Tag: Jesus loves you

One more year


Today is my birthday. Wow!

When I was growing up, I never thought I would get this far. But, God has given me some more years to live and to serve Him. I’m not sure if my service to Him is doing much good these days, but if He is keeping me around then something that I have written or said may be touching someone’s heart. Likely it is because of His influence, my words and my writing can’t be that persuasive.

We all have an opportunity to serve God and to see if there is a gift that He has given to us to use for His glory. God does give each of us gifts and talents to use for His Kingdom, sometimes it takes us a while to find them or to figure out what to do with them.

One more birthday…what does that mean? I have been on this Earth for over five decades and I have known Jesus as my Savior for at least fifteen of those years. I have also been a pastor in His service for the past five years, learning and praying and reading His Word and watching the news and the things happening in our world.

I say these things not to brag about anything that I have done in my life because there is nothing that I have done which has been an accomplishment to be bragged about! I have been reading and watching the outcome in all of the world which things match up with God’s prophecies about this time, and these things are happening every day. Some of them are small and do not gain the attention of the media, especially with a Presidential election to cover.

Yes, God’s prophecies are coming to pass and it seems that some are doing so at a much more rapid pace than they have in the past. It is a sign of the age of the church and of the gentile nations coming to a close. When will this happen? The Bible is not specific enough for that, but I don’t believe that we will be waiting very much longer.

I pray that many of you who read this will be in prayer for our country and for yourselves because, when that day comes that Jesus comes for His church, His Bride, the option to choose to follow Jesus will still be available but it will be harder and more costly. Seek His wisdom and His will for your life, for your eternal life depends upon it. God doesn’t want any to perish, but the choice is yours. Choose Life!

Life…


Life is a breath and a heartbeat,

It is also a time to remember.

How much you have learned

And what you may have forgotten.

 

Life is a baby’s laugh, a beautiful sunrise,

It is also the dew in the morning and a

Cool breeze in the day. Life, what does it mean?

 

It is your day beginning with a prayer,

It is you going through the day in an

Attitude of prayer and it is that day ending with

Thanksgiving to God for that day.

 

Life…what does it really mean? Time enough

To do the task for which you were born, and

To realize that you are not in charge. God is.

 

It is God who gives you each breath, each heartbeat

And the ability to take each step in your journey. So,

Where does your life take you? 

 

Seek out the Creator and give your life to Him,

So that He can give you an eternity to know why

Your life was important.

Do you truly KNOW God?


I know that none of us have met Him in person. We won’t do that until we die and stand before Him. But, did you know that you could know God? Yes, we all can if we will seek Him out in the Bible.

I can almost hear people saying “I have read the Bible through many times and I am not going to claim that I know God!”. Why not? He reveals Himself in many ways, not just through His Word but by all of nature that you see around you every day. In the Old Testament God reveals Himself as a loving and patient God Who loves His Creation which includes you and me and all other people in this world.

Yes, there are parts of the Old Testament where God tells Israel as a group to slaughter all of those in the Promised Land where they are going to live. How does this show His love and compassion? Because, those that He told them to kill worshiped demons and idols and they sacrifice their children to their “gods”! God wants that influence taken out of the land that they are to live in because it will influence their children. This is why He tells us to teach our children from the Bible. We are to teach our children its wisdom so that they will know God and not be influenced to “try” some other religion.

Can you know God by reading His Word? I would say so. If you read some letters from your Dad or your grandfather who loved your mother or grandmother, even if you had never met them, you would know that they loved her and wanted to be with her! That is what many of the books in the Old Testament are like, they are like love letters to Israel and its people from God. They are also meant for us as Gentiles too. When Jesus referred to the Scriptures He was speaking of the Old Testament because that was all they had at the time.

The most important thing to remember about God’s Word is that it is True. The entire book from Genesis to Revelation, but especially the Old Testament. Why do I say it like this? Because, in the Old Testament, God was trying to get Israel to worship Him and Him only, not some piece of wood carved in the image of a cow or a snake, or even a man.

God caused all of the miracles which freed the nation of Israel from Egypt, and they still questioned Him. The still couldn’t or wouldn’t believe in Him, even with water from a rock, walking on dry ground through the sea, the supply of enough food for all of them during 40 years in the wilderness. Would it take all of that for us to believe in Him today?

Possibly. We are just as stiff-necked as they were and we don’t believe in Him today, at least much of the world doesn’t. Most of the population worships their ancestors or the stars or a moon-god, some even believe that when they die they will become a god. It isn’t hard to see that even with miracles for proof, many people today would still choose to not believe in Him. What a shame.

It takes a small amount of something called faith to believe in a God Who truly loves us. One Who cares for each of us, whether we know Him yet or not. He has used fishermen, murderers, thieves, and a shepherd boy to fulfill His work in times past. I think that He could use us too.

Love, where did it come from?


I know, there are going to be people wondering about my sanity now. Trust me, I know where I am going with this.

The honest answer to that question is very simple: It came from God! He wouldn’t have made our world the way that He did if He didn’t love us, all of us! God made the universe itself so that we could look out and see what an awesome God we serve! Why am I putting so many exclamation marks in these sentences? Because the point that I am making needs to be emphasized so people will notice it.

God put all of the planets together in our solar system in the order that they are because of His love for us. How or rather why do I say this? Because Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus are all out past the asteroid belt and they scoop up or influence any comet or other body so our planet doesn’t get slammed like the moon or Mercury.

I know that our planet has been hit in the past by meteors which have done some serious damage, but not to the extent of wiping humanity off the face of the Earth. Love came to us through the acts and the intent of God because He loved us before He created Earth. In His Word there are many references to His love for us and we should be able to see it in everything around us every day! If you can’t then there is something wrong.

Why do I say this? It is because of the questions and the angry outbursts which will come after this hurricane. So many people killed and put out of their homes by a storm which moved so slow, couldn’t God stop it? Yes, He could have, but what will come out of this storm? People helping people who have been made homeless, people helping those who are injured by the debris or by walls falling, food and shelter will be given and provided by people who didn’t have to do anything but they were moved with compassion to do something.

What is it that makes us be compassionate in times like this? It is because we are made in the image of God, all of us can see the needs of those who need help and if we can help, we should. Satan has a temporary claim on the rulership of this world, but his time is growing shorter by the day. He knows this and he is trying to cause as much pain and suffering in this world as he can. Not so much to punish us, but to make people question whether God cares for us or not!

God loves us, all of us. It is because of His love that many of us are still here, and those who have been killed by these storms or earthquakes or wars are casualties of Satan’s hatred for humanity! Give your life to Jesus and follow Him because when you look at the signs all around us and the prophecies in God’s Word, you can see that there isn’t much time left for this world before He comes! Amen.

What are the names for God?


The references above came from the website of the BlueletterBible.org

Why am I listing all of the names found in the Old Testament for God and His Name? Because it is needed and necessary in today’s environment and in our culture, not only because of where the world is in Prophecy but because there are so many who just need Him!

Truly, we all need Him in our lives but do you seek Him? Have you sought Him out in your trials and in your life? He is there, regardless of what you hear from people who don’t believe in Him. He hears your prayers and He will answer if you have given your life to Him. He will also answer if you repent of your sins and turn back to Him, asking Him to be your Lord and Savior.

God is a provider and a Protector and He is our Creator, we should honor Him in all that we do and in how we live every day! Being a Christian is getting harder because people don’t want to hear about Jesus anymore. The few that do want to hear are the ones that we need to be speaking to and God will lead them to you or you to them whichever is the best way. He will also give you the words to say so that they can come to know Him.

Don’t turn away from God, because He has never turned away from you! Get to know Him while you have the time.

So much discord…


Passing blame on every person, and on every religion which we don’t believe in is totally wrong! Having issues with different denominations and different religions is not the way to bring about peace. Can we do anything which will bring our world peace? In all honesty, no we can’t, at least not of our own volition and strength. There are too many variables, too much bigotry and hatred and too much pride for us to bring about peace in this world and in this time which we are living in. It is possible in individual communities, even cities, for us to bring people together and put aside our prejudice and pride, but even that would take many people who would sit down and agree. In today’s climate, this peace would only last for at most a week. Which is a sad commentary on us and our country.

All of the animosity and bickering that is going on inside the church and in our nation, as well as in our homes is causing us to be people who really don’t look much like our Savior at all! Where did all of the bitterness and hatred come from? Most of it came from the influence of Satan in our culture and in the church itself. Anytime that he can cause a crack in the Christian church, even when it is from only one member, he will do it. Because, just as in pottery, a small crack will eventually become wider and deeper and it will soon have an effect on the whole church.

It doesn’t matter if the crack in the church comes from one denomination or another, it can spread eventually to other churches. Why does this happen? How does it happen? In small ways, a little at a time, with a word or two here and there, it eventually spreads. Then, the people who make up the church begin moving to other churches or just not coming to church at all. Eventually, one church will die because of lack of people to keep it going. Then the next church will begin losing members, and the community itself is beginning to lose their faith in God.

Satan has this all figured out. Get one or two people in a church to disagree and cause some feelings to be hurt, it doesn’t matter whether it involves the preacher or not, but if it does that’s even better. Eventually, the “problem” will escalate to a point where the church will vote to find another pastor. It doesn’t matter how big the “problem” actually is, it will grow. I pray that this doesn’t happen in my church and I ask my readers to pray for me as well.

The Lord is….


Good always and in all ways He is good! The title of this piece is the first three words of the 23rd Psalm which I would think most people know at least part of. I am going to write it here and give some exposition on it in my limited way. Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy toward us today. You are the Creator and our Redeemer and I praise you for all that you have done for us and what is coming in the future. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

The Lord is my Shepherd;

I shall not want.

Those few words mean a lot to Christians and believers alike because He is our Shepherd, leading us through our problems day by day. He provides for us in ways that we may not see with our eyes or even be able to touch with our hands. His desire is for us to be secure in Him, regardless of our situation, whether it is in poverty or with much wealth we are rich in blessings and our eternal home is sure.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

The next verse is a calm assurance that we are provided for in our life. He will give us strength and a peace that we can get through whatever life may throw in our path because He is with us, no matter what happens. With Jesus as your Shepherd, guiding your life and following Him every day, there is nothing to fear.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the

paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

God restores our soul by His power when we come to Him and ask His forgiveness for our sins and the lifestyle which went with them. Following Him will take us through life with an attitude of righteousness, not a haughty “I am better than you” kind, but a calm and peaceful way to live that others may want it. God loves each of us dearly.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

God is our Creator and is all powerful, so there is nothing to fear when we are walking with Him. He will defend us and take care of us and our needs. He will place angels around you and your family to keep the evil one away from you. His rod and staff will keep us safe in times of trouble, no matter where the trouble may come from.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Even when you feel like you are surrounded by enemies, God is with you. He will give you comfort and rest with His Presence and heal you from your afflictions, whatever they may be. He will make sure that you are blessed in ways that you cannot see, but you will feel as if you are being filled to the brim with blessings and love.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Living and walking with Jesus will give you a spirit of mercy toward others because of His presence in your life. If you truly walk with Him daily, you will be a better person because of it and others will see it. Maybe they will even ask you what gives you the peace that you seem to have, even in times of trouble. That is when you should tell them about Jesus! Because it is He and the Holy Spirit Who gives you this spirit and the peace which goes with it. The reward of a life lived with Him is according to His Word, “in the house of the Lord forever”, Jesus said that there are many mansions in His Father’s house and He went to prepare a place for us. If He went to prepare a place for us, then He will come again to receive us, the church, up to His house! Where we will dwell with Him forever, Amen.

Decision time


We have a decision to make. I am not talking about the election, but about Who you will choose to follow. It seems that many people are getting fed up with the church today. In some ways I can understand why, but if you have ever heard a good sermon in church why would you decide that being a Christian is not right for you?

I know most of the excuses which people give and all of them are wrong in one way or another. I mean, all churches are full of hypocrites because at one time or another ALL of us were sinners and still are, the only difference is that when we gave our hearts to Jesus our past was forgiven. Some people don’t like church because it’s too stuffy because in some churches there may be a dress code or it may look like it at least.

There are all sorts of reasons which people come up with for not attending church services. Some of them involve money and fear of being required to give a tithe every week. All of these are valid reasons or excuses for not attending church, but if you think about the length and the depth of God’s love for you…why would you refuse? I mean, God sent His Son, Jesus, to become fully human and have the nature of God so that we could be forgiven because of His sacrifice for ALL of the human race!

This was not an easy decision for God to ask this of Jesus His Son, but they both knew that it had to be done this way and no other sacrifice would do.

Your decision whether to follow Jesus is your decision, there is no pastor who will try to force anyone to join a church or to accept Jesus. It is a personal decision and one which only you can make when you feel the Spirit moving you toward Him. Pay attention to the Bible and the teachers who preach from it. Test their message against God’s Word and make sure that they agree with one another. If they do not, then get away from that church and that pastor!

If you are feeling the call of the Holy Spirit or maybe being convicted by Him about something that you are doing, then you do need to repent and come to Jesus. When the Spirit is moving you, don’t ignore it. If you do and you walk away, it is possible that you may never be convicted enough to come to Jesus again. God only strives with us for so long, ignoring His call is a bad decision. God loves all of us and desires to have a relationship with us, but if you refuse and walk away…well, your eternity will be very different from what it could have been.

Faith…


13239362_10154180220593879_708192815796487421_nFaith is about having a rock-solid belief in the goodness and provision of God, no matter how things turn out. Good or bad, God is in control of the outcome.

Amen

 

 

 

 

Broken pieces


Do you ever wonder how things get fixed in your life? What about in a pottery shop? In many ways the same thing has to happen to us that happens in a pottery shop in order for healing or fixing to be done.

A bowl which isn’t just right will be broken, then the pieces will be wet with water to make them pliable again, then they will be melded together into a lump of clay and placed back on the wheel. Then, after the breaking and molding and spinning and shaping is done, it will soon be in the shape that it was supposed to be in the first place.

Your life and mine are like that too. Many times we are going along, content with where we are and not really thinking about God much anymore. Why? Because, our life is good! We have everything that we need. We have enough money, our bills are paid, our health is pretty good, and our family is doing pretty well too. This is the way that many people look at life, whether they are Christians or not.

But…then part of your foundation cracks. You get really sick and you have to use some of your money to pay for treatments. The medical bills start piling up. Your health goes from good to not so good in a matter of days or weeks. This is the spot where most people will hit their knees and start praying for God to make His Presence known in their lives, right NOW!!  If you are a Christian, God hears your prayer but He doesn’t show up at your leisure or on your timetable.

Yes, He can put you back together again, but until your heart decides to stay close to Him on a daily basis He just might make you work for Him or even better He will make you wait until He decides to show up. God is not the cause of your pain and suffering, but He can use it, just like the pottery, to change you and mold you into the person that He knows you can be.

Some people, even some pastors, teach that God is the cause of your pain and suffering because He is trying to teach you something. I don’t believe that God works that way. He will allow your circumstances to bring you to the brink of breaking and then show you the way out. What good will that do? It will cause you to lean on Him and depend upon Him during the times when you are going through a tough period in your life. Then, when you have recovered from that, hopefully you will stick by Him even when life is going good!

Actually, that is the time that you should be sticking close to Him. Why do I say this? Because, it is God who blesses you with life and health to enjoy your days and your life that is why. I can’t think of a better reason to stick close to Jesus than when things are going good, but when things get bad that is even a better reason.