the sin nature that was born in the garden of Eden, that has caused and is still causing heartache and pain and suffering today.

Can we do anything about it?  No, not on our own we can’t! With God in our life and in our hearts we can overcome our self, the old self that is at war with our new creation after Christ comes into your heart. It is a battle that we cannot afford to lose which is why we are admonished to put on the armor of God by studying His Word and taking its wisdom into our life on a daily basis. When we do that, we are able to do exceedingly more for Him and through Him than we could ever do on our own!

Give your heart to Jesus, the only One who loves you regardless of what you have done or will do! He will never leave you nor let you down so give your heart to Him and your life will never be the same, it will be BETTER!

Our life…does it matter?


Many people ask this question and wonder if it does matter. The answer is YES! Because you are alive, you matter and your life matters! God doesn’t make mistakes and you wouldn’t be alive on this earth if your life didn’t matter in some way.

He has a purpose for each of us and all that we have to do is find it. Many people think that they will never find their purpose in life and they are right….if they never look for it! Your purpose or reason for being is, in a nutshell, to have a personal relationship with God. Everything else will fall into place after that, but until that part of your life is working like it should nothing will seem to be right. There will always be a feeling of loss or emptiness in your life and you will attempt to fill it with something.

That is why the drug trade and other problems that plague the “human condition” are so plentiful. Many people are looking for something, anything to fill that place that only Jesus can fill. In some of my other writings, if you want to call them that, I have called it a “God-sized hole”, and that is exactly what it is! It is a space that only one thing, one being in the universe can fulfill!

Your life matters to the Creator of the universe,you matter! Your life does have meaning and a purpose and He knows exactly what that is and He has given you the ability to fulfill that purpose. No one else can do that except Jesus and He will when you ask Him to come into your life.

Can you do it on your own? Yes, you can exist and have a life without Jesus but what will you do when you die? Our life doesn’t end when this body is dead. The Bible teaches that from beginning to end. We are supposed to live eternally with God but when you reject His offer of salvation through Jesus that eternal life will be in hell!

I have had many friends who said that they would rather party with Satan than live in Heaven.

I don’t understand that line of thought because there will be no party in hell! There will be no laughter, no fun, no light, no water, only separation from God and darkness and heat, lots of heat! That is why the Bible calls it the second death because without God or Jesus, there is no life!

Do your own research into the Bible. Read the New Testament, especially the book of Romans. There is a way to life and it is only found in Jesus, and then your life will matter, here and in the hereafter.

How does Jesus know me?


God and Jesus both see us, each of us, as beautiful beings. Whether male or female, tall or short, dark skinned or light, they see us as we really are. They do not see us the way our family sees us or as our friends see us. They don’t even see us the way we see ourselves!

They know us more deeply than anyone can know us because they formed us and knew exactly what they wanted us to be. All of the warts and the beauty and forgetfulness and the genius that each of us have, they put it there. It was done for a reason and a purpose, God’s purpose. Each of our traits is something which can be used by God in ways that only He knows and for His purposes.

Your life and mine don’t belong to us individually. We belong to God and it doesn’t matter if you have given your heart to Him or not. If you are going to be part of His plan and His kingdom and a worker for Him, you will eventually. He will see to it. Your life will work out in such a way as to bring you into God’s family and then you can begin to live for Him!

We are truly not designed to live for ourselves; there is a God-shaped place in our being that needs Him. When we haven’t found Him, we try to put other things in that place but none of them fit. So many people search and try many, many different things to fill that place and yet none of them satisfy the longing. The longing that we have for Him, for a real relationship with Him will never go away until we ask Him to come into that place.

Jesus is the answer and He is the One which fits in that place. We can have a true relationship with Him daily, hourly even, if we want it. He doesn’t push himself into our life and He won’t because He wants us to want Him. If we were forced, there would be no love toward Him from us. God and Jesus want the same relationship that they had with Adam before the fall. Daily communion from us to them and back again, forever.

On our own and with the baggage that we carry in our lives, we are not worthy of such an intimate relationship, particularly with the Creator who is Perfect and eternal. The only way that we can be worthy is by asking Jesus into our life and into our hearts so that the space in our being can be filled with the One which it is designed for. Nothing else will fit and nothing else will satisfy. Give Jesus a chance to change your life into the life that He knows you can have!

In our culture today we have so many ways of looking at information. We have the Internet, from our computers and our phones. We have television which comes to us from cable or satellite with news from all over the world. All of this is nearly instantaneous and still we aren’t satisfied with what we have. Our food is cooked in microwave ovens in a few seconds, we go through the drive-through at McDonald’s or Wendy’s or wherever we go. Our culture is based on “instant gratification” and like spoiled children we want it NOW!

 

Can we have a relationship with Jesus right NOW the same way that the disciples had? I believe that we can if we are willing to put our heart into it. Jesus wants to have a relationship with us as intimate as any that we have with our families. When we have sin in our lives, the relationship is damaged, but not irreparable.  Sin creeps into our lives in small things and thoughts and words. Sin is like that, just one puff, just one little drink. Then pretty soon here comes another tentacle, just a thought or just a lustful look. But then here comes another tentacle. Just a little lie, a slight rearrangement of the truth, & out comes another tentacle & soon we are completely entangled and feeling helpless.

But, we are not alone in our fight against sin and Satan. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are always there to guide us and direct our paths and our thoughts. All we have to do is reach out to Him through prayer, acknowledging that we can’t do it alone but with His strength we can get through anything.

Jesus knows the people that He created us to be and He knows the abilities that we have even better than we do. Some people, like me, don’t know what they can do until God calls them. When He calls, He will give you the words and the abilities to accomplish His purpose in your life and in the place where He has planted you.

Five minutes after I die….


Ask yourself, “Five minutes after I die, what will I wish I would have given on behalf of the helpless while I still had the chance?”

Many people may say that this is a foolish question because there is no afterlife, but what if they or you are wrong? What will you say or do after this life is over and the next existence begins? Will you have a real existence after this life?

The answer to all of these questions is “It depends”. It depends on what you did in this life and whom you were following through life. If you took care of yourself and your immediate family, that is good but it is also selfish. Did you give your life to anything greater or any One? Could you have made a real difference in other people’s lives if you had been a Christian? Yes! There are many things which you could do to help others with our own strength, but with Christ living in your heart and working through you, you can do so much more.

Is it possible for us to go through life without Christ? Yes, but why would you want to? Having Him near everyday gives me such peace and the knowledge that I can speak to Him about anything at any time is reassuring. I feel that part of my life that was empty at one time is full now and the One that filled it was Jesus.

It also gives me the assurance that when I die, I will be with Jesus and the rest of my family who are in Heaven already. We will serve the Lord with gladness throughout eternity and that assurance gives me hope because it is a future without end!

Ask Jesus into your heart and ask forgiveness for your life before He came to you. Once you do that, your life will never be the same but it will be better than it was!

 

What we should be doing


praying-hands-258x300In our time alone with God, when we are not alone but with the Creator of everything, we should be praying. Our lives are merely His to work out His will on this earth, regardless of how we feel about Him or even if we acknowledge Him at all. If by some chance, you know Him but don’t pray much, He is waiting patiently.

All of the gifts and blessings of this life come from God. Satan has a hand in all of the bad things which happen to people, but only so far as God allows him to go.  God is in control and always has been, so there is no reason to worry about your life or what you will eat because God feeds the birds and He cares enough for you to do the same in your situation.

There is so much more that God can and will do for you and all that you have to do is ask Him into your heart and life. When you have done that, I am not saying that your life will be rosy from that point on, but He will give you the assurance that His love brings and the strength to carry you through.

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.