Tag: Jesus

Can you see or are you blind?


When we sleep or just close our eyes to the outside world are we like little children who think that because they can’t see anything, they are invisible and the world is too? There are times that I would like for that to be true but, it isn’t. When we were blind to the truth of God, did His truth still exist? Of course it did!

The world and all of the created things in it exist regardless of our position in it or our comprehension of it. The sun comes up and the moon rises, the tides come in and flow back to the sea, seasons change and the wind blows. All of these have been since the beginning when God put them into motion and they will not stop until He causes them to.

The same is true in our lives. We go to sleep at night and dream, we wake in the morning, eat breakfast and get ready for our job, and this is a daily ritual that goes on until we retire or we die whichever comes first. The novelty of life is that it shouldn’t be a novelty; we should live it as real as it is and thank God that we can do so.

The ground under your feet and the air that we breathe are real because God made them so. We did not and cannot create anything that He did not create first; a painting or sculptures are only as real as our imagination and our talent allows us to make it. He created the stone and the paint pigments that are used in its creation by us if we have the talent to do so. God Himself sculpted Adam from the mud and breathed His life into him and afterward He said that it was very good. Adam’s own decision to not follow God’s instructions caused all of us to pay for his mistake but God knew that was going to happen before it happened. He had a plan then and He has a plan for all of us today through Jesus and the work that He did for all of us.

The life that we are given to live here is for God’s glory and for His purposes. Whether we choose to work for Him and with Him is still our choice but our life will be the greater for it if we do choose His ways and purposes. While we are living and working in this world, regardless of our vocation, we should use our time and energy to further His kingdom as much as we are able. The pay for working for God in this life may not be profitable as our world views it, but the rewards in the next life are beyond measure by any standard that anyone on earth can fathom.

If you died today, where would you go? I hear many people say, “I hope that I will go to heaven”. If your hope is in Christ and your faith is in Him too, you will. If you are counting on your own deeds to get there, you will be disappointed. Our righteousness is as filthy rags without Christ because nothing that we can do on our own is good enough. Give your life to Him and ask Jesus to save you from your sins today. Once you do that, there will be no doubt about where you will be after you die. You will be with Him. Then your life will really start!

 

Are you strong enough to be meek?


Everyone thinks that when Jesus was speaking of being meek, that He meant passive and weak. When Jesus sat down to teach and said: “ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5; He did not mean that we are to be door-mats. That is not and never has been what He meant by that word.

Recently, I found out what the word “meek” actually means and it is like a broken horse, strength under submission to the master. That is exactly how we are supposed to be in our walk and our daily lives, submitting ourselves to Him daily and gaining strength from Him yet allowing that strength to be under His control not ours.

Allowing Jesus to have control of your life is not something which we are accustomed to doing. Our nature is to retain control of our own life and situations at all times if it is in our power to do so. Being willing to give up control of your life and allow Him to guide you daily is what being meek and surrendered to Him is all about. We have been given a gift of divine Grace from our Creator and all we have to do is decide to accept it or not. I know it doesn’t sound like a big decision, but the simplicity of it, in my opinion, is what makes it hard for us to accept completely.

In our everyday lives, the decisions that we make have an effect immediately for us and our family. There are also those who are watching us, usually unknown to us, who take notice of what we do and how we do it. These are the ones that we can cause to change their lives for good or ill by the seemingly little things that we do or say. That is a huge responsibility and most people don’t pay any attention to it or have no idea that their actions have any impact outside of their family or friends.

Your life and how you live it will have tremendous consequences in the lives of those around you. Consider the apostle, Peter. He was a married man with a family and a fisherman when Jesus called him to be His disciple. Peter was brash and bold but not meek, until the night that Jesus was arrested. After he denied that he knew Jesus three times, Peter realized what he had done and it broke him as a pottery vessel being hit with a hammer. He became a meek servant of the Son of God at that point and stayed that way until he was crucified.

Your life and the life that you give to the Lord is the most important decision that you will ever make. Think about it, pray about it and seek Him.

Have you ever met me?


I was a baby at one time, like we all were, who lived with his parents in a small home. I was born to very poor parents as far as wealth goes, but the love that was in that home was very evident. So in practical matters we were rich. My childhood was not remarkable. I had all the knee-scrapes and things that kids get into. There was no television, no Internet, no electricity either but we didn’t know about those things because no one else had them either! I made all sorts of toys out of wood and mud and used my imagination to entertain me and my cousins and my brothers.

As time went along, of course, we all had to grow up. That is when I found my vocation as a wood-worker and carpenter. I worked with my dad and learned all that he could teach me about his trade. He was very good at his trade and I learned a lot from him. I missed his laugh and his smile when I became a man. Soon after my thirtieth birthday I was called into another line of work, being a minister of the gospel. My cousin said that I was perfectly suited for this because he had become a minister as well and he knew the people needed to hear the message.

I found his message to be compelling and in line with the one I had been called to bring, so I asked him to baptize me. He agreed, though with some reservations. When I came up from the water, I heard a voice and saw something like a bird land on me. I hoped nobody else heard it, they would think crazy things about me if they did. I went off to be alone and pray and was confronted by someone who kept trying to get me to worship him, but I didn’t give in to any of his plans or temptations.

I managed to gather a few followers, twelve in all who were faithful. There were many more but these stayed close through the time that I had. My message and other things which happened during my ministry angered some and gave hope to others. Unfortunately, the ones who were angry had much more political power and influence than did the people who gained hope from my teachings.

They finally arrested me and gave me a mock trial of sorts and had the ruling government official to condemn me as a traitor and an insurrectionist. All during this time, my Father never left me until I was put on a crucifixion stake as a criminal. He had been with me the whole time. Giving me the words and the wisdom to give others hope and comfort, then during the darkest hour at the end of my life, He left me. I felt alone like I had never felt in my life.

I was placed in a borrowed tomb with a sealed stone over the entrance. I am not sure why they did that since I was dead at the time. Three days later I saw a blinding white light and opened my eyes. I was alive! The scars from the beatings were gone, but the ones from the nails were still there. I walked out of that tomb as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. By the way, my name is Jesus, Yeshua to my Jewish brethren. If you have met me, great! My work is not done yet and yours isn’t either. If you don’t know me, we need to talk about a great many things. The most important of which is your heart and your soul.

My Father’s Word, the Bible, is available to everyone and in every language. My story is told from the beginning to end in one fashion or another. My twelve disciples made sure that they told as many as they could and wrote many letters to the early churches that are still being read by many people today. Your life will never end when you come to the Father through belief in my saving work that He had me do. I have prepared a place for you, won’t you come to me. I am waiting.

Just as you are


It doesn’t matter what you look like or where you live, Jesus loves you just as you are. He has always known you because He knew all of us before we were born. He knows and knew ahead of time who will come to Him and who will not. He also knows the gifts that He has given you and how to teach you to use them for Him and for the glory of God.

You are special to Him, it doesn’t matter who you are or your status here on earth. If your family has lots of money and status and fame, you are special to Jesus. Not because of who you are or because of what you think you have in this world, but because Jesus values you because you are you!

The “stuff” that we and our families gather during our life and on a daily basis doesn’t matter at all, especially with eternity hanging in the balance. The only real stuff that matters is what you choose to do with Jesus and whether you accept His gift for your life! God loves you and truly wants you to come to know Him and His Son, Jesus.

Once you make that decision, your life here will be forever changed in ways that you can’t imagine if you have never given your life to Christ. If you think that you are a Christian, but are having doubts, ask Jesus to clear things up for you. Ask Him to show you exactly what He wants you to do and what you need to read in God’s Word. Once you find the meaning and purpose for your life through Christ, eternity is your destiny because you will have that long to serve Him and to find out more about Him.

If you have access to a Bible, read Romans chapter 8. It has plenty of information for new Christians and for those of us who have gotten a bit rusty in our faith as well. For example: Romans 8:28 says: 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

God loves you all and wants you with Him, please come to Him before it is too late. You won’t regret this decision, I guarantee it!

Even Satan believes in God


Satan believes in God to and served Him at one time. Until his pride led him to believe that he could be equal to or greater than God, Satan was Lucifer the Anointed Cherub. He was the most powerful of all the angels until pride led to his fall from Heaven along with a third of the angels who followed him.

Believing in your heart about God and helping people while on earth are good things but nothing that we do, even going to church faithfully, is enough. You have to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and repent from them and pray for the strength to follow Him. Because unless you lean on His strength, living as a Christian can be hard to do because the temptations of the world are always there. The money that you can make, the house that you can buy or the car or any of a hundred different “things” can become hindrances and even “idols” which can truly get in the way of a Christian’s life and your witness to others.

We have to live our lives daily as if it is our last one because we are not guaranteed tomorrow. A blood clot could break loose tonight, a tire could blow out and cause a fatal accident, you might choke to death on a chicken nugget. Any number of things could happen to end your life, and when God decides that it is your time it won’t matter where you are or what you are doing. So, living for Jesus is the most important thing that you can do with your life. Even if it doesn’t pay much to follow Him, I guarantee that you will truly enjoy the benefits!

God loved us all enough that He sent Jesus to be the one final sacrifice to pay for all of our sins. I used to think that meant that He died for our sins up until we are saved but that is wrong, He died for everyone’s sin, past, present and future! All of the people who have ever lived or ever will live as well. That is why after His death, He went down to hades and set the captives free. Those who would accept Him and His sacrifice for their sins were forgiven and taken out of there and into Heaven. What did you think He did for the three days and nights between the crucifixion and resurrection? He didn’t just lie there in the tomb waiting to be sprung from the grave, He had work to do!

Our God is an awesome God! He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings! He is the Lion of Judah and the Prince of Peace and the Good Shepherd and He is the Son of God! He is still doing His work today and performing miracles for His children! Don’t limit Him by putting human limits on Him because anyone who can create the first man from a pile of mud and breathe life into him can do anything!

Pride, the ultimate sin


We today are facing a time in history that has more trouble than ever before. We seem to be at the very beginning of what most would call the Apocalypse. The church has not been raptured and yet there is so much evil in the world, until I’m not sure if we as a church can truly have much of an impact on the world. I know that God is in control and that he won’t allow Israel to be harmed as the Muslim nations intend to do.

In light of all the news reports from the Middle East and from around the world, the condition of our world is truly bleak. Partially due to the influence of Satan but also due to humanity’s pride. Pride can be good but it can get out of hand. I am proud of my son and for what he has accomplished in school so far, but if I were to take that pride to a selfish level it would cause much heartache.

Pride is the cause of many, many failed marriages, friendships, partnerships in life and business, and it has torn apart numerous churches and denominations. It is also the main reason for so much conflict in the world between countries, religions, and people. Unlike money, which the lust for can cause much heartache, pride is something which cannot be used or sold. It cannot be spent or bartered with, and yet it can and will cause much dissension between close friends, marriage partners, business partners, clergy and congregations if allowed to.

Pride is a sin which was cultivated and nurtured before the world began by Satan himself. It is his work and his most prized tool to use against humanity. The only way to uproot pride is to empty yourself into Jesus or rather allow Him to pour Himself into you. Get your “self” out-of-the-way because while you are in the way, Jesus cannot have you fully. Cultivate your knowledge in His Word, pray about what you have read and ask Jesus to come into your heart, because once you do that He will move pride out and move humility in.

When pride is out-of-the-way and you have given your life to Jesus, you can be so much more than “just a Christian“. You will be a servant of the Most High and a disciple of His as well and it will show in and through your life so that others will see Him through you. God loves you far more than you can possibly realize and He wants you to return His love as well in service and in your daily life.

What should we do about Jesus?


If you are asking this question, of yourself or just wondering, isn’t it time that you made a decision for real? Your eternity hangs in the balance. The condition of your eternity, whether it is comfortable and with friends or terrifying and painful and alone, also hangs on your decision about Jesus. There was a preacher once who preached a sermon about humanity hanging by a frayed rope over the pit of hell and the only way that we could get free from that situation was by accepting Jesus as our Savior and into our life.

What will your decision be? Do you have an opinion about Him based on what the world tells you about Him and Christianity? Or have you got a relative or someone that has told you that it is a bunch of baloney and don’t worry about your “so-called immortal soul” because when we die, we are dead and that is it. That is some dangerous advice to listen to!

You know what really bothers me? It’s the fact that so many people in this country “claim” to be Christian when in actual fact, they are not! I am not judging anyone in this regard, but if eighty percent of Americans really are Christians, why is our country so messed up? When I say that I am a Christian, I mean that I believe that Jesus died for my sins and that the Word of God, the Bible, is true….all of it! Our world and the universe that He created is not billions of years old, and the Book of Revelation is not fiction nor is it allegory. The prophecies contained within it will come to pass at the appropriate time.

God sent His one and only Son to earth to be the sacrifice for all of mankind. If you cannot believe this, read the Bible and pray about it. Your life will never be the same once you accept Jesus as your Savior, it will be more alive and vivid than you can possibly imagine! Without Him, you can do nothing, with Him, you can do anything!

If you repent and turn from your worldly ways….


“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Our world is in sad shape. Not just in America but everywhere, especially in the Middle East around Israel and north Africa. There are so many people who are dissatisfied with their religion and their life until they are looking for something, ANYTHING that will help in some way! Our lives are tied together all over this world regardless of where you may live. If we turn to the only One who can help, He will!

Give Jesus a chance in your life. He loves you and will come into your heart and heal the brokenness that is there from whatever may have put it there. Our lives don’t last very long in this world but by following Jesus and giving our life to Him, your life will never end.

There are many religions in our world, so many that I won’t try to name any other than the few that I know about; there is Buddhism, Hindi, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism just to name a few. They all have an “end of the world” scenario of one kind or another and each one is similar in some respects. There are other so-called “religions” which were devised by mankind which really don’t count in my opinion so I am not going to name them here. Even though a few that I did mention were devised by men but they are followed by many and are not “fringe” religions.

Our God loves you all because He created everyone of us and did so with a purpose, His purpose. When we wise up and realize that He wants us to fulfill that purpose, we are drawn to Him. Although some of us tend to go our own way and ignore that “still, small voice” which is calling us. Truly, once we are called, we will serve God’s purpose. It may take a while, but He will work us toward His purpose and His calling one way or another. Please, give your life more meaning by accepting Jesus into your heart. You will never regret that decision.

God is present in daily life


Even when you can’t or don’t feel that He is there, God is. When problems come up or tragedy strikes regardless of the form that it takes, He is still in control and there when you call. The times that we are living in and through are tough and will likely get worse, but He is still near.

He is watching over Israel and will continue to protect His people. Christians and Jews as well because we are part of His family. I don’t say this because of some status that I feel because I am a Christian, I am only a servant of His. God loves all of humanity and would like nothing better than for everyone to come to Him. Satan is trying his best to keep that from happening and has been doing so for many thousands of years, so he is good at lying and deceit so much so that he can fool even those who have heard the truth.

In so many ways, our lives today reflect the times and the culture in which we live. It is important that we make sure that our children know the truth about Jesus and the Bible so they will be able to resist when the time comes. The full armor of God is contained in the Bible and in us when we claim Jesus as Lord. We must be diligent in keeping our heart and mind on Him so that our life will reflect Him and not our ideas and problems.

He is our Prince, the Alpha and Omega, the Everlasting Father, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the Good Shepherd. Jesus truly and more deeply loves each of us than anyone else in this world. Satan hates us, all of us, because we were put here to be in charge of this world and not him. We are nothing but mud people to him and that is why he treats us as he does. To conceive of God giving life to a creature formed from clay (mud) and then giving it dominion over the whole earth would only come from the mind of a Creator which could accomplish this.

He is able to accomplish this and more! Read the Bible and pray to the only God who can save you and give your life real meaning now and in eternity. He is patiently waiting for you.

Are we looking for someone who isn’t there?


Many people do not believe in Jesus or in what He did for us. Why is that? Are we looking for someone who could do more? There isn’t anyone who could do more because He is the Creator! God used His Word to create everything that is, and since Jesus is the Living Word of God there can be no one greater than He!

God inhabits the universe but He is not in His Creation as in the stars or trees or the earth. He is all around us, but not like the “force” in the Star Wars movies. Our mind cannot conceive of Him because we are not like Him. He is because He is, period! There is no “scientific explanation” for God, especially in terms that our human minds can comprehend.

Scientists have found many solar systems out there that have multiple planets in them but they don’t have the same characteristics which make ours friendly to life. The planets are too large or too hot or too close or too far away and cold in relation to the stars that they are around. God made our system exactly the way it is for a reason, for us to live here!

The questions surrounding the “end of days or the end of the world” are answered in the Bible but not in exact dates or hours. Our God and Creator lives outside of time as we know it so He can see all time as one. He knows exactly when things will occur and what hour but He is the only One who has this knowledge! Even the Son of God, Jesus, will not know the day to come until told by the Father.

The only way to know about God is to read His Word, the Bible. There are no codes or rules which will reveal anymore from it than what He reveals to you through His Spirit. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart so that you can understand what is in His Word. The knowledge in it will give you the ability to resist Satan and his temptations so that you can stand up to him because in our own strength we can’t.

God loves us all but Satan hates us because we are loved by God and because we were given dominion over the earth and not him. Even though he is here and influences all of the evil in the world, he is not omnipotent and he can’t be everywhere. Study God’s Word and learn about Him. Get to know Him and His Son, Jesus because when you do, your life will be forever changed for the better!